135 of the 807 complaints about the Nissan Altima (16.7%) concern Engine, making it the model's second-largest problem area. That share is 0.8× the Engine share across all tracked vehicles.
135Complaints · Engine
16.7%Share of complaints
0.75×vs. all vehicles
40Last 12 months
5.2%Share involving a crash or fire
1Related recalls
Analysis
40 Engine complaints were filed in the last 12 months versus 40 in the 12 months before — virtually unchanged.
7 of these reports (5.2%) describe a crash or fire, with 2 injuries and 0 deaths mentioned.
1 recall campaign relates to this area, most recently campaign 25V437000 (2025-06-27, model years 2019 and 2020).
I was driving down the freeway at about 70 miles an hour. When a warning came up, saying engine malfunction power reduced, the car then started the shaking a bit and not getting any power. Smoke started pouring out of the hood.
Engine · 2026-07-01 · ODI 11747812 · Fire
The CVT issue remains with this car even though I have complained. The car will randomly de accelerate and randomly accelerate which has cause minor fender bender. The car continue to studer and jerk and continues to show since of transmission issues.
Engine · 2026-05-04 · ODI 11735472 · Crash
While operating my 2018 Nissan Altima on September 19, 2026, at approximately 9:20 a.m., during daytime highway traffic, the vehicle suffered a sudden and complete loss of propulsion, leaving me entirely immobilized on a highway ramp with no ability to…
Engine · 2026-10-04 · ODI 11768824
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine seized. The vehicle was towed to the residence.
Engine · 2026-09-09 · ODI 11763065
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Altima. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer for a trade-in, and during the test drive, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode.
Engine · 2026-08-25 · ODI 11759394
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Engine Malfunction" was displayed. Additionally, the vehicle experienced excessive coolant consumption and the engine overheated.
Engine · 2026-08-13 · ODI 11756811
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Related recalls
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL Campaign 25V437000 · 2025-06-27 · Model years: 2019, 2020
Summary: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Rogue, 2019-2020 Altima, 2019-2022 Infiniti QX50, and 2022 Infiniti QX55 vehicles equipped with 3-cylinder 1.5L or 4-cylinder 2.0L variable compression turbo (VC-Turbo) engines. The engine bearings may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine failure.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the engine control module (ECM) software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed April 8, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261 or Infiniti's customer service at 1-800-662-6200. Nissan's numbers for this recall are R25A8/A9 and R25B1/B2.
Why modern engines burn oil, and what owner complaints revealDesign choices linked to oil consumption in recent engines, the warning signs owners describe, what counts as normal, and which tracked models currently have the highest engine share in their complaints.
