Most common 2014 Nissan Altima problems
Share of the 1,114 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Nissan Altima complaints by model year
Best Altima years: 2022, 2025, 2023. Years to avoid: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2009, 2002. Compare all years →
2014 Nissan Altima recalls (8)
Latches/locks/linkages › Hood › Latch
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2018 Nissan Altima vehicles. If the primary hood latch is inadvertently released, there is an increased likelihood that the secondary hood latch may corrode over time.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install a stronger release spring in the hood release lever, a warning label near the secondary hood latch, and an Owner's Manual addendum card with instructions on how to…
Air bags › Sensor › Occupant classification
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima vehicles manufactured January 3, 2013, to July 29, 2013, 2015-2016 Rogue vehicles manufactured October 14, 2014, to August 12, 2016, and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured June 4, 2015, to August 19, 2015.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ECU and update the OCS software free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Air bags › Sensor › Occupant classification
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City…
Remedy: Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano,…
Latches/locks/linkages › Hood › Latch
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Nissan Altima vehicles manufactured March 6, 2012, to December 31, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch may bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
Remedy: These vehicles were previously included in recalls 14V-565 and 15V-116, however the previous remedy plan may not have been performed consistently to remove the safety risk.
Air bags › Sensor › Occupant classification
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima and Pathfinder vehicles, 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra vehicles, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles, 2014-2015 Infiniti QX60 vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Fuel system, gasoline
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) notified the agency on July 31, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2016 Nissan Maxima vehicles manufactured February 10, 2015, to August 18, 2015.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install a retainer ring between the fuel tank and the fuel sending unit. The recall began on September 28, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Show 2 more recalls
Latches/locks/linkages › Hood › Latch
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Nissan Altima vehicles manufactured March 1, 2013, to December 31, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch may bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will be instructed to modify the bend angle of the hood actuation lever to eliminate potential interference with the hood inner panel.
Electrical system › Software
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 5 possible defects involving the 2014 Nissan Altima:
Occupant Classification System Failure
In April 2014, Nissan North America launched Safety Recall 14V-138 to address problems with the Occupant Classification System (OCS) algorithm in the following vehicles: model year (MY) 2013-2014 Nissan Altima, Pathfinder, Sentra and LEAF; MY 2013 Infiniti JX35; MY 2014 Infiniti QX60 and Q50; and MY 2013 Nissan NV 200/Taxi vehicles.According to Nissan, the OCS may misclassify adult front passenger occupants and turn…
Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure
PE18-013 was opened on December 1, 2018, with 4 complaints to ODI alleging incidents of the lower control arm fracturing at a connection point to the vehicle chassis due to corrosion. ODI has received an additional 87 complaints since the PE was opened. During PE18-013, Nissan indicated model years 2013-2018 shared a common rear lower control arm design.
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure
On July 29, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened EA19002 to investigate instances of alleged rear lower control arm failures in 2013-2018 Nissan Altima and 2016-2018 Nissan Maxima vehicles. At the time the investigation was opened ODI had 91 consumer complaints alleging rear lower control arm failures in the subject vehicles.ODI was concerned about these complaints because many of them alleged an…
Occupant Classification System Failure
In May 2016, Nissan North America issued a safety recall (16V-244) to address the problem of improper classification of adult front seat passengers in approximately 3.3 million vehicles, including those in the scope of this investigation when it was opened (almost one million vehicles) and additional vehicles, as shown below.Nissan models: certain model year 2013-2016 Altima, 2013-2016 LEAF, 2016-2017 Maxima,…
What 2014 Nissan Altima owners say
Lights all 299 →
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while their son was driving approximately 55 MPH in the evening, a police officer crashed into the front passenger side door. The front rearview mirror was also impacted. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The police officer was unable to see the vehicle due to the headlight clarity being low on the contacts vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic, however the failure was not diagnosed. The headlights were not replaced. The driver was injured but decided not to receive medical treatments. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
The visibility of the headlamps at normal brightness are very dim. I have read about numerous lawsuits regarding this, including a class action, but when I have gone to the dealer with the information postcard that I received in the mail, I am told by Nissan that I am "outside of the window" to have them replaced with newer brighter lamps. Per the website for the class action lawsuit, it should be for 2013-2018 Nissan Altimas ([redacted], et al. v. Nissan North America, Inc., Case No.[redacted]) http://www.altimaheadlightsettlement.com/ I feel that Nissan is avoiding this issue, although there are MANY Nissan Altimas that have headlights that are not hardly bright at all. I personally had at least one issue with a deer strike that I believe could have been prevented if my headlights worked properly.
Transmission & drivetrain all 209 →
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic for an oil change, the independent mechanic informed her that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the independent mechanic hard reset the code; however, while she was driving the vehicle, the ABS warning light, the brake warning light, TPMS warning light, traction warning light, check engine warning light, and other unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic who diagnosed that the vehicle's computer was not communicating as designed. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the CVT transmission and ECM needed to be replaced. …
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle shuddered uncontrollably and stalled. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the road. The contact turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle 20 minutes later, the failure recurred while driving, and the vehicle failed to accelerate upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact exited the highway; however, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the road. The vehicle was towed to Young's Cheltenham Auto Service, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance in covering the repair. …
Air bags all 208 →
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH and coming to a stop, another vehicle crashed into the passenger side of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained injuries that she did not want to disclose and required medical attention the next day. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The approximate mileage failure was 76,000.
The contact's wife owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that at start-up, the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer and was informed to call the manufacturer to see if the repair would be covered under warranty. The manufacturer agreed to pay 60% for the cost of the repair; however, once the repair was performed, the failure persisted. The contact returned the vehicle to the same dealer and the manufacturer agreed to pay for the full repair of the air bag unit. Despite the second repair, the failure persisted, and the manufacturer stated that the repair was no longer covered. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
2014 Nissan Altima engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cyl | CVT | FWD | 27 / 37 / 31 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | CVT | FWD | 22 / 31 / 25 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2014 Nissan Altima a good car?
Based on 1,114 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2014 Altima rates avoid: 2.7× as many complaints as a typical year of the Altima at the same age. It is one of the Altima years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2014 Nissan Altima?
The lights — 299 complaints, 27% of all complaints for this model year, most often about headlights. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (209) and air bags (208).
How many recalls does the 2014 Nissan Altima have?
There are 8 recalls for the 2014 Nissan Altima, the most recent from May 28, 2020 (latch). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Nissan Altima?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2022, 2025 and 2023. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2009 and 2002. See the full Nissan Altima years comparison.
At what mileage do 2014 Nissan Altima problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 64,000 miles; 39% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.