Illustration2010 Nissan altam the front strut insulators on both sides have really bad cracks on the upper insulators. It's a loud clunking noise going over bumps or just driving on flat surfaces. There's a recall on 09 and 10 maxima and altamas with the same issues but this one isn't showing up for a recall.
2010 Nissan Altima
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2010 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
630–25K
5825–50K
5350–75K
2975–100K
53100–150K
15150K+
271 reports with mileage · 109 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.
- Electrical System. Review the 74 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 73 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 61 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
25 crash reports9 fire reports20 injury reports
Steering complaints
20 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HALL NISSAN CHESAPEAKE (3417 WESTERN BRANCH BLVD, CHESAPEAKE, VA 23321, (877) 475-0728) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HIGH PRESSURE LINE WAS LEAKING FLUID, BOTH CONTROL ARMS…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HALL NISSAN CHESAPEAKE (3417 WESTERN BRANCH BLVD, CHESAPEAKE, VA 23321, (877) 475-0728) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HIGH PRESSURE LINE WAS LEAKING FLUID, BOTH CONTROL ARMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND THE STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE HIGH PRESSURE LINE WAS NOT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,194.
THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK
STEERING LOCK INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON AND ENGINE WILL NOT START. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES NOW IN THE LAST 2 MOS, ALWAYS ON COLD TEMP MORNINGS. LATER THE LIGHT WILL GO OUT AND THE ENGINE WILL START...EXCEPT THIS TIME, LATER THE ENGINE STARTED WITH THE STEERING LOCK LIGHT WILL NOT GO OUT EVEN WHEN RUNNING.
MY CAR HAD BEEN RECALLED 4 TIMES FOR VARIOUS DEFECTS AS WELL AS THE NISSAN ALTIMA 2005 THAT I HAD.
MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED INSIDE A GARAGE. UPON ATTEMPTING TO MOVE THE VEHICLE IT WOULD NOT START. MY KEY LIGHT WAS/IS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH, CAR GOES INTO THE ON POSITION BUT DOES NOT START VEHICLE. UNABLE TO TURN OFF AFTER PUSHING THE "START BUTTON".
I WENT TO START MY ALTIMA ONE DAY AND IT WOULDN'T START. NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED AND IT NEVER DOES THIS. WENT ON YOUTUBE AND SAW VIDEOS ABOUT A QUICK FIX ON THE ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK COLUMN. DID WHAT THE VIDEO SAID AND THE CAR STARTED UP. CALLED NISSAN BECAUSE I FOUND A CUSTOMARY REPLACEMENT ON THIS PART FOR KNO…
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I WENT TO START MY ALTIMA ONE DAY AND IT WOULDN'T START. NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED AND IT NEVER DOES THIS. WENT ON YOUTUBE AND SAW VIDEOS ABOUT A QUICK FIX ON THE ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK COLUMN. DID WHAT THE VIDEO SAID AND THE CAR STARTED UP. CALLED NISSAN BECAUSE I FOUND A CUSTOMARY REPLACEMENT ON THIS PART FOR KNOWN DEFECTS BUT NO FULL RECALL WA ISSUED. MY VIN DID NOT POPULATE SAYING I COULD GET MINE REPLACED AND THEY QUOTED ME $1000 FOR REPLACEMENT AND LABOR. THIS DEFAULT IN LEAVES YOU STRANDED WITH NO VEHICLE. ASKED NISSAN CORPORATE IF THEY COULD MAKE AN EXCEPTION FOR MY VIN AND THEY TOLD ME NO. VERY DISPLEASED WITH THIS SERVICE.
HARD TO TURN, MAKE NOISE WHEN TURNING AND LOSING POWER STEERING FLUID!!!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING LOCKED UP WHEN USING THE PUSH TO START FEATURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED, BUT NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS PART OF A MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION, WHICH HAD EXPIRED. THE FAI…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING LOCKED UP WHEN USING THE PUSH TO START FEATURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED, BUT NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS PART OF A MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION, WHICH HAD EXPIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,800.
THE STEERING LOCK MECHANISM IS FAULTY AND WILL NOT LET THE CAR START. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WHERE FAILURE OCCURRED. I'VE DONE RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM AND IT APPEARS NISSAN EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR THIS PART BUT NEVER ISSUED A RECALL SO THAT IT COULD BE FIXED. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF BY NISSAN. …
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THE STEERING LOCK MECHANISM IS FAULTY AND WILL NOT LET THE CAR START. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WHERE FAILURE OCCURRED. I'VE DONE RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM AND IT APPEARS NISSAN EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR THIS PART BUT NEVER ISSUED A RECALL SO THAT IT COULD BE FIXED. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF BY NISSAN. PEOPLE ARE BEING STRANDED BECAUSE THEIR CAR WILL NOT START BUT SEEMS NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM UNTIL THEY ARE STRANDED. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT NISSAN HAS ADMITTED IS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM. I FOR ONE WILL NEVER BUY A NISSAN AGAIN BECAUSE OF THE POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. THINGS BREAK, AND PARTS FAIL, BUT THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE IS VERY VERY COMMON ON 2009-2011 MODELS.
Official recalls
310V401000 · Equipment:electrical:navigational System(global Positioning System)
Sep 10, 2010
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN NUVI MODEL 750 NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THE BATTERIES CONTAINED IN THE AFFECTED GPS UNITS CAN OVERHEAT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: OVERHEATED BATTERIES COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
Remedy: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND THE REPAIRS WILL BE PERFORMED BY GARMIN TECHNICIANS BY REPLACING THE BATTERY AND INSERTING A SPACER ON TOP OF THE BATTERY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GARMIN DIRECTLY AT 1-866-957-1981 OR NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
10V193000 · Structure
May 7, 2010
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 ALTIMA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 7, 2010 THROUGH APRIL 13, 2010. SOME OF THE FRONT SIDE MEMBER ASSEMBLY COMPONENTS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN WELDED TO SPECIFICATION DUE TO A TOOL MAINTENANCE ERROR.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF SEVERAL STRUCTURAL WELDS ARE OUT OF SPECIFICATION ON A SINGLE VEHICLE, IT MAY HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE VEHICLE CRASH PERFORMANCE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND IF NECESSARY REPAIR FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 13, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
09V358000 · Suspension
Sep 16, 2009
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 ALTIMA AND MAXIMA PASSENGER CARS. THE UPPER FRONT STRUT INSULATORS MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED OUT OF SPECIFICATION RESULTING IN A POTENTIAL FOR THE STRUT INSULATOR TO CRACK.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE STRUT INSULATOR IS CRACKED, THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR THE STRUT ROD TO COME OUT OF ITS MOUNTING POSITION, WHICH COULD AFFECT VEHICLE STABILITY AND INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE FRONT STRUT INSULATORS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN OCTOBER 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-NISSAN1 (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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.