241 of the
20,238 complaints filed about the Nissan Altima
are about the doors, latches and locks —
1% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2013.
While driving at regular road speeds, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic safety component failure. The primary hood latch disengaged, and the secondary safety backup latch failed to catch or secure the hood. This caused the hood to violently slam completely open against the front windshield without warning, instantly and totally obscuring forward vision while the vehicle was in motion. This failure created an immediate, extreme crash risk for the vehicle occupants and other drivers on the road. Prior to the incident, there were absolutely no warning lamps, dashboard messages, or audible symptoms indicating a problem with either latch mechanism. The failed latch mechanism and the damaged vehicle have been safely preserved and are fully available for a complete inspection upon request. At this time, the vehicle has not yet been inspected or reproduced by a dealer, independent service center, the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives, as the failure just occurred. This vehicle model and year are direct subjects of NHTSA Recall Campaign Number 20V-315 for this exact dangerous secondary latch defect, and the vehicle suffered the precise catastrophic safety failure detailed in that federal manufacturer safety bulletin. ]
NHTSA complaint #11757342 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the driver's side front door failed to open. The contact entered the vehicle through the rear door. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the failure was due to the door lock actuator, and the part was replaced under warranty; however, the failure reoccurred. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
NHTSA complaint #11756644 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rear door locks both do not work other than manually locking. Reported incidents online show many others have had newer Nissan vehicles like our 2021 Nissan Altima with the same issue, some have been locked in the car and had to climb out the window and others said the door unlocked and opened while driving. This is a big concern for me as a mom who has a son driving this car, the entire reason was that the safety ratings were good on this AWD full size 2021 vehicle. We bought it certified pre-owned from the Nissan dealership 2 years ago (2024) and after 1 year, both locks stopped working unless locked manually. The actuators should now have stopped working with a car only 4 years old at the time. Now is it 5 years old, still very new, and the safety issues I've read others have had is very concerning. There was a previous recall on earlier Nissan models, and I wish Nissan would recall these newer models too since you see class action lawsuits and much concern online about the many people having this issue.
NHTSA complaint #11748567 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the hood unexpectedly opened and struck the front windshield. The failure caused windshield glass shards to fly into the contact's eyes. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and called the insurance company, which dispatched a tow truck to the location. The contact was waiting for the ambulance to arrive to receive medical attention. While waiting for the ambulance and tow truck to arrive, the contact researched and discovered that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages); however, the contact had not received the recall notification. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11746713 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that in September 2025, an unknown hood latch recall repair was performed by the dealer, but six months later, while the vehicle was parked and attempting to open the hood, the hood failed to open. The contact state while driving approximately 65 MPH, the hood unexpectedly popped open. The contact stopped, pulled over to the side of the road, and closed the hood. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 129,944.
NHTSA complaint #11722292 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Altima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the hood unexpectedly opened and struck and cracked the windshield. Additionally, the driver’s and passenger’s side fenders were damaged. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 134,217.
NHTSA complaint #11715966 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linnkages) for the hood latch and was taken to the dealer, who completed the remedy on June 3, 2025. After the remedy had been completed, while decelerating and coming to a stop at approximately 20 MPH, the hood of the vehicle suddenly lifted, hitting the windshield, causing it to fracture in many places, with some pieces of glass completely detaching. The rear-view mirror had detached as a result. The contact received many cuts from the glass. The contact contacted the police and later filed a police report. The vehicle was towed to a friend's home. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, who had not diagnosed the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 242,000.
NHTSA complaint #11700092 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The vehicle was recently purchased, and the contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the hood unintendedly opened unintentionally and damaged the front windshield, the front fenders, and the hood. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the hood unintendedly opened and worsened the damage to the front windshield, front fenders, and the hood. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the dealer refused to repair the damage and would only repair the hood latch. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
NHTSA complaint #11699221 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while using the key fob to unlock the doors, the rear driver’s and rear passenger’s side doors failed to unlock as needed. The contact also stated that over time, the front driver’s, and passenger’s side doors failed to open while using the key fob. In addition, it was difficult to unlock the front driver’s door manually with the key. The local dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
NHTSA complaint #11665872 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the hood slightly opened and was flapping. The contact pulled into a gas station. The vehicle was taken back to NTB Tire & Service Center, where the hood was forcefully pushed closed. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/linkages). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 68,420.
NHTSA complaint #11646816 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted to open the door with the key fob however, the door failed to open. The contact had to physically hit the front door to manually open the door. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the front door actuator was not fully locking, and the door actuator needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was repaired on two separate occasions for the failure. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 16,147.
NHTSA complaint #11636573 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages); however, the failure persisted. The contact stated while her daughter was driving approximately 65 MPH, the hood unintendedly opened. The roof of the vehicle sustained cosmetic damages, causing debris to fall onto the contact's daughter while she was still driving. The contact's son was in the passenger’s seat and had to direct the contact's daughter through traffic to merge onto the shoulder safely. There were no physical injuries; however, the contact's daughter was in emotional distress due to the failure. The failure had occurred on several occasions. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,180.
NHTSA complaint #11633858 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle hood was opened by the slipstream and opened beyond the hinge's normal open position. The contact stated that the hood was damaged, and the windshield was cracked. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a body shop and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred, and the hood was damaged, but the windshield was not damaged. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a body shop or a dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The contact was aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.
NHTSA complaint #11605950 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the hood latch inadvertently unlatched, and the hood raised up and fell onto the windshield and cracked the windshield. The contact was able to drive a short distance to the residence. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the windshield was replaced. The contact stated that she was informed by the Insurance provider that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages); however, the contact never received the recall notification letter. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.
NHTSA complaint #11595112 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) and 18V915000 (Structure, Latches/Locks/Linkages). The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact smelled an abnormal burning odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in a parking lot, others also smelled the odor. The contact stated while driving approximately 65MPH, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated to 45 MPH with other vehicles behind. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate, and the vehicle lunged forward causing the contact to quickly depress the brake pedal. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.
NHTSA complaint #11591055 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the hood unlatched, rose, and cracked the windshield. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.
NHTSA complaint #11590183 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while his daughter was driving approximately 40 MPH, the hood was inadvertently released, and the hood was caught by the vehicle slipstream and opened straight up. The contact stated that his daughter was able to stop the vehicle and with assistance closed the hood. The contact stated that the windshield was not damaged; however, the edges on the right and left side of the front fenders and cowl panel, where they come up to the front windshield, were bent outward. The contact stated that the hood was not able to fully open after it had been forced shut. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local body shop. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that he had previously received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) completed by a dealer and related the hood failure to the previously completed recall. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
NHTSA complaint #11582537 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) however, the recall repair was not completed. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the hood opened by wind flow. The contact stated that the hood latches and the frame under the windshield had been crimped and bent by the hood. The contact stated that the dealer had not diagnosed the vehicle and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 193,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
NHTSA complaint #11579670 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the hood and the trunk unintendedly opened. Additionally, the rear driver’s side window failed to roll down as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that the hood latch needed to be replaced. The hood latch was replaced. The window and trunk were not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 150,000.
NHTSA complaint #11562631 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.