The Verdict
Worst problem area
Visibility & Lighting
Visibility & Lighting leads by volume: 292 of 956 complaints (31%) mention it. Complaints mentioning Airbags & Restraints include more reported injuries (16) than those mentioning any other identified area.
Complaints filed fell from 1,114 in 2014 to 956 in 2015.
At a glance
- NHTSA complaints
- 956
- Recall campaigns
- 10
- EPA fuel cost per year
- $2,000–$2,400
- Combined MPG
- 26–31
Complaints by model year
Where owners report problems
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Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History
| Category | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | vs. 2015 Midsize Cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fuel cost ($) | 2,000–2,500 | 2,000–2,500 | 2,000–2,400 | 2,000–2,400 | 2,000–2,400 | |
| Combined MPG | 25–31 | 25–31 | 26–31 | 26–31 | 26–31 | |
| City / Highway MPG | 22–27 / 30–38 | 22–27 / 31–37 | 22–27 / 31–37 | 22–27 / 31–39 | 22–27 / 32–39 | |
| CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi) | 290–354 | 290–353 | 290–352 | 287–352 | 287–347 | |
| Complaints filed | 2,315 | 1,114 | 956 | 555 | 394 | |
| Recalls issued | 12 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 3 | |
| Crash-involved complaints | 63 | 52 | 46 | 28 | 24 | |
| Fire-involved complaints | 9 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 7 | |
| Injuries reported | 48 | 60 | 27 | 32 | 23 | |
| Deaths reported | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Configurations compared | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Not compared: this database has no vehicle sales or registration figures, so a raw count mostly reflects how many were sold, not how safe the vehicle is.
Common questions
How many recalls does the 2015 Nissan Altima have?
10 NHTSA recall campaigns as of Nov 7, 2026. Check your VIN with NHTSA to see whether one applies to your car.
What is the most common complaint about the 2015 Nissan Altima?
Visibility & Lighting: 292 of 956 NHTSA complaints (31%) mention it.
What gas mileage does the 2015 Nissan Altima get?
EPA rates it 26–31 MPG combined across 2 configurations.
How much does it cost to fuel a 2015 Nissan Altima?
EPA estimates $2,000–$2,400 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.
Similar Vehicles
EPA-Rated Configurations (2)
| Configuration | Transmission | Cylinders | Displacement | Drivetrain | Fuel Type | Vehicle Class | City | Highway | Combined | Annual Fuel Cost | CO₂ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Configuration 1 | Automatic (variable gear ratios) | 4 | 2.5L | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular | Midsize Cars | 27 mpg (high) | 37 mpg (high) | 31 mpg (high) | $2,000 (low) | 290 g/mi (low) |
| Configuration 2 | Automatic (AV-S7) | 6 | 3.5L | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular | Midsize Cars | 22 mpg (low) | 31 mpg (low) | 26 mpg (low) | $2,400 (high) | 352 g/mi (high) |
Complaints by Category
| Category | Complaints | Crash-Involved | Fire-Involved | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 66 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Transmission & Drivetrain | 161 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Fuel System | 28 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical | 56 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Brakes | 33 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Steering | 48 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension, Wheels & Tires | 77 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Airbags & Restraints | 180 | 23 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Driver Assistance & Speed Control | 41 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Body, Seats & Latches | 111 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility & Lighting | 292 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 97 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.
Recalls (10)
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH; STRUCTURE:EMERGENCY:ESCAPE/EGRESS/EXIT
- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- If the rear passenger door opens while the vehicle is moving, the rear passengers have an increased risk of injury.
- Remedy
- 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.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- If the rear passenger doors inadvertently open while the vehicle is in motion, it may increase the risk of injury to the rear passengers.
- Remedy
- 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.
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
- Defect
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima vehicles manufactured January 3, 2013, to July 29, 2013, 2015-2016 Rogue vehicles manufactured October 14, 2014, to August 12, 2016, and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured June 4, 2015, to August 19, 2015. An incorrect Occupant Classification System (OCS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may have been installed in the front passenger seat. The incorrect ECU and seat combination may misclassify the front passenger seat occupant.
- Consequence
- If the front passenger seat occupant is misclassified, the air bag may deploy incorrectly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ECU and update the OCS software free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
- Defect
- 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 Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.
- Consequence
- If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
- Remedy
- 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 Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
- Defect
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Nissan Altima vehicles manufactured March 6, 2012, to December 31, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch may bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
- Consequence
- If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- These vehicles were previously included in recalls 14V-565 and 15V-116, however the previous remedy plan may not have been performed consistently to remove the safety risk. To correct this issue, Nissan will re-notify all affected owners and dealers will replace the hood latch with a new one, free of charge. The recall began on February 17, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 14V-565 and 15V-116.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
- Defect
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2015 Altima and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured October 6, 2015, to October 7, 2015. The affected vehicles have front brake calipers whose mounting bolts may not be properly tightened.
- Consequence
- If the bolts were not properly tightened, the caliper may detach and reduce braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will check the brake caliper mounting bolts, tightening them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 14, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL; AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
- Defect
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima and Pathfinder vehicles, 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra vehicles, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles, 2014-2015 Infiniti QX60 vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles received an incorrect occupant classification system (OCS) control unit during a repair. These OCS control units may incorrectly classify the front passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
- Consequence
- If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger air bag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
- Defect
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) notified the agency on July 31, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2016 Nissan Maxima vehicles manufactured February 10, 2015, to August 18, 2015. On October 14, 2015, Nissan expanded the recall to cover an additional 41,388 vehicles, including certain model year 2013-2015 Altima 3.5 vehicles equipped with a V6 engine manufactured March 30, 2012, to August 18, 2015 as well as the vehicles covered by the July 31, 2015 notification. In the affected vehicles, due to an improperly installed o-ring that may not have been seated correctly at the time of assembly, fuel may leak during a crash from the area where the fuel sending unit attaches to the fuel tank.
- Consequence
- If fuel leaks from between the fuel sending unit and the tank, it may increase the risk of a fire in the event of a crash.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install a retainer ring between the fuel tank and the fuel sending unit. The recall began on September 28, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
- Defect
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Nissan Altima vehicles manufactured March 1, 2013, to December 31, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch may bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
- Consequence
- If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will be instructed to modify the bend angle of the hood actuation lever to eliminate potential interference with the hood inner panel. In addition, dealers will clean and lubricate the latch joint as needed. If significant corrosion is observed, the latch assembly will be replaced. This repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 14V-565.