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2019 Nissan Altima

Buyable, but go in with open eyes: this car has specific known issues to check before money changes hands.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist — a shareable PDF

223 owner complaints · 7 recalls · data verified July 10, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Cautionwillitcar.com

Why caution?

7 recall campaigns (3 safety-critical) — confirm every one shows "remedy completed" on the seller's VIN.

Electrical system problems dominate (25% of complaints, typically reported near 40k miles).

The math, shown

Full methodology →
Complaint volume (40%)84
Severity (30%)68
Recall load (20%)51
Trend (10%)53

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20182026

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2019 Nissan Altima, plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k miElectrical system~40k mi · 56 reports

Also reported (mileage varies): Engine (46) · Driver assistance (41) · Brakes (29) · Visibility & wipers (15)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint — a rough guide, not a schedule.

Electrical system

25%

56 complaints · typically near 40k mi · 22 in the last 2 years

Coolant leak not visible egr cooler and egr valve malfunction catalytic converter malfunction. Diagnosted at nissan a known issue with nissan make and model.

Engine

21%

46 complaints · 28 in the last 2 years

Engine Malfunction light is on and off while at a stop light.

Driver assistance

18%

41 complaints · 13 in the last 2 years

Have been getting “engine malfunction power reduced” already had it repaired once. Not sure what is causing this since it was just “repaired “. New battery in place. A…

Brakes

13%

29 complaints · 2 in the last 2 years

Driving down the road and my parking brake light came on when it wasn’t in park and i was on a highway. Malfunction light came on, but car runs fine and had it looked …

Recalls (7)

Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.

Engine And Engine Cooling · 25V437000

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Rogue, 2019-2020 Altima, 2019-2022 Infiniti QX50, and 2022 Infiniti QX55 vehicles equipped with 3-cylinder 1.5L or 4-cylinder 2.0L variable compression turbo (VC-Turbo) engines. The engine bearings may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine failure.

Risk: Engine failure increases the risk of a crash. A bearing failure may cause a breach in the engine block, allowing hot oil to be discharged, increasing the risk of an engine fire.

Fix: Dealers will reprogram the engine control module (ECM) software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed April 8, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261 or Infiniti's customer service at 1-800-662-6200. Nissan's numbers for this recall are R25A8/A9 and R25B1/B2.

Back Over Prevention · 23V628000

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Altima and 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. Damage to the camera harness can cause distortion or loss of the rearview camera display image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Risk: A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and harness for damage and replace them as necessary. If no damage is found, the dealer will apply protective tape and reroute the rearview camera harness. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23C3.

Tires · 21V169000

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Altima and 2018-2021 Titan vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production.

Risk: Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall, resulting in sudden air loss or belt edge separation which could lead to tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC798.

Back Over Prevention · 19V654000

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.

Fix: Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200.

Fuel System, Gasoline · 19V316000

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019 Altima vehicles equipped with front wheel drive (FWD) and 2.5 liter engines. The fuel pump lock ring may not be fully engaged, possibly causing fuel to leak. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."

Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel tank assembly. If the lock ring is disengaged, dealers will tighten the ring to specification. If the lock ring is detached, dealers will replace the fuel pump. Both remedies will be completed free of charge. The recall began May 15, 2019. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.

Exterior Lighting · 19V235000

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019 Nissan Altima vehicles. The brake switch bracket may be in the incorrect location, which may cause the brake switch to remain on.

Risk: If the brake switch remains in the ON position, the brake lights will remain illuminated when the brakes are not being pressed, which may confuse other drivers. Additionally, the transmission shift lever may be moved out of the Park position without the brake pedal being pressed, allowing the vehicle to roll unexpectedly. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.

Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and install a new brake pedal as needed, free of charge. The recall began May 15, 2019. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.

Fuel System, Gasoline · 18V922000

Nissan North America, Inc (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019 Altima vehicles. The retainer clip connecting the low pressure fuel tube to the high pressure fuel pump may not have been locked into position.

Risk: If the retainer clip is unlocked, the fuel tube may shift and cause a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire. If the fuel tube fully disconnects, the engine can stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Nissan has notified owners, and dealers will route the fuel hose into the holding clip and lock the retainer clip into place, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 11, 2019. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.

Before you hand over money

Verify the recall work was done

NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.

Free NHTSA VIN check

Get a pre-purchase inspection

A $150–$250 independent inspection of this exact 2019 Nissan ALTIMA beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2019? See how every Altima model year scores →

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What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score — if they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2019 Nissan Altima as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only — always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.