Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Nissan Altima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The cars battery and brake lights came on while driving and then after about 10 mins my gas pedal stopped working and I almost got in a really bad car accident. If i rev the car over 3000 rpms the lights go out. So while i was cruising i had to shift to natural and rev the car and shift back to drive when i needed to go faster. I brought the car to the mechanic got a new alternator and battery. When driving it home after picking it up the same thing happened after about ten mins. When the mechanic got it back he said the alternator was dead it was only putting out 3.5 volts. He figured maybe he got a defective alternator so he replaced it again with another battery. Same thing happened for the 3rd time. He said he couldn't figure it out and recommend me to bring it to the dealership. So I did and just for them to look at your car is 150 walking in the door. …
Takata recall while driving on the highway my car started making a sound coming from the front of my car I turned down the music to listen to the sound. As I was driving the car made one last sound then the car shut off while I was driving so I had to pull over on the side of the highway. I got out to check the car and noticed it was smoking I looked under the car and noticed it was on fire. I grabbed my kids out the car and my belongings and walked down the side of the highway just in case the car blew up. I called the ambulance and notified them about the car. About 5 minutes later my whole entire car was in flames. As I was on the side of the highway someone stopped and let me and my kids sit in the car until my ride came. The fire fighters came and put the fire out. They towed the car and we left.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled and there was smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact lifted the hood and the engine was on fire. The entire warning panel illuminated. There were no injuries reported or medical attention required. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was towed to the contacts residence. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 124,000.
My son was driving down the interstate when he heard a loud noise, then saw smoke and stopped the car, when he raised the hood the engine was on fire tried to put it out with water after he saw he could not stop the flames called 911 the care totally burned nothing left except frame the fire dept. Put out the fire but the car was already burned.
The car's electrical system failed and while driving. The brake and battery lights kept going off and on. There was also a clanking sound. I stopped and let car cool. Continued driving and noticed fire from my rear view mirror. Ran out of car and it caught fire 30 seconds after followed by couple of explosions.
My gas guage read half, while turning car ran out of gas. Power steering and brakes failed when engine shut off. Fortunately I was turning into inside lane on 8 lane street because it took all 5 lines to safel roll to stop. After asking Nissan 700 to check fuel system senso 4/bolt 1 plug solid piece. Went to aaa $150 to check and determined guage not sensor. $600 to maybe repair part. Called Nissan 6 bolts 1 plug to replace guage module with 3rd party repaired used module from another state. Module has to be sent prior to 3rd party sending part. Internet horror stories. 6-60 day turn around and vehicle cannot be driven while part is out of car. Main reason: speedometer and odometer are part of module. Module requires reprogramming to current vehicle mileage before moving. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the service engine warning lamp flashed intermittently and the vehicle misfired and stalled more than once. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop where the coil packs were replaced a year ago, but the failure recently recurred. The vehicle was towed to the repair shop and the coil packs were replaced again. Within 20 minutes of leaving the repair shop, the contact stated that the service engine warning lamp illuminated and the vehicle was stalled. The vehicle was towed back to the repair shop where the contact was informed that they did not have the tools to perform the diagnostic testing. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to an authorized dealer. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 07V527000 (engine and engine cooling). …
I own a 2005 Nissan. I rely on my car daily to get to medical appointments. The car stalls in park all lights start blinking then dies. Has happened while driving as well the car will move but you cant accelerate on the pedal this happened in a traffic circle my fiance and two friends were with me at the time. This is very dangerous I could get into a bad accident and die or even kill my passengers. I have had a mechanic reset my ECM but this keeps happening I have tried to fix the problem on my own and have had no luck. I own a 2005 Nissan Altima 3.5se v6 four door sedan and I feel unsafe driving. Something needs to be done I was hoping my experience would be awesome ive always liked the cars now honestly im scared to drive in it and wont reccomend anyone getting one. I havent had any accident or anything. Me having this car is required medically. …
There is a recall for 2005 Nissan Altima because of over heating due to a failing crankshat/camshaft position sensor which causes car to stall unexpectedly and cause vehicle to crash. Well my vehicle is not on the recall list but yet have the same issue and almost was rear ended by another vehicle due to sensor getting hot and causing car to stall and decrease speed dramatically. And with Nissan not recalling my VIN for the same obvious reasons for the recall. So I'm being forced to drive this unsafe car that I've let Nissan know is defected, thus endangering myself and the public. It's as though I have to be in an accident and then have to sue Nissan because of neglet and allowing one of their vehicles continue to operate knowing that there is an issue with its safety. So I May be forced to have problem fixed but would like to be reimbursed for repairs.
Last year, I noticed my service engine light had appeared. I had the code checked and it was the crank shaft sensor. I had this part replaced and it drove fine for a while. About two months ago, this light came back on and the sensor had gone bad again. This causes my car so drive very sluggish and go dead when driving at a low rate of speed. I did some research and saw where Nissan had a recall campaign for this part on the same year/make/model of my car. I contacted them and they said my car wasn't covered under their recall and they refuse to help me. This is the 2nd time this has gone bad. I think my car should be covered as well. They told me to report this issue to NHTSA.
Electrical complaints in other Altima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2005 Nissan Altima?
NHTSA has 97 complaints about the electrical system of the 2005 Nissan Altima, 9% of the model year's 1,091 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Nissan Altima electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2005 Nissan Altima, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Nissan Altima electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles, and 22% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 7 fires and 5 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.