What 544 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Nissan Altima

Headlights staying dim to the point of not being able to see after dark even after replacing the headlights

NHTSA ODI 11618191

The transmission failed in the middle of a traffic controlled intersection. I was almost hit a few times (flashers engaged). No motion was possible in either direction. Was later replaced at a cost of $6100 by a local transmission shop.

NHTSA ODI 11617007

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated independently. On several occasions, the vehicle stalled and failed to immediately restart. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 113,000.

NHTSA ODI 11610965

Air bag sensor light comes on; took to Nissan Glen Burnie MD dealership and believed they rectified the issue (removing debris) and did a reset. Light came back on and took it to Nissan Bowie MD and they could not determine the cause and did a reset. Light came back on and took it to Nissan Bowie MD and B0020-13 code was returned resulting in having to replace seat and sensor (no issue with wiring found). Contacted Nissan after seeing many other complaints for same issue with Altima sensor. No help from Nissan since they don't have it listed for a recall. This represents a major safety issue as my understanding is the air bag is not active when the light is on.

NHTSA ODI 11608746

Accident Description: On August 2024, a 2016 Nissan Altima SL was being driven at a low speed through a residential neighborhood under clear and dry conditions. The ambient temperature was between 85 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Without any prior warning or external impact, the vehicle's airbag system suddenly and unexpectedly deployed. Both the driver and front seat passenger, who were wearing seat belts. Additionally, the vehicle's door locks appeared to malfunction, impeding the passenger's exit. The vehicle has approximately 76,000 miles and is not currently under recall. Component or System Failure: The airbag system, including the airbag modules and potentially the door lock mechanism, malfunctioned. The vehicle is currently undergoing inspection by the insurance company and will be made available for inspection by NHTSA upon request. Safety Risk: The unexpected deployment of the airbags while the vehicle was at a low speed posed a significant safety risk to the occupants. The injuries sustained, including neck, shoulder, and back pain, demonstrate the potential for serious harm. Furthermore, the malfunctioning door locks hindered passenger egress and could have exacerbated the situation in a more severe accident such as if this would have happened on an expressway or highway at a high rate of speed with other vehicles involved, this would have been a deadly accident. Reproduction or Confirmation: The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center yet. Inspections: The vehicle is currently scheduled to undergoing inspection by the insurance company. No inspections by the manufacturer, police, or other parties have been conducted yet. Warning Signs: No warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms indicating an issue with the airbag system was observed prior to the incident.

NHTSA ODI 11607780

After driving the vehicle for about an hour, when coming to a stop, the vehicle will not accelerate. Stepping in the acceleration pedal does nothing. No RPM increase, nothing. After 10 seconds the vehicle suddenly takes off. After angry drivers honk. The RPMS rev up and will not decrease to normal. I am limited to 25 mph with very high RPMs. Same thing repeats after every stop. The problem goes away intermittently after restarting the car. I've almost died trying to make turns in front of oncoming traffic when it will not accelerate.

NHTSA ODI 11606216

During normal operation of the vehicle the car suddenly would not accelerate or go faster than 12mph. The transmission failed without warning. I have filed a claim with the manufacturer.

NHTSA ODI 11604969

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly accelerated independently, before returning to normal functionality. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the continuously variable transmission (CVT). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 75,000.

NHTSA ODI 11604704

2016 Altima 66,700 miles At a light, when push the accelerator my car hesitates for about 4 seconds. Then it slowly gains power. This is an accident waiting to happen. 2016 Altima needs a recall. I see multiple complaints on the internet as well.

NHTSA ODI 11597811

The driver side sun visor is easily broken. The connecting rod is hollow.

NHTSA ODI 11597181

the systems I-key message is coming on because the hood latch. the recall only bent or greased the latch and didn't replace it. dealer wont take the problem.

NHTSA ODI 11595753

Air bag light is on and occupant classification sensor is malfunctioning. Passenger airbag will not deploy in the event of an accident.

NHTSA ODI 11595378

When I am stopped at a light or in stop and go traffic my car will not accelerate when I put my foot on the gas pedal. I can push it all the way to the floor and my car will not move. It takes about 10 seconds or so then my car will jolt quickly and finally go. I have also had issues with the RPM's shooting up while I am driving at a low rate of speed. This has happened maybe 3 times and I have to pull over and turn my vehicle off then turn it back on and then it seems to drive normally. This issue started several months ago and at first it was just occasionally. Now it is more frequent and happens anytime I am driving. If I turn my car off then turn it back on it seems to correct the issue briefly. I have found myself while stopped in traffic just turning my car off then back on because I am in fear of it happening. This is dangerous as I am at risk of getting hit when I am making a turn at an intersection if my car will not move. I have looked online and it seems other people with Altimas the same year have also experienced similar problems. I have not had the vehicle inspected. There are no warning lights that have come on in the vehicle indicating there is a problem.

NHTSA ODI 11592839

I am concerned about the safety of my headlights. I haven't had my car long but noticed how dim the headlights were in comparison to my other car. I frequently would drive my old car with the fog lights illuminated due to wildlife concerns. My Nissan, though ten years newer, has lighting that is way worse. Sure enough, an animal ran out across my part that I could barely see. I looked into replacement bulbs when I stumbled across a class-action lawsuit regarding dim headlights. However, since I recently bought this car used, I apparently have no recourse. This is most definitely a safety issue. Furthermore, if the issue is due to the projector lens, then the repair should be made at Nissan's expense. Additionally, several people say that changing the bulbs do not help. I haven't had my car looked at by anyone because they just want to change the bulbs. How do you fix headlights when charging the bulb isn't the fix? How am I going to be able to see at nighttime? There needs to be a recall for these lights. It is a safety issue. It cannot be fixed by a consumer by changing the bulbs.

NHTSA ODI 11591944

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) and 18V915000 (Structure, Latches/Locks/Linkages). The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact smelled an abnormal burning odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in a parking lot, others also smelled the odor. The contact stated while driving approximately 65MPH, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated to 45 MPH with other vehicles behind. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate, and the vehicle lunged forward causing the contact to quickly depress the brake pedal. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.

NHTSA ODI 11591055

I was driving on the interstate highway when I realize that when I was trying to accelerate, the car was not starting to move forward anymore was not able to drive at proper speed on freeway . prior to that, I realize my RPMs was going up and down Had to pull over on freeway shut my car off and let car cool down waited about 10 minutes with off and then restarted it and continue to go seem to be fine at that point but has happened a couple times to me already, driving at normal speed and then it seems like when it’s getting hotter that I would gradually wouldn’t be able to move at normal speed as I needed to be on the freeway. RPMs would eventually start jumping up a down again I end up bringing my car to a Garage have transmission flushed and change screen filter, and oil cool filter still same result. It seems to feel very unsafe when driving on freeway!!!!

NHTSA ODI 11588821

Going down the highway coming home my hood popped up and blocked my visibility I swerved off the road causing my back tire to blow out. Now my hood will not open back up, since I closed it on the highway. I got my car to my house with the spare but am not sure what to do now. I looked and apparently my car has a recall for a faulty hood and was never taken in for inspection. I believe this was the cause of my hood failure.

NHTSA ODI 11587060

It is a known issue that the Stepper Motor on Nissan CVT transmissions are faulty. It causes the vehicle to not accelerate from stopped, which creates a dangerous situation if you are expecting your vehicle to respond when you press the accelerator to make a turn in traffic. When the Stepper Motor is not functioning properly, the driver will depress the accelerator, and the vehicle will not respond for up to 3 seconds. Once the vehicle responds to the depressed accelerator, it jolts the vehicle forward rapidly. Research in Nissan forums and conversations with auto technicians confirm this is an issue, however Nissan has not issued a recall. My research indicates this faulty part effects Nissan Alitmas as far back as 2008, and other Nissan vehicles such as the Nissan Murano.

NHTSA ODI 11584670

Nissan has had quite a few recalls on their hood latch. The most recent one was in 2022. My car was checked in 2022, but now two years later I’m having another issue with the hood latch. While Nissan does not want to open a recall to not lose money, there is definitely another recall issue. At the moment there are 149 hood latches on back order and no one is able to get one. There was more than one customer in Nissan complaining of a hood latch issue. I went back-and-forth with Nissan for weeks , and they just kept telling me that they cannot help me. I would have to pay out-of-pocket. if there are absolutely no hood latches available to anyone anywhere is there not an issue on the hood latch?

NHTSA ODI 11582387

The car stalls/shuts down while driving and while idle. I’ve had the alternative replaced 3 times within 2 years. After about 8-10 after having the alternative replaced it starts to stall/shut down again. There is definitely an error with the alternator system in these cars. Avd a recall needs to be assessed.

NHTSA ODI 11581780

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact was almost involved in a crash due to acceleration failure. The contact noticed that the vehicle shuddered before the failure in acceleration. Additionally, the contact noticed that the RPMs were high during the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate above 60 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed transmission. The dealer determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Three months ago, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the passenger's side front end of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and kept for six months; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 76,454.

NHTSA ODI 11581103

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle began to jerk, after which the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000.

NHTSA ODI 11575882

I was driving today 3/2/24 and speed was about 40-50 and suddenly/randomly the vehicle would do a jerk once it got to about 50 and the rpm’s would jump up between 2-3 and quickly drop back down to normal. I was not pressing the gas hard or a lot just lightly and also the jerking would happen if I was going down in speed from like 60-50 it would randomly jerk again and rpm’s would increase and go back down. Would do this off and on. No check engine lights or any lights what so ever we’re out up on the dash either which made it odd that my car was acting up. My vehicle only has 59,300 miles and has been serviced strictly at dealer for oil and transmission and I have been told that Nissan and their CVT transmissions are no good and transmissions can suddenly “die” on you for no apparent reasoning. Online searches let me to forums that discuss this being a common issue although Nissan has never done any form of recalls. This poses a safety concern in that the car is jerking and rpm’s go crazy for a moment. My vehicle also after being stopped at a traffic light today did not want to accelerate and “go” when I pressed the gas. I creeped up to 20 mph while rpm’s increased and then all of a sudden the car jerked and I was back in motion. I have owned my car since brand new and never have I had any issues.

NHTSA ODI 11575059

During driving on interstate highway transmission suddenly failed to shift during acceleration or deceleration. This caused an inability to properly move with flow of traffic to move to emergency lane nearly causing a major Mother Vehicle Accident involving multiple vehicles.

NHTSA ODI 11574944

Car just randomly “ gave “ out . I couldn’t accelerate in the middle of intestate traffic !! The engine and the transmission blew at the same time. No warning , no check engine light ! Up to date on oil changes and other maintenance. Car only has 150k miles on it , no way this both happens at the same time. Complete limp mode. Danger to myself and most importantly my kids. How the engine and transmission just fails. Now I’m liable to pay 9,000, no warning no nothing. Complete failure . This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of this year make and model having transmission and engine issues. How terrible!

NHTSA ODI 11570177