U.S. public vehicle records

2004 Nissan ALTIMA problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

276 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

73,480 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2004 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 225 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine And Engine Cooling is the most frequently named component, appearing in 72 of 276 complaints (26.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Engine operation	69	25.0%
Braking behavior	21	7.6%
Steering behavior	21	7.6%
Transmission and shifting	14	5.1%
Electrical and battery issues	6	2.2%
Fuel system concerns	2	0.7%

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

Structure:Body

Engine

Electrical System

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Steering

Unknown Or Other

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Engine And Engine Cooling	72
Structure:Body	35
Engine	30
Electrical System	26
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	22
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	10
Steering	10
Unknown Or Other	9

Engine And Engine Cooling: 72; Structure:Body: 35; Engine: 30; Electrical System: 26; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 22; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 10; Steering: 10; Unknown Or Other: 9

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: 22; 25,000 to 49,999: 30; 50,000 to 74,999: 63; 75,000 to 99,999: 50; 100,000 to 149,999: 47; 150,000 and above: 13

50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (63). 51 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.

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2023

2004: 16; 2005: 10; 2006: 11; 2007: 35; 2008: 38; 2009: 26; 2010: 25; 2011: 19; 2012: 16; 2013: 17; 2014: 20; 2015: 17; 2016: 12; 2017: 6; 2018: 4; 2019: 1; 2023: 3

Pattern summary

Engine And Engine Cooling leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 69 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 21 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 21 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 10055069 · 2004-01-28 (January 28, 2004)

CAR STALLS WHILE DRIVING, HAS SEVERE DIFFICULTY STARTING AND JERKS IN SECOND GEAR. CAR IDLES AT ABOUT 100-200 RPM. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 710 miles reported. Look up ODI 10055069 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10136323 · 2005-09-13 (September 13, 2005)

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE HAS TO TURN THE IGNITION ON AND OFF TWO OR THREE TIMES BEFORE THE VEHICLE WILL START. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT ON ONE OCCASION THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING . THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATIONS THAT THE VEHICLE WAS GOING TO STALL OR INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. THE SERVICE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 4,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10136323 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10104250 · 2004-12-21 (December 21, 2004)

ON A 2 MONTH OLD ARMADA WITCH HAS LESS THAN 5000 MILES ON IT,THE ROTORS BECAME VERRY WARPED . MY GUESS IS THAT THE BRAKE COMPONENTS WERE FROM THE SMALLER,LIGHTER NISSAN'S. DEALER SAID THAT THE PARTS WOULD TAKE FOUR WEEKS TO GET HERE. SOUNDS LIKE A LONG ROUGH RIDE. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10104250 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10113673 · 2005-03-08 (March 8, 2005)

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES VEHICLE VIBRATED SEVERELY. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AT 3,000 MILES. DEALER REPLACED A BOLT, AND RESURFACED THE FRONT ROTORS. AT 11,000 MILES THE VEHICLE COMMENCED TO VIBRATE AGAIN. VEHICLE WAS RETURNED BACK TO THE DEALER, AND DEALER REPLACED BRAKE ROTORS, PADS, AND BRAKES ASSEMBLY.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10113673 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10060967 · 2004-02-27 (February 27, 2004)

CONSUMER COMPLAINED THAT STEERING VIBRATED AT THE SPEED OF 45 MPH AND ABOVE. IT SHOOK BADLY WHEN REACHING 55-60 MPH. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER/MECHANIC 6 TIMES, AND THEY INSISTED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH VEHICLE. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10060967 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10183064 · 2007-02-20 (February 20, 2007)

CAR STALLS AND STOPS RUNNING ON A DAY BASIS WHILE BEING DRIVEN AND SERVIC ENGINE SOON LIGHT IS ON. NISSAN DEALER REPROGRAMMED ECM, CAR STILL STALLS, SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT SOON STILL ON. I HAVE ALMOST BEEN IN SEVERAL ACCIDENTS DUE TO CAR QUITTING AND POWER BRAKES AND STEERING SHUTTING DOWN WHILE DRIVING. NISSAN NOT TAKING CARE OF PROBLEM. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 53,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10183064 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10067497 · 2004-04-20 (April 20, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DIDN'T SHIFT PROPERLY FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, A TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT TRANSMISSION WAS LEAKING FLUID. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10067497 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10137255 · 2005-09-21 (September 21, 2005)

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DRIVING. IT BEGAN TO LEAK AND SMOKE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 39,400 MILES. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS THAT CAME ON PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THIS OCCURRED ON SEPTEMBER 21, 2005. THIS WAS THE NINTH TIME THAT THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR VARIOUS PROBLEMS, TRANSMISSION, FUEL PUMP, AND AXLE. THIS IS THE SECOND TRANSMISSION IN THE VEHICLE THIS NEW TRANSMISSION HAS ONLY ABOUT 5000 MILES. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR THE TRANSMISSION FIVE TIMES. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10137255 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10132149 · 2005-08-09 (August 9, 2005)

MY '04 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 SE HAS JUST OVER 15,000 MILES. ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS (3 MONTHS APART), THE CAR WOULD NOT START--IT ONLY HAD ENOUGH BATTERY POWER TO MAKE CLICKING SOUNDS. ON EACH OCCURRENCE, NOTHING WAS LEFT ON OR OPEN WHICH COULD CAUSE THE BATTERY TO DEPLETE. ALSO ON EACH OCCURRENCE, THE CAR WAS PERFECTLY FINE THE DAY BEFORE WITH NO PRECEDING SIGNS OF A DYING BATTERY. ON EACH OCCASION, THE CAR WOULD SUCCESSFULLY START BY JUMP STARTING FROM MY OTHER VEHICLE. ON EACH OCCASION, THE CAR WAS IMMEDIATELY TAKEN TO A DEALER (TWO DIFFE…

Owner-reported narrative. 15,250 miles reported. Look up ODI 10132149 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10186038 · 2007-03-23 (March 23, 2007)

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN AT NHTSA: I OWN A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA WITH A 2.5L ENGINE. I RECENTLY RECEIVED AN OWNER NOTIFICATION LETTER FROM NISSAN NORTH AMERICA FOR A SAFETY RECALL DUE TO THE POTENTIAL THAT THE ENGINE MIGHT STOP RUNNING WHILE BEING DRIVEN DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM BETWEEN THE CRANK ANGLE SENSOR AND THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM). THIS COULD RESULT IN A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING. *AK THE NOTICE FURTHER ADVISED THAT MY NISSAN DEALER WOULD REPROGRAM THE ECM, FREE OF CHARGE. THIS SERVICE SHOULD TAKE ABOUT 1 HOUR TO COMPLETE. …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10186038 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10197724 · 2007-07-28 (July 28, 2007)

MY HUSBAND AND I WERE DRIVING WHEN THE CAR STARTED TO JERK AND RUN VERY ROUGH. NOT LONG AFTER THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND IT JUST SHUT OFF RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. AAA TOWED THE CAR TO CERRITOS NISSAN. THE NEXT DAY THEY LOOKED IT OVER AND SAID IT WAS A CHAMBER AND A MASS AIR FILTER AND INJECTOR A. THEY GAVE US THE TOTAL OF $1384. WE HAD NO CHOICE I NEEDED MY CAR, SO WE TOLD THEM TO FIX IT. WHEN WE WENT TO PICK THE CAR UP,WE PAID OUR BILL, I DROVE OFF AND IT STARTED DOING THE SAME EXACT THING. WE TOOK THE CAR BACK AND THE HE…

Owner-reported narrative. 95,295 miles reported. Look up ODI 10197724 at NHTSA ↗