"How reliable is the 2015 Nissan Altima?"

"Based on 1188 NHTSA complaints, the 2015 Nissan Altima has a median complaint mileage of 51000 miles. The most common issue is Exterior Lighting."

"What are common problems with the 2015 Nissan Altima?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2015 Nissan Altima is Exterior Lighting, accounting for a significant portion of the 1188 total complaints filed."

2015 Nissan Altima: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 1188 complaints

1188

Total Complaints

51,000mi

Median Mileage

Exterior Lighting

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

22,000 25th Percentile

51,000 Median Mileage

80,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Exterior Lighting

243

Air Bags

169

Power Train

156

Unknown Or Other

Engine

Suspension

Electrical System

Body

Steering

Vehicle Speed Control

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED FOR NO GOOD REASON. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY RUN A PEN DOWN THE SEAM AND CLAIM THAT THERE'S AN IMPACT. I'M AN ENGINEER AND I CAN ATTEST STRESS FRACTURE ON A GLASS DOESN'T GUARANTEE THAT THERE'S NO CHIP ON THE EDGE ALONG THE WAY. THIS LOOK LIKE A STRESS FRACTURE, OR ..."

"I WAS DRIVING MY 2015 NISSAN ALTIMA ON THE ROAD AND THERE WAS HEAVY TRAFFIC SO IT WAS SORT OF STOP AND GO AND LOTS OF IDLING. EACH TIME I PRESSED ON THE GAS, IT SEEMS THE CAR HESITATED TO GO. AFTER I GOT TO MY DESTINATION, I THEN DROVE ONTO INTERSTATE 85 IN GASTONIA, NORTH CAROLINA AND THE CAR STAR..."

"I JUST PURCHASED A 2015 ALTIMA SV WITH THE TECH PACKAGE. THIS INCLUDE SEVERAL SAFETY FEATURES, BUT THE ONE I WANTED MOST WAS THE BLIND SPOT WARNING SYSTEM. I DISCOVERED IN THE FIRST 2 WEEKS THAT WHEN IT WAS RAINING OR THE ROADS WERE WET, THE BSW COULD GIVE FALSE ALARMS LIKE A CAR WAS NEXT TO ME, WH..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Exterior Lighting 243 complaints

25th: 42,000 mi Median: 63,000 mi 75th: 90,000 mi

Air Bags 169 complaints

25th: 10,359 mi Median: 29,550 mi 75th: 60,000 mi

Power Train 156 complaints

25th: 27,250 mi Median: 61,500 mi 75th: 90,000 mi

Unknown Or Other 91 complaints

25th: 22,000 mi Median: 45,000 mi 75th: 70,000 mi

Engine 66 complaints

25th: 27,253 mi Median: 55,000 mi 75th: 78,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 122 TX: 119 FL: 95 GA: 78 NY: 64 IL: 58 NC: 49 NJ: 48 PA: 47 MA: 38

Who Files Complaints?

0.7%

Original Owners

99.3%

Second+ Owners

Nissan Altima — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1993	150	122,000	Frontal	25
1994	120	126,000	Frontal	37
1995	216	110,500	Frontal	49
1996	117	83,075	Frontal	27
1997	141	120,000	Air Bags	40
1998	141	120,000	Frontal	20
1999	110	88,500	Frontal	29
2000	199	84,000	Engine And Engine Cooling	34
2001	201	69,500	Engine And Engine Cooling	29
2002	1321	87,000	Engine And Engine Cooling	41
2003	1099	86,300	Engine And Engine Cooling	61
2004	334	71,000	Engine And Engine Cooling	18
2005	1358	85,000	Body	71
2006	1043	90,000	Body	58
2007	597	65,000	Suspension	39
2008	1373	71,000	Structure	73
2009	2149	78,000	Steering	55
2010	538	51,603	Unknown Or Other	40
2011	317	72,000	Power Train	18
2012	575	75,000	Power Train	39
2013	2970	62,000	Air Bags	104
2014	1376	62,500	Exterior Lighting	74
2016	778	57,692	Power Train	43
2017	498	55,000	Power Train	32
2018	314	36,000	Unknown Or Other	16
2019	326	14,000	Electrical System	40
2020	266	21,171	Electrical System	27
2021	96	41,000	Electrical System	11
2022	50	-	Unknown Or Other	8
2023	33	5,300	Electrical System	8
2024	55	-	Unknown Or Other	13

Active Recalls (10)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Escape/Egress/Exit

Campaign 18V915000 | 19/12/2018

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

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.

Latch

Campaign 17V040000 | 18/01/2017

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

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.

Occupant Classification

Campaign 16V911000 | 19/12/2016

If the front passenger seat occupant is misclassified, the air bag may deploy incorrectly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ECU and update the OCS software free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Caliper

Campaign 15V733000 | 05/11/2015

If the bolts were not properly tightened, the caliper may detach and reduce braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash.

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will check the brake caliper mounting bolts, tightening them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 14, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Occupant Classification

Campaign 16V244000 | 26/04/2016

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.

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,

Frontal

Campaign 15V681000 | 20/10/2015

If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger air bag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Fuel System, Gasoline

Campaign 15V486000 | 04/08/2015

If fuel leaks from between the fuel sending unit and the tank, it may increase the risk of a fire in the event of a crash.

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install a retainer ring between the fuel tank and the fuel sending unit. The recall began on September 28, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Latch

Campaign 15V116000 | 27/02/2015

If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will be instructed to modify the bend angle of the hood actuation lever to eliminate potential interference with the hood inner panel. In addition, dealers will clean and lubricate the latch joint as needed. If significant corrosion is observed, the latch ass

Latch

Campaign 16V029000 | 22/01/2016

If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

These vehicles were previously included in recalls 14V-565 and 15V-116, however the previous remedy plan may not have been performed consistently to remove the safety risk. To correct this issue, Nissan will re-notify all affected owners and dealers will replace the hood latch with a new one, free

Latch

Campaign 20V315000 | 28/05/2020

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.

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 Owners Manual addendum card with instructions on how to lubricate and maintain the secondary hood latch mechanism, free of charge. Owner no

Maintain Your Lighting

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Replace headlight bulbs in pairs for even illumination
Restore cloudy headlight lenses with a restoration kit — improves visibility 50%+
Check all exterior lights monthly including brake, turn, and reverse
Clean lens covers regularly — road grime reduces light output significantly

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28