RoadVitals

2004 Nissan Altima Brakes Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Brakes reportsComplaints 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.
11
Latest Nov 28, 2012
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
4%
of 276 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 Nissan Altima submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 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.

Owner reports naming brake

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

BrakesFuel systemInterior & seats
Filed Nov 28, 2012

EVERY WINTER OR WHEN THE WEATHER GETS COLD THERE IS A STRONG SMELL OF RAW GAS COMING IN THROUGH THE AIR VENTS, WHEN CAR WARMS UP IN MORNING EVEN WITH ALL WINDOWS OPEN SMELL IS CHOKING AND UNBEARABLE. ALSO BRAKES SQUEAK TERRIBLY LIKE A BIG TRUCK WHEN TURNING TO LEFT AND BRAKING, EVEN AT SLOW SPEEDS, SUCH AS IN A DRIVE THRU OR PARKING. EVEN BRAND NEW BRAKES. LASTLY AND MOST SCARY IS THE DRIVER SEAT SHIFTS, ROCKS, FORWARD AND BACK WHEN BRAKING HARD OR DURING A SUDDEN STOP. PURCHASED CAR IN 2007 AS A LEASE RETURN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10486381
Incident
Nov 1, 2007
Mileage
40,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Mar 14, 2012

WHEN CAR SITS IN COLD WEATHER CLIMATE BRAKE PEDAL GETS HARD AND LOCKS UP. LOOSING THE ABILITY TO COME TO A STOP. IT USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN CAR HAS BEEN SITTING FOR A FEW HOURS IN WEATHER BELOW 20 DEGREES. IT'S A COMMON ISSUE WITH NISSAN OWNERS HAVING PROBLEM WITH NISSANS FAULTY BRAKE VACUUM VALVE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10451606
Incident
Feb 27, 2009
Mileage
90,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Nov 1, 2010

WHEN TEMPERATURE DROPS BELOW 32 DEGREES,WHEN CARE IS FIRST STARTED POWER BRAKES DO NOT WORK UNTIL CARE WARMS UP, TAKING CARE TO DEALER THEY SAID THIS IS NORMAL AND YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR CAR TO WARM UP BECAUSE OF A CHECK VALVE ON BRAKE BOOSTER HAVING MOISTURE INSIDE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10363617
Incident
Jan 1, 2007
Mileage
89,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Jul 2, 2008
Crash reported

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE BRAKES WOULD SCREECH AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY RESET THE BRAKE SENSORS, WHICH SHOULD HAVE CORRECTED THE FAILURE. LESS THAN A WEEK AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE CONTACT APPROACHED A STOP SIGN. HE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND, INSTEAD OF THE VEHICLE LOSING SPEED AND EVENTUALLY COMING TO A STOP, IT JUST MADE A SCREECHING NOISE AND CONTINUED TO MOVE. THE VEHICLE REAR ENDED A PARKED VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT DROVE TO THE NISSAN DEALER, WHERE IT IS CURRENTLY LOCATED. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING SERVICED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 74,000.

NHTSA ID
10233002
Incident
Jun 23, 2008
Mileage
74,000 mi
BrakesEngine
Filed Jun 2, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH OR LOWER, THE VEHICLE ACTS AS IF IT WILL SHUT OFF. SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE STALLS AND WILL NOT EVEN START. WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT PICK UP SPEED. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT EXCEED 30 MPH. ALSO, WHEN DRIVING, THE VEHICLE JERKS BACK AS IF IT WILL SHUT OFF. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT WAS REPLACED LAST YEAR. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE SPEED SENSOR FAILED. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06V242000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) WAS REFERENCED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000.

NHTSA ID
10229476
Incident
Jan 15, 2008
Mileage
69,000 mi
BrakesOther / unspecified
Filed Jan 15, 2008

I OWN A 2004 ALTIMA WITH 97,000 MILES. CAR VIBRATES AT SPEEDS OF 60 AND GREATER. THE CAR HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES WITHOUT SATISFACTION. THIS VIBRATION WAS DUE TO INFERIOR ROTORS. AFTER I REPLACED THE ROTORS WITH ANOTHER NON-NISSAN BRAND AT 50,000 MILES, THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY. ALL THIS FRUSTRATION WAS DUE TO THE POOR QUALITY OF NISSAN ROTORS. I WENT TO THE WEBSITE TIRERACK.COM AND BOUGHT BETTER QUALITY ROTORS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10214866
Incident
Dec 15, 2006
Brakes
Filed Oct 4, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD CRUNCHING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE STOPPING DISTANCE INCREASED. THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE VDC AND STATED THAT THE FAILURE COULD BE DUE TO THE BRAKE BOOSTER. APPROXIMATELY FIVE DAYS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. AS OF OCTOBER 4, 2007, THE DEALER HAD NOT INSPECTED OR REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 59,800.

NHTSA ID
10204826
Incident
Sep 28, 2007
Mileage
59,800 mi
Brakes
Filed Sep 20, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. THE OWNER'S MANUAL STATED THAT THE FAILURE MAY BE DUE TO LOW BATTERY POWER. HE PURCHASED A NEW BATTERY, BUT THE LIGHTS STILL WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY FOUND A BLOWN FUSE THAT WAS CAUSING THE BATTERY TO DRAIN AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS NOT TO WORK. THE FUSE WAS REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 72,000. UPDATED 12/12/2007 *BF UPDATED 12/12/07 *TR

NHTSA ID
10203582
Incident
Sep 18, 2007
Mileage
72,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Apr 27, 2005

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES FROM 55-60 MPH IT CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO SHIMMY AND/OR VIBRATE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. ON THE FIRST INCIDENT DEALER TURNED OR RESURFACED BOTH FRONT BRAKE ROTORS AT 9,761 MILES; SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED AT 13,930, IN WHICH THE DEALER HAD TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT ROTORS AND BOTH FRONT BRAKE PADS, AND CURRENTLY AT 23,000 MILES DEALER NEEDS TO RESURFACE BOTH FRONT ROTORS AND REPLACED BOTH FRONT PADS AGAIN. CONSUMER ANTICIPATES THIS PROBLEM WOULD KEEP RECURRING.*AK

NHTSA ID
10119245
Incident
Sep 16, 2004
Mileage
9,761 mi
Brakes
Filed Mar 8, 2005

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES VEHICLE VIBRATED SEVERELY. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AT 3,000 MILES. DEALER REPLACED A BOLT, AND RESURFACED THE FRONT ROTORS. AT 11,000 MILES THE VEHICLE COMMENCED TO VIBRATE AGAIN. VEHICLE WAS RETURNED BACK TO THE DEALER, AND DEALER REPLACED BRAKE ROTORS, PADS, AND BRAKES ASSEMBLY.*AK

NHTSA ID
10113673
Incident
Feb 17, 2005
Mileage
3,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Dec 21, 2004

ON A 2 MONTH OLD ARMADA WITCH HAS LESS THAN 5000 MILES ON IT,THE ROTORS BECAME VERRY WARPED . MY GUESS IS THAT THE BRAKE COMPONENTS WERE FROM THE SMALLER,LIGHTER NISSAN'S. DEALER SAID THAT THE PARTS WOULD TAKE FOUR WEEKS TO GET HERE. SOUNDS LIKE A LONG ROUGH RIDE. *AK

NHTSA ID
10104250
Incident
Dec 15, 2004

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .