We associate the Japanese manufacturers to be reliable and in most cases, they are but that doesn’t mean the Nissan Altima comes with no problems. Nissan has managed to sell over 130,000 units of the Altima for 2020 which is a large number. A total of 44 registered complaints and 4 recalls doesn’t seem fatal enough to cut the sales down but considering the Altima is up against cars like the 2020 Toyota Camry, the 2020 Honda Accord, and 2020 Hyundai Sonata, it sure is going to be tough to get a piece of the market.
User complaints and problems
Electrical Problems
- Backup camera – The reversing camera starts flickering at times and in some cases even goes blank making it hard for the driver to back the car up.
- Warning light malfunction – Users have reported that all the warning signals lit up randomly and this also resulted in killing the speedometer completely. This issue at times resolves by itself after resetting the entire system.
- Blindspot monitor – According to Nissan’s claim, this feature will not work even if there are minute dust particles on the radar.
Mechanical Problems
- Engine – The engine warning light illuminates with “service now” displayed frequently and the performance is drastically affected in cold weather resulting in an unstable RPM and a lackluster acceleration.
- Brakes – Customers faced an issue with the brakes where it made a popping noise with the forward collision light turning on randomly. This has led to the ADAS system locking up the brakes and causing collisions.
- Steering – The steering wheel made clicking noises when turning that ended in completely locking up the steering increasing the risk of a crash.
Safety Problems
- Airbags – A few Altima had a hole in their airbag which let the chemicals inside escape onto the driver on impact leaving chemical burns and injuries on the person.
- Tires – The Continental Pro Contact tires on certain Altima have a production defect leading to early wear on the inner sidewall which drastically decreased the air pressure to dangerously low levels.
Exterior Problems
- Windshield – The rear windshield was reported to shatter all of a sudden even under controlled and slow drive conditions. There were also complaints lodged on the front windshields having chips and cracks without any external contact taking place.
- Wiper spray nozzle – Nissan needs to change the design of the nozzles as it sprays fluid only on the lower part of the windshield leaving the middle and the top section dirty.
Interior Problems
- Head unit – The display is found to be stuttering when playing audio via Android Auto.
Recalls
|
S. No. |
Date |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
11th March 2021 |
21V169000 |
Tire failure may cause sudden air loss |
Tires that have been over cured may develop cracks on the sidewall that can lead to an unstable drive, increasing the chances of an accident. |
Official notification will be sent to the owners by Nissan and the dealers will inspect the tires and replace them if necessary, free of cost. |
|
2 |
4th March 2021 |
21V138000 |
Loose tie rod ball joint fastener |
Detached tie rod ball joint can cause the loss of steering control. |
Dealers would tighten the left and right fasteners or get them replaced if necessary, free of cost. |
|
3 |
5th November 2020 |
20V685000 |
Over cured tires can fail |
Sidewall can develop cracks due to over curing of tires |
A free tire replacement will be done post-inspection. |
|
4 |
22nd September 2020 |
20V570000 |
Rear window glass may separate |
The rear window isn’t properly secured and it could lead to a crash if the window separates. |
Dealers will replace the rear window glass, free of cost. |
Should you buy the 2020 Nissan Altima?
The Altima sure has been selling high volumes and it’s evident that this is a car that is accepted well by the people. The airy cabin, reliable fuel economy with a comfortable drive quality is what gets the Altima across the numbers that many manufacturers struggle to achieve. Altima does carry a few issues but it is advised to get the tires and windshield checked before getting one.
