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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | AEB system malfunction for front end. Will not allow cruise control to be used because of it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Front crash warning malfunction on my dash | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | SUSPENSION,WHEELS,ENGINE | My 2020 Nissan Altima is having issues with the transmission . When you accelerate the engine Jerks, Vibrates , Shutters. It hesitates even when stopping acts like it doesn’t want to shift into another gear . My Tires are always loosing air as well . The Front of my car is always making a sound think suspension issues . | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | ENGINE | Vehicle goes into limp mode (shows all engine warring signs flashing ) and my speed goes down to 5-15 miles. This happens instantly and my car will jerk and basically stop where it is at. This is happening when the temp. is below 0 and it is snowing. There is no warring or time to get out of the way of traffic and on the hwy cars are coming up on you. Someone can hit you from behind instantly when this happens. My vehicle has been towed twice to the dealer and i have filed 3 complaints with NIssan consumer care but this is not resolved. All they can do is reset the computer each time. The dealer tells me this is happening all the time but they can not get it do duplicate when they have it . I have 18K miles and this has happened 3 times in total. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | STEERING,WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I bought a used (7,000 miles) 2020 Nissan Altima 2.5 SV. Bought the car January (18-19th) 2022. The same week I bought it I noticed a noise coming from the right side of the car. I would later come to find out it was a wheel bearing, which when not fixed can lead to some serious safety concerns. The wheel can potentially come off during driving! At high speeds in particular, that is dangerous. I am glad it did not happen to me, but it could have caused fatal accidents. Anytime I made turned my wheel to the right I heard a low droning/humming/vibrating noise from the opposite side. It was more pronounced with speed and depth of turn. These turns do not have to be very deep; most highways have curves in them, and this is when I would hear the noise. It usually began at speeds of 50-60mph, but as the issue became more pronounced over time (this took a whole year to resolve) this changed, and I was able to hear it from 30-40mph. Nissan did not want to warranty this at first, at multiple dealership locations. More time passed and I noticed the wheel bearing noise getting more and more pronounced. I brought it to another dealership that was not a Nissan dealership, and they said it’s clearly the wheel bearing. That’s the first time I had been told what this could possibly be. I brought it to the local Nissan dealership after this, so I could get this done under warranty. Remember, this has been happening since I bought the car, and I am at less than 17k mileage. I told them I was concerned about the wheel bearing and that I thought this was the issue, and it was more pronounced now than in the past. They said, "the car is fine" and that the noise it’s “normal.” I asked how a loud noise happening only conditionally and to only one side of the car was “normal”, and he had no reply for that. Months later the noise is became incredibly disturbing, and I spoke with the manager, and they finally fixed the wheel bearing under warranty. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I bought a used (7,000 miles) 2020 Nissan Altima 2.5 SV. Bought the car on January (18-19th) 2022 with a clean Car Fax. Then, on August 12, 2022 at 17,500 approximate miles the transmission failed. I was driving and suddenly the engine light came on and the car was being strange. Slight shaking, vibration, and delayed acceleration plus a few other details I cannot recall. I immediately went to the dealership since I was nearby and I did not feel that the car was safe to drive. Then I left it there for over a month (all with no loaner vehicle because they had none) and they said they needed to get me a new transmission. Needing a new transmission so soon, is not normal. The dealership even said this, but also said it is unfortunately an issue they see with their CVT transmissions. I had no prior symptoms, and this was very sudden. I had even called them to let them know I was on the way, and they said if I was not close-by that I should tow the car in because it might not be safe. It could have caused an accident if I had driven for longer, so I consider myeslf lucky and hope that other people do not have the same expierence. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | POWER TRAIN | Transmission went out at 145k miles | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES | 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 it by replacing the ABS computer (at significant cost). 2. Sudden loss of power steering could result in a major accident -- especially in emergency situations, at higher speeds or if the driver was weaker/smaller. My wife drives this car, and it was a major shock when this happened. Fortunately, she was moving less than 30 mph when this happened -- and she was not trying to avoid an accident. 3. The problem has been reconfirmed by Regal Nissan Service at this time. [XXX] See above for description of how hard it was to capture this condition. 4. The component has been deemed unworking. I believe that the dealer is just replacing it, however, vs, in-depth diagnosing at the corporate level. 5. The warning lights come on at the same time the power steering stops. There is absolutely no pre-warning. We have no idea if the ABS system also stops working because conditions were dry, speed was low, no slamming on of brakes -- but I am guessing that the ABS also wouldn't work. That's a guess. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The forward emergency braking system on my vehicle disables itself. I receive a message stating "front laser obstructed". There is no obstruction on vehicle. I relly on the emergency braking system to give me a heads up on possible forwars collision. Problem started around 50000 miles. It went away for a few months then came back | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | STEERING,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while turning the steering wheel to the left or the right there was an abnormal clicking and grinding sound coming from nearby the front-end passenger’s side tire. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had been taken to a certified mechanic who stated that the Automotive electromagnetic compatibility system needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 185,165. | Crash: No Fire: No | 185,165 |
| Nov 2023 | BACK OVER PREVENTION | The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle and shifting into reverse, he became aware that the back-up camera was not functioning. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the rear camera wiring harness. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V628000 (Back Over Prevention), and the VIN was included, but parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 4,500. | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,500 |
| Oct 2023 | STEERING,SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE | Tie rod ball joint snapped and broke at 15mph causing vehichle to loose control and forced off-road into a fence post. No Collison warning or lane departure warning. I had the vehichle towed back to dealership Nissan Wesley chapel. I was in process of possibly purchasing vehichle. Couldn’t find financing for me so received a letter rescinding their transaction. My ins agency Esurance concluded it a tota loss. Never heard back from Nissan or my ins. agency on what caused it to break. Everytime I asked I was never given a response. I have several photos of vehichle and found a recall for tie rod and ball joint fasteners on same make and year. Would like some answers to this safety issue being if I was going faster I could have been killed. 2 days prior to accident began hearing clicking noise when going over speed bump. Took vehichle for private inspection and a vehicle system scan reported systems w/codes for intelligent cruise control/advanced driver assistance system and laser/radar. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | STEERING | The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road, turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the steering wheel operated as needed; however, the failure recurred while making a turn. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and drove to AutoZone and was informed that the vehicle was designed with an electric power steering. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving, and the steering wheel failed to operate as needed after turning off and restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was in the process of being towed. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V138000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,578. | Crash: No Fire: No | 50,578 |
| Sep 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owned a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that her husband had driven the vehicle and had parked the vehicle in the driveway. The contact stated that 25 minutes later, the vehicle alarm sounded persistently. The contact stated that the husband opened the front door and saw that the driver's side of the cabin was in flames. The contact's husband used a water hose to extinguish the fire. The fire department also assisted the contact's husband in extinguishing the fire. A fire department report that indicated that the fire had started in the dashboard due to electrical shortage, was filed. There was no police report filed. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle remained at the contact's residence, awaiting to be totaled. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was a thermal event; however, the vehicle was not inspected. No assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000. | Crash: No Fire: Yes | 132,000 |
| Sep 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The information system head unit crashes (reboots) on demand when a MS Teams call is answered or initiated via CarPlay. Crashing of the head unit is 1) very distracting to the driver 2) avoiding it requires attention and ability to first determine incoming call is from MS Teams and then reaching down and unplugging the phone prior to answering it, causing a loss of Navigation and yet more attention loss 3) This loss of attention can cause lane deviation, lack of following traffic signals and other incidents. Problem is universal in Nissan head units in this series, google Nissan Head Unit Teams for tens of thousands of hits. Dealer and Nissan corp notified and ignore the problem. Nissan's partner in infotainment, Renault had the same exact issue and corrected it with an over the air update so it is easily fixed. Dealer inspected, MS and Apple as well, both say head unit firmware is at fault. Failure has occurred from day one, car is defective because of this significant cause of distraction. Please get this fixed before people die (if they have not already) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Vehicle caught on fire while inside home @ 4:00am cst. Fire department and police department were at the scene as well. Fire department was forced to pry open the trunk to stop fire from spreading. Police gave police report at the scene due to the incident. State Farm is involved as well as the investigation team currently. State Farm insurance informed me to provide this information. | Crash: No Fire: Yes | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power with the key fob not available message displayed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stopped at a service center. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drove the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed and stated that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 21,171. The VIN was not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | 21,171 |
| Aug 2023 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while in park(P). The contact stated that she was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure recurred while driving at an undisclosed speed. The contact was able to drive to her destination. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 115,000 |
| Aug 2023 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving 55 –60 MPH, with a kayak attached, the roof rack detached from the vehicle. The kayak struck the rear windshield and fell to the highway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a collision center. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. There were no reported injuries. The Police arrived on the scene and aided with the removal of the kayak and roof rail. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the driver that the kayak was not installed properly and sent the contact a manual but provided no additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 40,000 |
| Aug 2023 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the vehicle independently accelerated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. There was no cause for the failure found. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 40,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 40,000 |
| Aug 2023 | STEERING,WHEELS | The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a turn, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by a dealer with hub bearing and tie rod failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 78,000 |
| Aug 2023 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I've taken my car for repair service 4 times due to a malfunction warning and front driving aids off warning. They replaced speed sensor as well as cv axle as well as a hub and bearing and it still is not driving right and has almost caused me accidents with my children in the car to where I pulled over and cried I was scared to continue driving. They cannot figure out the problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Transmissions seem to jerk a lot when slowing down and picking up speed again, also all 4 door locks have gave out being unable to lock or unlock the doors using the bottom or key, this is a hazard especially if you have children sitting in the back seats | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | Key system error Started a few months ago. It happens at random and when it does the car won't start. It on occasion will come on while driving which I read can cause loss of control and not being able to turn the vehicle off. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while attempting to open the driver’s door, the door was difficult to open. The contact stated that the door handle was operational however, the door lock failed to release as needed. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first however, the door became inoperable and no longer was able to be opened. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,698. | Crash: No Fire: No | 80,698 |