U.S. public vehicle records

2010 Nissan ALTIMA problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

380 owner complaints analyzed

3 distinct recall campaigns

53,128 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2010 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 271 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Unknown Or Other is the most frequently named component, appearing in 70 of 380 complaints (18.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Transmission and shifting	58	15.3%
Braking behavior	57	15.0%
Electrical and battery issues	35	9.2%
Steering behavior	26	6.8%
Engine operation	15	3.9%

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.

Unknown Or Other

Electrical System

Power Train

Air Bags

Engine

Suspension

Service Brakes

Visibility/Wiper

Unknown Or Other: 70; Electrical System: 69; Power Train: 62; Air Bags: 55; Engine: 50; Suspension: 29; Service Brakes: 27; Visibility/Wiper: 22

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: 63; 25,000 to 49,999: 58; 50,000 to 74,999: 53; 75,000 to 99,999: 29; 100,000 to 149,999: 53; 150,000 and above: 15

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (63). 109 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.

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2010: 20; 2011: 20; 2012: 21; 2013: 18; 2014: 56; 2015: 33; 2016: 43; 2017: 26; 2018: 37; 2019: 33; 2020: 14; 2021: 16; 2022: 11; 2023: 16; 2024: 9; 2025: 4; 2026: 3

Pattern summary

Unknown Or Other leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 58 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 57 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 35 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 10317571 · 2010-04-09 (April 9, 2010)

2010 NISSAN ALTIMA MAKING A LOUD CLUNK NOISE. CONSUMER STATES THE NOISE HAPPENS ONLY WHEN IT'S COLD OUTSIDE, THE VEHICLE IS COLD, AND AT SPEEDS 30 MPH AND LESS. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE NOISE WAS SO BAD, IT FELT AS THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS GOING TO STALL. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED IT FELT AS THOUGH THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING. THE VEHICLE WOULD DRAG/SPUTTER. THE SLIPPING WAS SOMETIMES ACCOMPANIED BY A RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE UNDERBODY WHICH LASTED FOR 3-4 SECONDS. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEMS THE CONSUMER EXPERI…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10317571 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10335038 · 2010-06-07 (June 7, 2010)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE RENTED THE VEHICLE AND WHILE DRIVING IN A FLASH FLOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS SWEPT INTO WATER AND SUBMERGED. ALL OF THE POWER IN THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO OPEN THE DOORS OR WINDOWS FROM THE INSIDE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE POLICE AND WAS ADVISED TO PUSH ON THE BRAKE, SHIFT INTO PARK AND THE DOORS WOULD UNLOCK; HOWEVER, WHEN SHE PERFORMED THE PROCDURE, THE DOORS DID NOT UNLOCK. A BYSTANDER OPENED THE FRONT DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE. NONE OF THE OTHER DOORS WOULD OPEN FR…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10335038 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10360266 · 2010-10-13 (October 13, 2010)

'09 ALTIMA WOULD NOT START. SECOND OCCURRENCE IN ONE WEEK. JUMPED CAR AND TOOK IT TO GETTEL SARASOTA, FL NISSAN DEALERSHIP. DIAGNOSIS - FAULTY "BRAKE SWITCH", NEEDED TO START KEYLESS IGNITION THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A "COMMON" PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS. REPLACED PART AND NO PROBLEMS SINCE. KEEPING MY FINGERS CROSSED. MY SO HAS A '07 ALTIMA, AND EXPERIENCED THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM THE SAME WEEK IN NAPLES, FL. MINE WAS COVERED BY WARRANTY, BUT HE HAD TO PAY FOR A NEW PART. GO FIGURE! I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND SHOULD CAU…

Owner-reported narrative. 12,792 miles reported. Look up ODI 10360266 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10365902 · 2010-11-16 (November 16, 2010)

2010 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE AUTOMATIC PUSH BUTTON IGNITION WOULD NOT START THE ENGINE. IT CRANKED SEVERAL TIMES THEN DID NOTHING WHEN PUSHED. WAITED 15-20 MINUTES AND THEN IT STARTED RIGHT UP. UPON STARTING THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE FAILURE BECAUSE NO ERROR CODES REGISTERED. THEY CHECKED FURTHER BUT COULDN'T FIND THE CAUSE AND TOLD ME IT WOULD HAVE TO TOTALLY BREAK BEFORE THEY COULD FIND IT. THIS IS AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IGNITION FLAW AND WE'RE EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS VE…

Owner-reported narrative. 20,471 miles reported. Look up ODI 10365902 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10386702 · 2011-03-07 (March 7, 2011)

2010 NISSAN ALTIMA S (PURCHASED NEW 12/7/09) AND AS PART OF THE INCENTIVE TO BUY THE VEHICLE, THE DEALERSHIP HAD AFTER MARKET LEATHER INSTALLED AND FROM THERE THE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN NON-STOP. AT THIS POINT, I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM IS ELECTRICAL. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR NEARLY 10 TIMES (ONE BEING TODAY) IN THE PAST 15 MONTHS FOR SERVICE AND WAS PLACED IN LOANER CARS AT LEAST 4 TIMES DUE TO THE PROBLEMS. THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG NOT WORKING AND TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT SPORADICALLY COMES ON BOTH BLINKING AND/OR A CONSTANT. MY ENTIRE SEAT WAS REPLACE…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10386702 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10320490 · 2010-03-17 (March 17, 2010)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS OF 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN ABRUPTLY VEERING TO THE RIGHT WITHOUT DRIVER INTENT. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER; THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME HARD AND RESISTANT TO DRIVER INPUT. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO MOVE THE STEERING IN EITHER DIRECTION. THE VEHICLE THEN SPUN OUT OF CONTROL AND PROCEEDED TO CRASH INTO A CEMENT WALL. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY ON IMPACT. THE POLICE ARRIVED AND A REPORT WAS FILED AT THE SCENE ACCORDINGLY. THE DRIVER SUFFERE…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10320490 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10341935 · 2010-07-08 (July 8, 2010)

I OWN A 2010 NISSAN ALTIMA, BOUGHT IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. I WAS REAR-ENDED TODAY BY A LARGE PICKUP TRUCK WHICH FORCED ME TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AS WELL AND MY AIR BAG NEVER DEPLOYED. MY FACE ACTUALLY JUST TOUCHED MY STEERING WHEEL! I CALLED MY DEALERSHIP AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THAT UNLESS THE CAR IS HIT IN PRECISELY THE RIGHT POINT NEAR A SENSOR THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY!! I HAVE NEVER HEARD SUCH A STUPID EXCUSE AND AM SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING IF MY CAR GETS "TOTALED" OF GOING WITH A DIFFERENT MAKE - NOT NISSAN! I CAN ON…

Owner-reported narrative. 8,336 miles reported. Look up ODI 10341935 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10398851 · 2011-05-03 (May 3, 2011)

2010 NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE PURCHASED THE CAR IN SEPTEMBER 2010. HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE AT NISSAN QUALITY OF TEMECULA FOR MULTIPLE ISSUES. THE FIRST ISSUE IS THE AIR BAG LIGHT GOES ON STATING THAT THE AIR BAG IS TURNED OFF AND THIS IS WHEN THERE IS AN ADULT OF 200 POUNDS SITTING IN THE PASSANGER'S SEAT. I AM VERY CONCERNED OF OUR SAFETY IN THE CASE OF AN ACCIDENT.THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AND I AM NOT CONVINCED THAT IF THERE IS AN ACCIDENT THE AIR BAG WILL GO OFF. THE TRANSMISSION IS ALSO GIVING US PROBLEMS.CAR IS STALLING AND JERKI…

Owner-reported narrative. 12,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10398851 at NHTSA ↗