Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Nissan Altima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My elderly parent just took their 2006 Nissan Altima, garage kept with less than 40K miles to the local dealership for inspection. I was shocked when the technical explained that the drivers and passenger side floor boards are completely rusted out, soon pavement underneath their feet. They took pictures to prove the damage and submit to Nissan for repair. Apparently Nissan acknowledges the problem, but doesn't want to pay to fix (about $1000) or do a [redacted] thing about the problem until someone gets hurt or killed! This is a outrage!!!!!!! Nissan knowingly built the piece of [redacted] car, with crappy, rusty metal and sold the cars to the American people, but now what's to blame the consumer for the problem, we didn't build the car....Nissan did!!!!! This is not only road a hazard, but a huge safety issue. …
During a recent oil change, my mechanic brought to my attention that the front seat floor boards were rusting on both the drivers and passenger sides. The rusting areas look almost identical. I researched this on the internet to find that this is a common problem with 2002-2006 Nissan altimas. There apparently have been a few class action lawsuits filed and several television reports on the matter. I have called Nissan; however, they claim it is not a defect. I discussed with a neighbor recently who also owns a Nissan Altima built in that timeframe and found out that he too recently discovered the rusting floor board issue. Nissan told me that I lived in a salt state and did not know how I maintained my vehicle; however, given the hundreds and probably thousands of complaints filed, it is nearly impossible for this issue to be due to owner negligence. …
Brought my car to the Nissan dealership for routine maintenance on 9/19/2018. Prior to completing the service they told me that there was rusting underneath the passenger side. I couldn't picture what they were describing so I asked to see and I took a picture. Subsequently, I was informed by someone else (not Nissan) that this has been a long standing issue with this make, model & year (2006). It potentially could affect my suspension/steering and also cause a passenger to fall through the bottom of the vehicle. I found out that they even sent out a 13 page illustrated bulletin titled "floor panel repair" on 7/6/2015 to the dealers about a kit they developed to fix this problem; yet, there hasn't been a recall. Just today, 12/11/19, I incidentally found out my particular dealership has had numerous cases for the Nissan pathfinder. …
Went out to my car ( parked) and noticed something hanging from underneath drivers side. A large mass of rusted floor board was hanging to the ground. I touched it and it fell off, about a foot long and just as wide.laid on ground to see under car and the drivers side floor board is rusted out.has been for regular oil changes and the mechanic has not mentioned this.I discussed with mechanic and he notified me that he has seen this before and I shouldn't allow my teen daughter to drive her car because it is unsafe.I then checked on the internet to find out that this was happening all Nissan Altima's from 2002-2006. Yet, Nissan has not taken responsibility for this in a recall . Is Nissan waiting for my daughters foot to go through the floor and crash and die before they do the right thing. This is clearly a safety issue. …
I took my car to a mechanic because I was smelling significant amounts of exhaust in the car cabin while driving and parked. The mechanic identified a rust hole in my exhaust just past the front catalytic converter, but more troubling was two huge holes in the floor boards on the driver and passenger side. Each rust hole is approximately 12 inches long x 4 inches wide and the padding an carpet can clearly be seen from underneath. Even after exhaust is fixed I am still at great risk of road debris and moisture entering the cabin from beneath the car. This car is just 10 years old and the rest of the body is in excellent condition with little to no rust. I live in a salt belt state but other cars of the same age don't seem to have this same problem. I've learned through media and web that this is a common problem with 2002 - 2006 Nissan altimas. …
Due to poor design or quality of material used in the manufacturing of the floor boards on either side of the vehicle is completely rusted through . You can see the underside of my carpet from underneath the vehicle . I am in fear of potential "crumple zone" / weakening of the car when in front end collision due to the rusted out area and the security of my driver and passenger seat during any type of accident because the seat mounting holes are near rusted/weakened area . I am in fear to even drive my car or sell it to someone else to drive .. In addition .. The cost to fix the problem areas far exceed the book value of the car .. There should be something done about this. This vehicle is not a rare vehicle there are millions of these vehicles on the road and millions of lives that could potentially be saved in accidents I have detailed photos of this issue of needed
While I had the oil changed on my 2006 Nissan Altima, the tech noticed that there was some rusted metal under the passenger side. Upon inspection he found a 15"x10" hole in the passenger side floor board. This vehicle has about 85,000 miles and is garaged. I notified Nissan and they told me to bring the car into a Nissan dealership for inspection, which I did on 7/3/15. They took pictures and sent them to Nissan customer complaints. After several emails and phone calls going back and forth , they said there was nothing they could do. I have never heard of a vehicle with such low miles having this problem. This is not a isolated case. Several more Nissan Altima owners have this same proble. I am having the vehicle repaired for safety reasons at my own expense. There should be a national recall on this make and model year.
Vehicle exhibits serious rusting of floorboard on the passenger side front. The vehicle is in great condition otherwise (no visible rust on body panels) and the rest of the underbody is in great condition (minimal corrosion, as expected for vehicle of its age). Passenger side floorboard is noticeably soft ,and rusted completely through the floor pan in one spot (you can put a finger through it if carpet is removed). This is unexpected as the floor pan is coated with a rubberized underbody protectant in this area. The floor pan must be replaced in this area, but Nissan only sells the entire floor pan for the vehicle, which is quite costly. I am disappointed because I have no evidence which indicates this issue is caused by any damage or neglect, it seems as if this is due to a coating failure or manufacturing defect.
The floor boards on both the driver and passenger have rooted out almost completely on my 2006 Nissan Altima. I have noticed this a about a year ago and it has got increasingly worse since. I can push the carpet up from under the vehicle and feel very unsafe. I am careful not to put weight on the floors while entering the vehicle for fear I am going to put my foot through the floor. This is a very common issue due to a flawed design in the drain system. The floorboards hold water which May accumulate through the door while raining and salt and water from the under side. Please issue a recall and make Nissan fix these vehicles that could stay on the road for many more years. My car has 109K miles on it and is in very good shape and runs very well. I don't want to have to do this job myself or pay 1,000 to get it fixed.
Floor boards on both drivers and passenger side are completely rusted through. Insulation and carpeting are falling though the floor. Very unsafe. Contacted Nissan both corporate office and local dealership. Neither will do anything about the situation. This issue coincidentally made national news this morning. A number of Nissan owners and mechanics/body work technicians were interviewed. All said the same thing. The independent auto repair shop person I got an estimate from this morning said it was because the air conditioning evaporator is located in such a way that its draining inside the floor of the car. I don't understand how Nissan does not have to take responsibility for this issue. I have a case number with Nissan and the local dealership gave very expensive estimate to have it repaired.
Body complaints in other Altima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2006 Nissan Altima?
NHTSA has 221 complaints about the body & structure of the 2006 Nissan Altima, 27% of the model year's 824 complaints. The component named most often is body (179 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Nissan Altima body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2006 Nissan Altima, though it has 3 recalls 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 2006 Nissan Altima body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles, and 2% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 8 injuries to body & structure 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.