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2005 Nissan Altima

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Altima years

Owner complaints for the 2005 Nissan Altima are substantially higher than the model-year median of 231.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

908 reports with mileage · 183 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.

  • Structure. Review the 351 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 259 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 141 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

48 crash reports18 fire reports44 injury reports

What owners actually said

1,091 reports
1,268 miles · Jun 20, 2005
Tires

TRAVELING ON 95 NORTH FROM VA TO MD IN 2005 NISSIAN ALTIMA THAT WAS PURCHASED 06/06/05 REAR PASSENGER TIRE COMPLETELY SHREDED AFTER GAINING CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND PULLING CAR OVER, ONLY SIDEWALLS OF TIRE REMAINED. WE CHANGED THE TIRE TO THE DONUT THAT WAS PROVIDED WITH THE VEHICLE AND DROVE TO THE NEXT EXIT IN SEARCH FOR A PLACE…

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TRAVELING ON 95 NORTH FROM VA TO MD IN 2005 NISSIAN ALTIMA THAT WAS PURCHASED 06/06/05 REAR PASSENGER TIRE COMPLETELY SHREDED AFTER GAINING CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND PULLING CAR OVER, ONLY SIDEWALLS OF TIRE REMAINED. WE CHANGED THE TIRE TO THE DONUT THAT WAS PROVIDED WITH THE VEHICLE AND DROVE TO THE NEXT EXIT IN SEARCH FOR A PLACE TO REPLACE A TIRE ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON. I HAVE CONTACTED NISSIAN ALONG WITH CONTINENTAL TIRES IN REFERENCE TO DEFECT HAVE ADVISED THAT I AM CONCERNED AND NO LONGER FEEL SAFE WITH THESE TIRES AND REQUESTED THEY ALL BE REPLACED FOR THE SAFETY OF MYSELF AND FAMILY. THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS 1385 MILES. AT THE TIME OF THE TIRE FAILURE THERE WERE 1268 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THE TIRE WAS INSPECTED BY A AUTHORIZED CONTINENTIAL DEALER IN GLEN BURNINE MARYLAND STATED THAT THE BELTS HAD SEPERATED CAUSING ONLY THE SIDEWALLS TO BE LEFT. ALTHOUGH NO ONE IN MY FAMILY HAS BEEN PHYISCALLY HURT, THIS WAS A VERY EMOTIONALL INCIDENT. THIS COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY BEEN ALOT WORSE AND NOT ONLY CAUSED INJURY TO US BUT OTHER TRAVELERS AS WELL. I FEEL THAT CONTINENTAL SHOULD BE HELD TO BACKING THERE PRODUCTS AND PROVIDING CUSTOMERS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF ITS CONSUMERS

NHTSA ODI #10125941

13,000 miles · Jun 2, 2005
SteeringCrashInjury

DRIVING HOME ON 202 FREEWAY GOING EAST. ALL OF A SUDDEN SOMETHING ON THE STEERING BROKE ON THE LEFT DRIVERS SIDE OF CAR. CAR TURNED LEFT AND WENT INTO CONCRETE DIVIDER OF FREEWAY. TOTALED CAR. EXAMINATION SHOWS BROKEN BALL JOINT OF SOME KIND AND TIRE WAS DISTROYED ON DRIVERS FRONT SIDE.

NHTSA ODI #10123943

3,100 miles · May 31, 2005
Air Bags

DT: 2005, NISSAN, ALTIMA: THE AIR BAG LIGHT, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT GO OFF. ONCE SOMEONE SITS IN THE SEAT. THE LIGHT WILL NOT GP\O OFF. DEALER IDICATED THAT BECAUSE HIS WIFE DIDN'T WEIGH MUCH THE LIGHT MAY NOT GO OFF. IT OCCURRED ITERMITTENTLY.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10122554

19,000 miles · May 31, 2005
Engine And Engine CoolingVehicle Speed Control

DT: CAR JUST STOPS SOMETIMES AND IT WILL NOT START. CONSUMER ALMOST HAS TO FLOOD THE ENGINE BEFORE IT STARTS. DEALER TOLD CONSUMER SHE NEEDED TO PUMP THE GAS 3 TIMES BEFORE SHE STARTED THE CAR. SHE HAD VEHICLE IN THE REPAIR SHOP BECAUSE THE CAR WAS IDLING VERY FAST. THEY PUT A THROTTLE CHAMBER IN IT, THEN IT STARTED TO DO …

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DT: CAR JUST STOPS SOMETIMES AND IT WILL NOT START. CONSUMER ALMOST HAS TO FLOOD THE ENGINE BEFORE IT STARTS. DEALER TOLD CONSUMER SHE NEEDED TO PUMP THE GAS 3 TIMES BEFORE SHE STARTED THE CAR. SHE HAD VEHICLE IN THE REPAIR SHOP BECAUSE THE CAR WAS IDLING VERY FAST. THEY PUT A THROTTLE CHAMBER IN IT, THEN IT STARTED TO DO THE SAME THING AGAIN . DEALER SAID IT WAS UNSAFE BECAUSE IT WAS RACING TOO HIGH; THEY ORDERED A NEW PART FOR THE CAR. IT IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING. *AK UPDATED 02/07/06. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10122484

500 miles · May 4, 2005
Tires

CONTACT STATED: ON 2/4/05, DEALER LOWERED THE TIRE PRESSURE FROM 41 PSI TO 34 PSI AND THE CAR STILL RAN VERY ROUGH. TOOK BACK TO DEALER ON 3/4/05 FOR A TEST DRIVE, BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM, SO HE LOWERED PSI TO 27. IT FELT LIKE THE TIRES WERE ROLLING OVER MARBLES, VERY ROUGH AND UNSAFE.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10119769

2,500 miles · Apr 26, 2005
Power Train

WHEN ACCELERATING, THE CAR ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE GEARS AND HESITATES BEFORE CHANGING INTO THE NEXT GEAR. WHEN HESITATING, THE CAR LOSES ACCELERATION AND SOMETIMES WHEN IT DOES CHANGE INTO THE NEXT GEAR, THERE IS A LOUD CLUNK NOISE. IT ONLY HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY. THE DEALERSHIP HAS ALREADY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION SOLENOID PACK B…

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WHEN ACCELERATING, THE CAR ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE GEARS AND HESITATES BEFORE CHANGING INTO THE NEXT GEAR. WHEN HESITATING, THE CAR LOSES ACCELERATION AND SOMETIMES WHEN IT DOES CHANGE INTO THE NEXT GEAR, THERE IS A LOUD CLUNK NOISE. IT ONLY HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY. THE DEALERSHIP HAS ALREADY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION SOLENOID PACK BUT THAT HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10118466

100 miles · Apr 12, 2005
Tires

AT 100 MILES A BRAND NEW NISSAN ALTIMA WITH CONTINENTAL TOURING M&S, CONTACT AS TIRES. P215/60R16 THE SIDEWALL BLEW OUT AT 10 MILES MPH. I AM DEALING WITH NISSAN TO GET THEM TO REPLACE ALL OF THE TIRES ON THE CAR. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE WITH THESE TIRES.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10116771

Mileage unknown · Apr 6, 2005
Air BagsService Brakes, HydraulicSteeringCrash

DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, AND STEERING COLUMN LOCKED UP. DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, BOTH AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. NO INJURIES TO REPORT. DRIVER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10117572

2,000 miles · Mar 18, 2005
Steering

CAR PULLS TO RIGHT AND LEFT HARD TO CONTROL STEERING...TOOK TO DEALER FOUR TIMES,THEY SAY ITS THE ROAD.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10114304

9,500 miles · Mar 15, 2005
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine Cooling

AT ABOUT 9,500 MILES, FAULTY STARTER CAUSED THE CAR FAILED TO START AND STALLED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. I TOWED THE CAR TO THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED FROM AND THEY TESTED RIGHT THEN, THE CAR WON'T START BUT SPARKS WITH ALOT OF WHITE SMOKE FROM THE TAIL PIPE. I BOUGHT THIS CAR BRAND NEW ON 7/4/04 WITH 50 MILES ON IT.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10114118

Official recalls

1

07V527000 · Engine And Engine Cooling

Nov 14, 2007

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 2.5L ENGINE, THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR CAN OVERHEAT CAUSING A BRIEF INTERRUPTION IN THE SIGNAL OUTPUT FROM THE SENSOR.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THE INTERRUPTION IN THE SIGNAL FROM THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR IS SO BRIEF THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) LOGIC DOES NOT HAVE TIME TO DIAGNOSE THE CONDITION, THE ENGINE MAY STOP RUNNING WITHOUT WARNING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN AT A LOW SPEED INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ECM FREE OF CHARGE. CERTAIN MY 2006 ALTIMAS WHICH HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY REMEDIED UNDER RECALL CAMPAIGN 06V223 (NISSAN R0606) ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL SINCE THE REPROGRAMMING FOR 06V223 ALSO INCLUDED THIS REPROGRAMMING. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 31, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

Go deeper into Nissan Altima problems