2008 Nissan Altima Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,376 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 Nissan Altima, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 50/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Body & structure leads the reports, typically around 65,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2008 sits among all Altima years
What owners report
“The dashboard in my 2008 nissan altima is "melting" from the sun. The dashboard has become sticky and causes a permanent glare on the windshield.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Altima
“Dashboard is melting,getting sticky and shiny and causing a very dangerous glare on the windshield.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Altima
“Dashboard melting and produces glare making it difficult to see when driving in sunlight.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Altima
“Passenger airbag warning light is blinking Took to repair shop and tech said OCS is bad and needs replacing Code B1018 comes up I do not understand why there is not a recall because this is a safety Issue”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Altima
“Car stopped, would not start, yellow key light on the left dashboard stays on. Car will not start at all”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Altima
“Brakes locked and steering locked causing a rear end accident driving on a city highway going to work.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Altima
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 894 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 72,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 42,000 and 109,430 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN NUVI MODEL 750 NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THE BATTERIES CONTAINED IN THE AFFECTED GPS UNITS CAN OVERHEAT.
Fix: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND THE REPAIRS WILL BE PERFORMED BY GARMIN TECHNICIANS BY REPLACING THE BATTERY AND INSERTING A SPACER ON TOP OF THE BATTERY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON…
NISSAN IS RECALLING 204,361 MY 2007-2008 ALTIMA, ALTIMA HYBRID, 350Z, 350Z ROADSTER, MY 2008 ALTIMA COUPE, ROGUE, MY 2009 MURANO, AND INFINITI MY 2007-2008 G35 SEDAN, MY 2008 G37 COUPE AND EX35 PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS'…
Fix: DEALERS WILL TEST THE SIGNAL BETWEEN THE OCS AND ACU SYSTEMS USING A SPECIAL TOOL TO CHECK THAT IT IS FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED. IF NECESSARY, THE SEAT CUSHION (CONTAINING OCS HARDWARE) WILL BE…
NISSAN IS RECALLING 1,018 MY 2008 ALTIMA VEHICLES. THE LEFT SIDE FRONT SUSPENSION TRANSVERSE LINK BOLT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TIGHTENED TO SPECIFICATION. THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE BOLT TO BECOME LOOSE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN.
Fix: DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE TRANSVERSE LINK BOLT TO SPECIFICATION FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 11, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES THAT HAVE HAD THE BODY CONTROL MODULE (BCM) REPLACED DURING SERVICE AT A DEALERSHIP, THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS) MAY HAVE BEEN INADVERTENTLY DEACTIVATED DUE TO AN ISSUE WITH THE DEALER SERVICE SOFTWARE. IF THE…
Fix: DEALERS WILL CHECK THE TPMS FUNCTION AND REACTIVATE IT IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 18, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
Federal defect investigations
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 2008 Nissan Altima reliable?
The 2008 Nissan Altima drew 1,376 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 50/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2008 Nissan Altima problems?
The top reported problems for the 2008 Nissan Altima are body & structure (313 complaints), other (215), and visibility & wipers (188).
At what mileage do 2008 Nissan Altima problems show up?
Owners most often report 2008 Nissan Altima problems around 72,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 42,000 and 109,430 miles.
Does the 2008 Nissan Altima have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 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.