Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Nissan Altima submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
RE: NISSAN ALTIMA 1996: THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS TOO NEW TO GO BAD AND THERE ARE TOO MANY BAD ONES SHOWING UP. I HAD TO REPLACE IT AT A VERY HIGH COST TO ME, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY 6 YEARS OLD. *AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN SLOWING DOWN THE ENGINE REV'S REALLY HIGH. CONSUMER STATES WHEN PULLING OFF VEHICLE WILL JERK LIKE ITS A MANUAL SHIFT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. NLM
THE REPAIR PERSON SAID THIS PART IS TOO NEW TO GO BAD AND THERE ARE TOO MANY BAD ONES SHOWING UP. THANKYOU FOR YOUR TIME. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
SUN ROOF FAILED. *MJS
POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE RESULTED IN ENGINE FIRE. *MJS
I AM AWARE OF TECH. SAFETY BULL. NTB 96-009; 009A; 009B. TRANSMISSION FAILED 3 TIMES. EACH TIME IT WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE AND NEUTRAL GEAR WAS A FORWARD GEAR. DRIVE GEARS WERE NOT CORRECT, OFTEN NEUTRAL. 1ST 2 TIMES, PROBLEM CORRECTED ITSELF AFTER ABOUT 1 HR. DEALER REFUSED TO DEAL WITH PROBLEM UNTIL 3RD FAILURE, CLAIMING THEY NEEDED TO SEE THE ACTUAL PROBLEM BEFORE DEALING WITH IT. THEY DID INSPECT CAR AFTER 1ST FAILURE BUT FOUND NOTHING. 3RD TIME THEY DID LINE AND PRESSURE (?) TESTS, WHICH THEY COULD HAVE DONE 1ST TWO TIMES BUT DID NOT. TRANSMISSION FAILED. THEY DID NOT ATTEMPT TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF FAILURE, CLAIMING THAT NISSAN CORPORATE INSTRUCTED THEM TO REPLACE AND NOT INVESTIGATE. TOLD ME THEY WERE PUTTING A "NEW" TRANSMISSION IN. FOUND OUT AFTER WORK DONE THAT IT WAS A REMANUFACTURED ONE. THEY ALSO REPLACED RADIATOR. NISSAN CORPORTATE CONTACTED AFTER 1ST FAILURE, BUT REFUSED TO DEAL WITH PROBLEM. I AM CONCERNED OVER SAFETY AND INSTALLATION OF REMANUFACTURED TRASMISSION. I OWN 2 OTHER ALTIMAS, A 96 AND A 94. SHOULD THIS BE THE SUBJECT OF A RECALL AND SHOLD NISSAN BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SHARING DATA ON INVESTIGATION OF FAILED TRANSMISSIONS WITH YOUR OFFICES IN LIGHT OF TSB? *AK
THE UPPER OIL PAN SEAL IS NOT SECURE. THIS CAUSES OIL TO LEAK FROM ENGINE. I AM FAMILIAR WITH FOUR OTHER INDIVIDUALS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM ( ALTIMA OWNERS). THE SEAL ITSELF IS VERY INEXPENSIVE, BUT THE LABOR TO LIFT THE ENGINE TO REPLACE THE SEAL, IS ESTIMATED AT APPROXIMATELY $450 TO $600. WITH FIVE ALTIMA OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, I FEEL THIS IS A DESIGN ERROR. ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED! *AK
ENGINE FAILURE RESULTING IN STALLING.
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .