2004 Nissan Altima Problems, Recalls & Reliability
334 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Nissan Altima, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 12/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Engine leads the reports, typically around 70,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2004 Nissan Altima has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2004 sits among all Altima years
What owners report
“"takata recall"tengo problema con mi carro desde q lo agarre siempre fallaba de lo mismo engine y hasta ahora se descompuso y no puedo arreglarlo q tengo q hacer o sobre el programa recall .gracias”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Altima
“Floor boards under the driver & passenger seats completely rusted out. Can see & feel the carpet from underneath the car. If you step too hard on the floor from the inside, you foot would go through and you would touch the ground.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Altima
“When rear defroster window is turned on, reception of radio fuzzes out. Told they would not cover it under the extended warrentee even though warrentee states audio and electric coverage, window is not damaged.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Altima
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 263 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 72,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 51,413 and 100,133 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
CERTAIN EAGLE EYES HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES, P/NOS. DS517-B001L AND DS517-B001R, SOLD FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE OPTICEL SURFACE OF THE REFLECTOR IS CORRODED INHIBITING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE UPPER AND LOWER…
Fix: EAGLE EYES WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER REIMBURSEMENT FOR ANY NONCOMPLIANT HEADLIGHTS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 11, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT EAGLE EYES AT 1-800-568-1098.
CERTAIN ANZO AFTERMARKET HEADLIGHTS, P/N 02-AZ-NA02-B-A, SOLD FOR USE ON 2002-2004 NISSAN ALTIMA VEHICLES. DURING PRODUCTION THE LAMP HOUSING SHAPE DEFORMED DISTORTING THE ASSEMBLY ANGLE OF THE REFLECTOR AND INFLUENCED THE AIMING POSITION. THESE HEADLAMPS…
Fix: ANZO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT ANZO AT 909-628-1440.
CERTAIN MAXZONE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES, DEPO BRAND, P/NOS. 315-1145L-AS AND 315-1145R-AS, SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. DURING PRODUCTION THE LAMP REFLECTOR SHAPE DEFORMED CHANGING THE SHAPE OF THE OPTIC…
Fix: MAXZONE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER REIMBURSEMENT FOR ANY NONCOMPLIANT HEADLIGHTS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 16, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MAXZONE AT 909-822-3288.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 2.5L ENGINE, THE CRANK ANGLE SENSOR IS AFFECTED BY TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS. UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS, THESE VARIATIONS IN TEMPERATURE CAN BE LARGE ENOUGH TO CAUSE A BRIEF INTERRUPTION IN THE SIGNAL OUTPUT…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ECM FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 21, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
CERTAIN ANZO COMBINATION HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS WHICH FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS,…
Fix: ANZO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE HEADLAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN MAY 9, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT ANZO USA AT 909-468-3688.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2004 Nissan Altima reliable?
The 2004 Nissan Altima drew 334 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 12/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2004 Nissan Altima problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Nissan Altima are engine (142 complaints), body & structure (42), and electrical (38).
At what mileage do 2004 Nissan Altima problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Nissan Altima problems around 72,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 51,413 and 100,133 miles.
Does the 2004 Nissan Altima have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 Nissan Altima. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.