2014 Nissan Altima Common Problems & Defect Telemetry
Authoritative defect intelligence synthesized from 1112 verified NHTSA owner complaints, 8 federal safety recalls, and interquartile failure mileage telemetry.
The 2014 Nissan Altima receives a 3.4/10 MazicBay Reliability Index based on 1112 verified NHTSA federal complaints and 8 safety recalls. The primary reported failure mode is Transmission Hesitation, Hard Shifting & Slipping Reports with a median failure point at 60,000 miles (IQR: 30,000 – 76,500 mi). Out-of-warranty repairs benchmark at $1,400 – $3,800 .
89 complaints / 10k sold
Verified US federal records
Crash, fire & stall audit
8 Active / Free Remedies
Top Reported Problem Clusters (7)
Transmission Hesitation, Hard Shifting & Slipping Reports
- Hard gear shifts / delayed engagement into Drive/Reverse
- Transmission shudder / jerking under acceleration
- Transmission slipping between gears
“After a month of purchase this car from a buy here pay here lot they offer no help my transmission slipping going cost about $4000 to get repaired”
“My transmission blew out of nowhere on my 2014 Nissan Altima. It’s 6,200 to fix… I had to get it towed.”
“My son purchased a used 2014 Nissan Altima 4 months ago from a dealership. He noticed it shuttering, delayed acceleration and not having power as well as a noise from the transmission. It had no check engine light but the code P17F1 CVT Judder came up. We looked for recalls an...”
Airbag Occupant Detection & Inflator Defect Reports
- SRS Airbag warning lamp illuminated
- Passenger occupant classification sensor failure
- Seat belt retractor lockup
“As far as I am aware there are no causes to the failure but the sensor of the left panel on the driver side airbag is alerting. Nissan checked it and advised it would be @ $2000 to repair because it required the replacement of the entire driver side chair. However I am now bei...”
“At159,000 main console air bag light came on and won't turn off.”
“Airbag light for driver turned on and took it to the dealership to get it fixed. They fixed it but it came back on and they reset it. A few months later it turned back on and they said they couldn't fix it because that part was not available anymore.”
Electric Power Steering Assist & Suspension Noise Reports
- Sudden loss of electric power steering assist
- Steering wheel pull or highway wander
- Clunking / knocking noise over bumps
“Rear lower control arm broke while driving on interstate car darted to the left but control was maintained”
“Right rear lower control arm fully broke while traveling 35 mph and going around a curve. The car immediately pulled hard right into the adjacent lane. Fortunately, there were no vehicles in that lane at the moment. I have contacted the dealership. This issue is addressed in S...”
“The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while his son was driving 50 MPH, the ABS warning illuminated, and the vehicle failed to exceed 15 MPH. The vehicle was driven to the residence and parked. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The d...”
Engine Stalling, Oil Consumption & Cooling Defect Reports
- Engine sudden stall / hesitation while driving
- Abnormal oil burning / consumption
- Check Engine Light (MIL) flashing
- Engine overheating / coolant loss
“-Upon research, it appears my Nissan has an issue with the headlight lamps that have caused the low beams to diminish over time. This is a recorded defect (class action lawsuit ..., et al. v. Nissan North America, Inc.) of Nissan Altimas years 2013-2018. -There is a Nissan Dea...”
“Hi, my name is ... . I rented a car through ... , and I need to report serious mechanical issues. All of the spark plugs are not secured, as they are missing screws, and oil is present. The only reason i know is because of the check light engine being on one minute and off the...”
“The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was determined that the air bag might deplo...”
Electrical Parasitic Drain, Infotainment & Harness Reports
- Unexplained battery drain after sitting overnight
- Infotainment display / instrument cluster blackouts
- Accessory malfunction / alternator fault warnings
“Hi, my name is ... . I rented a car through ... , and I need to report serious mechanical issues. All of the spark plugs are not secured, as they are missing screws, and oil is present. The only reason i know is because of the check light engine being on one minute and off the...”
“We took our Nissan for repair of recalled Headlights and was told they had no more headlight assemblies, they have to reorder. I got on waiting list. I called a couple of times to check on headlight shipment. Theni finally went back and they told me they stopped repairing head...”
“The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the wiring in the front driver's side seat was damaged, and the rear of t...”
Service Brakes, ABS Actuator & Master Cylinder Reports
- Spongy or hard brake pedal travel
- ABS / Brake warning light illuminated
- Extended stopping distance / pedal vibration
“The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while his son was driving 50 MPH, the ABS warning illuminated, and the vehicle failed to exceed 15 MPH. The vehicle was driven to the residence and parked. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The d...”
“-Upon research, it appears my Nissan has an issue with the headlight lamps that have caused the low beams to diminish over time. This is a recorded defect (class action lawsuit ..., et al. v. Nissan North America, Inc.) of Nissan Altimas years 2013-2018. -There is a Nissan Dea...”
“In my altima I've noticed over the few years of ownership occasionally the passenger airbag light wouldn't go off for a few minutes sometimes like it wasn't recognizing a passenger was occupying the vehicle. Then it started occasionally not recognizing the occupant, now it wil...”
Fuel Pump Pressure Loss & Fuel Delivery Defect Reports
- Sudden loss of propulsion power at highway speeds
- Extended engine cranking / failure to restart
- Fuel odor near fuel tank / engine bay
“FUEL TANK DETACHMENT OCCURS. DEFECTIVE FASTENERS. RUBBING SOUND OCCURS WHEN TURNING, BACKING UP AND HIGH SPEEDS. FIRST HAPPENED IN JULY2018...HAD FUEL TANK COMPLETELY REPLACED. NOW THERE'S A PROBLEM AGAIN.”
“I HAD THE FUEL PUMP CHANGE BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD NOT START. I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT IT HAS TO DO WITH AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM BECAUSE SOMEHOW ITS NOT GETTING POWER TO START MY CAR.”
“SINCE THE FIRST WEEK WE OWNED THE CAR, OCCASIONALLY THE SCREEN(BACK UP CAM, RADIO...) DOESN'T START, OR FAILS WITHIN FIRST MILE OF DRIVING- MAYBE 10 TIMES SINCE PURCHASE DATE. ON JULY 29, 2015- MORNING- CAR UPON START, NO SCREEN AND NO DASHBOARD. RESTARTED TWICE AND THEN FINE....”
Official NHTSA Safety Recalls (8)
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
Summary: 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 manufactured October 14, 2014, to August 12, 2016, and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured June 4, 2015, to August 19, 2015. An incorrect Occupant Classification System (OCS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may have been installed in the front passenger seat. The incorrect ECU and seat combination may misclassify the front passenger seat occupant.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
Summary: 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 model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the occupant classification system (OCS) software may incorrectly classify the passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Summary: 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, 2015, to August 18, 2015. On October 14, 2015, Nissan expanded the recall to cover an additional 41,388 vehicles, including certain model year 2013-2015 Altima 3.5 vehicles equipped with a V6 engine manufactured March 30, 2012, to August 18, 2015 as well as the vehicles covered by the July 31, 2015 notification. In the affected vehicles, due to an improperly installed o-ring that may not have been seated correctly at the time of assembly, fuel may leak during a crash from the area where the fuel sending unit attaches to the fuel tank.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Summary: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima and Pathfinder vehicles, 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra vehicles, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles, 2014-2015 Infiniti QX60 vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles received an incorrect occupant classification system (OCS) control unit during a repair. These OCS control units may incorrectly classify the front passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
Summary: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
Summary: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Nissan Altima vehicles manufactured March 1, 2013, to December 31, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch may bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
Summary: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Nissan Altima vehicles manufactured March 6, 2012, to December 31, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch may bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
Summary: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2018 Nissan Altima vehicles. If the primary hood latch is inadvertently released, there is an increased likelihood that the secondary hood latch may corrode over time.
Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist for 2014 Nissan Altima
Before purchasing a used 2014 Nissan Altima, perform the following targeted inspections based on reported federal defect patterns:
Scan the OBD-II port under the dash for pending freeze-frame codes (e.g. P0300 misfires, P0087 fuel rail pressure, P0420 catalytic efficiency).
Test vehicle at low-speed stop-and-go and highway merges. Check for delayed reverse engagement or gear shift shudder between 2nd and 3rd gears.
Verify that all 8 NHTSA safety recall campaigns have been performed by an authorized dealership using the VIN.
Ensure the instrument cluster, center screen, and auxiliary charging ports operate with stable 12.0V–14.4V alternator voltage.
Defect & Reliability Q&A: 2014 Nissan Altima
Is the 2014 Nissan Altima a reliable used car?
The 2014 Nissan Altima earns a 3.4/10 MazicBay Reliability Index based on 1112 federal owner reports. Vehicles maintained under factory service schedules exhibit strong longevity past 150,000 miles.
What is the most frequent defect reported on the 2014 Nissan Altima?
The leading complaint category is Transmission Hesitation, Hard Shifting & Slipping Reports, with a median failure point around 60,000 miles (IQR: 30,000 – 76,500 mi).
Are there free recall repairs available for the 2014 Nissan Altima?
Yes, the NHTSA records 8 safety recall campaign(s) for this model year. All safety recalls are performed 100% free of charge by authorized franchise dealerships regardless of vehicle warranty status.