2016 Nissan Altima Problems, Recalls & Reliability
788 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2016 Nissan Altima, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 29/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 66,505 miles.
Typical
Where 2016 sits among all Altima years
What owners report
“During normal operation of the vehicle the car suddenly would not accelerate or go faster than 12mph. The transmission failed without warning. I have filed a claim with the manufacturer.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Altima
“I was driving the vehicle immediately had loss of power and would not accelerate. No warnings or codes appeared and after pulling over for 2 minutes the vehicle allowed acceleration again. This has happened 3 times, and the nissan car dealership could resolve the issue”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Altima
“The vehicle will randomly stop accelerating while driving. Also will have a delayed acceleration randomly too.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Altima
“Headlights on low beam are almost non existent. When lights are on low beam you can barely see the road.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Altima
“Passenger occupant sensor failed after being replaced, airbag stays off while passenger in seat. Seat belt light stays on while seat is in occupied.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Altima
“Car has delayed acceleration. If i'm at a red light, car will not go at a read light even if i push gas pedal all the way down. I hate it when it happens and my kids are in the car. Happens when i'm turning too and almost got hit yesterday with my kids in the car”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Altima
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 393 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 60,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 39,000 and 80,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2018 Nissan Altima vehicles. If the primary hood latch is inadvertently released, there is an increased likelihood that the secondary hood latch may corrode over time.
Fix: 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…
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Altima vehicles, previously remedied under recall number 17V-040. The door latch-lock cable may not have been routed properly in the rear door when the remedy was applied. As a result, the…
Fix: 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…
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Altima vehicles. The rear door latch/lock cable on the vehicles may have been improperly routed. As a result, lowering a rear window may inadvertently cause that door to unlatch and open.
Fix: 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…
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and…
Fix: 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…
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 2016 Nissan Altima reliable?
The 2016 Nissan Altima drew 788 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 29/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2016 Nissan Altima problems?
The top reported problems for the 2016 Nissan Altima are transmission & drivetrain (234 complaints), other (87), and engine (86).
At what mileage do 2016 Nissan Altima problems show up?
Owners most often report 2016 Nissan Altima problems around 60,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 39,000 and 80,000 miles.
Does the 2016 Nissan Altima have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2016 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.