IllustrationWHILE DRIVING 65 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC REPLACED SPARK PLUGS AND OTHER PARTS.*AK PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
2001 Nissan Altima
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2001 Nissan Altima do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 231.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Altima years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
100–25K
1525–50K
3450–75K
1575–100K
18100–150K
8150K+
100 reports with mileage · 59 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 59 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
22 crash reports2 fire reports12 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
19 reportsIN 2001 I PURCHASED A NISSAN ALTIMA. IT LEFT ME STRANDED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. I COULD BE RUNNING ERRANDS AND RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF MY ERRANDS THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T START. I WOULD CALL A TOW TRUCK AND ONCE IT MADE IT TO THE NISSAN DEALER IT WOULD START RIGHT UP (I THOUGHT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM). I CONTACTED NISSAN IN…
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IN 2001 I PURCHASED A NISSAN ALTIMA. IT LEFT ME STRANDED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. I COULD BE RUNNING ERRANDS AND RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF MY ERRANDS THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T START. I WOULD CALL A TOW TRUCK AND ONCE IT MADE IT TO THE NISSAN DEALER IT WOULD START RIGHT UP (I THOUGHT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM). I CONTACTED NISSAN IN DECEMBER OF 2001 REGARDING THIS PROBLEM AND THEY "COULD NOT DUPLICATE" IT AND WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING TO HELP ME OUT. I LEFT IT AT MY DEALER FOR WEEKS ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. SINCE NISSAN WOULD DO NOTHING TO HELP ME OUT AND I LIVE IN MINNESOTA WHERE BEING STRANDED IN COLD WEATHER COULD KILL YOU, I HAD TO TRADE IT OFF. THEN THE OTHER DAY I SAY AN ARTICLE THAT THEY HAD RECALLED ALL THESE VEHICLES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM THAT I HAD. SO I CONTACTED THEM AGAIN AND THEY TOLD ME MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THEY DESIGNATE WHAT GETS RECALLED AND WHAT DOESN'T, BUT IT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE OTHER 2.56 MILLION VEHICLES. *LA
CAR WAS PARKED OVERNIGHT IN GARAGE. WHEN KEY WAS TURNED IN THE IGNITION, EXPLOSION OCCURRED UNDER THE HOOD. SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND ACID WAS DRIPPING TO THE PAVEMENT. THERE IS A DENT ON THE HOOD FROM THE INSIDE DIRECTLY ABOVE THE BATTERY LOCATION. THERE WAS ALSO ACID ON THE ENGINE AND LOCAL AREAS. *AK
I HAVE A 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA. AT APROX 34,000 MILES (CAR NOW HAS 42000) THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WOULD FAIL, THE OVERDIRVE LIGHT WOULD START FLAHING THEN OVERDRIVE WOULD DISENGAGE. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND OVERDRIVE WOULD COME BACK ON THEN MINUTES LATER THE ENGINE WOULD START LURCHING CAUSING THE CAR TO SLOW TO 30 MPH AND EVENTUA…
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I HAVE A 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA. AT APROX 34,000 MILES (CAR NOW HAS 42000) THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WOULD FAIL, THE OVERDIRVE LIGHT WOULD START FLAHING THEN OVERDRIVE WOULD DISENGAGE. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND OVERDRIVE WOULD COME BACK ON THEN MINUTES LATER THE ENGINE WOULD START LURCHING CAUSING THE CAR TO SLOW TO 30 MPH AND EVENTUALLY STOP. THE ENGINE WOULD STILL RUN BUT REVVING IS CHOPPY AND LAGGED. AFTER A FEW MINUTES OR SHUTTING THE ENGINE DOWN AND RESTSTARTING THE ENGINE THE CAR WOULD RETURN TO NORMAL, BUT AFTER A PERIOD OF 10 MINUTES WOULD REPEAT INCIDENT. HAVE TAKEN TO A DEALER ON 4 OCCASIONS, BUT MECHANICS CANNOT DUPLICATE FAILURE. ONLY ONE CODE HAS COME BACK FROM THE DIAGNOSTIC P0500 (SPEED SENSOR FAILURE) AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT HAS ONLY COME ON ONCE. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN RE-OCCURRING SINCE APRIL OF 2003 AND NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTED DUE TO THE FACT THAT MECHANICS CANNOT FIND NOR DUPLICATE PROBLEM. I HAVE RECORDED 15 OR MORE FAILURES SINCE APRIL AND 9 IN THE PAST 4 DAYS.*AK
BATTERY EXPLODED WHEN KEY TURNED TO "ON" POSITION. CAR WAS IN GARAGE. IT WAS INITIAL CRANKING OF ENGINE THAT DAY. A LOUD "BOOM" WAS HEARD. UPON INVESTIGATION DISCOVERED TOP OF BATTERY IN THREE PIECES AND A SPLIT IN CASE NEXT TO NEG TERMINAL. ACID ON UNDERSIDE OF HOOD AND SURROUNDING AREA OF BATTERY. POOL OF ACID COLLECTED …
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BATTERY EXPLODED WHEN KEY TURNED TO "ON" POSITION. CAR WAS IN GARAGE. IT WAS INITIAL CRANKING OF ENGINE THAT DAY. A LOUD "BOOM" WAS HEARD. UPON INVESTIGATION DISCOVERED TOP OF BATTERY IN THREE PIECES AND A SPLIT IN CASE NEXT TO NEG TERMINAL. ACID ON UNDERSIDE OF HOOD AND SURROUNDING AREA OF BATTERY. POOL OF ACID COLLECTED ON GARAGE FLOOR.*AK
THE POWER DOORS AND LOCKS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. *JB
WHILE STARTING THE ENGINE THERE WAS A VERY LOUD BOOM, CONSUMER STATED SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER HOOD, BATTERY HAD EXPLODED, DENTED THE HOOD OF VEHICLE AND BATTERY ACID WAS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. TOOK TO MECHANIC AND THEY REPLACED BATTERY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS
WHILE BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY A LOUD NOISE OCCURRED FOLLOWED BY FUMES FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SECONDS LATER, VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO 80 MPH AND HIT A BRICK WALL, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
COMPLETE ENGINE SHUTDOWN AT ANY TIME-NO WARNING.*AK
Official recalls
101V065000 · Tires:tread/belt
Feb 23, 2001
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FIRESTONE FIREHAWK GTA-02 , SIZE P205/55R16 89H TIRES. THE RECALLED TIRES ARE IDENTIFIED BY DOT SERIAL #W2 T2 VF3 XXX OR W2 T2 VF3 XXXX; WHERE XXX MAY BE 289, 299, 309, 319, 329, 339, 349, 359, 369, 379, 389, 399, 409, 419, 429, 439, 449, 459, 469, 479, 489, 499, 509, 519, 529, 010, 020, 030, 040, 050, 060, 070, 080, 090, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 170, AND WHERE XXXX MAY BE 1800, 1900, 2000, 2100, 2200, 2300, 2400, 2500, 2600, 2700, 2800, 2900, 3000, 3100, 3200, 3300, 3400, 3500, 3600, 3700, 3800, 3900, 4000, 4100, 4200, 4300, 4400, AND 4500. WITH INCREASING MILEAGE, THE TIRES MAY DEVELOP SHOULDER AREA CRACKING. CONTINUED USE OF A TIRE WITH THIS CONDITION MAY LEAD TO EXPOSURE OF THE BELT EDGE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, A BELT EDGE SEPARATION IS POSIBLE, WHICH COULD RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE.
Remedy: BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE WILL REPLACE THE TIRES WHICH WERE INSTALLED AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON THESE ALTIMA VEHICLES. FIRESTONE IS CONDUCTING THE OWNER NOTIFICATION AND REMEDY FOR THIS CAMPAIGN. OWNER NOTIFICATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING MARCH 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED FIRESTONE DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FIRESTONE AT 1-800-465-1904.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.