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 2007 Nissan Altima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2007 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the message "Passenger Air Bag Off" remained displayed even though there was a passenger seated in the front passenger's seat. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the front passenger's seat occupant sensor unit had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 08V521000 (Air Bags, Electrical System). The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The vehicle shakes, for a lack of better word it shudders during drives short or long, smells of gasoline constantly, randomly decides not to start, has fuel efficiency problems, is prone to overheating, the dealer confirmed there is an issue, but told me they can't do Anything about it because the "fix" used aftermarket parts and they refuse to do anything until the parts are changed back. The dealership even told me I might as well just run the vehicle to the ground due to that issue!
The owners and or sellers of this dangerous and life threatening vehicle that was sold to me knowing that the car was in extremely bad condition. These criminals sold me the vehicle knowing that it was not smog cleared or approved. They sold me a fatal accident waiting to o happen! They intentionally modified the odometer/mileage to 85K/95K... But when I ran a check on car fax, it clearly showed that this vehicle was 206,851 miles of wear and tear to engine. The break system almost killed me on the freeway and made me lose control and forcefully made me spin out of driving control for 3 full spins in the middle of the freeway, bu the grace of god, I missed all incoming traffic.
While drive car started smoking. Under carriage erupted in flames. I was pull out of the car by driver on the highway before fire department of police officer were able to get to me. By this time the car was in gulf in flames.
My complaint is for oil leak and electrical system problem. 1 year after purchasing my 2007 Nissan Altima, I took it for oil change were they stated we think there might be a leak somewhere. 3 months later I took the car for another oil change and all of a sudden it was a major oil leak. This just one incident and I have read several complaint forum where people are having the same problem and some resulted in there cars catching on fire. Then on approximately April 22, 2015 I was driving my vehicle and it randomly shut off, none the car would start, the key entry wouldn't work, the radio would come on and the heating/air unit would work nor would the truck open and actually the truck stopped opening a month before the car shut off while I was driving. …
After being involved in a 3-car accident on the nj turnpike at 3:15p.m. The air bags did not deploy, everyone was wearing seat belts, yet no one was hurt, not even a whip lash. The left side sustained headlight and hood damage, drivers door would not open and it appeared that the radiator was busted since liquid was pouring out. We were towed to the nearest collision place and geico towed it from there to its own shop. Since the car was so new, geico had some difficulty in obtaining part numbers and cost. The next call from geico was to tell us that the car was totaled. The battery exploded. Battery acid eating most of the components under the hood. Question which was defective.. The air bags the electrical system or the battery why would a battery explode when the car did not have enough impact to deploy the air bags?
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Nissan Altima. When the contact started the vehicle, the front passenger side air bag warning indicator illuminated continuously. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the air bag sensor needed to be reset. The sensor was reset, but the failure recurred after the repair. The vehicle was taken to the dealer a second time. The technician stated that the passenger side seat cushion and air bag sensor would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 08V521000 (air bags, electrical system). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 71,300.
I was driving and I heard a clunk that did not seem to affect my driving ability or stability of the car. However, later that day when I turned on the cars heat; it would blow but only cold air was coming out of the vents regardless of the temperature setting or mode setting. My mechanic replaced the 2 thermostats but that did not fix the problem. This problem was a sudden onset and was not gradual in nature. My mechanic speculated that the heating coil became clogged but to replace it the cost would be in excess of $900. I'd also think the clogged system would have caused a more gradual decline in heating function.
Back in 2012 my Nissan Altima starter switch failed to work. I took the car to a Nissan dealership location and it was determined that the brake light switch was faulty and had to be replaced. On March 15, 2015, the car exhibited the same issue, starter switch failed to work again. This time I took it to an independent mechanic, who again had to replace the same part, the brake like switch. I suspect that there are more Nissan vehicles with this same issue. The recall should be extended to other models and be tested for an issue with the starter/brake light switch. ...updated 09/22/15 updated 11/27/2017
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle's alarm system went off constantly without warning at all times of the day or night. The contact took the vehicle to four different dealers, but the failure could not be diagnosed. Two of the dealers were located in the united states and the other two were in Canada. Dick smith Nissan of st andrews (3670 fernandina road, columbia, sc 29210) was one of the dealers that was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 73,000.
Related recalls
Electrical system › Software
Nissan is recalling 204,361 my 2007-2008 altima, altima hybrid, 350z, 350z roadster, my 2008 altima coupe, rogue, my 2009 murano, and Infiniti my 2007-2008 g35 sedan, my 2008 g37 coupe and ex35 passenger vehicles equipped with continental automotive systems' occupant classification system (ocs) control units.
Remedy: Dealers will test the signal between the ocs and acu systems using a special tool to check that it is functioning as designed.
Electrical system › Ignition › Module
On certain passenger vehicles that have had the body control module (BCM) replaced during service at a dealership, the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) May have been inadvertently deactivated due to an issue with the dealer service software.
Remedy: Dealers will check the TPMS function and reactivate it if necessary. The recall began on January 18, 2008. Owners May contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Electrical complaints in other Altima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2007 Nissan Altima?
NHTSA has 37 complaints about the electrical system of the 2007 Nissan Altima, 8% of the model year's 471 complaints. The component named most often is 12v/24v/48v battery (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 Nissan Altima electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 08V-521 (software, Oct 7, 2008); NHTSA recall 07V-599 (module, Dec 28, 2007). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2007 Nissan Altima electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 73,000 miles, and 21% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 3 fires and 0 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.