CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2014 Nissan Altima shows multiple problem trends, continuing the poor reputation of the 2013 Altima, prompting us to give it our "Beware of the Clunker" badge.
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.
We rented a 2014 Altima S from a local hertz rent-A-car and traveled roundtrip from Florida to New York. On the return trip we stopped at a rest area just entering South Carolina. When I restarted the vehicle and went to put the vehicle in reverse the car stalled out. I proceeded to put the vehicle in park and restarted the car. When I put the vehicle again in reverse, again it stalled; tried again to put it in drive, again it stalled. I then called hertz emergency roadside assistance to get a tow to the nearest hertz rental which turned out to be to the nearest airport. The tow came in 45 minutes since the nearest reliable tow was in North Carolina. Even the tow truck driver could not put the vehicle in gear without the vehicle stalling out even after cooling for almost an hour. The car rental gave us another vehicle, a Nissan Sentra, which was the largest vehicle they had available. Luckily we were able to finish our trip to Florida without any further incidence. The rental agent or his boss could not believe that this problem happened; that they're not responsible for mechanical problems with their rentals; that she'll give me a token dollars off my rental since no other places would even do what she did for us....updated 07/30/15 updated 9/24/2015
I have only had my car for about 15 months and I bought it brand new. So about a month ago I noticed that there was a jerk when I would push on the gas when coming from a complete stop. One time my car even slightly slid and the tire light came on. I took my car to the dealership once that happened but they said that the only issue they saw was that my wheels were unbalanced. I still experience this issue from time to time and I would like to know why. I bought a brand new car for a reason and that was to not have to deal with car issues for a while.
I bought the car last year and it has only been about 13 months. About three months ago, I noticed that there was a kind of jerk when I would start off a stop light and accelerate. First thinking it was not a great deal, I kept going however I noticed it that it was becoming more constant. One day about to reverse out of a parking lot, I put the car in reverse, and the car turned off. There was no response at all from the transmission. I then turned the ignition off and restarted it and it started working fine. Being late for work, I then continued on and until yesterday everything was okay. Yesterday, I got into my car, started it, switched to drive, and the engine shut off and there was no response from the transmission. I turned the ignition off, turned it on again, moved the shifter into reverse and the engine shut off again. I have since had it towed and it is being checked at the dealership. This being a one year old car, I do not expect it to give these issues.
While traveling at 65 mph on the highway, the rpms began jumping. It was acting like the transmission was slipping. Then after stopping, the transmission took several seconds to go into gear. A short time later, the car would not accelerate over 60mph. Took to the dealer and they said the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The car had under 20,000 miles on it. I have read that this is a very common problem with Nissan cvt transmissions and some owners have had their transmissions replaced 5 times.
Driving in middle lane on expressway in Chicago, when slowing down for traffic accident again I thought I was hit from behind because my car jumped. As I came to a complete stop, car jumped again and then died. Towed to the dealer, was first told it was an ECM defect and would replace under warranty. Then received a call that some other errors came up regarding my transmission. They are going to replace my transmission based off the error but will have to pay the deductible. The issue of the car jumping had been happening prior and they could not replicate the problem. Had they not found the other errors I would have picked up the car thinking it was fixed and this could have happened again while driving 60mph on the expressway and possible serious consequences from it! I have ready many reviews about the transmission they have a problem and they don't want to recall for it!
- Plano, IL, USA
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I have number of problems with my vehicle - 2014 Altima sl. Several times after stop and go traffic the transmission stops switching gears (speeds). It gets stuck on a first gear equivalent in cvt transmission. The fix is to restart the vehicle, obviously this could be dangerous on the road where there are no places to stop. Another major problem is a head unit (navigation, radio, etc). It restarts by itself now and than, sometimes right in a middle of the highway when I'm trying to figure out what exit to take and I need the gps guidance. Its absolutely unreliable. I'm not complaining about the quality of the software here that is terrible, by the way, but in any situation it should not restart by itself! another problem, as mentioned by others, is mileage. I get much less miles as advertised! this is my first and last Nissan!
After slowing down or stopping, ie at an intersection waiting to turn or at a stop sign or light waiting to go, when you attempt to accelerate from the stop or slow down there is a hesitation before the car will accelerate properly. On numerous occasions, because of this hesitation, I was in danger of not getting through the intersection or of not completing a turn in time to avoid being hit by on coming traffic. I brought my car into dealer today (1600 miles on odometer), explained problem. They checked it out and confirmed that this happens as I explained; tech did not know why until he found service bulletin video. They checked service bulletin (service video) that described exactly what I was experiencing but Nissan indicates that this is not a "problem" and that is "normal" for this 2014 model "cvt shifting"; says it is a "normal characteristic" of this 2014 model cvt and not a "problem". I am reluctant now to keep this car for fear of getting into an accident. You might want to check your data base to see if 2014 Altima with this transmission has been involved in an unusual number of intersection accidents.
The vehicle has a push button start/stop. When the car is turned off the vehicle can be left in gear and the audible warning indicators are confusing and inconsistent. As I was walking away from the car it would not remote lock. I looked back and it was rolling across the parking lot. Any number of times I have left it in neutral by mistake. The audible warning system is terrible, inconsistent and this is dangerous. I called the dealer and was told there is no fix and you have to put the car in neutral and Nissan said they don't accept redesign suggestions over the phone. I had to jump in the car with a bad back and hip to stop it as it rolled across the parking lot. Very dangerous. Audible door open and lights on warnings are inconsistent as is the key recognition system. I would not have bought this car if I knew it had such a dangerous flaw and bad electronics. My phone message has not been returned. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into third gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 300.
As the speed reduces below 25 mph, when you leave gas pedal, even on a level road, the engine RPM appears to fall at or below 1000 RPM and then shoots up to 1300 RPM. It then struggles to find the correct gear ratio and fluctuates between 1000-1500 RPM without any intervention. This creates a jerky behavior and acceleration when none intended especially when one intends to slow down the vehicle. There is almost zero engine assist for deceleration. Instead of dropping to around 1000 or lower and then staying steady there, it drops and jumps up which creates dangerous driving situation especially in rain and snow. RPM appeared to drop and then shoot to stay above 1000 RPM instead of gradually dropping and staying steady. Took to the dealer and he reproduced the issue. However, other Altima in inventory showed similar behavior and the vehicle was not repaired. Nissan was contacted and was told this is a "feature". this is not right - in fact there have been similar reports as far back as 2007 Altima - and must be corrected. It appears that they fixed an issue with stalling vehicles in 2013 Altima and introduced new problem where you have to hit the brakes many times to achieve stable idle speed of 750 RPM. This is wearing my brakes prematurely and is a hazard in rain and snow when the vehicle accelerates without any intervention when it should really decelerate. I can not overstate the risk when one has to drive 10 mph or 20 mph in snow...
Car will shudder at low speeds (15-35 mph) took car in to dealer, they updated the software but, the transmission "failed' the diag test. A new transmission was put in the car. The car still will shutter unexpectedly mostly at low speeds (however a couple of times have be documented by me at hi-way speeds) in general, when the motor rpms are around 1000 rpms and you give it a slight amount of acceleration, it will get in to the torque stall situation. So, coming to stop lights and then needing to go before coming to a complete stop, or turning on subdivision where slow speeds are required or turning into a parking lot or parking space. Have documented many many dates where this has happened. It was back to the dealer but, the have not had the issue happen to them. I have not let my teenaged drivers drive the cars as I do not feel it is safe for them to do so. This situation is not safe.
Making a left turn into shopping center and car started jerking, two days later going through a 25mph school zone and car started jerking, took car into dealer and I was told that they replaced the transmission when I picked car up, on the way home whenever I would slow down to stop the car would make a whining noise and it would come to a hard stop, took car back to dealer and was told that it was normal. It was not dointhat before they changed the transmission Nissan Consumer Affairs sent a specialist out to check the car out he drove the car and he felt the issue, I was told that it was the torque converter locking up and that was normal, took car to another dealer for a second opinion and he drove the car and experience the issue again I was told that it was the torque converter locking up, it makes this jerking at different speed levels and the whining and hard stopping is constant the second dealer told me that I may have a software problem because the computer that they hooked up to the car shows no problems I am still experiencing the problem. Something needs to be done to correct this issue.it was not making the whining noise and making the hard stops where it makes the car move.I am still dealing with these issues.
Shortly after purchasing my 2014 Nissan Altima my wife had pulled into our driveway and "pushed" the stop engine button while the shift lever was in drive and the engine shut off. The car immediately started to roll backwards out into the street into oncoming traffic. We were lucky it didn't cause a serious accident! this cars gear shift "does not" have to be in park in order to "push" the button that stops the engine it can be in drive and the engine will shut off and the car will start rolling if it is on a hill!. this is very dangerous because with-out the engine running you lose all your power steering and brakes! if this happened on a hill or steep mountain grade the car could roll over a cliff or out into oncoming traffic! I called Nissan about this malfunction many times and each time I was told "the car is operating as designed" please have them correct this problem asap before it causes an accident and someone is killed! [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that he was able to shut the engine off with the shifter being in drive. The dealer was contacted, who stated that the vehicle was performing as designed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 1,500. Updated 8/11/14 the consumer stated one should not be able to turn off the engine, while the vehicle is still in drive. Updated 08/26/14
Vehicle has recurring transmission problems a couple of times per day over the course of 100 mile commute. Most often occurring in stop and go traffic 20-35mph speeds under light acceleration. The transmission causes the car to shake violently while under light acceleration. The dealer has been unable to verify or recreate the problem.
Bought 2014 Nissan Altima 2.5 S brand new from dealer, same day noticed ticking/rattling sound when accelerating with slight vibration. Take car to dealer to get checked out on 05/24 and again on 05/27. Dealer confirmed the noise, service manager tells me noise come from the cvt transmission, but won't do anything. I believe the cvt transmission is defective and should be replaced. It does not feel safe to drive with a transmission making strange sound. Nissan dealer would not do anything and said it's normal.
I stopped the car and believed I put it in park. I got out of the car--it did not move. I went to the rear passenger door and got my two year old out of her car seat. I placed her beside the car and shut the rear door. I walked around behind the car to the driver's door. I turned the car off like I always do. The car shut off--and suddenly without warning--began rapidly moving down my driveway. My baby was at the rear of the car and she usually follows me. I ran and had to jump in the moving car. The front left driver wheel nearly ran me over. I tried to gain control of this vehicle by desperately tried to stop it. I was rolling the speed of a skateboard released from the top of the driveway. The steering wheel had locked. I had to push hard on the brake. I stopped it and there were skidmarks on the asphalt. I stopped the car before it slammed into my neighbor's car. Had I not stopped it and risked personal injury there would have been a crash. I was scared to death to move and look. I thought my baby was dead. I thought the car had crushed her. My neighbor told me my daughter had been missed by inches. When I looked at the gearshift, it was in D. I have no idea how it shut off in drive. It almost killed my daughter, damaged personal property, and I am injured. I called Nissan Consumer Affairs: They stated that this happens "in all automatic cars." Which that is false. I called back to tell them I had friends and family with varying 2014 push button cars try and turn their cars off in D. none of them would turn off unless in park. What is someone was driving and accidentally hit the button on the freeway" loss of steering, brakes, control??" this is a fatal engineering problem. I know GM had a huge recall for similar. Nissan Consumer Affairs told me " there would be no recall" and that I should "be more careful."
Example 1. while driving in my town home community and slightly turning right while going up a slightly inclined road the vehicle begins to shake violently and it seems the transmission is locking up. Goes away either by removing all pressure on accelerator or if excessive accelerator pressure is applied. The type of accelerator pressure needed to stop the excessive shaking would bring the vehicle to a speed that is unsafe relative to observed speeds limits in community. Example 2. these exhibited symptoms have also occurred with an increasing frequency while driving on city roads in light to moderate traffic: When you are coasting up to slower moving traffic in front of you and then need to accelerate as that traffic increases speed, the car will shake violently. This occurs mostly at speeds under 30 -35 mph but has been felt at speeds as high as 55 mph. It feels as though the entire drive train of the vehicle is going to fall out of the car. Vehicle currently has 1200 miles on odometer and symptoms have been increasingly noticeable and frequent since 605 miles on odometer. Separate issue: Navigation / audio system has frozen screen upon start up and becomes un responsive. No ability to change previous volume level of radio which may have been left at high volume level during previous drive. Input is not accepted on head unit or steering wheel controls. Navigation will not initiate. Car must be restarted for system to reboot and this may remedy the problem for one drive cycle or more. Has occurred 5 or more times in first month of ownership. Should a catastrophic failure in the drive train occur, I feel that I am at risk of serious personal injury. Additionally I am concerned that resale value of vehicle will be diminished due to damage caused by inherent design flaw in power train and in-car electronics.
Lost power while driving at 55mph on a freeway. I was informed by the service department of the Nissan dealership that my transmission had a defect and needs to be replaced.
I was at an intersection preparing to make a left turn. When there was an opening in oncoming traffic I pushed the gas pedal to proceed forward and as I entered the intersection the vehicle suddenly dropped the RPM's and acted as if in "limp mode". I pressed the accelerator to the floor to try to get out of the intersection but the vehicle did not respond and only "crawled" through the intersection. Because I could not get out of the intersection due to this issue oncoming traffic had to slam on brakes and almost hit me. Once I exited the intersection I looked for a place to pull over and stopped about a 500 yards from the intersection. I then noticed the vdc light was on. I pressed the vdc button and it lite up another indicator on the dash showing off. I pressed it again and the light went out however the other vdc light on the dash stayed illuminated. I then turned the engine off and waited a couple minutes and when I started the vehicle the other vdc light was off and the vehicle then drove normal. I have since noticed a sound like the transmission spinning wheni press the accelerator. I was scared to drive the vehicle so I went home. I immediately took the vehicle to the Nissan dealer and had the service department diagnose the problem but was told there were no "fault codes" and they did not know why my new car when into "limp mode" and the vdc light came on. This car is new and now I am scared to drive it! the service department at the dealership where I purchased the vehicle said if it happens again bring it back. I have found numerous problems on other internet car forums regarding other Nissan Altima's with this same issue. There is even another one on this site! this is a major safety defect and needs to be corrected asap. I could have been severely injured by oncoming traffic because the vehicle would not respond to the accelerator no matter what I did.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Palm Coast, FL, USA