2020 Nissan Altima problems owners report most

2020 Nissan Altima problems are documented in public: owners have filed 182 complaints with NHTSA, the earliest in 2020 and the most recent in 2026. Sorting those by the component the filer named puts the electrical system clearly first, at 46 of the 182 complaints, about a quarter 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 25 per cent of everything filed on a car, the pattern is doing more than chance.

2020 Nissan Altima complaints by component
ComponentComplaintsShare
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM4625%
ENGINE3720%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER3620%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE3016%
STEERING2011%
SERVICE BRAKES1810%

Against the 2019 car, this model year has drawn 22 per cent fewer complaints (182 against 234). Both years are led by the electrical system, so this is a fault that carried over rather than one introduced with the 2020 car.

Of those complaints, 16 describe a crash and 7 describe a fire. Filers reported 15 injuries. One complaint reports a death.

Recalls on the 2020 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 6 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.

STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY21V138000 · reported 04/03/2021

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Nissan Altima vehicles. The tie rod ball joint fastener was not tightened properly, which could result in the tie rod ball joint detaching from the steering knuckle.

The risk. A detached tie rod ball joint can cause a loss of steering control, and increase the risk of a crash.

The fix. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the left and right-side tie rod ball joint fasteners, or install new fasteners as necessary, free of charge. The began March 31, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7769. Nissan's number for this recall is PC795.

TIRES21V169000 · reported 11/03/2021

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Altima and 2018-2021 Titan vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production.

The risk. Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall, resulting in sudden air loss or belt edge separation which could lead to tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC798.

VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR20V570000 · reported 22/09/2020

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Altima, Maxima and Leaf vehicles. The rear window glass may not remain properly secured to the vehicle.

The risk. Rear window glass that separates from the vehicle can increase the risk of a crash.

The fix. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the back window glass, free of charge. The recall began November 4, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC752.

TIRES20V685000 · reported 05/11/2020

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Altima S grade vehicles equipped with Continental ProContact TX tires, size 215/60 R16 H, with TIN date code 3320 and Mold ID S-419149. The tires may have been over cured.

The risk. Over cured tires can result in a sidewall break causing a sudden loss of air or the tread separating from the tire. Both conditions increase the risk of a crash.

The fix. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle's tires to see if they are affected, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 10, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-8677669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC765.

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA23V628000 · reported 08/09/2023

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Altima and 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. Damage to the camera harness can cause distortion or loss of the rearview camera display image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

The risk. A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix. Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and harness for damage and replace them as necessary. If no damage is found, the dealer will apply protective tape and reroute the rearview camera harness. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23C3.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL25V437000 · reported 27/06/2025

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Rogue, 2019-2020 Altima, 2019-2022 Infiniti QX50, and 2022 Infiniti QX55 vehicles equipped with 3-cylinder 1.5L or 4-cylinder 2.0L variable compression turbo (VC-Turbo) engines. The engine bearings may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine failure.

The risk. Engine failure increases the risk of a crash. A bearing failure may cause a breach in the engine block, allowing hot oil to be discharged, increasing the risk of an engine fire.

The fix. Dealers will reprogram the engine control module (ECM) software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed April 8, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261 or Infiniti's customer service at 1-800-662-6200. Nissan's numbers for this recall are R25A8/A9 and R25B1/B2.

In owners own words

These are complaints filed about the electrical system, 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.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned and is available for inspection upon request? On June 6th, the vehicle started losing power when accelerating, happened at night when driving back home, and scared me because there were no lights indicating any issues. The following day, less than a mile from the dealership, all the dashboard lights turned on, the vehicle lost complete power, and then i turned vehicle off and try to turn it back on but it didn't started. I called a tow truck and left it at the dealer. They informed me that they would provide me with the reason for the failure by

Filed with NHTSA 06/26/2023

My issue began 1 month after buying the vehicle. Regardless if I'm on the highway or back road no transition from one lane to another needs to be initiated , my whole dash will light up red and the car will come to a complete stop , at this time I just hold on and brace myself .Im a RN w/2 kids I went back to the dealer they said they checked it out but on my own I found out the car was in 2 accidents those things were not revealed to me during the buying process. I didn't know how to report this Im pretty ignorant to this type of thing however I did complain to gm by way of phone few times I

Filed with NHTSA 10/17/2024

I currently own a 2020 Nissan Altima with 49,186 miles and I am reporting a recurring power door lock failure. This vehicle was inspected at the Nissan of Cumming location this morning to confirm the issue. Three of the passenger-side door lock actuators have failed within a short period of time. The two rear door locks stopped working at the same time, and approximately two weeks later the front passenger door lock also stopped working. The driver's door has started to not unlock when turning the car off where it normally did up until recently. The affected doors do not respond to the inter

Filed with NHTSA 07/30/2026

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.

2020 Nissan Altima complaints by component, full list
ComponentComplaintsShare of all complaints
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM4625%
ENGINE3720%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER3620%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE3016%
STEERING2011%
SERVICE BRAKES1810%
POWER TRAIN179%
VISIBILITY/WIPER105%
AIR BAGS95%
BACK OVER PREVENTION74%

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.

Nissan Altima by model year
Model yearComplaintsRecallsMost reported
20165554POWER TRAIN
20173933POWER TRAIN
20182262UNKNOWN OR OTHER
20192347ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2020 (this page)1826ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2021712ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

What to check on the electrical system

Electrical reports cover a wide spread: screens that reboot, cameras that go black, charging that stops, and warning lights that arrive in groups. The common thread is that the fault comes and goes, which makes it hard to show a mechanic on demand.

Buying a used 2020 Altima

Sit in the car with the engine running and work through every switch, screen and camera before you talk about price. An intermittent fault that appears once during a ten minute check is likely to appear often once you own it.

If you already own one

Have the battery and charging system tested before replacing any module. A weak battery produces electrical faults that look like a dozen separate failures, and the test is free at most parts retailers.

  • Test every screen, camera and switch before agreeing a price.
  • Have the battery and alternator tested before replacing a module.
  • Ask for stored fault codes, including the ones already cleared.
  • Check whether the fault is covered by a software update.

Where the 2020 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.

  1. NHTSA recalls and complaintsRead November 1, 2026
  2. NHTSA record for the 2020 Nissan AltimaRead November 1, 2026