2014 Nissan Altima: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
45%
278 of 618 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
45% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2014 Nissan Altima are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 56% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 495 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 25%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE,ENGINE04/09/2021CRASH1 INJURED
THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HIT AND RUN AND AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.*DT
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES08/13/2016CRASH1 INJURED
I PARKED THE CAR ON A SLIGHT INCLINE, PLACED THE SHIFTER IN PARK AND STEPPED ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. I EXITED THE VEHICLE, LEFT THE DRIVER DOOR OPEN. I OPENED THE LEFT REAR DOOR, REMOVED MY DOG AND CLOSED THE DOOR. I LOOKED UP JUST IN TIME AS I WAS STRUCK BY THE OPEN FRONT DOOR OF MY CAR, KNOCKED TO THE GROUND AND I…
AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE,ENGINE06/12/2014CRASH1 INJURED
ON THE WAY TO GET A CUP OF COFFEE (LESS THAN ONE MILE FROM MY HOME) A CAR STARTED COMING INTO MY LANE. I SWERVED SLIGHTLY TO AVOID A COLLISION AND MY CAR WENT INTO THE DITCH AND HIT A TELEPHONE POLE. OVER $22,000 IN DAMAGE. RADIATOR BENT INTO AN "L" SHAPE. SIDE FRAMES AND ENGINE WENT INTO THE FIREWALL, WHICH TOTALED …
Three of 278 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (8)
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima vehicles manufactured January 3, 2013, to July 29, 2013, 2015-2016 Rogue vehicles man…
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and…
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) notified the agency on July 31, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2016 Nissan Maxima vehicles manufactured February 10,…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2014 Nissan Altima
Ask the seller whether the transmission has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many transmission faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the transmission.
8 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
