RoadVitals

2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
16
Latest Apr 8, 2019
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Oct 7, 2008
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
5

Overview

Our database contains 16 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid, most frequently naming the brakes, engine and driver assistance categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 49 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Brakes525.0%
  • Engine420.0%
  • Driver assistance420.0%
  • Electrical315.0%
  • Visibility15.0%
  • Exterior lighting15.0%
  • Transmission15.0%
  • Airbags15.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

AIR BAGS; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

Oct 7, 2008
204,361 units potentially affected
The defect: NISSAN IS RECALLING 204,361 MY 2007-2008 ALTIMA, ALTIMA HYBRID, 350Z, 350Z ROADSTER, MY 2008 ALTIMA COUPE, ROGUE, MY 2009 MURANO, AND INFINITI MY 2007-2008 G35 SEDAN, MY 2008 G37 COUPE AND EX35 PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS' OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) CONTROL UNITS. A VARISTOR IN THE OCS CONTROL UNIT LOCATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT CUSHION MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED OUT OF SPECIFICATION. UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, THIS COULD CAUSE AN INTERRUPTION OF SIGNAL BETWEEN THE OCS AND THE AIR BAG CONTROL UNIT (ACU).
The risk: THIS COULD RESULT IN THE PASSENGER AIR BAG BEING SUPPRESSED WHICH COULD FAIL TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.
The remedy: DEALERS WILL TEST THE SIGNAL BETWEEN THE OCS AND ACU SYSTEMS USING A SPECIAL TOOL TO CHECK THAT IT IS FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED. IF NECESSARY, THE SEAT CUSHION (CONTAINING OCS HARDWARE) WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE MANUFACTURED TO SPECIFICATION. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 4, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261 OR INFINITI AT 1-800-662-6200.
NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

DP22005ClosedDefect Petition

Pedestrian alert sounds

Opened Jan 27, 2023
Closed Aug 7, 2023

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEMLed to recall 22V063000

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Airbags
Filed Apr 8, 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAG COULD DEPLOY. THE CONTACT CALLED PAUL MILLER NISSAN AT (203) 335-3181 (LOCATED AT 5420, 930 KINGS HWY E, FAIRFIELD, CT 06825) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WOULD BE A DIAGNOSTIC FEE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 171,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *TT *TR

NHTSA ID
11194588
Incident
Apr 7, 2019
Mileage
171,000 mi
Brakes
Filed May 14, 2017

I HAVE A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID AND AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR WHEN I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES TO STOP FOR A SIGNAL. THE PEDAL WENT DOWN WITHOUT SLOWING THE CAR UNTIL IT WAS NEAR THE BOTTOM OF ITS TRAVEL AT WHICH TIME THE CAR CAME TO AN ABRUPT HALT, THE ABS, VDC AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I CONTINUED HOME WITHOUT TROUBLE UNTIL I WAS COMING INTO THE GARAGE AT WHICH TIME THE SAME THING HAPPENED.I HAVE CHECKED AND FOUND OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. FORTUNATELY I WAS TRAVELING AT A LOW SPEED WITH NO TRAFFIC.

NHTSA ID
10985586
Incident
May 11, 2017
Mileage
89,754 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 20, 2015

TRAVELING SOUTH INTERSTATE 95 PASSING LANE ON CURVE @ EAST LYME CT. CAR SUDDENLY DECELERATED RAPIDLY. ACCELERATOR WOULD NOT RESPOND TO DEPRESSION. I COULDN'T IMMEDIATELY COAST INTO RIGHT LANE & NO BREAKDOWN LANE ON MY SIDE. CARS BEHIND ME, APPARENTLY BECAUSE THERE WERE NO BRAKE LIGHTS ACTIVATED, DROVE RIGHT TO MY BUMPER & BEGAN HONKING. WHEN SURPRISINGLY THE ACCELERATOR RESPONDED FROM COMPLETE HALT , RIGHT LANE CLEARED AND I MOVED THROUGH IT IMMEDIATELY ONTO EXIT RAMP. I WAS BAFFLED & CAR WAS RESPONDING SO I ROUNDED INTO EAST LYME STOP & SHOP PARKING LOT WITH BLINKERS ON. AFTER COMPOSING MYSELF, I CONTINUED HOME ON BACK ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. TWO WEEKS LATER LEAVING MY DEVELOPMENT THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT 30 (SLIGHT UPHILL) AND SAME THING HAPPENED WITH MY WIFE PRESENT; VEHICLE BEHIND WAS ALERTED BY HAND SIGNALS TO PASS. AFTER ACCELERATOR RECOVERED FUNCTION WITHIN MINUTES (SLOWER THAN PREVIOUS INCIDENT) I CONTACTED NISSAN REPAIR GROSSMAN'S OLD SAYBROOK FROM HOME. THEY SAID TO BRING IT IN. I SAID IS IT SAFE? THEY SAID I COULD CONTACT AAA. I CALLED A FRIEND WITH A DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER WHICH INDICATED A "TRANSMISSION MODULE" FAILURE. THEN, AT NISSAN, SHOP FOREMAN CLAIMED THAT SINCE THERE WAS NO DASH INDICATOR OR TROUBLE CODE WITH HIS DEVICE THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. 1/4 MILE AWAY, THE CAR STALLED IN MIDDLE OF LARGE INTERSECTION MAKING A TURN BLOCKING EVERYONE. WHEN IT RECOVERED, I RETURNED AND HE AGAIN CLAIMED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND KEPT ASKING ME WHERE I BOUGHT IT. I TOLD HIM IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE, UNTIL A MECHANIC OVERHEARD AND CONVINCED HIM TO ALLOW INVESTIGATION. MECHANIC ACKNOWLEDGED CODE. TEST DRIVE NOTHING HAPPENED. SHOP FOREMAN REFUSED TO NOTE "ACCELERATOR FAILURE" & WROTE POWER FAILURE. THEY RIDICULED WHEN TOLD ONLINE SEARCH "ACCELERATOR FAILURE" GETS HITS. SHOP HAS IT SINCE SEPTEMBER 15TH TO DATE WITHOUT NOTICE? OPTIONS?

NHTSA ID
10783741
Incident
Aug 28, 2015
Mileage
130,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Mar 10, 2015

NISSAN DEALER IS SAYING I MUST REPLACE PART # 48700-9N00B, THIS SAME PART IS UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE ALTIMA 2009-2012. CAN I GET A NEW VERSION OF THESE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10693178
Incident
Mar 6, 2015
Mileage
83,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jun 24, 2014

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. OBD2 CODE WAS P0303 AND INTERMITTENTLY CODE P0300 INDICATING CYLINDER #3 AND MULTIPLE CYLINDER MISFIRING. TOOK THE CAR TO LOCAL GARAGE. INSTALLED NEW SPARK PLUGS AND WITH NISSANS GUIDANCE,THEY PERFORMED UPPER INTAKE CLEANING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON FOR SAME CODES. NOTIFIED NISSAN AND BROUGHT CAR TO DEALER AS ADVISED. DEALER REPLACED COIL PACK #3 AND PERFORMED FUEL INDUCTION CLEANING. CEL CAME BACK UP AND DEALER RECOMMENDED REMOVAL OF HEAD TO INSPECT FOR WARPAGE AFTER ALREADY SPENDING $1200 ON THIS ISSUE. NISSAN SAID THEY COULDN'T LET ME KNOW IF ANY OR NO FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ON THE ISSUE UNTIL I PAY ANOTHER $600 TO INSPECT THE HEAD WHEN A COMPRESSION TEST SHOULD HAVE BEEN PERFORMED WHEN NISSAN FIRST WORKED ON THE VEHICLE. OVERALL, NOT SATISFIED WITH NISSAN FOR DROPPING THE BALL ON AN OBVIOUS RECALL UNDER SERVICE BULLETIN NTB-10-056. *TR

NHTSA ID
10605621
Incident
May 27, 2014
Mileage
104,500 mi
Engine
Filed Feb 14, 2014

A CARBON BUILDUP IN THE CYLINDER HEAD CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO SHAKE AND DURING INITIAL START UP AND STUTTER/SHAKE DURING ACCELERATION. THIS BUILD UP IS DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW IN THE CYLINDER HEAD. IT CAUSE MULTIPLE UNSAFE INSTANCES WHEN TRYING TO MERGE WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND SAFELY NAVIGATE IN NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THIS IS A KNOW ISSUE TO NISSAN AND THEY HAVE REDESIGNED THE HEAD BUT ARE UNWILLING TO HELP WITH THE ISSUE. THIS OCCURRED ON OUR VEHICLE WITH ONLY 35,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10564384
Incident
Oct 28, 2013
Mileage
35,000 mi
BrakesExterior lighting
Filed Sep 27, 2013

HI, I RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE INTERMITTENTLY MALFUNCTIONING BECAUSE OF AN UNRELIABLE BRAKE LIGHTS SWITCH. I BECAME AWARE OF THE ISSUE BECAUSE THE PUSH BUTTON IGNITION WAS INTERMITTENTLY FAILING. AFTER A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH I FOUND OUT THAT IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR NISSAN ALTIMA 2007-2008 OWNERS, BUT WAS NEVER ADDRESSED BY NISSAN. I HAVE A THREE MONTH OLD BABY THAT COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED IN A REAR END COLLISION. PLEASE MAKE SURE THIS ISSUE GETS ADDRESSED BEFORE ANY ACCIDENT OCCURS. THANK YOU SO MUCH! *TR

NHTSA ID
10545667
Incident
Jul 1, 2013
Mileage
68,000 mi
Engine
Filed Aug 8, 2013

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. DIAGNOSTIC ERROR CODE WAS P0300 INDICATING INTERMITTENT MULTIPLE CYLINDER MISFIRING. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER. WAS INFORMED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH ALTIMA HYBRIDS DUE TO CARBONATION OF THE ENGINE DUE TO FREQUENT STARTS AND STOPS. NISSAN HAS REDESIGNED THE CYLINDER HEAD AND AT ONE TIME CONSIDERED A RECALL BUT THEN DECIDED AGAINST IT AND ARE HANDLING IT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. INITIATED CONTACT WITH NISSAN CORPORATION. NISSAN RESPONDED BACK IN 10 DAYS THAT THEY WILL NOT COVER IT BECAUSE THE CAR IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY ANYMORE (WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 60,000 MILES). NEWLY DESIGNED CYLINDER HEAD WAS GOING TO COST $2700. DECIDED TO DECARBONIZE THE CAR ENGINE USING A KIT. CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING FINE SINCE THEN. COST $185. BOTTOM LINE: NISSAN SHOULD HAVE COVERED THE REPAIR COST BECAUSE IT WAS CAUSED BY A DESIGN FLAW IN THE CYLINDER HEAD. NISSAN SHOULD HAVE ADVISED ABOUT TRYING DECARBONIZATION. OVERALL VERY UNHAPPY WITH THE WAY I WAS TREATED BY THE COMPANY AND THE DEALER. THIS IS THE 6TH NISSAN PRODUCT I HAVE BOUGHT IN THE LAST 20 YEARS, AND WILL MORE LIKELY BE THE LAST ONE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10534282
Incident
Jun 14, 2013
Mileage
70,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

NTB09-131C

STRUCTURE:BODY

CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides an application form for such replacements. · The “VIN Plate/Label” (metal plate or vinyl label) is attached to the instrument panel or body on the driver side at the base of the windshield (see Figure 1). · The “Certification Label” (vinyl adhesive label) is located on the lower area of the driver side B-Pillar (see Figure 1).

NTB09-131C

STRUCTURE:BODY

CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides an application form for such replacements. · The “VIN Plate/Label” (metal plate or vinyl label) is attached to the instrument panel or body on the driver side at the base of the windshield (see Figure 1). · The “Certification Label” (vinyl adhesive label) is located on the lower area of the driver side B-Pillar (see Figure 1).

NTB13-027D

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CAN COMMUNICATION – NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

NTB13-107G

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

NTB10-066C

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CAN COMMUNICATION CODES – DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

NTB13-028I

VISIBILITY/WIPER

REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Nissan Altima Hybrid by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2011401
2010120143.8
2009540137.4
2008Viewing161150.3
2007271141.4

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.