Vehicle report

2017 Nissan Altima

Free recalls, owner complaints, and NHTSA safety ratings for the 2017 Nissan Altima, plus how to check this specific vehicle before you buy.

The 2017 Nissan Altima has 3 NHTSA recalls on record and 15 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Its overall NHTSA crash-test rating is 5 out of 5. Below is the full breakdown, plus how to check this specific vehicle by VIN before you buy in Alberta.

3

Open recalls

15

Complaints

5

Overall safety

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2017 Nissan Altima recalls (3)

  • 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.

    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.

  • 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.

    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.

  • 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.

    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.

2017 Nissan Altima safety ratings

5

Overall

5

Front

5

Side

4

Rollover

Source: NHTSA NCAP ratings.

2017 Nissan Altima owner complaints (15)

  • EXTERIOR LIGHTING

    1. Headlights. The headlights are dim to the point that vision at night is greatly impaired unless I use my high beams. It is available for inspection. 2. Impaired vision at night, I cannot see very well when driving at night, and others may be affected by not being able to see me as well. 3. This is a known manufacturing defect which has been confirmed by Nissan, and is actually subject of a class action settlement, however I was unaware of the class action settlement at the time and didn't participate before the deadline. 4. I have not been inspected yet, but am able to do so. 5. No, there are no warnings, the headlights are just too dim to see.

  • STEERING,AIR BAGS

    I was driving home from the store like 4 blocks away and on the road there’s dip n the road you can’t avoid it so after i drive over it the airbag light comes on with hitting anything.

  • POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

    Shuddering and loss of acceleration/vehicle slowed on its own while driving on the highway. Managed to get to Firestone and diagnostic codes P0776 and P0841 came up. Advised to take vehicle to dealer shop as work could not be done on CVT there. Car was towed to Nissan Bonney Road Virginia Beach. Transmission replacement recommended and my car only has 53,000 miles on it but is outside the 84 month extended warranty drafted from class action lawsuits and settlement. I was not aware of these lawsuit when this vehicle was recommended to me by Hall Honda as Hall Nissan sent it to them for me to see. No additional warranty was given nor was I informed that since the car only had 21,000 miles it was covered under the settlement of 80,000 miles 84,000 month. I WOULD HAVE WALKED, NO RAN, AWAY FROM THIS CAR IF I HAD BEEN TOLD OF THE LAWSUITS. Nissan wants me to pay nearly 6,200.00 for a new transmission that they knew was faulty to begin with. The only other option they gave was that they would give me a 3,000.00 allowance for them to purchase my car and apply that to another (probably faulty) vehicle from them. The issue I have with this is that I still owe 8,700.00 on a car that cost me over 17,000.00 which would make me have to roll the remaining 5,700.00 into another loan. Ludicrous that the dealerships are able to get away with this because they don’t want to admit their cars are faulty! I need Nissan to own up to this and perform a “goodwill” repair at no cost to me for the transmission. Nissan consumer complaints was not helpful at all. The only option I have after this is to file a claim in small claims court which I will probably lose.

  • AIR BAGS

    The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle with a passenger inside the vehicle, the air big warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to two separate dealers to be inspected, and it was determined that the air bag sensor module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact to reach out to the Better Business Bureau to report the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 27,016.

  • ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

    Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that after purchasing the vehicle from a private seller on Facebook Marketplace, the vehicle was then sold to a third person. The contact was informed by the third owner that the mileage on the vehicle was incorrect. The contact obtained a vehicle history report and discovered the mileage discrepancy. At the time the contact purchased the vehicle on the Facebook Marketplace, the seller listed the mileage at 108,757. It was later discovered that in June 2022, the mileage was listed as 156,000.

  • VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES

    Driving on the freeway and car goes into limp mode very dangerous situation as spend was reduced and almost got rear ended by truck

  • AIR BAGS

    AIRBAG LIGHT UNEXPECTANTLY CAME ON WITHOUT ANY COLLISION ACTION, OR OTHER UNUSUAL ACTIVITY ON 5/28/26. DELAY GETTING CAR FOR INSPECTION DUE TO PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. ON 6/29/26 CAR CHECKED A NISSAN DEALERSHIP. INSPECTED AND CHECKED CODES. CODED AS B0020-13 FOR AIR BAG MODULE DEFECTIVE. RECOMMENDED REPLACING DRIVER SIDE FRONT SEAT BACK. THIS NISSAN ALTIMA 2017 NOT UNDER RECALL, AND CALL NOT UNDER WARRANTY. SAFETY OF DRIVER AND PASSENGERS AT RISK.

  • EXTERIOR LIGHTING,SERVICE BRAKES

    Car not starting. Narrowed down to brake light switch not functioning properly. Jumped across the switch, car started. Push button ignition requires brakes to be depressed to start the vehicle. We have been close to being rear-ended twice lately. No warning lights signifying a problem. This is the second Altima I owned with this exact same failure to occur. First was a 2010 Altima S 2.5

  • SUSPENSION

    The rear lower arm control snapped while driving on even surface road. I’m a female and when I heard the pop I got out and inspected the car. Could have caused injury to myself or other motorists. Confirmed with two mechanics that this in fact was the rear arm control and that they have had these issues with a lot of Nissan Altima and Sentra. Was advised to take to Nissan dealership to see if they will repair-which I did, but I’m currently awaiting a response by Nissan to see if they will cover it. The car has been making a squeaky sound but it comes and goes. The check engine light came on but displayed loose fuel cap and it goes out when I put gas in my car from time to time. I’ve also heard that is another issue with Nissan with the loose fuel cap. I just want my vehicle repaired. It is maintained although it is a 2017 and has 157,000 miles. No real issues until now.

  • LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

    The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the hood unexpectedly opened and struck the front windshield. The failure caused windshield glass shards to fly into the contact's eyes. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and called the insurance company, which dispatched a tow truck to the location. The contact was waiting for the ambulance to arrive to receive medical attention. While waiting for the ambulance and tow truck to arrive, the contact researched and discovered that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages); however, the contact had not received the recall notification. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

  • STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER

    The first code it threw was for the master air flow sensor then it started bogging out not going over 1RPM -throwing the code "P17F0 CVT Judder" and has left me in some really,really bad situations in traffic, and when it boggs down like that (no matter how many times I turn it off and restart it, even if the battery drains all the way out and I have to get a jump) I have to wait two hours after unhooking the battery and sit for an hour if not more before I can start it up and actually get down the rd. And it runs great like nothing was wrong it. But doesn't get far before doing it again

  • ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

    The issue appears to involve the vehicle’s battery system. The issue is abnormal battery drain and corrosion buildup on the battery terminals. The failure results in the vehicle being unable to start without warning. The battery and affected components are available for inspection upon request. This issue creates a safety risk because the vehicle can become inoperable without warning, leaving me stranded. This could occur in unsafe or vulnerable situations, such as being stuck in traffic, in an isolated area, or during extreme weather conditions. The unpredictability of the failure increases the risk, as there is no reliable warning before the vehicle will not start. I've been stranded multiple times. Yes. An independent mechanic can confirm the issue. There were little to no warning indicators prior to failure. The issue primarily presents as unexpected battery drain and corrosion, followed by the vehicle failing to start. Any symptoms that did occur were inconsistent and did not provide sufficient warning of the impending failure.

  • UNKNOWN OR OTHER

    Dear NHTSA, I am writing to formally report a dangerous design oversight and safety hazard regarding the trunk lid support mechanism on the Nissan Altima. On [Date of Incident], while the vehicle was parked, a gust of wind caused the trunk lid to slam shut unexpectedly. The metal door latch struck me directly in the frontal region of the skull, resulting in an injury that required medical monitoring for potential brain trauma. The current design relies exclusively on torsion bars or gas struts to maintain an open position. These components are prone to wear and environmental fatigue, and they lack a mechanical "positive lock" or secondary safety catch. Consequently, the trunk lid acts as a sail in windy conditions, easily overcoming the lift support and turning the heavy lid and metal latch assembly into a falling hazard for any consumer loading or unloading the vehicle. While Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) focus heavily on internal trunk releases (Standard No. 401), there is a significant gap regarding the prevention of sudden, gravity-induced or wind-induced lid collapse. I am requesting that the NHTSA: Investigate the frequency of "unintended closing" injuries related to Nissan Altima trunk lift systems. Evaluate whether the lift-support specifications for this model are sufficient to withstand common wind gusts. Mandate a mechanical locking mechanism or more robust secondary safety catches to prevent these lids from becoming dangerous projectiles. [XXX] Vehicle Information: Make: Nissan Model: Altima Year: [2017] Estimated Mileage: [105000] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

  • AIR BAGS,SEATS

    The passenger airbag system failed, specifically the occupant sensor and the pad beneath the passenger seat. These components are responsible for detecting whether a passenger is present and ensuring the airbag deploys correctly in a crash. I've also been told that I may be at risk of not having my airbag deploy in an accident. My vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I am a single mother. My child rides in the vehicle regularly, and my elderly parents occasionally ride in the passenger seat . Because the occupant sensor has failed, the passenger airbag may be suppressed entirely in the event of a collision. No passenger in the front seat would have airbag protection in an accident, and it's possible I would not either. We have been driving under these conditions for an extended period of time without a remedy. A trusted independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and confirmed the fault. They diagnosed the issue as a failure of the occupant classification sensor and seat pad, and noted that recalibration was attempted. The recalibration did not resolve the problem, and the airbag warning light remains on. I have not yet taken the vehicle to a Nissan dealership for diagnosis. It has not been inspected by Nissan, law enforcement, or insurance representatives. The airbag warning light on the dashboard has been illuminated continuously for many months. The light is solid, not flashing, which my mechanic indicated reflects a confirmed, persistent fault in the system rather than an intermittent issue. There were no prior symptoms before the light appeared.

  • AIR BAGS

    I was hit by a school bus on the interstate and my air bags didn't deploy. My car is throwing a code that all 4 did.

Checking a used Nissan Altima before you buy

The recall, complaint, and safety data above describes the 2017 Altima in general. To know the condition and history of the specific vehicle you're looking at, check it by VIN. A VIN check shows whether this particular Altima's recalls are still outstanding, and a full history report adds accident, title, and ownership records the data above can't show.

Before you buy a 2017 Nissan Altima in Alberta:

See other model years of the Nissan Altima, or browse more Nissan models.

2017 Nissan Altima — questions and answers

Does the 2017 Nissan Altima have any recalls?+

Our check found 3 NHTSA recalls associated with the 2017 Nissan Altima. Check the specific vehicle by VIN to see which remain outstanding, since some may already have been repaired. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer.

How many complaints does the 2017 Nissan Altima have?+

NHTSA lists 15 owner complaints for the 2017 Nissan Altima in our results. Complaints are problems reported by owners and don't always lead to a recall, but a pattern of similar complaints is worth weighing before you buy.

Is the 2017 Nissan Altima safe?+

The 2017 Nissan Altima has an overall NHTSA crash-test rating of 5. Review the front-crash, side-crash, and rollover ratings above, and pair safety ratings with a mechanical inspection of the specific vehicle.

How do I check a 2017 Nissan Altima VIN?+

Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN into our free VIN check to see recalls, complaints, and safety ratings for that exact vehicle, then run an Alberta Personal Property Registry (PPR) lien search before you pay.

Are recall repairs on a Nissan free?+

Yes. Safety recall repairs are performed at no cost by a franchised Nissan dealer, even for a used vehicle and even if you're not the original owner. Confirm the required parts are in stock before relying on the fix.

Get the full vehicle history report

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