2015 Nissan Altima: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
42%
219 of 521 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
42% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2015 Nissan Altima are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 50% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 430 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 23%).
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
POWER TRAIN06/01/2017CRASH1 INJURED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY REVERSED WITHOUT AN OCCUPANT INSIDE. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE STRUCK A NEIGHBOR'S HOME AND MAILBOX. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO GREY DANIEL NISSAN WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WA…
POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM05/25/20171 INJURED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND WHILE DRIVING, THERE WAS A STRONG FUEL ODOR PRESENT IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL ODOR WAS AN EXCESSIVE CONTINUOUS VARIABLE TRANSMISSION FUME. THERE WERE NO VISIBLE LEAKS PRESENT. THE LOCAL DEALER, HOWELL MOTORS, INFORMED THE…
POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS08/03/2015CRASH1 INJURED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE PARKED, THE VEHICLE INADVERTENTLY WENT INTO REVERSE, ROLLED BACKWARDS DOWN THE DRIVEWAY, AND CRASHED INTO A DITCH. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL, BUT THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A ROCK GARDEN ON TOP OF A SEWER LINE. THE AIR BAGS FAI…
Three of 219 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 (10)
STRUCTURE:EMERGENCY:ESCAPE/EGRESS/EXIT
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Altima vehicles, previously remedied under recall number 17V-040. The door latch-lock cable may not ha…
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Altima vehicles. The rear door latch/lock cable on the vehicles may have been improperly routed. As a …
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…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2015 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.
10 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.
