Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2000 Nissan Altima submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 26 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.
The 25 most recent of 26, in the owner's own words
GAUGES SHUT OFF, FREEZE, AND ADVANCE WHILE IN MOTION, CONFUSING THE DRIVERS. CAUSING UNKNOWN SPEED, GAS, TEMPERATURE, AND OTHERS METERING. THIS IS HAPPENING SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. SOMETIME WORK FINE. MOST OF THE TIME GAGES ARE DOWN.
I JUST BOUGHT A 200 NISSAN ALTIMA. I WAS DRIVING TO HILTON HEAD AND 2 HOURS INTO THE TRIP THE CRUISE CONTROL WENT OFF AND THEN THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. I KEPT GIVING IT GAS AND IT JUST STARTED SLOWING DOWN. WE GOT HIT FROM BEHIND AND SPUN AROUND. I BROKE MY NOSE AND MY GIRLFRIEND BROKE HER HIP IN 3 PLACES.
WHILE GOING 75MPH ON CRUISE CONTROL ALL OF A SUDDEN ALL THE GAUGES (RPM, MPH, FUEL, ENGINE TEMP) DROPPED DOWN TO ZERO. ONLY THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHTS REMAINED ON. ALL WHILE A COMBINATION OF #'S AND LETTERS CAME UP ON THE ODOMETER (EVEN THE ODOMETER WENT BLANK). IT WAS A SHOCK AND I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO REACT TO THIS. MY FIRST REACTION WAS TO TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL VIA THE BUTTONS ON THE STEERING WHEEL, AS SOON AS I DID IT THIS CAUSED ALL THE GAUGES TO COME BACK TO LIFE INCLUDING THE ODOMETER. VERY WEIRD ISSUE. *TR
THE FUEL LEVEL IS NOT ACCURATE. IT FIRST STARTED DOING THIS TELLING ME I HAD A 1/4 TANK LEFT, WHEN I RAN OUT OF GAS IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSTATE. I THEN PUT GAS IN IT AND SURE ENOUGH THAT'S WHAT IT WAS. EVER SINCE THEN THE CAR NEVER GIVES ACCURATE READINGS, I CAN FILL ALL THE WAY UP AND IT WILL ONLY SHOW THAT IT IS 3/4 FULL OR SUCH BUT NEVER IS PRECISE. THIS CAN BE A VERY BIG ISSUE FOR SOMEONE THAT DOES NOT HAVE A GAS STATION NEARBY LIKE IT HAPPENED TO ME. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GAUGES IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD FAIL INTERMITTENTLY. ALSO, WHENEVER THE GAUGES DID WORK, THE VEHICLE WOULD LOSE POWER ABNORMALLY. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 150,000.
WHILE DRIVING THE DASHBOARD GOES OUT COMPLETELY. YOU CAN NOT TELL HOW FAST YOU'RE GOING OR WHAT THE RPM IS OR ANYTHING, INCLUDING THE GAS GAUGE. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, SOMETIMES THE CAR BEGINS TO LOSE POWER AS IF THE GAS PEDAL ISN'T WORKING AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT COMES BACK AND YOU GET PROPELLED FORWARD. THIS HAPPENS VERY FREQUENTLY AND I'M AFRAID THAT I AM GOING TO GET A SPEEDING TICKET ONE DAY BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY FOR ME TO TELL HOW FAST I AM GOING WHEN THE DASHBOARD GOES DEAD AND EVEN WORSE I'M AFRAID I'M EITHER GOING TO LOSE SPEED AND GET REAR-ENDED OR GAIN SPEED AND BE PROPELLED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS, AND THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL VEHICLE. IN ALL THE OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT I HAVE FOUND ONLINE, THEY ALL GO TO THE MECHANICS AND THEY CAN NOT FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THIS IS A VEHICLE DEFECT AND THE ELECTRICAL UNIT ON THE DASHBOARD NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND FIXED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED OR KILLED DUE TO THIS MALFUNCTION. ALSO, THIS ELECTRICAL ISSUE CAUSES THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT TO TURN ON AND GIVES A MISREAD WHEN YOU TAKE IT IN TO BE DIAGNOSED.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, ALL THE GAUGES EXCEPT THE FUEL GAUGES STOPPED FUNCTIONING; THEY DISPLAYED THE LAST READING THEY INDICATED BEFORE THE FAILURE. APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES LATER, ALL OF THE GAUGES DROPPED TO A READING OF 0 EXCEPT THE FUEL GAUGES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER SHUTTING THE VEHICLE OFF FOR A FEW HOURS, THE GAUGES BEGAN TO FUNCTION PROPERLY AGAIN. THE FAILURE CONTINUED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE LAST TIME THE FAILURE OCCURRED, THE FUEL GAUGE ALSO MALFUNCTIONED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 182,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY ON MY 2000 NISSAN ALTIMA GXE FREEZES INTERMITTENTLY. THE ODOMETER GOES BLANK AND THE TACHOMETER, SPEEDOMETER, HEAT SENSORS, ETC EITHER FREEZE IN PLACE OR DROP TO ZERO. THERE HAS BEEN NO DAMAGE, BUT THE SHOP CANNOT SEEM TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE. *TR
THE GAUGES ALL GO DEAD IN THE DASH ON MY 2000 NISSAN ALTIMA. THIS IS REALLY VERY SCARY AS I HAVE REALLY NO IDEA HOW FAST I'M GOING AND JUST TRY AND GO WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC WHEN THIS HAPPENS. LIVING IN A VERY BUSY CITY AND TAKING THE EXPRESSWAY WHEN NECESSARY POSES A THREAT TO MYSELF AND OTHER DRIVERS. I HAVE HAD TO PULL OVER AND LET THE CAR COOL AND THEN COMPLETE MY TRIP SO AS TO HAVE WORKING GAUGES. NO NISSAN DEALER OR MECHANIC HAS BEEN ABLE TO OFFER A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM AND BASED ON MY RESEARCH THIS SEEMS TO BE A WIDESPREAD ISSUE WITH NISSAN. ALSO, THE O2 SENSORS AND THE GASKETS ARE BAD ON THIS CAR. *TR
MY CAR STALLS WHILE DRIVING. IT SPUTTERS, MEANING I WILL HAVE MY FOOT ON THE GAS, THE RPMS WILL DROP TO 500, THEN WITH MY FOOT OFF THE GAS THE RPMS JUMP ALL THE WAY TO 2500! THIS SUDDEN ACCELERATION CAN PLOW ME RIGHT INTO A CAR, POLE, BUSY INTERSECTION, ETC. IT HAPPENS OFTEN. IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 60 MPH, AND ON LOCAL STREETS AT 25 MPH. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS! IF THE CAR SUDDENLY LOSES ACCELERATION AND MY FOOT IS STILL ON THE GAS, THE GUY BEHIND ME IS GOING TO HIT ME. AND WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN ALL OF A SUDDEN, IM GOING TO REAR END THE GUY IN FRONT OF ME. THIS IS HORRIBLE! *TR
I OWN A 2000 NISSAN ALTIMA GXE, AND HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING A FAILURE IN THE SPEEDOMETER, TACH, ODOMETER, AND TEMP GAUGE WHILE DRIVING. THE GAUGES WILL FREEZE UP AT ANY TIME AND STAY AT THEIR LAST POSITION, WHILE THE CAR CONTINUES TO OPERATE AS NORMAL. THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL ALSO KICK OFF IF IT IS BEING USED AT THE TIME. THIS LEADS TO A VEHICLE THAT IS ONLY DRIVABLE BY USING THE NAKED EYE AND JUDGING YOUR SPEED BY OTHER CARS, AND A FAILURE IN CORRECT REPORTING OF MILEAGE. A SOLUTION IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION, AND A DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DIAGNOSIS IT YET. I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER REPORTS OF THIS SAME PROBLEM ON SEVERAL MODELS OF NISSANS OF THIS YEAR (FRONTIER, SENTRA, PATHFINDERS) POSTED AT VARIOUS ONLINE CAR FORUMS. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A DANGEROUS ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN OVERLOOKED BY NISSAN USA. *TR
AT LEAST SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING; THE ODOMETER, HEAT GAUGE, RPM, EVERYTHING. MOST OF THE TIME THE SPEED REGISTERS BELOW ZERO BUT SOMETIMES IT JUST FREEZES IN PLACE. AT WHAT POINT IS NISSAN WILLING TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM? MAYBE IT IS TIME TO FILE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. *JB
MY 20000 NISSAN ALTIMA SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, TACHOMETER AND TEMP GAUGE ALL WILL QUIT WORKING SIMULTANEOUSLY WHILE DRIVING LEAVING ME WITH NO WAY TO KNOW IF I AM DRIVING AT A SAFE ,LEGAL SPEED. AFTER DIAGNOSTIC TESTS THE SPEED SENSOR WAS REPLACED WHICH DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I AM AFRAID THIS WILL CAUSE A WRECK AND AFTER VISITING SEVERAL AUTO FORUMS ONLINE HAVE FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE OF CAR. *NM
WHILE DRIVING ON I880 AT THE SPEED OF 65 MPH, THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN AND SPUN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT ANY REASON OR WARNING. THE SHUT DOWN WAS INSTANTANEOUS AND INCLUDED THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. ONCE THE CAR CAME TO A HALT, I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE GEAR IN "PARK" AND RESTART IT. THE CAR THEN CONTINUED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. *NM
HEAT DISPAY, SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER/RPM METER FADE OUT INTERMITTENTLY. TS
I BOUGHT THIS 2000 NISSAN ALTIMA NEW. SINCE APPROXIMATELY DECEMBER OF '03 THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAS REPEATEDLY (TOO MANY TIMES TO KEEP TRACK OF) MALFUNCTIONED AT ARBITRARY TIMES GIVING EITHER NO INFO (GAUGES ALL GO TO 0) OR INCORRECT INFO (130 MPH AT 1K RPM W/NO WATER TEMP AND SUDDENLY FULL TANK OF GAS). PROBLEM CAN LAST ANY WHERE FROM MINUTES TO 24 HOURS+. THE CRUISE CONTROL ALSO MALFUNCTIONS WHENEVER THIS OCCURS. FIRST TOOK TO DEALER ON 12/31/03, THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE PROBLEM, TOLD ME TO BRING IT BACK WHILE MALFUNCTIONING. FINALLY WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR WHILE MALFUNCTIONING TO SAME DEALERSHIP ON 8/1/05. PROBLEM HAS STARTED TO INCREASE IN FREQUENCY AND DURATION. THE SECOND THEY HOOKED DIAGNOSTIC EQUIP TO IT THE CLUSTER CORRECTED. THEY KEPT FOR 2 DAYS, DID NOT MALFUNCTION AGAIN SO THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE 100%. THEY WANT TO TRY REPLACING THE SPEEDOMETER HEAD AT $320, BUT 1) CAN'T GUARANTEE IT WILL SOLVE PROBLEM AND 2) CAN'T GET PART. THEY ESTIMATE 6-8 WKS MINIMUM TO GET PART. WHEN I WENT TO LEAVE DEALERSHIP CLUSTER MALFUNCTIONED SHOWING NO INFORMATION, BUT NO TECHNICIAN WAS AVAILABLE TO DIAGNOSE. SHOWED ZERO ON ALL GAUGES EXCEPT GAS WHICH ARBITRARILY READ 3/4 TANK FOR ENTIRE 20-25 MILE TRIP HOME. THIS CAR IS AN ACCIDENT, OR WORSE, WAITING TO HAPPEN. *NM
MY VEHICLE IS A 2000 NISSAN ALTIMA SE. (ALSO I HAVE HEARD THERE ARE OTHER NISSANS WITH THIS PROBLEM NOT JUST ALTIMA) THE PROBLEM IS THE GUAGES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILING DURING OPERATION, IE. SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER, GAS GUAGE, AND TEMP GUAGE. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED AND JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER TIME IT HAPPENS THERE IS NOTHING DIFFERENT THE GUAGES WILL JUST SHUT OFF AND NORMALLY FALL TO THE ZERO POSTION. SOMETIMES THE WILL FREEZE IN PLACE. AFTER THE FIRST MONTH I OWNED THE CAR (BOUGHT AS A PREOWNED VEHICLE) THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON DURING THE GUAGE FAILURES I HAD THE CODE CHECKED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THE SPEED SENSOR WAS BAD. I BOUGHT AND REPLACED THE SPEED SENSOR WITH AN OEM PART. HOWEVER THE GUAGE FAILURE WAS NOT FIXED IT STILL HAPPENS. THE INCIDENT DATE STARTED 21FEB2003 AND STILL PERSISTS AND THE NUMBERS OF FAILURES I HAVEN'T KEPT COUNT BUT ABOUT AVERAGE OF EVERYOTHER DAY IT GOES OUT.
THE INSTRUMENT PANEL/GAUGES WOULD INTERMITTENTLY GO OUT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM.*JB
TRIED TO START CAR IN GARAGE. BATTERY EXPLODED, SPILLING ACID AND WATER ON GARAGE FLOOR. DAMAGE TO HOOD, PRESSURE OF EXPLOSURE CAUSING TWO DENTS AND CRACKING PAINT. *AK
WHILE DRIVING, THE FOUR WAY FLASHERS STARTED BLINKING, THE HORN STARTED BLOWING AND THE HEADLIGHTS WENT FROM LIGHT TO DIM. THE CONSUMER FELT THIS MAY BE THE RESULT OF A FAULTY ALARM SYSTEM. *NLM THIS HAPPENED A NUMBER OF TIMES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. *SCC *JB
2000 NISSAN ALTIMA - ALTERNATOR 'OVERCHARGED' THE BATTERY, CAUSING THE BATTERY TO EXPLODE. LUCKILY THE HOOD WAS DOWN AND THE ENGINE WAS COLD, OTHERWISE THERE COULD HAVE BEEN PHYSICAL INJURY OR DEATH AND/OR A CAR FIRE, DUE TO THE ACID CONTENT OF THE BATTERY.NO 'WARNING' WAS GIVEN OF THE ALTERNATOR OVERCHARGING. THIS SHOULD BE THE CASE, AS IT IS WITH THE WARNING OF THE ALTERNATOR UNDERCHARGING THE BATTERY.*AK
FIRST, MY ALTINATOR DIED AT 37000 MILES, AND THE DEALER REPLACED IT WITH A RE-FERBISHED ONE. THIS WAS LAST SUMMER, AND NOW MY CAR IS JUST NOT STARTING AT ALL SOMETIMES. ALSO, ONE DEALER SAID THAT MY MOTOR MOUNTS WERE BROKEN, AND A DIFFERENT DEALER SAID NOTHING ABOUT THE MOTOR MOUNTS. I TAKE THE CAR IN FOR IT'S INSPECTIONS, AND HAVE NOT BEEN IN ANY KIND OF AN ACCIDENT. BECAUSE MY WARRENTY IS EXPIRED, I HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF IT ALL OUT OF POCKET. THIS IS THE WORST CAR I HAVE EVER BOUGHT!
MY ODOMETER, HEAT GAUGE, RMP, AND GAS GAUGE GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING AND NISSAN HEADQUARTERS WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT. THERE ALSO HAS BEEN OTHER CASES REPORTED TO NISSAN. *JB
WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE AND FOUND IT WAS A TIRE BLOWOUT, VEHICLE WENT TO THE RIGHT, AND THEN HIT A DRAINAGE SYSTEM CAUSING DAMAGE TO VEHICLE, CONSUMER HAD JUST REPLACED THE TIRES AND IS WONDERING IF THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE RIM, FIRESTONE AFFINITY, P205/55R16, CLAIM 32-V323-692. *SLC
CONSUMER STATES THAT WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE WOULD STALL. CONSUMER IS ABLE TO RESTART.*AK
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
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