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 2020 Nissan Altima submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 37 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 37, in the owner's own words
When I am driving my car randomly states check engine and makes a beeping noise and then the engine starts to make some type of combustion noise and then slows down and then turns off.
The warming lights for different items come on at random. Examples :Low washer fluid, gas cap open, speedometer digital speed not showing.
The car stalls and began to jerk then shuts down the crash symbols comes on and goes off.
The CVT issue remains with this car even though I have complained. The car will randomly de accelerate and randomly accelerate which has cause minor fender bender. The car continue to studer and jerk and continues to show since of transmission issues. These cars need to be recalled before someone is seriously injured from the known CVT issues.
Message popped up while driving saying “engine malfunction power reduced service now”. Pairs with the check engine light coming on
I received a Recall # R25B1 for my Nissan Altima 2020. I visited my local Nissan Dealer in Chelmsford, MA, on December 30, 2025. They explained that they saw an issue and that I would need a new engine. There are 32,000 miles on this vehicle. They began the process but were then told by Nissan Corporate that it did not meet the requirements of the recall, and they would not be replacing it. I am in the process of heading on a long driving trip and am very concerned with how this was handled. Nissan Customer Relations explained it wasn't covered under warranty, which has nothing to do with a recall. I am very frustrated and disappointed in Nissan. The mechanics at Nissan in Chelmsford took photos and sent them to Nissan, and they still denied it. With the car only having 32000 miles on it, it was probably if anything at the beginning of the failure. Please advise on going forward.
Need a new engine / gasket confirmed by pep boys. Been at the dealership a lot more than usual lately and they kept telling me everything is fine with my vehicle
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the expressway. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the engine started knocking significantly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to slowly pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was later driven to the dealer, where it was test-driven. The dealer informed the contact that there was smoke coming from the vehicle, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was unknown.
I am writing to request immediate assistance regarding the recall inspection for my 2020 Nissan Altima Platinum. Last week I received a letter notifying me of an open recall and instructing me to have my vehicle inspected. I brought my car to my local Nissan dealership on Saturday. During the inspection, I was told that metal debris was found in the engine and that the vehicle would need a full engine replacement. I was asked to leave the car at the dealership and was told I would receive a loaner vehicle on Monday. After waiting all day today for an update, I was informed that Nissan declined the engine replacement because the debris found did not “qualify” under the recall. I was told the dealership would clear the debris out of the engine and that I could pick up the car tomorrow. I am very concerned about this decision. Metal debris inside an engine—especially during an active recall related to engine failure—raises serious safety and reliability issues. Simply clearing out the debris does not address the root cause or provide confidence that the vehicle is safe to drive. This matter is urgent, as I must drive more than 1,000 miles soon to take my medically complex daughter to a children’s hospital. I need to trust that my vehicle is safe for long-distance travel. I am requesting a prompt review of my case and a second evaluation to determine whether an engine replacement or another appropriate remedy is necessary to ensure my vehicle’s safety.
Unknown. The engine started have overheating issues but never was ran in the overheated zone. We took the car to the dealer and was told the head was cracked. We questioned how that was possible if we never ran it in the overheated zone. We were told they did not know but that several other Customers in the last few weeks have had the same issue. Then we heard about the recall but was told our car was not affected. It needs to be reevaluated. We never ran the car hot.
See attached document for complaint.
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and a case was filed. The contact had not experienced a failure.
I’ve received notice that my car is subject to engine failure. I’m afraid to drive it and I need this issue fixed ASAP. What should I do?
I been having issues with my car stalling out and not wanting to start I got the spark plugs replaced by a mechanic and then my car starts over heating I have my car looked at by a mechanic again and I’m told the engine is corrupt by oil and the fuel pump is bad my car can be inspected for this issue as it is having a lot more issues due to the Nissan recalls but my vin doesn’t cover it
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V437000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The local dealers were contacted; however, the recall information failed to show while entering the VIN information. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
I am the owner of a 2020 Nissan Altima (VIN: [XXX] ), and I am reaching out to formally report a serious, ongoing issue with the vehicle’s engine performance. I have paid out of pocket for repairs, yet the issue persists, resulting in continuous inconvenience, emotional distress, missed work, and significant financial strain. After researching, I believed my vehicle might have been subject to a recent recall due to widespread reports of engine failure and related concerns in this model. However, the dealership denied any open recalls related to my VIN. The conflicting information, combined with the unresolved mechanical failure, has caused immense frustration. I am requesting a full review of this matter, including whether this issue qualifies under any known recalls, customer service campaigns, or warranty extensions. I am prepared to escalate this issue legally if necessary. Please acknowledge this complaint and inform me of next steps. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the message "Engine Malfunction" was displayed, and the check engine, traction control, and Forward Collision Avoidance warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the mass air flow sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred days later. The vehicle was then taken to an independent machinic where it was diagnosed and determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The contact stated that the battery was replaced three additional times by several independent mechanics; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
My check engine light comes on & the it will go off then back on again…
My car is said malfunction Loss of engine power
Since August of 2024 I noticed that my vehicle had strange noises coming from the engine and I was having a coolant loss but did not see anything on the ground. I then took my car to Nissan in New Orleans and they were recommending that I replace my entire engine. I’m not sure of their findings but still to this moment my vehicle still makes the same noise from the engine and still is having a coolant loss. I did notice that the coolant is overfilling in the reservoir tank and leaks out.
On the way to work a warning error message came across the dash board saying “ Engine Malfunction Power reduced. Service now” then is turned off. The engine light didn’t come on until a month later saying P0101. P0101 was fixed but the engine malfunction still comes and goes.
While accelerating from a complete stop, the car stalled with tires, powertrain, and steering wheel all locked. For 15 seconds, the steering wheel, tires, and car was unable to be manipulated. During acceleration, the speed was less than 15mph when it came to an abrupt stop. Another car behind me almost hit me when my car came to a stop. Car was just serviced for another warranty issue a few months ago by Nissan dealership.
RECEIVED ENGINE MALFUNCTION REDUCED POWER SERVICE NOW MESSAGE WHILE DRIVING (RECEIVED MESSAGE 6 TIMES SO FAR). ERROR GOES AWAY WHEN I SHUT CAR OFF AND RESTART IT, NO CODE IS FOUND WHEN SCANNED AT NISSAN DEALERSHIP. CAR SEEMS TO SHIFT WEIRD DURING A STOP AND FEELS LIKE IT RUNS ROUGH BUT NOTHING IS EVER FOUND AT DEALERSHIP TO BE THE CAUSE.
I was driving on the Freeway and without warning my car reduced speed. Then there was a warning bell that showed engine malfunction power reduced. Then the check engine light came and my rear and front warning indicator came on
It’s been 2 times that I get the WARNING ⚠️ Sign of Engine Malfunction Power Reduced Service now and at the same time another warning that’s says Malfunction see owners Manual and my car looses it’s power
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 .