2005 Nissan Altima Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,364 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2005 Nissan Altima, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 52/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 80,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2005 sits among all Altima years
What owners report
“Engine is having issues after having crank shaft position sensor and cam sensor replaced. The part that's having issues has been recalled.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Altima
“My 2005 nissan altima has holes in the front driver's side and front passenger's side floorboard due to extreme rust.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Altima
“Transmission shift erratic from 1 to second on upshifting and clunks hard from 2 to 1 on slowing down.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Altima
“Takata recall my car keeps dying out of no where. The battery light is on, the oil light is on, the service engine light is on. I went to oreillys and said it was the crankshaft position sensor:”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Altima
“The floor of my 2005 nissan altima has rusted out on both sides, this shoulld be a recall because i have read that other customers have the same problem”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Altima
“'takata recall' dashboard intstrument light now remains on for the passenger airbag. I don't know if it is safe to have a passenger in that seat when driving.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Altima
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 1,077 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 87,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 54,000 and 116,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 2.5L ENGINE, THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR CAN OVERHEAT CAUSING A BRIEF INTERRUPTION IN THE SIGNAL OUTPUT FROM THE SENSOR.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ECM FREE OF CHARGE. CERTAIN MY 2006 ALTIMAS WHICH HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY REMEDIED UNDER RECALL CAMPAIGN 06V223 (NISSAN R0606) ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL SINCE THE…
CERTAIN TYC HALOGEN TYPE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES P/N 20-6644-00 SOLD AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR 2005-2006 NISSAN ALTIMA PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE PHOTOMETRIC WERE MISALIGNED WHICH DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS,…
Fix: GENERA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 25, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT GENERA AT 714-522-6688.
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 2005 Nissan Altima reliable?
The 2005 Nissan Altima drew 1,364 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 52/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2005 Nissan Altima problems?
The top reported problems for the 2005 Nissan Altima are engine (407 complaints), body & structure (354), and transmission & drivetrain (117).
At what mileage do 2005 Nissan Altima problems show up?
Owners most often report 2005 Nissan Altima problems around 87,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 54,000 and 116,000 miles.
Does the 2005 Nissan Altima have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2005 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.