2016 Nissan Altima Exterior lighting Problems

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the driver's side headlight had become inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with an internal headlight failure, and it was determined that the headlight assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.

NHTSA ID

11755925

Incident

Jun 10, 2026

Mileage

165,000 mi

The headlights on this vehicle are very dim because of a defect by the manufacturer. The inside of the headlight has delamination and causes the lights to be very dim which is a hazardous situation when driving at night. A recalled was issued, but has since expired. Dealer wants to charge over 1800 to replace both headlights.

NHTSA ID

11751952

Incident

Jul 21, 2026

Headlights on vehicle are very dim and often do not appear to be on causing bright lights to be used in replacement. Lights are not burnt out.

NHTSA ID

11736926

Incident

May 10, 2026

My headlights are not putting out very well at all. I have to drive on high beams at night to be able to see which I’m sure is disrupting others driving but when I have my lights on low beams it’s almost like my lights are off or like fog lights. It’s super dangerous. This is been going on for months and I have to avoid driving at night all the time because it’s so bad.

NHTSA ID

11724436

Incident

Mar 13, 2026

This vehicle has unusually dim lights that have gotten worse over time, the local dealership told me I missed the recall on the headlight assembly

NHTSA ID

11715910

Incident

Feb 1, 2016

Headlight lowbeams are dim. Replaced with new bulbs, no improvement. Headlight lens are crystal clear from being clear vinyl wrapped when purchased new.

NHTSA ID

11707933

Incident

Dec 21, 2025

Head lights very dem and I have replaced with new and still can not see far with lights on

NHTSA ID

11663004

Incident

Jan 1, 2025

Unknown

NHTSA ID

11660282

Incident

May 11, 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving up an incline at 65–70 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and briefly lost automotive power. The vehicle returned to normal functionality. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the stop lamp switch and wiring had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. Most recently, the contact stated that while driving up an incline at 60-70 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and briefly lost automotive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA ID

11644006

Incident

Feb 18, 2025

Mileage

140,000 mi

Nissan issued a notification of a safety issue with dimming headlights caused my a manufacturing issue. It's not a recall, however an extension was provided to address the concern. The problem is the letter is not clear when that extension starts, it indicates it's began January 2022 and is covered for an additional 3 years, however per Nissan the start date was the end of the manufactures warranty. I have a vehicle driven by my son that has dim headlights. This is a safety defect, created by the manufactures flaw, and should be covered by Nissan. Both headlights would need to be replaced and they should be held accountable for their safety issue.

NHTSA ID

11626463

Incident

Nov 16, 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the headlights failed to properly illuminate the roadway while driving. The contact stated that the headlights were very dim. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who replaced the headlights; however, the failure persisted. The contact learned of a Class Action Lawsuit regarding the poorly illuminating headlamps. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the lawsuit was no longer active, and the remedy would not be provided. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11622708

Incident

Oct 30, 2023

Headlights staying dim to the point of not being able to see after dark even after replacing the headlights

NHTSA ID

11618191

Incident

Oct 3, 2024

I am concerned about the safety of my headlights. I haven't had my car long but noticed how dim the headlights were in comparison to my other car. I frequently would drive my old car with the fog lights illuminated due to wildlife concerns. My Nissan, though ten years newer, has lighting that is way worse. Sure enough, an animal ran out across my part that I could barely see. I looked into replacement bulbs when I stumbled across a class-action lawsuit regarding dim headlights. However, since I recently bought this car used, I apparently have no recourse. This is most definitely a safety issue. Furthermore, if the issue is due to the projector lens, then the repair should be made at Nissan's expense. Additionally, several people say that changing the bulbs do not help. I haven't had my car looked at by anyone because they just want to change the bulbs. How do you fix headlights when charging the bulb isn't the fix? How am I going to be able to see at nighttime? There needs to be a recall for these lights. It is a safety issue. It cannot be fixed by a consumer by changing the bulbs.

NHTSA ID

11591944

Incident

May 24, 2024

The headlights on the Nissan Altima are dangerously dim. In dry weather the only way to see at night is with the high beams on. When it is raining even that doesn't help. I paid several hundred dollars to have the bulbs replaced at a Nissan dealer and they advised they likely will not help. At no time did the Nissan dealer tell me that there was a recall on the headlights, so I found this out too late to be included. We have purchased four Nissans through the years, and this will likely be the last due to how unsafe this is. Nissan needs to fix this.

NHTSA ID

11561991

Incident

Mar 2, 2021

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, the headlights were extremely dim. The contact used high-beam headlights to see the road ahead. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the headlight bulbs; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the warranty had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

NHTSA ID

11557965

Incident

Dec 1, 2022

Mileage

93,000 mi

The headlights are extremely dim and unsafe to drive on the road at night. We first began noticing it a few months ago and it looks like there was a settlement online for this exact reason, but we didn't find out about it until the aforementioned few months ago, well past the settlement window. This is a safety issue and needs to be addressed with a proper recall as, looking around online I'm seeing reports of not just it being a safety issue, but I'm seeing people actually being cited for the lighting being insufficient for it passing inspection. This should be ranked right up there with the vehicle being undrivable during nightfall. It apparently is not fixed with a bulb replacement and it has to do with the makeup of the lighting housing materials melting or becoming deteriorated over time.

NHTSA ID

11553053

Incident

Sep 8, 2023

#1. Both headlights are very dim on low beam, even after bulb replacements. High beam seems more dim than other autos I have driven in the past. I usually have to drive with my high beams on if possible #2. When in reverse, my screen to view the rear view camera doesn't show a clear picture like my previous Nissan. Sometimes when first shifting into reverse the video loses its complete picture for about 2-3 seconds. I have cleaned lens and tried to adjust screen to no avail.

NHTSA ID

11521903

Incident

Dec 30, 2021

Low beam light is dim.

NHTSA ID

11518337

Incident

Jul 1, 2022

The low beam headlights is very dim. It is almost impossible to see using that and driving at night. Whatever reflecting coating nissan put inside of the low beam headlight has faded away causing the light to not reflect properly and thus providing little to no light when you try to use the low beam headlights. This is extremely dangerous because this significantly reduces the visibility when you are driving at night. The car does not give you any warning about how dim the light. I have not gotten into an accident yet mostly because I avoid driving at night because of these dim headlights. I replaced the headlights on my car and that seems to have done almost nothing to help with visibility.

NHTSA ID

11512916

Incident

Mar 17, 2023

No injuries or accident but this vehicle has two serious problems . 1. The head lights are almost non existent. you can not drive faster than 25 mph with out over driving you lighted area... I consider this a serious issue. .2. when car was new i almost always was getting in the low 30s and as high as 40 mpg now it is always getting in the low 20s consistently ... When i check this on you tube they say that is a warning that the CVT is not working properly . With only 48000 miles on the car , I ask if this is a problem that Nissan should correct ?

NHTSA ID

11507396

Incident

Feb 8, 2023

The safety of the vehicle and individuals are put into a potentially dangerous position due to the knowledge that Nissan has concerning the headlamps of Nissan Altima. This is a known issue that the headlamps are defective and are dimming due to deamination, they have already settled a class action case of Suarz v. Nissan North America, Inc. My car is affected by this issue but I never received notification of the settlement. If this is a know issue and has been settled once already and poses a danger to the general public why has there not been a recall on this issue? The lights on my car were inspected by a certified Nissan dealer and failed inspection, I had reached out to Nissan about having this issue resolved and they have denied any remedies to correct this and make it safe. What needs to happen for this to rise to the level of have Nissan recall and fix this know danger?

NHTSA ID

11482328

Incident

Aug 22, 2022

The headlights are very dim. It is available for inspection upon request. It is a safety hazard at night time due to low visibility. The problem has not been reproduced by a dealer or independent service center. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacurer, police, insurance or others. There were no warnings, it seemed to happen gradually. I discovered there was a class action settlement, but I was not receive notification and had already missed the deadline.

NHTSA ID

11480803

Incident

Aug 23, 2022

Head lights have become dim to the point of even with bright lights on it’s difficult to see. I read of a head lamp recall and contacted the dealer. I was informed there is a recall on the Altima head lights which did not include my vin number.

NHTSA ID

11473751

Incident

Jul 13, 2022

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights failed to illuminate as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the headlight bulbs; however, the failure recurred several times. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

NHTSA ID

11471380

Incident

Nov 1, 2020

Mileage

98,000 mi

The headlights are really dim .. can barely see when driving at night .. I took it to the dealership and it says it failed inspection but im out of warranty extension .. there was a class action lawsuit for this problem and nissan replaced the headlamps for free instead of a 1,200 $ fix .. but I literally bought the car March 23rd of this year , not even a month ago and had no idea about any of this until it was too late to get it fixed with financial help .. since I just bought the car is there any way to get any help with this or maybe I can get lead in the right direction because I do not have $1,200 for the headlights but they are bad .. I even got pulled over the other night because I had to ride with my high beams on and got a ticket ! please help just bought car and it is very scary to ride at night .. and due too I work in a restaurant and I am a closer I have to .. please help as to safety is a big factor here and i currently dont have that $ due to i just bought this car but need it fixed asap as to need to be safe .. http://www.altimaheadlightsettlement.com/ I fall into one time replacement for out of warranty (4)

NHTSA ID

11460296

Incident

Mar 24, 2022