Complaint volume
171 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2020 Nissan Altima Complaints
171 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Nissan Altima, grouped by component category.
171 Total complaints
16 Crash reports
7 Fire reports
10 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are unknown or other, electrical system, engine. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 16 crash reports, 7 fire reports, 10 injury reports, and 1 fatality report. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 45 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 39,198 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to unknown or other, electrical system, engine?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2020 Nissan Altima?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2020 Nissan Altima
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2020 Nissan Altima complaints?
16 Crash
7 Fire
10 Injury
1 Fatality
15 Towed
6 Medical attention
What are the most common 2020 Nissan Altima complaint categories?
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 18
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 16
ENGINE 15
POWER TRAIN 8
VISIBILITY/WIPER 6
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 5
STEERING 5
AIR BAGS 4
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 4
STRUCTURE 4
171 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | All four of my door lock actuators have went out without warning. This has caused stress and frustration due to not having the correct access to get in and out of my vehicle. The doors would not lock or unlock by pressing the buttons on the door or on the key itself. This has also caused a big safety concern. Being able to not open my car door is dangerous and could potentially hurt myself or others. I have contacted Nissan and they stated that there were not any recalls on my vehicle but I was suspicious since all lock actuators went out around the same time frame. I have paid to get 3/4 lock actuators replaced out of my own pocket with 1 lock actuator still not fixed. I was not made aware of the lock actuators failing and didn’t know that this was a problem a lot of other people were experiencing as well. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS | This issue involves a documented and recurring safety-related defect that was reported multiple times while my vehicle was still covered under Nissan’s factory warranty related to the airbag system. My 2020 Nissan Altima currently has approximately 53,900 miles and has experienced repeated airbag/SRS failures associated with diagnostic code B1436-13, indicating an open circuit within the passenger airbag system. This issue has occurred on multiple occasions, including in 2022, 2024, 2025, and 2026. During several warranty-period service visits, the diagnostic codes were reportedly cleared, however, the underlying wiring harness issue does not appear to have been permanently corrected. I have the full history service record for this car with notes from 3 Nissan Dealers. I have documented communications with Nissan Consumer Affairs dating back to May 13, 2024 regarding this ongoing concern. In addition, I have photographic evidence showing the same airbag fault code on February 22, 2025, along with additional correspondence with Nissan dated March 18, 2025. Both of these events occurred while the vehicle remained within the applicable warranty coverage period. The airbag warning light has now returned again, and I have been presented with a repair estimate exceeding $5,200 for a condition that was previously reported and addressed unsuccessfully while the vehicle was under warranty coverage. According to Nissan’s 2020 Warranty Information Booklet, the Restraint System, including airbags and related electronic control systems, is covered under Nissan’s 5-year/60,000-mile warranty coverage. Because this safety concern was documented during the warranty period and prior repair attempts did not resolve the issue. Given that this matter involves a critical vehicle safety system that could affect passenger airbag deployment, I am hopeful this can be resolved. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The car stalls and began to jerk then shuts down the crash symbols comes on and goes off. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I was leaving for work, backing out of the driveway, and the brakes just locked up out of no where. I’ve done this multiple times and the brakes have never done this. I tried pulling up and trying again, turning the car off and back on, and backing a different way out of the driveway. It kept locking up on me and nothing was in the way. My husband had to eventually take me to work. The automatic braking system failed. I’m not sure if it is available for inspection upon request. At the time, my safety or anyone else’s safety was not at risk. I just worry about if it happens while I’m driving on the road. That could defiantly not only put me at risk but also other drivers. No the problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer. It just happened this morning. The vehicle has not been inspected. No warning lamps. It did pop up the car with the 3 blocks in front of it on the screen like I’ve seen before, prior to failure, but not the warning about the automatic braking system. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 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. These cars need to be recalled before someone is seriously injured from the known CVT issues. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Odometer Fraud - The contact purchased a 2020 Nissan Altima. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 10,976. When the vehicle was later taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing, the recorded mileage was 113,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 113,000 |
| Mar 2026 | POWER TRAIN | The “check engine” light came on - after shutting off the engine a couple times - it still came on. Took the 2020 Nissan Altima Platinum to Glendale Nissan - after a 3 hour wait they said I need a new Cam Shaft for $6,000. The car only has 42,000 miles. I took the car to get a second option - they want $9,000 to fix it. So I called Nissan to enter a claim on February 20. It took Nissan until March 9 to respond - that they would NOT give any assistance to fixing the Cam Shaft. The car was 10 months out of time warranty and 18,000 under mileage warranty - I understand time trump’s mileage. We have owned many cars the last four have been Nissan Altimas. Never have we had a catastrophic event like this with a car. At the very least this incident should be added to the records of issues with Nissan cars that might lead to a recall. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I am having issues with the back-up camera display on the radio screen freezing up occasionally while backing up and once it went black while backing up. I have also had dozens of issues with the drivers door not opening. Occasionally when i try to exit the vehicle the door will not fully unlatch to open. It will only partially unlatch to open a crack. I have tried locking/unlocking, shutting off the vehicle and starting the vehicle, roll down the window and try to exit using the outside handle, but was unable to exit the vehicle. The only way I could get out of the vehicle was to exit through the passenger door. After several minutes or longer it will finally open to exit. This is a severe entrapment issue. These issues have happened on multiple occasions, but did not start until after the factory warranty ended. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | SEAT BELTS | My vehicle was in a car accident and during the impact my seat belt came undone | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 2 Towed | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | This is my second Altima I bought. A 2016 and a 2020. Both vehicles had issues where the car door wouldn't open from the inside or outside due to the lock system. If my car is "locked" and I go to open the drivers door,. it sets off the theft alarm system. These issues cause major issues because if I get into an accident and am not able to open the car door I could possibly die from not being able to get to me fast enough, sitting too long, etc the possibilities are endless. Not to mention I get up pretty early sometimes so to hear a theft alarm at full maximum volume is frustrating to say in simple terms. Other issues include the volume on my car will randomly turn to max volume or turns off. Essentially an error electronically that affects numerous aspects and integrity of the vehicle itself. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | ENGINE | Message popped up while driving saying “engine malfunction power reduced service now”. Pairs with the check engine light coming on | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | ENGINE | I received a Recall # R25B1 for my Nissan Altima 2020. I visited my local Nissan Dealer in Chelmsford, MA, on December 30, 2025. They explained that they saw an issue and that I would need a new engine. There are 32,000 miles on this vehicle. They began the process but were then told by Nissan Corporate that it did not meet the requirements of the recall, and they would not be replacing it. I am in the process of heading on a long driving trip and am very concerned with how this was handled. Nissan Customer Relations explained it wasn't covered under warranty, which has nothing to do with a recall. I am very frustrated and disappointed in Nissan. The mechanics at Nissan in Chelmsford took photos and sent them to Nissan, and they still denied it. With the car only having 32000 miles on it, it was probably if anything at the beginning of the failure. Please advise on going forward. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Door lock actuator will not function properly, causing my car to “lock” with my keys inside the vehicle. This is available for inspection upon request. This is a safety hazard because my drivers side, and both back doors do not lock properly and can be accidentally opened when driving. Mount Airy Nissan has been notified of this problem and have inspected my vehicle, and agrees there’s an issue. There were no warnings or notifications displayed prior to them going out. I bought the vehicle in October of 2024 unknowing the back drivers side door lock actuator was already broken. After going into a store, and accidentally locking my keys inside the vehicle, I realized there was a problem with the lock since I was able to open the back driver side door without needing to press the unlock button on my key fob. After this realization, my back passenger side and driver side door lock actuator broke. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | ENGINE | Need a new engine / gasket confirmed by pep boys. Been at the dealership a lot more than usual lately and they kept telling me everything is fine with my vehicle | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | AIR BAGS | On October 31, 2025, I noticed the Check engine light was on, after inspecting the car at the closest car shop the technician noticed white powder on the driver side knee airbag cover. Next morning I brought my vehicle to Temecula Nissan telling about airbag powder leakage. But this issue was completely ignored by the Advisor, who for some reason decided to fix another issue but ignoring my airbag issue concern. When I tried insisting to inspect the airbag saying:" I worry it may unexpectedly deploy or not deploy in case of a car accident. And my nose and throat are very irritated possibly because of inhaling the powder", the advisor looked at the airbag cover finally noticing the powder and said:" It's not a problem, we will wipe the powder off", despite my concerns. When I came to pick up my vehicle, I asked if my airbag issue was taken care of and documentations have been provided, I was told "Yes, we sent you a link". But it was no information about airbag inspection request or what work was done on it. I immediately went to speak with General manager of Temecula Nissan, who promised to inspect and fix the airbag issue next workday but nobody contact me since then and message I left for the manager on the phone was completely ignored. After filing a complaint to Nissan Consumer Affairs, I was told that nothing they can do about it and advised to get a second opinion from another Nissan dealership. So I did. Pedder Nissan Advisors took my concerns seriously, they said that it is dangerous to drive my vehicle in that condition, they did an inspection and took my car to replace the defective airbag. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the expressway. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the engine started knocking significantly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to slowly pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was later driven to the dealer, where it was test-driven. The dealer informed the contact that there was smoke coming from the vehicle, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was unknown. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Locks no longer work with key fob or button within car and sometimes even takes multiple attempts to manually unlock. This poses a danger if needed to enter or exit the car in a hurry. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | I am writing to request immediate assistance regarding the recall inspection for my 2020 Nissan Altima Platinum. Last week I received a letter notifying me of an open recall and instructing me to have my vehicle inspected. I brought my car to my local Nissan dealership on Saturday. During the inspection, I was told that metal debris was found in the engine and that the vehicle would need a full engine replacement. I was asked to leave the car at the dealership and was told I would receive a loaner vehicle on Monday. After waiting all day today for an update, I was informed that Nissan declined the engine replacement because the debris found did not “qualify” under the recall. I was told the dealership would clear the debris out of the engine and that I could pick up the car tomorrow. I am very concerned about this decision. Metal debris inside an engine—especially during an active recall related to engine failure—raises serious safety and reliability issues. Simply clearing out the debris does not address the root cause or provide confidence that the vehicle is safe to drive. This matter is urgent, as I must drive more than 1,000 miles soon to take my medically complex daughter to a children’s hospital. I need to trust that my vehicle is safe for long-distance travel. I am requesting a prompt review of my case and a second evaluation to determine whether an engine replacement or another appropriate remedy is necessary to ensure my vehicle’s safety. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 out of 4 of my doors have to be locked and unlocked by hand instead of using my Nissan key button to unlock my car. 3 of the motors are bad or it's some kind of electrical issue that goggle says is common in 2019 to 2020 Nissan Altimas. I feel like I shouldn't have to pay out of pocket myself to get this fixed if it's a noted common issue on goggle. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | ENGINE | Unknown. The engine started have overheating issues but never was ran in the overheated zone. We took the car to the dealer and was told the head was cracked. We questioned how that was possible if we never ran it in the overheated zone. We were told they did not know but that several other Customers in the last few weeks have had the same issue. Then we heard about the recall but was told our car was not affected. It needs to be reevaluated. We never ran the car hot. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | All 4 door lock actuators have failed, no warning lamps indicating this issue, first appeared in 2024. Car has been broken into as a result | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | STEERING,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,BACK OVER PREVENTION | See attached document for complaint. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | AIR BAGS | 2020 Nissan Altima involved in a 3 car collision. Altima was rear ended by a vehicle travelling approximately 50 MPH and forced Altima to rear end the vehicle in front of it. Vehicle is a total loss. No air bags deployed. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed Medical attention | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | My driver door does not lock and unlock automatically. This poses a risk because my door remains unlocked when I think that it is locked. Also, I have to go in through the backseat of the passenger seat in order to get in my car posing risk of someone coming up behind me. I had the back actuators replaced a couple of years ago, I asked about the front since the car was still under warranty and I was told they would not replace them since they were not acting up at the time. I was told at one point it would be around $800 to have the front ones repaired. The lock has been working intermittently probably for the last year and a half, but have now completely quit working. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | THE VEHICLE HAS ACTIVATED A FALSE AEB ON SEVERAL OCASSIONS SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT BACK TO NISSAN AND THEY STATED THERE WERE NO RECALLS AND THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO HAVE NO ISSUES. I'VE HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 5 YEARS AND IT CONTINUES TO OCCUR, NEARLY CAUSING A TRAFFIC COLLISION. TWICE THIS YEAR, THE VEHICLE MADE A COMPLETE STOP ON THE HWY AND TOOK A MINUTE BEFORE I COULD RESUME DRIVING. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |