CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2006 Nissan Altima has a trend of engine & transmission problems.

Excessive oil consumption is the main problem reported by owners. Nissan did a recall back in 2006 for oil consumption due to bad piston rings, but many owners report to us that the recall didn't fix the problem. The dealer only had to check the oil consumption rate. Typically 1 qt per 1,000 miles is "acceptable" per OEM standards ... that's a lot of oil!

The 2006 Altima also has a defect trend of CVT transmission failure showing up around the 100,000 mile mark.

It's an expensive repair at over $2,000 average repair cost. For more information see Nissan Altima CVT defect info on NissanProblems.com.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
86,272 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.

2006 Nissan Altima drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2006 Nissan Altima Owner Comments (Page 2 of 3)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #25

Jun 122007

Altima

  • 30,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. While driving approximately 65 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle did not accelerate pas 30 mph. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the head gasket failed and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Approximately seven months later, the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be serviced. The mechanic observed that the transmission was leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

- Savannah, GA, USA

problem #24

Jul 112013

Altima 4-cyl

  • 103,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at 70 mph, the vehicle decelerated to 30 mph without warning. The check engine light illuminated and the contact noticed load roaring noises. The contact maneuvered to the emergency lane and the vehicle stalled. The contact discovered oil leaking from the front of the engine. The vehicle was towed to a mechanic who diagnosed that the catalytic converter, engine, radiator, transmission, and engine cooling system failed. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000....updated 07/21/15 updated 10/19/217

- Daytona Beach, FL, USA

problem #23

Dec 012010

Altima

  • 78,000 miles
On cruise control, traveling in a 50 mph going 45 suddenly the transmisson went into a high pitch the engine went to nearly 6000 RPM, reversed the cruise and it restored, the gears on the auto transmission has been messed up ever since.

- Benton , KY, USA

problem #22

Dec 022014

Altima

  • 137,000 miles

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

While stopped at a red light my car engine shut off. After a while it started again, but the transmission wouldn't shift to lower gears and jerked hard in reverse, and service engine light came on. When I took it to the shop the cam sensor had to be replaced. After doing research, I found this was an issue and a recall on some models but not mine. Why only one model was recalled?

- Cottontown, TN, USA

problem #21

Sep 012014

Altima

  • 72,314 miles
While driving down the road entering highway I went to shift my 06 Altima 5 speed into 5th gear when I pressed the clutch pedal there was no pressure and transmission would not go into 5th gear. I let up on the pedal and in a few seconds the pedal had pressure again. Enter highway and drove for about 25 miles and exited highway. The same thing happened again no pressure in the pedal then pressure. I was able to return home but the problem is still happening. I have read some forums on this issue and it seams that many people are having the same problem. Some people say they replaced the master cylinder and slave cylinder and this did not fix the problem. Other people recommend using a dot 5 brake fluid with a higher boiling point.not sure what direction to head in. As a life long mechanic for dealerships it appears to me that the fluid is boiling out and causing air pockets in the hydraulic system, then bleeding it self out. It was only 77 degrees this day so extreme temps are not always the problem....

- Indianapolis , IN, USA

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problem #20

Mar 192014

Altima

  • 106,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 mph, the transmission down shifted violently with extreme hesitation. The failure recurred whenever the vehicle was being driven. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who informed that the transmission would need to be rebuilt. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000. The VIN was unavailable.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #19

Dec 072013

Altima 4-cyl

  • 76,790 miles

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

Driving on dry road at speed engine suddenly stopped. Pulled over to side and before car fully stopped put into neutral and engine restarted. Then placed back in drive and continued 50 miles with no further problem that day. On 12/15 while on interstate the engine stopped again with much more danger as traffic was coming up on our rear. Managed to get into breakdown lane and while going 15/20 mph placed the transmission into neutral and engine restarted and proceeded 50 miles to home. Brought into Nissan dealer on 12/18 and they claimed they checked it out and could find no problems. Nissan customer service opened a case #[xxx] but has not returned calls after the Nissan dealer diagnostics. The car is a danger to ourselves and others but it is our only vehicle. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Wareham, MA, USA

problem #18

Jul 102013

Altima

  • 101,000 miles
I own a 2006 Nissan Altima ser. I have had the motor replaced and the entire clutch kit and slave cylinder replaced. After having the clutch parts replaced the pedal stuck to the floor a small handful of times. Now, it is nearly a daily occurrence and it is consistently lasting longer and longer each time. It still allows for sporadic shifting in non specific gears while the pedal is on the floor. I can pick up the pedal with my foot and put it back in place but when it apply any pressure it falls back to the floor and stays there until I pick it back up with my foot. This issue has nearly caused to be in several accidents, all of which I narrowly avoided by quickly maneuvering my vehicle off the road.

- Ludowici, GA, USA

problem #17

Sep 052013

Altima

  • 95,144 miles
My Altima's transmission began slipping out of gear while taking my children to school. It started slipping bad enough where I felt the vehicle was not safe to drive and needed to be towed. As I pulled off a main road onto a side street, the transmission slipped out of gear while turning and a vehicle nearly struck me on the passenger side. Luckily the transmission went into gear at the last possible second so I could escape the accident. After doing research this is apparently a common problem with the V6 Altima transmission.

- Parkville, MD, USA

problem #16

Jul 242013

Altima 6-cyl

  • 102,000 miles
Car is getting stuck in 5th gear which causes stall outs while driving and no acceleration-only 102,000 miles-hesitates, jerks and stalls out randomly.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #15

Jun 152010

Altima 4-cyl

  • 33,000 miles

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

After completing acceleration after a period of sitting in traffic, the clutch pedal fell to the floor without the aid of the driver. The clutch pedal lost all resistance and the driver was unable to get the vehicle out of gear and into neutral or another gear. Driver had to maneuver the vehicle off of the freeway and onto the shoulder and coast for several hundred yards with the vehicle stuck in gear for the clutch pedal to regain pressure so that the vehicle could be placed into neutral. Since the initial incident, which occurred only weeks after the vehicle was purchased from a Nissan dealer, the sunken clutch pedal has become a regular occurrence, nearly daily.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #14

Mar 292013

Altima 4-cyl

  • 99,940 miles
This is the second time within a year and a half that my clutch system has went completely out while driving. While driving I could not get the clutch pedal to engage the clutch. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to get the clutch to shift into gear even with the pedal pushed all the way to the floor. This is the very same situation that happened the first time the clutch system went out at about 60,000 miles. The mechanic contacted Nissan and they said they knew that there was an known issue with the Nissan Altima ser 2006 and its clutch system. The standard dot 3 fluid that is used was becoming to hot and breaking down its compressibility not allowing the clutch to shift. This time around when the mechanic called Nissan yet again, Nissan said that there is an issue with the clutch systems used in the Altima ser 2006 and that they have been replacing a lot and seeing that they are only getting between 35,000 - 40,000 miles when the life span of the clutches should be longer!!! this is not a cheap fix and is becoming increasingly annoying. This is an unsafe car for anyone to have and luckily neither incidents caused any accidents. Nissan knows there is an issue with this model of car but yet nothing is being recalled on these clutch systems!!!!

- Dallas, GA, USA

problem #13

Aug 032012

Altima 4-cyl

  • 134,000 miles
Traveling at 15 miles per hour and started to stop at stop sign, vehicle went dead and I could no stop in time and went through the stop sign. Hard to steer also. Luckily no other vehicle was approaching or an accident could have occurred. Service engine soon light came on afterwards and gave code P0335.

- Covington, GA, USA

problem #12

Jul 112012

Altima

  • 149,950 miles
Driving on I-4 transmission heard a "pop" sound, car had a hard time going from a stopped position to moving. Added transmission fluid, worked fine until the next day when the same thing happened. Car once accelerated seemed to accelerate faster without me pushing on the accelerator. Purchased car 2 yrs ago and noticed a random hard shift either when accelerating or decelerating, no major problems to take it anywhere. Had transmission fluid changed and flushed seemed to help problem until now. I have 3 kids and with the problems of this nature could have a serious impact on us financially not to mention if something were to happen while driving. Our safety as well as others could be at jeopardy.

- Haines City, FL, USA

problem #11

Sep 012011

Altima 6-cyl

  • 77,000 miles
Clutch falls to the floor, leaving you with the inability to disengage the transmission from the engine, causing you to fly to the shoulder as fast as possible, stepping on the brakes hard enough to shut off the engine. There are thousands of Nissan forums describing this problem. The car has 80,000 miles on it now, and it happened again tonight, causing my wife to run the car off of the road when she began to panic because she couldn't stop the car at a busy intersection. The clutch will resume normal function in a matter of minutes, and wont have a problem for months. Very, very dangerous!

- O Fallon, MO, USA

problem #10

Dec 032011

Altima 6-cyl

  • 1 miles
I have a 2006 Nissan Altima, that is constantly 5-7 mph off. I am getting concerned because this is a hazard as I have been asked by the local city police for me to pick up my speed a little as I am restraining the flow of traffic by driving at or below what I believe is the speed limit. Also, I am really concerned since the factory tells you to use a certain size of tire, with me using their recommendation, this will cause the wheels to spin faster than what I am actually really going, thus saying I am traveling farther (mileage) than what I truly am. This, I believe is effecting my gas mileage as my tires are having to spin faster than what is needed and thus causing me to use more fuel. Please help me consider my options or do you know if there is a recall on the speed sensor, drive/powertrain, wheels, etc. Someone who drives 10 mph on the interstate is a hazard, I believe. I am having all kinds of vehicles and semi-trucks pass me on the interstate and I feel the safety of my family is at risk in driving this vehicle. (my current mileage (supposedly is: 43500 miles) I may have traveled less than that. Can you help me get this issue resolved? here is a cbs story on the issue: www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/13/earlyshow/main2562144.shtml please help, my families safety could be at risk as well as other passengers who own or are on the road around these cars. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Portland, TN, USA

problem #9

Aug 152011

Altima 6-cyl

  • 86,000 miles
Several 2005 and 2006 Nissan Altima SE-rs (including mine) have had issues with the clutch pedal getting stuck on the floor unable to come back up and not being able to change gears. Dealerships accross the country have deny the issue and deny repairs. This is a safety issue and an accident can happend due to this. To me, is been happening since I purchase the car at 37,000 miles and it keeps happening now at 86,000 miles...this is happening to several others as well and a website has been created with everyone's concerns. Please recall!!!

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #8

Mar 152009

Altima

  • 44,000 miles
For no apparent reason the clutch pedal will lose all resistance and lay on the floor leaving the vehicle inoperable and stranded on the side of the road. This issue has happened multiple times, as early as 44K miles and as recent as last Thursday, March 24, 2011 with 68K miles. Pumping the clutch pedal for an extended period of time did restore enough hydraulic pressure to operate the clutch and within 2 miles of "in town" driving the clutch problem completely resolved as if it never happened. There are multiple complaints of this issue on the forums. Fort pierce Nissan official answer was " nothing". they wouldn't acknowledge it. I'm sure with all the complaints from Altima SE-R owners Nissan is fully aware of the issue, yet they won't step up to the plate and make it right for their customers. I've been a loyal Nissan customer since 1988 but without proper resolution, this will end that streak.

- Port Saint Lucie, FL, USA

problem #7

Oct 232010

Altima

  • 50,000 miles
I purchased my Nissan Altima SE-R in June of 2007. During that summer the clutch would stick on few occasions and I wouldn't be able to change gears. On one occasion I had to pull off the freeway and pump the clutch petal multiple times until it became free and I was able to change gears successfully. I took the vehicle to the Nissan dealership to which they told me to bring it in when the problem was actually occurring, which was virtually impossible since it was sporadic. I have noticed that during winter on occasion the clutch and brakes would need to be pumped before driving otherwise the clutch would stick and the brakes just wouldn't work. This morning I got in my Nissan which had been parking in the garage all night, and the clutch petal was sunk to the floor. I was able to turn the car on, but couldn't switch gears. I tried pulling up on the clutch petal with my foot and nothing. It took multiple times of trying to pick it up with my foot and trying to un-stick it by pressing down hard on it before it finally came up and I was able to put it in reverse to drive.

- Anchorage, AK, USA

problem #6

Sep 282010

Altima

  • miles
2006 certified used Nissan Altima will not come in and out of "park", or into "reverse" while trying to go into "park". shifter and related parts have been replaced with no success in September 2010. Problem has been ongoing since February 2009. Car has been to dealers multiple times to diagnose problem with no success. Shifter and electronic module replaced later September 2010. Problem came back within 48 hours of getting car from dealership. Owned car for only 8 months before problem arose.

- Eastwood, KY, USA

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