232 of the
20,238 complaints filed about the Nissan Altima
are about the driver-assist systems —
1% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2019.
232
Complaints
1%
Share of all complaints
33
Crashes
3
Fires
Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance complaints by model year
I purchased a 2022 Nissan Altima from CarMax on February 25, 2026. Less than three weeks after purchase, the electronic parking brake unexpectedly engaged while I was driving on multiple occasions, causing the vehicle to abruptly stop. This created a serious safety hazard because the vehicle stopped while in motion without warning. I immediately reported the problem to the selling dealership. The vehicle was inspected on March 17, 2026, but I was told the concern could not be duplicated, and the vehicle was returned without repair. After continued concerns, the dealership later documented excessive lateral runout of the front and rear brake rotors, completely glazed brake pads, and that the rotors had previously been machined. The dealership recommended replacement of all front and rear brake pads and rotors. I am submitting this complaint because I believe the unexpected activation of the electronic parking brake while driving presents a significant safety risk. I am requesting that NHTSA review this incident and determine whether it may indicate a broader safety defect.
NHTSA complaint #11751718 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the auto-braking system unexpectedly activated, and there was a grinding sound coming from the brakes; however, the vehicle failed to stop as needed. The ABS warning light was illuminated. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the brakes suddenly activated, and the instrument panel illuminated with a vertical yellow light. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and waited for a while before restarting the vehicle to continue driving. The failure reoccurred the following morning while driving 35 MPH. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was pulled over, turned off, and restarted to continue driving. The failure had occurred approximately 5 times. The contact stated that with the cruise control set to co-pilot, the steering and lane assist features failed to operate as intended, advising the contact to manually steer the vehicle. The failure became more persistent. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
NHTSA complaint #11750330 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the auto-braking system unexpectedly activated, and there was a grinding sound coming from the brakes; however, the vehicle failed to stop as needed. The ABS warning light was illuminated. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the brakes suddenly activated, and the instrument panel illuminated with a vertical yellow light. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and waited for a while before restarting the vehicle to continue driving. The failure reoccurred the following morning while driving 35 MPH. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was pulled over, turned off, and restarted to continue driving. The failure had occurred approximately 5 times. The contact stated that with the cruise control set to co-pilot, the steering and lane assist features failed to operate as intended, advising the contact to manually steer the vehicle. The failure became more persistent. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
NHTSA complaint #11750330 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My car is supposed to have an automatic braking system/collision detection. Two cars in front of me slammed on their brakes and the car in front of me slammed on his brake, and I didn't have enough time to react. I totalled my car, but my car is supposed to have a safety feature that automatically brakes. The faulty automatic braking didn't engage as it should have.
NHTSA complaint #11749014 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My car is supposed to have an automatic braking system/collision detection. Two cars in front of me slammed on their brakes and the car in front of me slammed on his brake, and I didn't have enough time to react. I totalled my car, but my car is supposed to have a safety feature that automatically brakes. The faulty automatic braking didn't engage as it should have.
NHTSA complaint #11749014 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When the vehicle is put in reverse, the screen for the rear camera goes completely blank. This is a known defect with many Nissan vehicles, to which Nissan has issued numerous recalls to address this exact issue. However, the year, make, and model of my vehicle has not been included in any of Nissan’s recalls.
NHTSA complaint #11737880 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Have been getting “engine malfunction power reduced” already had it repaired once. Not sure what is causing this since it was just “repaired “. New battery in place. Also has accident icons on dashboard
NHTSA complaint #11736193 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was leaving for work, backing out of the driveway, and the brakes just locked up out of no where. I’ve done this multiple times and the brakes have never done this. I tried pulling up and trying again, turning the car off and back on, and backing a different way out of the driveway. It kept locking up on me and nothing was in the way. My husband had to eventually take me to work. The automatic braking system failed. I’m not sure if it is available for inspection upon request. At the time, my safety or anyone else’s safety was not at risk. I just worry about if it happens while I’m driving on the road. That could defiantly not only put me at risk but also other drivers. No the problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer. It just happened this morning. The vehicle has not been inspected. No warning lamps. It did pop up the car with the 3 blocks in front of it on the screen like I’ve seen before, prior to failure, but not the warning about the automatic braking system.
NHTSA complaint #11735973 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2024 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at undisclosed speeds, the brakes erroneously activated, and the vehicle felt as if it was sliding while driving in the rain. The Forward Collision Avoidance warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided due to the address. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11730742 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
During a traffic incident on March 26 2026 I was the driver of the 2023 Nissan Altima SL and I suffered unnecessary bodily injury due to the AEB system. I was in a forward collision, the warning indicator did not go off, and the AEB may have went off after the crash unnecessarily causing major damage to my right shoulder tearing one ligament partially, one ligament completely and tearing my rotator cuff and needing reconstruction and two joints anchored. The impact of the AEB jolt went up my wrist and the force through my shoulder to cause that damage is inexplainable since I was at a complete stop and maybe only one car length away from the other car. I hit my face on the steering wheel. Airbags did not deploy. My son in the passenger seat suffered a concussion as did I. The only thing we can find that could cause this amount of damage is if the AEB decelerated after impact unnecessarily and the airbag did not deploy. That means our bodies were already moving through the impact of the crash only to have been thrust into a second unnecessarily intensely strong AEB jolt. Had the AEB not engaged, we would not have injuries. The warning system failed to activate as well. This system has gone off in error multiple times and the AEB had also engaged several previous times in error when backing out of my driveway. I did not know that it could be an error with the system until I started researching my injuries and learned that this is an issue with this model of Nissan.
NHTSA complaint #11730673 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
During a traffic incident on March 26 2026 I was the driver of the 2023 Nissan Altima SL and I suffered unnecessary bodily injury due to the AEB system. I was in a forward collision, the warning indicator did not go off, and the AEB may have went off after the crash unnecessarily causing major damage to my right shoulder tearing one ligament partially, one ligament completely and tearing my rotator cuff and needing reconstruction and two joints anchored. The impact of the AEB jolt went up my wrist and the force through my shoulder to cause that damage is inexplainable since I was at a complete stop and maybe only one car length away from the other car. I hit my face on the steering wheel. Airbags did not deploy. My son in the passenger seat suffered a concussion as did I. The only thing we can find that could cause this amount of damage is if the AEB decelerated after impact unnecessarily and the airbag did not deploy. That means our bodies were already moving through the impact of the crash only to have been thrust into a second unnecessarily intensely strong AEB jolt. Had the AEB not engaged, we would not have injuries. The warning system failed to activate as well. This system has gone off in error multiple times and the AEB had also engaged several previous times in error when backing out of my driveway. I did not know that it could be an error with the system until I started researching my injuries and learned that this is an issue with this model of Nissan.
NHTSA complaint #11730673 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The system malfunctioning is the front sensor braking. My safety and others were put at risk with this because multiple times my car has braked me and or completely stopped me because it’s malfunctioning , it happens while I am on a busy street and someone even almost rear ended me because my car braked out of nowhere. It’s called “Phantom Braking”. No, the problem has not been confirmed by dealer became they stopped answering. I took it to the manufacture but they want to charge me too much. Yes and it first appeared Feb 2nd , a day after I bought the car. So at first it will aggressively brake me and I can tell when it’s going to start braking me because this loud scratching/grinding noise appear .. the noise sounds like it’s coming from the bottom and I can feel it vibrating my car when I relax my feet on the brakes or the floor. But as soon as that noise comes on then the car starts braking me and sometimes it will cause the engine to stall and then the car will stop driving completely while im on the middle of traffic.
NHTSA complaint #11729180 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle was unknowingly purchased with an improperly assembled braking system from which is formally known as Koeppel Nissan. The braking assembly failed during operation, resulting in loss of proper braking capability and causing a collision. The braking failure created a serious safety risk to the myself (the driver) and others on the roadway. There were no warning lights, dashboard messages, or other indicators prior to the braking failure. The issue with the braking assembly was not identified at the time of purchase and when the vehicle was returned to Koeppel Nissan to have cosmetic damages fixed. A request was made to thoroughly check of the braking system. After repairs, Koeppel Nissan assured there were no issues with braking system. It was discovered months afterward by Thruway Nissan dealership that the rear rotor pads were mismatched and the driver rear pad was installed upside down. The issue was viewed by a Thruway Nissan service technician, who identified the improper braking assembly. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by Nissan Motor Corporation Consumer Affairs for this issue but has been reported. The vehicle and the braking system components are available for inspection upon request.
NHTSA complaint #11723152 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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. The Foward Collision Warning sensor did not respond in a timely matter, resulting in a minor fender bender.
NHTSA complaint #11716913 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Every time I put the breaks on or go over any kind of speed bump, it bounces and sounds like warn out bed springs. Out of nowhere The volume on my radio will turn up extremely loud. Its happened more than a handful of times while driving and it scared me to the point of having to pull over to gather myself. Some days it doesn’t work at all. The past 3 months, My front passenger window gets stuck and won’t go up without me turning the car off then back on and still at times won’t work. I’ve had no choice but to leave the window down more than enough times and putting plastic over it until it decides to work again. The engine shakes and it feels like the transmission is about to give.
NHTSA complaint #11716030 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Didn't know what the list this one but at a certain speed on the highway the hood latch comes loose unlocks, and my backup camera All of a sudden doesn't always work, sometimes the screen is completely black... Also the sensor that tells you that a car is too close to you keeps turning itself off and then when you check the radar sensor to make sure that it's clear of debris there's no debris but yet this thing just keeps turning itself off while you're on the highway or local road... I will list when the first problem started happening and then we know when the other ones start happening consecutively afterwards.. electrical issue front passenger door will not open automatically Putting my passenger at risk
NHTSA complaint #11710419 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Didn't know what the list this one but at a certain speed on the highway the hood latch comes loose unlocks, and my backup camera All of a sudden doesn't always work, sometimes the screen is completely black... Also the sensor that tells you that a car is too close to you keeps turning itself off and then when you check the radar sensor to make sure that it's clear of debris there's no debris but yet this thing just keeps turning itself off while you're on the highway or local road... I will list when the first problem started happening and then we know when the other ones start happening consecutively afterwards.. electrical issue front passenger door will not open automatically Putting my passenger at risk
NHTSA complaint #11710419 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.