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2015 Nissan Altima

Verified August 31, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

Compare
Safety
5
of 5 stars
Recalls
10
on record
MPG
26
combined

Heavily recalled

10 safety recalls on record. Confirm with the seller that every campaign has been completed.

Vehicle Summary

2015 Nissan Altima

10 recalls
942 complaints
26 MPG combined
5/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

Confirm all 10 recalls were repaired — a dealer checks by VIN, free
Read the 45 complaints reporting a crash
Review the 942 owner complaints on record
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Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
10
Owner complaints
942
Complaints citing a crash
45

These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

10 Recalls on Record

These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

Safety recalls

10 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.

  • 18V915000high

    Body/structure issue

    STRUCTURE:EMERGENCY:ESCAPE/EGRESS/EXIT

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Altima vehicles, previously remedied under recall number 17V-040. The door latch-lock cable may not have been routed properly in the rear door when the remedy was applied. As a result, the cable may interfere with the window regulator causing the rear passenger door to unlatch and inadvertently open without warning when the window is lowered.

    Consequence

    If the rear passenger door opens while the vehicle is moving, the rear passengers have an increased risk of injury.

    Remedy

    Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will secure the latch-lock cables in the correct position using the new remedy procedure, free of charge. The recall began February 5, 2019. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7669.

    Full campaign record
  • 17V040000high

    Latches/locks/linkages · doors · latch

    LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Altima vehicles. The rear door latch/lock cable on the vehicles may have been improperly routed. As a result, lowering a rear window may inadvertently cause that door to unlatch and open.

    Consequence

    If the rear passenger doors inadvertently open while the vehicle is in motion, it may increase the risk of injury to the rear passengers.

    Remedy

    Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will correct the rear door latch/lock cable routing, free of charge. The recall began on February 16, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

    Full campaign record
  • 16V911000high

    Airbag system issue

    AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima vehicles manufactured January 3, 2013, to July 29, 2013, 2015-2016 Rogue vehicles manufactured October 14, 2014, to August 12, 2016, and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured June 4, 2015, to August 19, 2015. An incorrect Occupant Classification System (OCS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may have been installed in the front passenger seat. The incorrect ECU and seat combination may misclassify the front passenger seat occupant.

    Consequence

    If the front passenger seat occupant is misclassified, the air bag may deploy incorrectly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

    Remedy

    Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ECU and update the OCS software free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

    Full campaign record
  • 15V733000high

    Brake system issue

    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2015 Altima and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured October 6, 2015, to October 7, 2015. The affected vehicles have front brake calipers whose mounting bolts may not be properly tightened.

    Consequence

    If the bolts were not properly tightened, the caliper may detach and reduce braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will check the brake caliper mounting bolts, tightening them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 14, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

    Full campaign record
  • 16V244000high

    Airbag system issue

    AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.

    Consequence

    If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.

    Remedy

    Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.

    Full campaign record
  • 15V681000high

    Airbag system issue

    AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima and Pathfinder vehicles, 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra vehicles, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles, 2014-2015 Infiniti QX60 vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles received an incorrect occupant classification system (OCS) control unit during a repair. These OCS control units may incorrectly classify the front passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.

    Consequence

    If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger air bag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.

    Remedy

    Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

    Full campaign record
  • 15V486000high

    Fuel system issue

    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) notified the agency on July 31, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2016 Nissan Maxima vehicles manufactured February 10, 2015, to August 18, 2015. On October 14, 2015, Nissan expanded the recall to cover an additional 41,388 vehicles, including certain model year 2013-2015 Altima 3.5 vehicles equipped with a V6 engine manufactured March 30, 2012, to August 18, 2015 as well as the vehicles covered by the July 31, 2015 notification. In the affected vehicles, due to an improperly installed o-ring that may not have been seated correctly at the time of assembly, fuel may leak during a crash from the area where the fuel sending unit attaches to the fuel tank.

    Consequence

    If fuel leaks from between the fuel sending unit and the tank, it may increase the risk of a fire in the event of a crash.

    Remedy

    Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install a retainer ring between the fuel tank and the fuel sending unit. The recall began on September 28, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

    Full campaign record
  • 15V116000high

    Latches/locks/linkages · hood · latch

    LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Nissan Altima vehicles manufactured March 1, 2013, to December 31, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch may bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.

    Consequence

    If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

    Remedy

    Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will be instructed to modify the bend angle of the hood actuation lever to eliminate potential interference with the hood inner panel. In addition, dealers will clean and lubricate the latch joint as needed. If significant corrosion is observed, the latch assembly will be replaced. This repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 14V-565.

    Full campaign record
  • 16V029000high

    Latches/locks/linkages · hood · latch

    LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Nissan Altima vehicles manufactured March 6, 2012, to December 31, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch may bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.

    Consequence

    If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

    Remedy

    These vehicles were previously included in recalls 14V-565 and 15V-116, however the previous remedy plan may not have been performed consistently to remove the safety risk. To correct this issue, Nissan will re-notify all affected owners and dealers will replace the hood latch with a new one, free of charge. The recall began on February 17, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 14V-565 and 15V-116.

    Full campaign record
  • 20V315000high

    Latches/locks/linkages · hood · latch

    LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2018 Nissan Altima vehicles. If the primary hood latch is inadvertently released, there is an increased likelihood that the secondary hood latch may corrode over time.

    Consequence

    Corrosion to the secondary latch may cause it to bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed. If the primary latch is inadvertently released again and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

    Remedy

    Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install a stronger release spring in the hood release lever, a warning label near the secondary hood latch, and an Owner’s Manual addendum card with instructions on how to lubricate and maintain the secondary hood latch mechanism, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: Recall 16V-029 remains open for any unremedied 2013-2015 Altimas and this recall applies to all vehicles covered by 16V-029 even if those repairs have already been performed.

    Full campaign record

NHTSA crash-test ratings

NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2015 Nissan Altima.

  • Frontal crash

    Driver
    5 / 5
    Passenger
    4 / 5
  • Side crash

    Driver
    3 / 5
    Passenger
    5 / 5
    Side pole
    5 / 5
  • Rollover

    Rollover risk
    10.3%
    Dynamic tip
    No Tip

Driver-assistance technologies

Electronic stability control
Standard
Forward collision warning
No
Lane departure warning
Optional

What the ratings mean

NHTSA gives the 2015 Nissan Altima 5 out of 5 stars overall, level with the 5-star median for the 21 comparable 2015 vehicles NHTSA rated in this class.

NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.

NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 10.3% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.

NHTSA crash tests

2015 Nissan Altima Frontal crash crash test
Frontal crash Video
2015 Nissan Altima Side crash crash test
Side crash Video
2015 Nissan Altima Side pole crash test
Side pole Video

Fuel economy & emissions

EPA figures for the 2015 Nissan Altima, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.

22

City

31

Hwy

26

Comb

Annual fuel cost
$2,350
Tailpipe CO₂
352 g/mi

How this compares

At 26 MPG combined, the 2015 Nissan Altima ranks 11th of 23 midsize cars EPA rated for 2015 — 2 MPG better than the 24 MPG median for that group.

That places it squarely mid-pack for its class. Fuel cost is close enough to its rivals that other running costs will probably matter more.

EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $2,350, $200 less than the $2,550 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $11,750, a $1,000 difference against a class-median vehicle.

Tailpipe CO₂ is 352 grams per mile — about 5.3 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.

Consumer complaints

942 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

942
Total
45
Crashes
5
Fires
26
Injuries

Most reported components

  • LIGHTING254
  • ENGINE195
  • AIR BAGS173
  • OTHER101
  • STRUCTURE46

Notable Issues

942 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 26 reports involve injuries. 45 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

lighting problems (headlights, taillights)254
engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)195
airbag concerns (warning light, deployment issues)173

Safety timeline

Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2015 Nissan Altima, newest first.

  1. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation EA19002

    Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure

  2. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation EA21002

    Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  3. Recall

    Recall 20V315000

    Corrosion to the secondary latch may cause it to bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed. If the primary latch is inadvertently released again and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

  4. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation PE18013

    Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure

  5. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation EA19002

    Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure

  6. Recall

    Recall 18V915000

    If the rear passenger door opens while the vehicle is moving, the rear passengers have an increased risk of injury.

  7. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation PE18013

    Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure

  8. Recall

    Recall 17V040000

    If the rear passenger doors inadvertently open while the vehicle is in motion, it may increase the risk of injury to the rear passengers.

  9. Recall

    Recall 16V911000

    If the front passenger seat occupant is misclassified, the air bag may deploy incorrectly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

  10. Recall

    Recall 16V244000

    If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.

  11. Recall

    Recall 16V029000

    If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

  12. Recall

    Recall 15V733000

    If the bolts were not properly tightened, the caliper may detach and reduce braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash.

  13. Recall

    Recall 15V681000

    If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger air bag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.

  14. Recall

    Recall 15V486000

    If fuel leaks from between the fuel sending unit and the tank, it may increase the risk of a fire in the event of a crash.

  15. Recall

    Recall 15V116000

    If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.

Specifications & ratings

Specifications

Body class
Midsize Cars
Drive type
Front-Wheel Drive
Engine
3.5L 6-cyl
Fuel type
Unknown
Transmission
Automatic (AV-S7)
Seats
0

Fuel economy

22

City

31

Hwy

26

Comb

Annual cost
$2,350
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

NHTSA crash ratings

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Explore related

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation EA19002

    Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure

  2. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation EA21002

    Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  3. Recall

    Recall 20V315000

    Corrosion to the secondary latch may cause it to bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed. If the primary latch is inadvertently released again and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

  4. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation PE18013

    Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure

  5. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation EA19002

    Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure