AI Damage2019 Nissan Altima: common problems
Owners of the 2019 Nissan Altima filed 233 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and engine. The maker issued 147 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 233
- involving a crash
- 22
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 147
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 25% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 21% of all complaints
- 3 Forward collision avoidance 18% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 12% of all complaints
- 5 Visibility 6% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel/propulsion system 5% of all complaints
- 7 Air bags 5% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 4% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 58 complaints (25% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 81.
- Engine: 48 complaints (21% of all).
- Forward collision avoidance: 41 complaints (18% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 8.
- Service brakes: 29 complaints (12% of all), 9 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 6.
- Visibility: 15 complaints (6% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 7.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cylnamed in 2 complaints
- 2.5 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- CVTnamed in 3 complaints
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 233 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 58 | 5 | 81 |
| Engine | 48 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 41 | 3 | 8 |
| Service brakes | 29 | 9 | 6 |
| Visibility | 15 | 0 | 7 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 11 | 8 | 4 |
| Powertrain | 9 | 0 | 26 |
| Engine and cooling | 9 | 0 | 18 |
| Vehicle speed control | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| Suspension | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| Structure | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| Lane departure | 6 | 2 | 5 |
| Wheels | 5 | 1 | 2 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
A truck was turning without signaling and we were passing on right side assuming he was turning left- and he suddenly jerked right causing major impact and sent us into ditch where we were stopped by impacting a solid fence.
I changed the Air Mass Flow sensor and it’s still showing the check engine light on my dash board and giving me the same code after replacing it brand new. My brakes sound horrible after replacing both sets of brakes, front and back.
My safety was put at significant risk because the airbags did not deploy during the impact. This increased the potential for serious injury to the driver and passengers during the crash, as the airbags are a critical part of the vehicle’s safety system designed to prevent head and chest injuries. 3.
This delay has caused significant hardship and prevents me from using my vehicle, even though the recall involves a critical safety risk (potential engine failure while driving). I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this issue and require Nissan to expedite a remedy for recall R25B1.
The contact also stated his front passager had injuries caused by the seat belt. The front passenger sought medical attention and had surgery to have a small portion of her bowel removed. A police report was filed. The insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss.
AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. The driver struck his head on steering wheel or windshield. Sheriff's office investigating. Nissan has not been notified yet. Towing yard and sent pictures to the insurance company. Driver and passenger was put in great risk.
The intelligent pilot failed to operate as needed and no warning lights illuminated. Due to the failure, the contact had to swerve left of center on an off ramp which caused him to slam into the back of an 18 wheeler truck. No injuries were reported at the scene of the accident.
The contact stated that the emergency brake malfunction warning light illuminated while the brake pedal was engaged. The front bumper was fractured. The contact drove the vehicle to an unknown auto repair garage. The contact suffered injuries to the left shoulder, the contact did not received medical attention.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 276 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 13% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Altima has 160 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 233, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Forward collision avoidance. Radar and camera: calibration after bumper or windshield replacement.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other…
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label =…
- TELEMATICS SERVICE INFORMATION HINT
This bulletin applies to vehicles equipped with a 4G network compatible TCU. TCUs compatible with 3G network only are no longer supported. SERVICE INFORMATION The APPLIED VEHICLES that come equipped with a factory…
- AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING WARNING LIGHT BLINKING APPLIED SYSTEMS
Vehicles equipped with a lane camera (see Figure 1) SERVICE INFORMATION If the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) warning light or is blinking (but not illuminated steadily) or the customer states it is blinking, and…
- INTELLIGENT CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE AND AEB/FEB WARNING LIGHT ON OR RADAR OBSTRUCTION MESSAGE DISPLAYED…
INTELLIGENT CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE AND AEB/FEB WARNING LIGHT ON OR RADAR OBSTRUCTION MESSAGE DISPLAYED WITH DTC C1A16 OR C2582 IF YOU CONFIRM IMPORTANT: The purpose of ACTION (on the next page) is to give you a…
- LANE CAMERA AIMING VEHICLE REFERENCE VALUES NOT IN ESM SERVICE INFORMATION If the lane camera requires…
LANE CAMERA AIMING VEHICLE REFERENCE VALUES NOT IN ESM SERVICE INFORMATION If the lane camera requires aiming, the values in Table A on page 4 must be used. For all other models/model years, consult the Electronic…
- DTC B00A0-00 STORED This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. IF YOU CONFIRM DTC B00A0-00 (OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR UNIT) is stored, AND OCS zero point reset cannot be performed…
- REAR AUTOMATIC BRAKING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND/OR DTC C1B56-04 AND/OR C1B56-97 STORED IN THE ADAS…
REAR AUTOMATIC BRAKING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND/OR DTC C1B56-04 AND/OR C1B56-97 STORED IN THE ADAS CONTROL UNIT This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous…
- RAB WARNING LIGHT ON IN INSTRUMENT PANEL AND/OR DTC B2724-23 STORED This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- DTC C1A17-49 OR C2580-49 STORED IN LASER/RADAR This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- CAN COMMUNICATION – NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- CAN COMMUNICATION CODES – DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NHTSA lists 147 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2019 Nissan Altima?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, engine, forward collision avoidance. Total complaints: 233. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (21%), infotainment or screen glitches (8%), stalls while driving (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2019 Nissan Altima?
NHTSA lists 147 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2019 Nissan Altima from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2019 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.