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 2011 Nissan Altima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that water was leaking from the bottom of the front driver's and passenger side doors. Additionally, the seat belt warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not under warranty. No further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the dashboard was sticky to the touch, causing a glare in the windshield. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the dashboard replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and suggested that the vehicle be taken to an authorized dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
I was traveling with 2 small children on a straight way on hwy and the front tire blew in the sidewall of my Michelin tire. I was pulled across the other lane into a ditch striking a stone culvert after going airborne. I had purchased a set of Michelin tires and they were a 70,000 mile tire and had 23,000 miles on them when this occurred. After investigation it was determined a blowout as there was no damage to wheel indication of road hazard that would have caused this type of damage to tire. In other words, the tire and wheel were in perfect condition other that the blown part in the sidewall and if I would have hit something hard enough to cause the tire that type of damage, they said it would have definitely affected my wheel. The tire had to be defective as there is reports are all over internet that these incidents are occurring with Michelin tires. Buyer beware! …
The dashboard on my 2011 Nissan Altima is melting. This has been an ongoing problem for months. The melting areas become soft, sticky, cracked and shiny. If the dashboard is not replaced the glare created by the shiny areas will make the car hazardous to drive and the melting will ultimately damage the equipment covered by the dashboard - equipment the car needs to operate safely and equipment the dashboard is designed to protect. A recall was issued for 2008 and 2009 Nissan altimas in which their melting dashboards were replaced. I have seen internet posts/complaints by other Nissan Altima owners with the same problem as mine involving other years. I have lived in florida almost my entire life and have never had a dashboard react this way; neither have any family members or friends. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the dashboard was melting and extremely sticky. The failure created a chemical odor inside the vehicle. The contact also mentioned that there was a glare from the dashboard while driving, which made it difficult to see vehicles or even pedestrians. The vehicle was taken to performance Nissan (located at 1345 federal hwy, pompano beach, fl 33062, [phone]) to be inspected. The contact was informed that replacing the dashboard would cost approximately $3,000. Additionally, the contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty and no further assistance would be offered. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000. Piir = y.
I was in a bumper to bumper accident and the front end of my car was smooched in. My chest hit the steering wheel (my seat belt was buckled) knocking the air out of me, but my airbags did not deploy. We have taken our car into the dealership several times to complain about the passenger airbag sensor. Every time we get it back we get the same answer "we don't see anything wrong with the sensor". We recently took our car in 2 weeks prior to the accident and we asked them if our car was on the air bag recall list that was all over the news. They told us not to worry about anything because our car was not on that list. I ended up in urgent care after the accident with muscles spasms and a bruised chest. Why didn't my airbags go off?!
My 2011 Nissan Altima has a melted dashboard and the clear coat is coming off. Most importantly, there is a terrible glare from the damaged dashboard and it is a major safety hazard. See the attached pictures. I contacted Nissan nat'l and they said it was out of warranty, but they would help me. They had me get diagnosis on the dash and clear coat, then told me no, it's out of warranty!!? I understand a lot of other Nissan owners are having the same problems. Nissan has already had a class action lawsuit for these two issues for models up to 2009, so they knew the dash and clear coat were bad, yet they sold new models anyway!
The vehicle was having a hard time getting past 2nd gear being told it was an electrical misfire and causing the car to jerk until it was able to hit 2nd. That was repaired by our local auto repair shop. The other issue is the dashboard. The dashboard is literally melting away and has become slimy and sticky. It is working it's way down to the steering wheel area and air vents. I'm sure that is some sort of hazard.
I was driving on the tollway and I heard a loud noise as if someone had pulled the hood release and saw that my hood was fluttering up and down. When I came to a stop, my hood had in fact popped open and I had to slam the hood back shut. Fortunately it did not pop open fully to where it was against my windshield and blocking my view. I think there May be a problem with the hood latch.
The dash on my 2011 Nissan Altima is starting to melt and get very sticky. A bad glare is starting to appear in my windshield making it hard to see while driving. I cannot clean the dash because anything it touches sticks to the dash. I contacted Nissan headquarters and they cannot help me replace it unless I pay for the dash. This is not safe!
Body complaints in other Altima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2011 Nissan Altima?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the body & structure of the 2011 Nissan Altima, 11% of the model year's 242 complaints. The component named most often is body (25 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Nissan Altima body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2011 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 2011 Nissan Altima body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 24% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 0 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.