Nissan ALTIMA HYBRID problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
113 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
63,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2007 to 2011 model years. Data snapshot: . 103 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 35 of 113 complaints (31.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Steering behavior | 35 | 31.0% |
| Braking behavior | 22 | 19.5% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 16 | 14.2% |
| Engine operation | 7 | 6.2% |
| Transmission and shifting | 6 | 5.3% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | 35 |
| Steering | 28 |
| Engine | 18 |
| Air Bags | 10 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 |
| Service Brakes | 7 |
| Unknown Or Other | 7 |
| Suspension | 6 |
Electrical System: 35; Steering: 28; Engine: 18; Air Bags: 10; Vehicle Speed Control: 9; Service Brakes: 7; Unknown Or Other: 7; Suspension: 6
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 22 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 15 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 27 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 17 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 16 |
| 150,000 and above | 6 |
Under 25,000: 22; 25,000 to 49,999: 15; 50,000 to 74,999: 27; 75,000 to 99,999: 17; 100,000 to 149,999: 16; 150,000 and above: 6
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (27). 10 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 7 |
| 2010 | 12 |
| 2011 | 6 |
| 2012 | 8 |
| 2013 | 23 |
| 2014 | 16 |
| 2015 | 11 |
| 2016 | 15 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2021 | 1 |
2008: 2; 2009: 7; 2010: 12; 2011: 6; 2012: 8; 2013: 23; 2014: 16; 2015: 11; 2016: 15; 2017: 6; 2018: 2; 2019: 4; 2021: 1
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 35 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 22 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 16 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10470788 · 2012-08-15 (August 15, 2012)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD ONLY BE STARTED SPORADICALLY. THE FAILURE PROGRESSED UNTIL THE VEHICLE COULD NO LONGER BE STARTED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT THE BRAKE SENSOR CABLES CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,000....UPDATED 10/17/12 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE START …
Owner-reported narrative. 16,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10470788 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10483610 · 2012-11-07 (November 7, 2012)
THE STEERING LOCK UNIT (PART NUMBER 48700-9N00B) NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE STEERING LOCK UNIT DID NOT PROPERLY ENGAGE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. BECAUSE THE UNIT DID NOT ENGAGE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. I WAS LEFT STRANDED IN A PARKING GARAGE AT NIGHT AND HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED. THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP WAS IN ALEXANDRIA, VA. THEY CHARGED $900 TO DIAGNOSE AND REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. SINCE THE VEHICLE HAD OVER 36,000 MILES, IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS A WIDELY KNOWN ISSUE WITH NISSAN VEHICLES AND IS PRESENT ON SEV…
Owner-reported narrative. 57,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10483610 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10328688 · 2010-05-03 (May 3, 2010)
INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) DEAR SIR/MS., I WOULD LIKE TO INFORM YOU THAT MY CAR (2007 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID) ACCELERATED SUDDENLY AND ABRUPTLY (FIRST FORWARD AND THEN BACKWARDS), FULL THROTTLE, ON FEBRUARY 21, 2010, WHEN I WAS TRYING TO PARK IT IN THE GARAGE. THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DURING THIS INCIDENT. AS A RESULT, THERE WAS MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE CAR, OUR HOME AND PERSONAL PROPERTY. THE COSTS FOR REPAIR OF OUR HOME AND CAR, AND REPLACEMENT OF PERSON…
Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10328688 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10394040 · 2011-04-02 (April 2, 2011)
THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH SYSTEM IS FAILING ON THE NISSAN ALTIMA. HYBRIDS AND 2.5S THE RESULT IS THAT YOU DRIVE THE CAR WITHOUT KNOWING THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM BECAUSE ISSUED NTB10-139 REQUIRING REPLACMENT OF SWTICH AND HARNESS SUB ASSEMBLY. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 55,806 miles reported. Look up ODI 10394040 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10560398 · 2014-01-17 (January 17, 2014)
HAVE PROBLEMS WITH CAR GOING TOTALLY DEAD, NO LIGHTS ENGINE WON'T START ETC. HAD BATTERY REPLACED BUT THIS WAS NOT THE PROBLEM.CAR STILL DIED A COUPLE MORE TIMES UNTIL IT FINALLY WOULD NOT START OR FUNCTION IN ANY WAY...NO LIGHTS (NOT HAZARD,BRAKE,ETC.) WOULD FUNCTION,ENGINE WOULD NOT START, NOTHING... CAR IS DEAD.TOWED TO DEALER FIRST TOLD IT WAS THE BODY MODULE COMPONENT? ONE OF THE BRAINS IN THE CAR. THEN INFORMED THAT THIS WAS NOT THE PROBLEM. TOLD TODAY IT IS THE WIRING HARNESS AND WILL COST $3,500.00+ THIS IN MY OPINION IS A MAJOR SAFETY …
Owner-reported narrative. 179,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10560398 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10705715 · 2015-04-14 (April 14, 2015)
WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 60MPH, CAR GAVE SHRIEK WARNING BEACON, WITH ALL INDICATORS LIT UP & ABRUPTLY CAME TO A HALT. IN THIS INCIDENT CAR LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER. HENCE I WAS ONLY ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR VIA MECHANICAL KNOB AND RUN TO THE SHOULDER TO SAVE MY LIFE. CAR HAS TO BE TOWED FROM FREEWAY TO A MECHANIC SHOP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. MECHANIC FOUND THE BATTERY FUSE BEING MELTED & RECOMMENDED ME TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER. UPON DIAGNOSIS, DEALER CONFIRMS THAT MAIN WIRING HARNESS THAT GOES FROM THE ENGINE THROUGH THE…
Owner-reported narrative. 110,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10705715 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10274184 · 2009-06-17 (June 17, 2009)
MY 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA, WHEN PARKED ON A SLIGHT INCLINE ROLLED INDEPENDENTLY AND COLLIDED WITH AND DAMAGED A PARKED VEHICLE. THE CAR WAS IN PARK AND LOCKED AND I WAS WALKING AWAY WHEN I NOTED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING. FOLLOWING THE CRASH I UNLOCKED THE CAR, STARTED THE CAR AND MOVED IT FROM THE SCENE. I HAVE SINCE HAD IT EXAMINED BY THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP. THEY FOUND NO DEFECT WITH THE TRANSMISSION, BRAKES OR OTHER SYSTEMS. THEY SAID THAT THERE WERE 2 POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS. THE FIRST THAT THE CAR WAS NOT PROPERLY SET INTO PARK AN…
Owner-reported narrative. 11,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10274184 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10783741 · 2015-10-20 (October 20, 2015)
TRAVELING SOUTH INTERSTATE 95 PASSING LANE ON CURVE @ EAST LYME CT. CAR SUDDENLY DECELERATED RAPIDLY. ACCELERATOR WOULD NOT RESPOND TO DEPRESSION. I COULDN'T IMMEDIATELY COAST INTO RIGHT LANE & NO BREAKDOWN LANE ON MY SIDE. CARS BEHIND ME, APPARENTLY BECAUSE THERE WERE NO BRAKE LIGHTS ACTIVATED, DROVE RIGHT TO MY BUMPER & BEGAN HONKING. WHEN SURPRISINGLY THE ACCELERATOR RESPONDED FROM COMPLETE HALT , RIGHT LANE CLEARED AND I MOVED THROUGH IT IMMEDIATELY ONTO EXIT RAMP. I WAS BAFFLED & CAR WAS RESPONDING SO I ROUNDED INTO EAST LYME STOP & SHO…
Owner-reported narrative. 130,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10783741 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
2007: 1; 2008: 1; 2009: 0; 2010: 0; 2011: 0