CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2005 Nissan Altima has two fairly significant problems with the floor pan rusting through & motor mounts breaking.

Altima owners report that up to a basketball-size hole develops under the floor mats where the floor pan metal rusts through. Average repair cost is over $1,000.

The broken motor mounts are less of a problem - they break at ~75,000 miles average & it's $400 to fix. Still, motor mounts should not break!

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
53,775 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2005 Nissan Altima suspension problems

suspension problem

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2005 Nissan Altima Owner Comments

problem #13

Jul 202018

Altima

  • 141,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Nissan has recalled my car under recall campaign # 3213-3192, for rotted rear subframe due to North eastern North american winter climate and use of salt. Nissan replaced the subframe. The recall should and must include the front subframe also. The exact problem with rotted subframe occurred with the front subframe that supports the front wheels, steering & braking. Please investigate into Nissan reason for not extending the recall campaign for the both subframes not one for identical conditions. At the minimum, Nissan should have provided undercoating to protect the rest of the frame & submembers to this vehicle. I have already paid for the passenger side floor replacement & undercoating. It is obvious the car was not prepared for use in new england states at time of purchase.

- Somerset, MA, USA

problem #12

Jul 022018

Altima

  • 141,000 miles
Front passenger sub frame rotted from salt used in new england winters. Car is dangerous to drive because possiblity of separation of lower control arm to sub frame mounts. Car frame was not properly coated for new england region.

- Somerset, MA, USA

problem #11

Jul 062015

Altima 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 72,000 miles
Front sub-fame severely rusted out, which supports engine and control arms, must be replaced. Safety is compromised.....updated10/20/15 updated 11/07/2017*

- Cleveland Heights, OH, USA

problem #10

Mar 072015

Altima 6-cyl

  • 10,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The car stopped the cam shaft sensors were bad.and the rattle in my passenger side cant find the problem.

- Gretna, LA, USA

problem #9

Aug 072013

Altima 4-cyl

  • miles
The floor-boards on the 2005 Nissan Altima are clearly defective. This vehicle has been garaged ever since day one, and has been taken care of extensively. Two giant rust holes on the driver and front passenger floor-boards have developed due to poor materials and design. This is a serious safety concern and shouldn't be overlooked. The rust affects the vehicles crash tolerance, and structural integrity. Nissan should be held responsible, and should issue a recall to fix the defective floorboards.

- Ypsilanti , MI, USA

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problem #8

Jan 252013

Altima 4-cyl

  • miles
I have a 2005 Nissan Altima that I bought in 2008 and has had nothing but problems, first had to replace the steering knuckle because the steering was going out ($400) than had to replace the motor mounts, struts, inner/outer tie rods, I have no heat when at idle, while putting new tires on again, I also learned my floor boards are almost rusted through, and now I can not even drive my car because about 3 weeks ago it started sucking down oil ( 4 qts within a 3-6 hour time frame) and it's smoking bad out the tail pipe because of the head gasket/piston rings caused by a faulty pre-cat, and told I need to replace the engine. I see there is a recall for the 2.5L engine for this issue but on a 2006 model, what about my 2005 model with same engine?? searching the internet I find hundreds if not thousands of people having this same issues in 2002-2006 Altima's, obviously there is a problem with these engines and Nissan should be held accountable!!

- Melrose Park, IL, USA

problem #7

Jun 062012

Altima

  • 94,526 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The clutch pedal lost pressure after idling for over thirty minutes, while in traffic, and after the engine has gotten hot and being driven for a couple of hours. The pedal will fall to the floor and you cannot switch gears. The stick shift won't even move into neutral and the car jerks really hard. It will sometimes cut off in the middle of driving if you don't reach down and pull the pedal up with your hand. This has cause me to run off the road because I could not down shift or go into neutral, I recently ended up tapping the rear of someone elses vehicle at which my daughter is still complaining her neck hurts. This is a defective part dealing with the hydraulics and is very dangerous. A lawsuit is sure to be on the way now that I have wen to several dealerships only for them to tell me nothing is wrong with the car because it won't do it for them. All Nissan forums are filled with customers having the same issues with these year model cars. Nissan is about to kill somebody.

- Hephzibah, GA, USA

problem #6

Feb 092012

Altima

  • miles
I purchased my car in January of 2006 used with about 3,800 miles. I've taken my vehicle several time to Nissan dealer for my 15,000 mile service and also they replace my suspension on a recall. I discovered today that my front passenger floorboard is completely rusted out, I mean if it wasn't for the interior carpet I could put my whole arm down in the hole. I've done research and it seem to be a very common problem with model and year. Nissan has lifted my car numerous time and has not once mentioned seeing rust, which at this point is now out of warranty. This could've been fixed and still under warranty months ago. I was my car all the time and even in winter, I understand that rust is natural on a car, but when you see that this happens more than often on this particular model they should do something about it. Either extend the warranty out further or recall. My car is no even that old and this is upsetting that I going to shell out some major bucks to get this fixed properly.

- Oak Park, IL, USA

problem #5

Oct 032011

Altima

  • 166,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic for routine inspection when he was advised that the undercarriage was rusted at the front. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact stated that the mechanic would perform repairs to the vehicle. The failure mileage was 166,000.

- Aurora, IL, USA

problem #4

Feb 022009

Altima

  • miles
2005 Nissan Altima has issues with tires and wheel alignment. Consumer states that the customer service is not good with phone calls. The consumer stated she was on her third set of tires at 22,000 miles. The technician stated the vehicle had weak axles and were often mis-aligned at the factory. Even with the proper maintenance, the mis-alignment would return. The consumer stated the vehicle would not start. It was later determined that the crank position sensor was the cause. The consumer attempted to install a car seat, but she soon discovered, the rear seat belt did not catch as it should have and it did not recoil when it was not being used. The fan would blow and work in all positions, but the only time it would blow warm or hot air was when the accelerator was in use and running for 10-15 minutes. The windows would defrost on the outside, but not the inside. It would form a thin layer of ice and fog that had to be scraped or wiped with warm water, or it would eventually fade after driving for some time.

- Barbourville, KY, USA

problem #3

Sep 152007

Altima 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 37,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

An accident happened after purchase but it has nothing to do with the problems I am having with the car... I have problems starting car, shocks, struts, heat, shifting and removing keys from ignition.... the car was supposed to be certified pre owned and was not.

- Monsey, NY, USA

problem #2

Sep 072006

Altima 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 35,550 miles
I took my car for an alignment, only to be told that the rear sub-frame on my car is bent. Thus, the wheel alignment could not be completed. I was told that the cause was either a rear-end collision, damaged during Transport of the vehicle to the dealership, or a manufacturers defect. I cannot say which of the latter two is the cause, but I am most certain that it is not due to the first, a rear-end collision (or any type of collision), as this vehicle has not been in any type of accident since purchased. My 2005 Nissan Altima was purchased as new in March 2005. I took the car to the Nissan dealership where I purchased the car. They have refused to look at the car without charge to me. Therefore, Nissan has not inspected my car. To add, my car is still under 36K/36 months and should be covered under the warranty. I just pray that I am not on the highway should anything give due to the sub-frame being bent. An official complaint was filed with Nissan's headquarters, which I am still waiting to receive a response.

- Conyers, GA, USA

problem #1

Sep 012005

Altima 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 2,000 miles
New 2005 Altima 3.5 SE bought August 2005 1st month I had noticed a vibration in the steering at high speeds, and the vehicle pulling/drifting from left to right. This concern makes the vehicle unsafe to drive because you do not have a sense of control when driving, in addition when driving on a highway for a long period of time the vibration in the wheel makes your hands and arms fall asleep. It is always necessary after an hour or hour and a half to pull over and give your arms/ hands a rest. The dealer addressed this concern by balancing the wheels by road force balance (corrected specs - 21lbs road force down to 7lbs) no alignment issues were noticed. After 3 tips to the dealership for the vibrations I had noticed a clunk in the front end, it ended up being a strut that needed to be replaced. With the next trip the dealership the vibration in the steering was now evident at all speeds, it was still drifting, and a new "hum" had developed at random times while driving. The dealer unable to verify any of my concerns suggested that I go for a ride with the service manger. After that ride he suggested that I have my tires swapped for new ones of another brand. On my next trip to the dealer they swapped all 4 of my tires for another brand name and re-aligned the front suspension and front end. Throughout the winter the car ran ok other than some electrical problems that would kill my battery and the rear pillar airbags coming out. It was not until the spring that I was forced to bring my car down again for the vibration in the steering wheel and the clunk in the front end. The dealer could not verify any clunk in the front end but agreed that there is again a vibration and remedied the problem by adjusting the steering rack pre-load. Initially the vibration was reduced, but within a month it was back. The service manager admitted that adjusting the steering rack pre-load was only a "temporary fix" a "bandaid for the problem".

- New London, NH, USA

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