Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 Nissan Altima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at 53 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed but failed to respond and the vehicle started decelerating. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and other unknown warning lights also were illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact restarted the vehicle and switched gears to drive but the accelerator pedal failed to respond, and the vehicle would not move. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and then towed to another independent mechanic. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.
My 2015 Nissan Altima SV begin losing power and revving up and RPMs but would not move. When I exited the interstate to see what was going on because at that time the check engine light had also come on I came to the stop sign and when I proceeded to move forward to find somewhere safe to park the vehicle would not go but the accelerator but the RPMs went up. Putting my wife's life and myself in danger of uncommon traffic because vehicle barely wanted to move I had the vehicle towed to Nissan dealership in the following morning the service manager called me and let me know that they checked out the vehicle and that it was a transmission and also the speed control sensor he said there was no recalls on it but did have three six and 12 month financing so that they can continue to do the repairs. …
The problem with the C17F1 cvt judder when pressing the gas the car would not go. So you turn car off. Then restart car pressing gas all the way down, and the car jumps forward and luckily doesn't hit car in front of you. Nissan is well aware of cvt transmission problems on 2011 and 2015 Altima's in which now it costs me $5400.00 to replace this transmission. Nissan should of advertised this car as LEMON transmission CAR because you are almost guaranteed to have the transmission replaced. My car has 102 thousand miles and I'm forced to Pay $5400.00 for this defected transmission that Nissan was well aware of. I hate this car that I have paid so much money for. On top of list price plus this repair that I will never get my money back costs over 27000 dollars. I'm retired and Nissan sold me a LEMON.
Car was misfiring for a while. Got spark plugs and coils changed. Two days after they were changed car still kept misfiring and jerking and wouldn't change from the first gear and takes a minute to accelerate after a complete stop. Has white smoke coming from the muffler. Two days ago it stalled to start and would not drive or reverse. Dash board keeps saying system malfunction and LDW (lane departure warning) and BSW (blindspot warning) and check engine light stays on.
Twice now when I have gone to pull out my car has died on me with no warning.The first time was in Aug,2021 the next was in Sep or Oct 202. I have also noticed that when I'm driving and not accelerating (like going down a hill) then start accelerating the car will sputter like if it's not getting gas. It is really scary when it has died on me pulling out I've almost got hit by other vehicles.
The gas petal broke while accelerating to get on the highway. My safety was put at risk as I was unable to move out of harms way. I was shocked to find out the gas pedal was plastic. It was the original gas pedal provided by Nissan and I am the original owner.
For the last few days my car has been hesitant to accelerate. At low speed acceleration it jerks a few times then the rpms go way high and is slow to shift & accelerate. It is automatic. This problem has been gradually increasing over past 2 years. I did take it to a dealership when the hood latch was replaced due to recall this year and they just suggested I drain/replace the transmission fluid in hopes that it fixes the acceleration issues. They already knew when I went into the dealership that it wasn't in warranty anymore and because I couldn't afford to fully fix the problem they just brushed me off. This isn't a safe car anymore to drive. I have 2 children and this is our primary vehicle. …
While parallel parking on the street next to my home, my car experienced a sudden acceleration. I had pulled into the space between the two vehicles in the photo provided. While my foot was on the brake, and the car stationary, I placed the gear selector into reverse in order to back away from the car in front. As I started to release the brake, my car unexpectedly accelerated. I pressed against the brake. With the wheels skidding along the asphalt and having the front wheels turned slightly, the car hit the curb and the car behind me. All cars pictured are family members cars. I have contacted the Nissan complaint hot line. They informed me that there is a update for the control unit, but that what I had experienced is not a condition for the update.
I was driving and the vehicle started to accelerate on its own as I proceeded to press the brakes the vehicle got faster
My Nissan Altima 2015 will not accelerate on a highway. It only has 30K on it. I took it to Nissan 2 times for this problem and they told me that nothing was wrong. July 21, 2019, it was towed again while I was on the long trip. Overall, it happened 10 times. Car falls on its face. You are not able to accelerate. I hads to tow it 2 times already. The other times I had to wait 30 min or so. When on highway you go 65, it drops to 40, then 20; it sputters and then you have to stop. My Nissan Altima was moving when the acceleration gave up no matter how strong you push the pedal. The engine light comes on too. I was in logandale nevada. Turned the car off. Then waited. After 15 min, I was able to start the car and drive it barely at 20 min per hour on highway 15 coming from las vegas to moapa paiute travel plaza gas station. …
Acceleration complaints in other Altima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2015 Nissan Altima?
NHTSA has 38 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2015 Nissan Altima, 4% of the model year's 955 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2015 Nissan Altima acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2015 Nissan Altima, though it has 10 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 2015 Nissan Altima acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 40,000 miles, and 32% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to speed control & acceleration 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.