U.S. public vehicle records

2001 Nissan ALTIMA problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

159 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

66,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2001 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 100 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine And Engine Cooling is the most frequently named component, appearing in 22 of 159 complaints (13.8%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Engine operation	25	15.7%
Braking behavior	17	10.7%
Electrical and battery issues	8	5.0%
Steering behavior	6	3.8%
Transmission and shifting	5	3.1%
Fuel system concerns	3	1.9%

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.

Engine And Engine Cooling

Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Electrical System

Suspension

Vehicle Speed Control

Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls

Air Bags

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Engine And Engine Cooling	22
Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System	14
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	12
Electrical System	9
Suspension	9
Vehicle Speed Control	9
Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls	9
Air Bags	8

Engine And Engine Cooling: 22; Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System: 14; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 12; Electrical System: 9; Suspension: 9; Vehicle Speed Control: 9; Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls: 9; Air Bags: 8

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 10; 25,000 to 49,999: 15; 50,000 to 74,999: 34; 75,000 to 99,999: 15; 100,000 to 149,999: 18; 150,000 and above: 8

50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (34). 59 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.

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2019

2000: 1; 2001: 16; 2002: 22; 2003: 17; 2004: 11; 2005: 8; 2006: 8; 2007: 6; 2008: 14; 2009: 22; 2010: 9; 2011: 6; 2012: 4; 2013: 1; 2014: 6; 2015: 2; 2016: 2; 2017: 2; 2019: 2

Pattern summary

Engine And Engine Cooling leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 25 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 17 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 8 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 10061199 · 2004-04-01 (April 1, 2004)

WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. CONSUMER PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. *AK *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 40,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10061199 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10072242 · 2004-05-06 (May 6, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC REPLACED SPARK PLUGS AND OTHER PARTS.*AK PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10072242 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10016433 · 2003-04-23 (April 23, 2003)

6 TIMES CAR HAS BEEN IN FOR WARPED FRONT BRAKE ROTORS AND PROBLEM STILL NOT RESOLVED. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 22,050 miles reported. Look up ODI 10016433 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10032127 · 2003-08-05 (August 5, 2003)

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN VEHICLE IS PUT IN PARK ENGINE RACES AND JERKS FORWARD INTREMITTENTLY WHILE FOOT IS ON THE BRAKES.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 16,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10032127 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10032835 · 2003-08-14 (August 14, 2003)

BATTERY EXPLODED WHEN KEY TURNED TO "ON" POSITION. CAR WAS IN GARAGE. IT WAS INITIAL CRANKING OF ENGINE THAT DAY. A LOUD "BOOM" WAS HEARD. UPON INVESTIGATION DISCOVERED TOP OF BATTERY IN THREE PIECES AND A SPLIT IN CASE NEXT TO NEG TERMINAL. ACID ON UNDERSIDE OF HOOD AND SURROUNDING AREA OF BATTERY. POOL OF ACID COLLECTED ON GARAGE FLOOR.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 44,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10032835 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10037144 · 2003-09-03 (September 3, 2003)

CAR WAS PARKED OVERNIGHT IN GARAGE. WHEN KEY WAS TURNED IN THE IGNITION, EXPLOSION OCCURRED UNDER THE HOOD. SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND ACID WAS DRIPPING TO THE PAVEMENT. THERE IS A DENT ON THE HOOD FROM THE INSIDE DIRECTLY ABOVE THE BATTERY LOCATION. THERE WAS ALSO ACID ON THE ENGINE AND LOCAL AREAS. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 28,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10037144 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10001062 · 2002-12-17 (December 17, 2002)

WHEN MAKING A TURN, STEERING WHEEL MAKES A LOUD NOISE. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE SERVICE BY THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY REPLACE THE STEERING PUMP, BUT THE NOISE STILL EXIST. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS

Owner-reported narrative. 25,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10001062 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10150524 · 2006-02-17 (February 17, 2006)

I WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 15-20 MILES AN HOUR IN MY 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA GXE LE. A TRUCK CUT ME OFF AND I WAS FORCED TO SLAM ON MY BRAKES. IN TURN MY CAR SLAMMED INTO THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME. MY SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK AND MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. MY BRAKES LOCKED UP AND MY HEAD BOUNCED OF MY STEERING WHEEL. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY MY SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK AND WHY MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. MY CAR HAS BEEN TOTALED OUT BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY AS A TOTAL LOSS. AS FAR AS CORRECTIVE ACTION NONE WAS TAKEN AS THE CAR IS DESTROYED. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10150524 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10033773 · 2003-09-12 (September 12, 2003)

THE AUTOMOBILE ACCELERATED WHILE THE CONSUMER'S FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER/MECHANIC THREE TIMES AND BECAUSE THE VEHICLE DID NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THE AUTOMOBILE. THE THIRD TIME HE JUST LEFT THE VEHICLE WITH MECHANIC/DEALER SO THAT THEY MAY DRIVE THE AUTOMOBILE TO SEE IF THE PROBLEM RESURFACED. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO DRIVE BUT WENT INTO REVERSE. *SCC *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 16,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10033773 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10158642 · 2006-05-31 (May 31, 2006)

VEHICLE LOST SPEED FROM 40 TO 80 MPH. GAUGES SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN ON THE DASHBOARD. THE ENGINE STILL RUNS. I AM ABLE TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL , BACK INTO DRIVE AFTER COASTING. THE ACTS LIKE IT WANTS TO TURN OFF. ON OCT 31, 2005 THE SPEED SENSOR UNIT WAS REPLACED. CAR RAN GREAT UNTIL WARM WEATHER. NOW IT IS SHUTTING DOWN AGAIN, AGAIN, AND AGAIN ON WARM DAYS. DEALERSHIP CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, BUT IT HAS ACTED THIS WAY ON THEM ALSO. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 80,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10158642 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10121722 · 2005-05-20 (May 20, 2005)

DT: WHEN DRIVING AND COMING TO A STOP, THE VEHICLE DIES. THE CAR HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER, AND THE DEALER CAN'T FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. O2 SENSOR, CATALYTIC CONVERTER (2), AND FUEL PUMP WERE REPLACED, BUT THE CAR STILL DOES THE SAME THING. THE MANUFACTURE IS SUPPOSE TO CALL THE CONSUMER ON MONDAY. THE CAR STALLS OUT EVERYDAY, AND IT'S ALWAYS GOING SLOW WHEN IT HAPPENS.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 54,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10121722 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10273713 · 2009-06-13 (June 13, 2009)

ROUGH IDLING THAT STARTED ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO. THE CAR HAS CUT OFF ABOUT 3 TIMES WHILE I WAS SITTING AT A RED LIGHT. I HAVE CHANGED SPARK PLUGS, SPARK PLUG WIRES, FUEL FILTER, OXYGEN SENSOR AND NOTHING HAS HELPED. I HAVE A MECHANIC WHO THINKS IT IS POSSIBLY THE FUEL INJECTOR BUT I DON'T WANT TO KEEP SPENDING MONEY FOR SOMETHING THAT SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL. THERE SHOULD BE RECALL ON THIS FAULTY PART THAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM FOR EVERYONE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10273713 at NHTSA ↗