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 2010 Nissan Altima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Inspection is available, but note that car is in very poor shape and melted. All persons in the vehicle at the time of the incident were in extreme danger as the car showed no warning signed in the engine heat or check lights in the dashboard before the engine sputtered and slowed, the electrical sparked, and the whole front of the car caught on fire. The fire spread on a matter of 10 minutes and burst the windshield and front tires from the flames. Police inspected the remains of the vehicle and were unable to discover the source outside of the leaking oil still on fire by the electrical unit. Claim has been reported to insurance provider for their review.
My Nissan altima dashboard is melting and the reflection is causing glare on windshield in the sun. Salt buildup on the windshield in combination with a flash of bright sunlight suddenly caused visibility out of the windshield to be nonexistent. I caused an accident when this happen to me on the freeway, as I lost all visibility and started to swerve and slow down. I had pull to the shoulder blindly and almost died.
The contact owns a 2010 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the dashboard was cracking and became sticky to the touch. The contact also stated that there was a glare in the windshield from the dashboard. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer to be inspected. The manufacturer was informed of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.
The dashboard is sticky and melty. It has also cracked open continuously from left to right across the entire front face of the dashboard. It continues to widen such that I can see some of the inside of the dashboard. There was a class action settlement made for 2008-2009 Altimas and this exact problem of melty and sticky dashboard. The car is available for inspection upon request. There are three primary concerns regarding this dashboard 1. glare from the melt causing accidents, 2. reduced function of safety systems, and 3. off gassing of plastic components proven to be carcinogenic.
concern: melting dashboard safety: visibility - the dashboard is very shiny and sticky, potential glare confirmation: Florida recalls have already been made against 2008 and 2009 Nissan vehicles, but nothing further. symptoms: no idea that the dashboard was melting; college student used vehicle corrective action taken: washing/cleaners do not improve or correct the issue. Also, the replacement cost and/or labor required to fix the issue is extremely limited for consumers to take on personally.
Dashboard is melting from the heat and sun, has become sticky, un-cleanable and causing a terrible reflection on the windshield both day and night. Issue appears to be getting worse every week as this car sits outside 24/7 not always in the shade. I called Nissan of American and they setup an appointment to have the car looked at by my local dealership/service center. The end result was a wasted day and I was told that since the car was not under warranty (80K miles and 5 years old) there is nothing they could do for me. Estimated replacement cost of $2000. A few months later my ac condenser coil was diagnosed by Nissan with a leak. …
The dashboard is literally melting and has puddles of tacky residue. I live in florida. The vehicle was purchased in florida. The dashboard is breaking down and causing a dangerous glare on the windshield. It is a serious safety hazard for passengers, other mva's and especially pedestrians as they are almost impossible to see in daylight. The tacky substance cannot be cleaned. Anything that touches it sticks. Nissan knows about the problem. It is a defect in composite material and has not been caused by solvents or cleaners. Nissan refuses to cover dashboard replacement despite this being a known issue. The cost to replace is over $2K. Nissan has entered into a class action settlement for model years 2008 & 2009 (sanborn v. Nissan north America) but I have a 2010 and it has the same problem. …
The lack of lighting indicator makes that car very dangerous to drive at dusk & dawn times. The dash board is slightly less lit when the lights are on. The driver would not know whether the board light is in the "more" or the "less" status. Unlike in older cars, the dash board is not dark when the light is not on so that the driver is alerted. This is a major human factor defect. It is the cause of collisions at times of rush hour traffic. I am a professional engineer with utmost qualifications in human reliability analyses(hra). For a period of 9 years, I was the elected chairman of a large international group of hra engineers responsible for minimizing human errors at nuclear power plants. Our car was totaled. My wife had 4 broken ribs. I had several injuries.
Dash board is melting and creating shiny surface which creates a glare on windshield. Depending on time of the day and angle of the sun, that glare prevents clear vision to the road. Law suit for similar issue was already approved in florida and Nissan replaced dash boards for florida residents. I called Nissan and they were not willing to fix it even it relates to safety and visibility. This issue is widespread and can not be treated as state wise. Also I am not sure if this melting dashboard is creating any harmful fumes that I need to be worried about. I have attached image and can share more image if needed. Depending on time and angle of the sun this gets even worse when you are driving an sun hits the dash board at certain angle.
The dashboard is melting, soft to the touch, easily damaged. First noticed when I attempted to remove the trim around the radio to replace it because the display in unreadable when it's hot. When I did so, the dashboard seemed sticky and started breaking apart while trying to pry off the trim. I purchased specific tools for removing trim without damage but the dash is still too soft and sticky. So to replace the defective radio that Nissan says is not covered in the warranty I would destroy the dash causing a replacement of thousands. Also, I'm afraid that the plastic is so soft and sticky that in case of an accident, would the air bags deploy properly.
Related recalls
Structure
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2010 altima vehicles manufactured from April 7, 2010 through April 13, 2010. Some of the front side member assembly components May not have been welded to specification due to a tool maintenance error.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and if necessary repair free of charge. The safety recall began on May 13, 2010. Owners May contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Body complaints in other Altima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2010 Nissan Altima?
NHTSA has 30 complaints about the body & structure of the 2010 Nissan Altima, 8% of the model year's 381 complaints. The component named most often is body (17 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Nissan Altima body problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 10V-193 (structure, May 7, 2010). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2010 Nissan Altima body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 62,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 3 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.