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2017 Nissan AltimaProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 395 owner complaints about the 2017 Nissan Altima, most often about the power train. It is covered by 3 safety recalls, and for recall 20V-315 the manufacturer reports only 40% of affected cars repaired.

2017 Nissan Altima
39
CarFlaw IndexUse caution1.5× the Altima median · #13 of 32 years by complaints
Safety recalls3Lowest repair rate 40%Owner complaints39552 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage66kPower train, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 5, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2017 Nissan Altima has problems

395 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Power train1333
Air bags7410
Vehicle speed control413
Engine404
Electrical system284
Service brakes194
Fuel/propulsion system181
Structure182
Exterior lighting180
16 other systems738

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

3 recalls

2017 Nissan Altima recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

40%repaired · 2023 Q1

Hood: latch

Recall 20V-315 · May 28, 2020 · 1,831,818 vehicles · 729,102 repaired

Risk. Corrosion to the secondary latch may cause it to bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

58%repaired · 2020 Q2

Doors: latch

Recall 18V-915 · Dec 19, 2018 · 341,003 vehicles · 196,169 repaired

Risk. If the rear passenger door opens while the vehicle is moving, the rear passengers have an increased risk of injury.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

85%repaired · 2018 Q2

Doors: latch

Recall 17V-040 · Jan 18, 2017 · 341,005 vehicles · 288,623 repaired

Risk. If the rear passenger doors inadvertently open while the vehicle is in motion, it may increase the risk of injury to the rear passengers.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Nissan.

Mileage at failure

When do power train problems start?

66kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 68 power train complaints. 85% were reported before 100,000 miles.

Only 42% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
8under 30k miles58under 100k miles10100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Air bags

17 owners mentioned a cost

$2,667median

Middle half: $1,000 – $3,000

Power train

12 owners mentioned a cost

$3,900median

Middle half: $2,513 – $6,000

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2017 vs. every other Altima year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Altima median. How we score

'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2017 Nissan Altima safety ratings

2017 Nissan Altima 4 DR FWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

★★★★★Overall rating
2017 Nissan Altima frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crash★★★★★
2017 Nissan Altima side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrier★★★★★
2017 Nissan Altima side pole test, NHTSA
Side pole★★★★★
  • Rollover: 4 stars (10.3% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: Optional
  • Lane departure warning: No
3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2017 Nissan Altima, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Rear Suspension Control Arm FailureEA19002 · closed Jun 16, 2025
    No recall
  2. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
  3. Rear Suspension Control Arm FailurePE18013 · closed Aug 21, 2019
    No recall
In owners' words

What Altima owners report

Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

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.…
Complaint 11754916 · Aug 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the roadway. No warning lights…
Complaint 11717377 · Feb 11, 2026 · 200,000 miles
Just bought a 2017 Nissan Altima SR. Took it for a ride. Attempted to merge into traffic and the car had zero acceleration once I merged and then the transmission seemed to completely disengage. The RPMs week to around 3500 so I quickly had to pull off so as not to get rear ended. Brought the car…
Complaint 11701902 · Nov 28, 2025

Own a 2017 Altima?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.