2020 Nissan ALTIMA problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
158 owner complaints analyzed
6 distinct recall campaigns
13,700 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2020 model year. Data snapshot: . 28 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 37 of 158 complaints (23.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 17 | 10.8% |
| Transmission and shifting | 14 | 8.9% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 11 | 7.0% |
| Engine operation | 8 | 5.1% |
| Steering behavior | 8 | 5.1% |
| Fuel system concerns | 1 | 0.6% |
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 | 37 |
| Unknown Or Other | 35 |
| Engine | 33 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | 19 |
| Service Brakes | 17 |
| Power Train | 16 |
| Steering | 13 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 10 |
Electrical System: 37; Unknown Or Other: 35; Engine: 33; Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings: 19; Service Brakes: 17; Power Train: 16; Steering: 13; Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking: 10
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 19 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 2 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 4 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 3 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 19; 25,000 to 49,999: 2; 50,000 to 74,999: 4; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 3; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (19). 130 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 |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 21 |
| 2021 | 17 |
| 2022 | 13 |
| 2023 | 23 |
| 2024 | 26 |
| 2025 | 37 |
| 2026 | 21 |
2020: 21; 2021: 17; 2022: 13; 2023: 23; 2024: 26; 2025: 37; 2026: 21
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 17 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 14 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 11 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 11307037 · 2020-02-04 (February 4, 2020)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE THE AUTOMATIC ELECTRONIC BRAKING ACTIVATED ALTHOUGH NO OBJECTS WERE PRESENT BEHIND THE VEHICLE. ADDITIONALLY, WHILE SWITCHING TO THE REVERSE THE MESSAGE INDICATING AN OBJECT WAS BEHIND THE VEHICLE WAS DISPLAYED. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND VIBRATED WHILE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE BLIND SPOT MONITORING SYSTEM ALSO EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (METRO NISSAN OF MONTCLAIR (9440 AOTPEX…
Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11307037 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11322402 · 2020-04-27 (April 27, 2020)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 NISSAN ALTIMA. CONTACT STATED SHORTLY AFTER THEY PURCHASED THEIR VEHICLE THEY NOTICED THE HOOD OF THEIR VEHICLE WOULD NOT ALIGN PROPERLY. CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A SPECIALIST WHO REPAIRED THE VEHICLE WITH A BUMP STOP NOD. HOWEVER, VEHICLE'S HOOD BECAME LOOSE AND BEGAN TO MAKE A RATTLING NOISE. CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE' S REMOTE START BUTTON BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION. ALSO, WHEN THE CONTACT WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, OR WHENEVER, THEY ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKE PEDAL, THEY NOTICED THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE TO BR…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,619 miles reported. Look up ODI 11322402 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11360984 · 2020-09-24 (September 24, 2020)
POPPING NOISE HEARD FROM LUMBAR AREA OF PASSENGER SEAT BACK. DEALERSHIP SAID THE SOUND IS INSIDE THE SEATBACK AND IS FROM THE SHIFTING OF THE SPRINGS. THEY SAID THEY TESTED THREE OTHER 2020 NISSAN ALTIMA SEATS AND THEY ALL HAD THE SOUND WHEN PRESSED AGAINST OR WHILE SITTING IN AND MOVING FORWARD AND BACK AGAINST THE LUMBAR PART OF THE SEAT. THEY SAID IT'S NORMAL. IT'S AN ANNOYANCE. NO REASON WHY A 2020 BRAND NEW CAR SHOULD HAVE A POPPING SOUND FROM SPRINGS EVERYTIME SOMEONE SITS IN IT, MOVES THERE BACK AGAINST THE SEAT OR SIMPLY TOUCHES THE BAC…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11360984 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11373641 · 2020-11-08 (November 8, 2020)
MY BACKUP CAMERA SEEMS TO BE DISPLAYING THE SAME ISSUES THAT ENDED UP IN THE 2019 NISSAN ALTIMA BEING RECALLED. IT WAS WORKING CORRECTLY. NOW, WHENEVER I SHIFT INTO REVERSE, IT SHOWS A BLANK SCREEN ONLY FOR THE BACKUP CAMERA. ALL MY OTHER CAMERAS ARE OPERATING FINE. THE REAR SONAR STILL WORKS, BUT THE BACKUP CAMERA WILL NOT DISPLAY ANY IMAGES. I HAVE CHECKED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CAMERA IS STILL WHERE IT SHOULD BE, AND IT IS. I'VE TRIED SHUTTING DOWN MY VEHICLE, EXITING AND LOCKING PROPERLY AND THEN RE-ENTERING AND STARTING UP THE VEHICLE BEFOR…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11373641 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11324886 · 2020-05-17 (May 17, 2020)
THE VEHICLE'S SPEEDOMETER WILL "TWITCH" AT VARIED SPEEDS LIKE THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL "PULSE" GOING THROUGH THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE. I HAD THE CAR IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF BUTLER NISSAN IN MACON, GEORGIA; THE SERVICE WRITE ADVISED ME THAT THE MECHANIC DID SEE THE ISSUE AS I DESCRIBED, AND STATED THAT THE SERVICE MECHANIC TOOK A BRAND NEW ALTIMA OUT TO SEE IF HE COULD DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, AND THE BRAND NEW ALTIMA DID THE SAME EXACT THING. THIS OCCURS BOTH DRIVING FREELY AND BY USING THE CRUISE CONTROL AT A SET SPEED.
Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11324886 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11470128 · 2022-06-20 (June 20, 2022)
Driving on the freeway car started losing power, pulled over and then caught fire in matter of minutes the whole car was engulfed in flames. Fire department said it was an electrical fire near the battery and the fire wall on the driver side.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11470128 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11504210 · 2023-01-28 (January 28, 2023)
I was driving the car at about 70 mph on the expressway and it just randomly de-accelerated dripping from 70-34 mph and would not allow me to accelerate and then proceeded to shut down stating engine stall I almost got hit from the back when the car de-accelerated and couldn’t do anything about it after about 10-15 seconds I pressed the gas again and it took off abruptly. I’m scared to drive my car anywhere that I’ll get hit if my car de-accelerates again. Nissan can’t replicate the issue to come up with a conclusion.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11504210 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11559839 · 2023-12-13 (December 13, 2023)
1. Power steering cuts off while driving. Occurs intermittently -- once every two weeks or so. I am guessing that the intermittent nature of this is why more have not reported it. Warning lights show on dash indicating ABS, etc. but codes disappear when car is turned off and back on. Yes, you can inspect this. We bought a BlueDriver OBDII with an app because we couldn't capture this and the dealer couldn't recreate the problem. I have the records of the codes. We were able to get the vehicle to the dealer while still running and they are fixing…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11559839 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11374757 · 2020-11-15 (November 15, 2020)
DURING A SNOW STORM A COUPLE WEEKS AGO IN COLORADO MY 2020 NISSAN ALTIMA'S FORWARD COLLISION ADAS KICKED IN LOCKING UP MY BREAKS CAUSING ME TO SLIDE INTO A CURB AND NEARLY REAR END ANOTHER VEHICLE ALSO CAUSING ALIGNMENT ISSUE'S AND PROBLEMS WITH THE TRACTION SYSTEM. DUE TO LOCKING THE BRAKES THIS ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED. IT WAS ON A CITY STREET WHILE I WAS IN MOTION HOWEVER THE FORWARD COLLISION KICKED IN WAY EARLY AND SLAMMED THE BRAKES WHICH IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IN COLD AND WET ROAD CONDITIONS. THERE IS A STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY ISSUE NEAR THE CAR…
Owner-reported narrative. 2,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 11374757 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11389572 · 2021-01-23 (January 23, 2021)
AS A TRUE AND FAITHFUL CUSTOMER OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, I'M FINALLY THROWING IN THE TOWEL IN REGARDS TO MY RECENT 2020 NISSAN ALTIMA SR. WITH ONLY 7500 PRECIOUS MILES, THIS CAR HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP OVER FIVE TIMES NOW, WITHIN A SIX MONTH PERIOD. CONSTANT AND REOCCURRING ISSUE'S PERTAINING TO THE VEHICLES STEERING WHEEL SHAKING, WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND TIRE BALANCING NEVER COMPTED BY NISSAN OF BAYSHORE. I'VE BEEN SUFFERING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL INSTABILITY FROM WORK RELATED DUTIES, AND THIS WAS THE LAST THING I NEEDED. A VEHICLE THATS UNRELIABL…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11389572 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11684292 · 2025-09-01 (September 1, 2025)
I been having issues with my car stalling out and not wanting to start I got the spark plugs replaced by a mechanic and then my car starts over heating I have my car looked at by a mechanic again and I’m told the engine is corrupt by oil and the fuel pump is bad my car can be inspected for this issue as it is having a lot more issues due to the Nissan recalls but my vin doesn’t cover it
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11684292 at NHTSA ↗