2016 Nissan Altima Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Oct 13, 2026 · 554 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Altima years
Far more complaints than other years 10th of 32 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
5 out of 5 stars

Owners have filed 554 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Nissan Altima. That ranks 10th out of 32 Altima model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (235 complaints, 42%), typically at around 64,700 miles. Complaints mention 28 crashes, 3 fires, 32 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.

Nissan Altima
A 2023 Nissan Altima SR I photographed in Lompoc, California. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: LukaCali, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2016 Nissan Altima problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Power Train235 · ~64,700 mi
Engine86 · ~53,000 mi
Unknown or Other81 · ~45,000 mi
Air Bags71 · ~52,000 mi
Vehicle Speed Control65 · ~61,000 mi
Electrical System42 · ~33,650 mi
Exterior Lighting42 · ~85,000 mi
Structure29 · ~31,005 mi
Fuel/propulsion System27 · ~44,000 mi
Latches/locks/linkages22 · ~65,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Power Train problems23542%64,700“cvt transmission” (9%)$5,250
Engine problems8616%53,000“press gas” (7%)—
Unknown or Other8115%45,000——
Air Bags problems7113%52,000“air bag” (37%)$2,300
Vehicle Speed Control problems6512%61,000“stop sign” (15%)—
Electrical System428%33,650——
Exterior Lighting428%85,000——
Structure295%31,005——
Fuel/propulsion System275%44,000——
Latches/locks/linkages224%65,000——
Steering163%45,500——
Suspension122%65,000——
Service Brakes112%50,514——
Seats102%55,000——
Visibility/wiper81%9,000——
Wheels71%21,000——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)61%78,000——
Forward Collision Avoidance51%29,114——
Seat Belts51%71,500——
Visibility41%43,000——
Fuel System, Gasoline31%44,000——
Back Over Prevention10%34,000——
Equipment10%42,500——
Lane Departure10%———
Tires10%———

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2019, with 115 complaints
2016: 142016142017: 252017252018: 552018552019: 11520191152020: 802020802021: 572021572022: 672022672023: 532023532024: 342024342025: 362025362026: 18202618

n = 554 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2016 Nissan Altima recalls (4)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latchMay 28, 2020 · NHTSA campaign 20V315000 · 1,831,818 vehicles

Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2018 Nissan Altima vehicles. If the primary hood latch is inadvertently released, there is an increased likelihood that the secondary hood latch may corrode over time.

Risk: Corrosion to the secondary latch may cause it to bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed. If the primary latch is inadvertently released again and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install a stronger release spring in the hood release lever, a warning label near the secondary hood latch, and an Owner’s Manual addendum card with instructions on how to lubricate and maintain the secondary hood latch mechanism, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: Recall 16V-029 remains open for any unremedied 2013-2015 Altimas and this recall applies to all vehicles covered by 16V-029 even if those repairs have already been performed.

Structure:emergency:escape/egress/exit; latches/locks/linkages:doors:latchDec 19, 2018 · NHTSA campaign 18V915000 · 341,003 vehicles

Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Altima vehicles, previously remedied under recall number 17V-040. The door latch-lock cable may not have been routed properly in the rear door when the remedy was applied. As a result, the cable may interfere with the window regulator causing the rear passenger door to unlatch and inadvertently open without warning when the window is lowered.

Risk: If the rear passenger door opens while the vehicle is moving, the rear passengers have an increased risk of injury.

Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will secure the latch-lock cables in the correct position using the new remedy procedure, free of charge. The recall began February 5, 2019. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7669.

Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latchJan 18, 2017 · NHTSA campaign 17V040000 · 341,005 vehicles

Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Altima vehicles. The rear door latch/lock cable on the vehicles may have been improperly routed. As a result, lowering a rear window may inadvertently cause that door to unlatch and open.

Risk: If the rear passenger doors inadvertently open while the vehicle is in motion, it may increase the risk of injury to the rear passengers.

Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will correct the rear door latch/lock cable routing, free of charge. The recall began on February 16, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Air bags:sensor:occupant classificationApr 26, 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V244000 · 3,296,947 vehicles

Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.

Risk: If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.

Fix: Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
  • Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure (EA19002) — opened Jul 29, 2019, closed Jun 16, 2025.
  • Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure (PE18013) — opened Dec 1, 2018, closed Aug 21, 2019.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

I have a 2016 Nissan Altima, Its airbag light is on. diagnose say the driver side airbag has problem. Nissan has recall, but not include my VIN: [XXX]. How?? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Air Bags · received Oct 13, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11770821

The HVAC system in my 2016 Nissan Altima produces cold air, but the airflow is not properly directed through the dashboard vents toward the occupants. Instead, the airflow is primarily directed toward the floor and windshield. This problem has continued throughout the summer of 2026. I have two…

Unknown or Other · received Sep 8, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11762739

To recap: •Nissan manufactured defective transmissions. •Nissan granted me a warranty extension with a fleeting expiration date (2023) to shift the cost away from them. •In 2020, Nissan performed work on my car. The work they performed masked the problem, didn’t fix it. And it deferred the…

Power Train · received Aug 16, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11757234

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the driver's side headlight had become inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with an internal headlight failure, and it was determined that the headlight assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was…

Exterior Lighting · received Aug 10, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11755925

My 2016 Nissan Altima has approximately 68,900 miles. When I am stopped and press the gas pedal, the vehicle sometimes hesitates before it begins moving. It does not accelerate normally, which is dangerous when I am pulling into traffic, crossing an intersection, or making a turn. At other times…

Power Train · received Aug 3, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11754572

Other Nissan Altima years

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See all Nissan Altima problems by year, every Nissan model, or the Nissan VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2016 Nissan Altima?

Owners most often report power train, engine, unknown or other problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 235 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2016 Nissan Altima?

Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2016 Nissan Altima a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Altima model years, the 2016 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.