7.0

pretty bad
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
8,448 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.

2020 Nissan Altima drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2020 Nissan Altima Owner Comments

problem #10

May 212024

Altima

  • miles

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

Engine failed prematurly with less than 40k miles. All service was completed in a timely fashion. Nissan is taking a long time to get back to me with what next steps are. They are still investigating after 10 days. Pls help.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

problem #9

May 192024

Altima

  • miles
Unpredictably vehicle acceleration is delayed by approximately 3-4 seconds. Car then proceeds to take off after transmission kicks in. I almost got hit by a semi during a left turn. And similar near miss incidents have occurred. Car also fails to accelerate in a predictable manner when needed rpm goes up but vehicle will stall/hesitate. The vehicle is under warranty and has been to the dealer 3 times. They will not perform any maintenance on the vehicle. Saying it needs to be replicated in person. The Issue is not easily replicated, but when the issue presents itself, it poses a great safety risk to occupants in the vehicle and all drivers/pedestrians on the road around the vehicle. This seems to be a known issue by Nissan but they fail to implement a recall or any other corrective action. I can provide invoices/Statements of work but will have to retrieve them from the dealer. I also have video evidence of the issues occurring. Dealer has seen the videos but refuses to repair, replace, or recompensate for the issues listed above off the videos alone.

- Leola, PA, USA

problem #8

Aug 122022

Altima

  • miles
I bought a used (7,000 miles) 2020 Nissan Altima 2.5 SV. Bought the car on January (18-19th) 2022 with a clean Car Fax. Then, on August 12, 2022 at 17,500 approximate miles the transmission failed. I was driving and suddenly the engine light came on and the car was being strange. Slight shaking, vibration, and delayed acceleration plus a few other details I cannot recall. I immediately went to the dealership since I was nearby and I did not feel that the car was safe to drive. Then I left it there for over a month (all with no loaner vehicle because they had none) and they said they needed to get me a new transmission. Needing a new transmission so soon, is not normal. The dealership even said this, but also said it is unfortunately an issue they see with their CVT transmissions. I had no prior symptoms, and this was very sudden. I had even called them to let them know I was on the way, and they said if I was not close-by that I should tow the car in because it might not be safe. It could have caused an accident if I had driven for longer, so I consider myeslf lucky and hope that other people do not have the same expierence.

- Schertz, TX, USA

problem #7

Dec 062023

Altima

  • miles

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

Transmission went out at 145k miles

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #6

Jun 012023

Altima

  • miles
Transmissions seem to jerk a lot when slowing down and picking up speed again, also all 4 door locks have gave out being unable to lock or unlock the doors using the bottom or key, this is a hazard especially if you have children sitting in the back seats

- San Jose , CA, USA

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problem #5

Jun 072023

Altima

  • miles
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 the end of the afternoon. I was later informed by the dealership that there was an electrical problem with the transmission system. The system failure was related to a power train not getting communication due to a broken/damage wire harness that was close to the left side powertrain/engine mount. The harness was damaged because of the engine mount bolts broke and metal part of the mount cut part of the harness, creating an electrical short to the powertrain system as seen in the attached photos. This kind of short can definitely create heat into the harness that could have gotten my car to catch fire. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, the same dealer informed me about the damage, and they themselves were puzzled because they couldn't find an explanation for how this could happen, but they did not take any ownership by the fact that that defective engine mount could have had me into a major accident if I was driving in the highway. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others" All the work was carried out at the dealership itself. And I don't think that the dealership send any notification to the manufacturer about the early failure of such an important component but going through different mechanics shops they all share the same opinion that the......

- Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

problem #4

Oct 092022

Altima

  • miles

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

My battery cought fire as I was driving all of a sudden

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #3

Jan 092021

Altima

  • 59,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle would hesitate and shudder. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that no issues were found; however, the failure reoccurred. Additionally, the contact stated while the vehicle was parked, she shifted into drive(D) and depressed the accelerator pedal however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact was unable to drive the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle would be repaired at her own expense. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be repaired under the power train warranty due to the mileage. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000. The VIN was not available.

- Bamberg, SC, USA

problem #2

Apr 172021

Altima

  • 14,500 miles
Parked the car for roughly 10 minutes. Came back and started car with all lights on dash illuminated. Hard to drive, hard to steer and could not tell how fast vehicle was moving as speedometer didn't work. This has happened before, had it taken to Nissan dealer. Advised that they couldn't duplicate the lights issues after it sat for 3 days before "resetting" itself.

- Rocky Mount, NC, USA

problem #1

Feb 192021

Altima

  • 10,976 miles
During cold temperatures the car accelerates poorly, engine RPM is unusual. At least one instance of the engine warning light illuminates with a "service now" message displayed. In all cases the vehicle engine was running, in (slow) motion, and on a city street and one incident on a highway going straight ahead. A service department of a Nissan dealer was contacted and they stated that they have received multiple complaints of this nature about this call year and model.

- Skandia, MI, USA

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