2017 Nissan Altima problems owners report most
2017 Nissan Altima problems are documented in public: owners have filed 393 complaints with NHTSA, the earliest in 2017 and the most recent in 2026. Sorting those by the component the filer named puts the powertrain clearly first, at 133 of the 393 complaints, close to a third of everything filed.
A complaint is not a repair bill and not a defect finding. It is one owner telling the regulator something went wrong. What makes the count useful is the concentration: when one component takes 34 per cent of everything filed on a car, the pattern is doing more than chance.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 133 | 34% |
| AIR BAGS | 74 | 19% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 62 | 16% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 41 | 10% |
| ENGINE | 39 | 10% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 27 | 7% |
Against the 2016 car, this model year has drawn 29 per cent fewer complaints (393 against 555). Both years are led by the powertrain, so this is a fault that carried over rather than one introduced with the 2017 car.
Of those complaints, 24 describe a crash and 7 describe a fire. Filers reported 23 injuries.
Recalls on the 2017 Nissan Altima
A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator found a safety defect, and the repair is free at a franchised dealer however old the car is. There are 3 recalls on this model year. Your own car may be covered by some, all or none of them, so check the VIN rather than the model.
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 cable may interfere with the window regulator causing the rear passenger door to unlatch and inadvertently open without warning when the window is lowered.
The risk. If the rear passenger door opens while the vehicle is moving, the rear passengers have an increased risk of injury.
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 contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7669.
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.
The risk. If the rear passenger doors inadvertently open while the vehicle is in motion, it may increase the risk of injury to the rear passengers.
The 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 1-800-647-7261.
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.
The risk. 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.
The 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 instructions on how to lubricate and maintain the secondary hood latch mechanism, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: Recall 16V-029 remains open for any unremedied 2013-2015 Altimas and this recall applies to all vehicles covered by 16V-029 even if those repairs have already been performed.
In owners own words
These are complaints filed about the powertrain, quoted as written. They are one persons account rather than a diagnosis, and they are here because a symptom described by a driver is easier to recognise than a component name.
I've been experiencing ongoing transmission problems with my car for over 2 years now. The most common problem is when I come to a complete stop, then step on the gas, the car hesitates for about 5 seconds and then takes off very quickly. This happens intermittently, usually after the car has been running for about 15 minutes (or more) although I have had it happen after running for shorter periods of time. If I turn the car off and back on, it does solve the problem temporarily. I can't even count how many times this has happened to me - probably more than 100. My biggest concern with thi
THE ISSUE HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES BUT SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE, THE LONGER THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING. THE FIRST TIME I WAS WAITING IN A PARKING LOT WITH THE AIR CONDITION RUNNING. I WAS LEAVING THE PARKING LOT AND THE VEHICLE PAUSED AND LOST ACCELERTION POWER FOR A FEW SECONDS AND STARTED GOING. I THOUGH IT WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE AIR CONDITION SO I TURNED OFF THE AIR CONDITION TO SEE IF IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN. WHEN I GOT TO A STOP LIGHT AND STARTED TO ACCELERATE IT PAUSED AGAIN THEN ACCELERATED. THE PAUSE SEEMS TO BE FROM 5 TO 10 SECONDS BEFORE THE CAR WOULD MOVE.THE LONGER THE CAR WAS RUNNING THE
Shuddering and loss of acceleration/vehicle slowed on its own while driving on the highway. Managed to get to Firestone and diagnostic codes P0776 and P0841 came up. Advised to take vehicle to dealer shop as work could not be done on CVT there. Car was towed to Nissan Bonney Road Virginia Beach. Transmission replacement recommended and my car only has 53,000 miles on it but is outside the 84 month extended warranty drafted from class action lawsuits and settlement. I was not aware of these lawsuit when this vehicle was recommended to me by Hall Honda as Hall Nissan sent it to them for me to se
FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS I NOTICED THAT MY VEHICLE STARTED LOOSING POWER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS RANDOMLY. THERE WERE TIMES I DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND A SIGNIFICANT DELAY TOOK PLACE WITH THE CAR SPEEDING UP. YESTERDAY 10/09/2020 WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THE CAR FAILED TO ACCELERATE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND BEGAN SKIPPING BETWEEN GEARS. AFTER GETTING OFF MY EXIT FOR HOME, I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND WAITED FOR THE LIGHT TO TURN GREEN. I DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND NOTHING HAPPENED FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS. THE CAR FINALLY DROVE FORWARD AND I SLOWLY DROVE THE REMAINING 4 MILES H
Every component, by complaint count
The full breakdown of what owners named when they filed. Components below the top ten are grouped out of this table.
| Component | Complaints | Share of all complaints |
|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 133 | 34% |
| AIR BAGS | 74 | 19% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 62 | 16% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 41 | 10% |
| ENGINE | 39 | 10% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 27 | 7% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 19 | 5% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 18 | 5% |
| STRUCTURE | 18 | 5% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 17 | 4% |
How other model years compare
The same nameplate across the years we hold. Complaint counts fall naturally for newer cars because fewer of them have been on the road for long, so read the column as a rough signal rather than a ranking. In this set the 2016 Nissan Altima has drawn the most complaints and the 2021 Nissan Altima the fewest.
What to check on the transmission and driveline
Powertrain reports usually describe a shift that arrives late, lands hard, or hunts between gears, often worse when the car is cold or towing. Some describe a shudder at a steady cruise rather than a bang between gears.
Buying a used 2017 Altima
Drive it from cold. A transmission fault that hides once warm is the most common thing a short test drive misses. Take it to highway speed, let it settle into top gear, then slow and accelerate again to make it downshift under load.
If you already own one
Get the fluid condition checked before anything else, and ask for the transmission control software level at the same time. Several of these complaints were answered by the manufacturer with a reflash rather than a rebuild, which costs a fraction as much.
- Test drive from cold, not after the seller has warmed it up.
- Ask whether a transmission software update exists for the VIN.
- Check the fluid condition and when it was last changed.
- Get any rebuild quote itemised into parts, fluid and labour.
Where the 2017 Nissan Altima problem data comes from
Every figure on this page is counted from complaints and recalls published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, read November 1, 2026. Complaints are filed by owners and are not verified by the agency before publication. We count each complaint once per component it names, so a complaint naming two components appears in both rows.
- NHTSA recalls and complaintsRead November 1, 2026
- NHTSA record for the 2017 Nissan AltimaRead November 1, 2026
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