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 2016 Nissan Altima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) and 18V915000 (Structure, Latches/Locks/Linkages). The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact smelled an abnormal burning odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in a parking lot, others also smelled the odor. The contact stated while driving approximately 65MPH, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated to 45 MPH with other vehicles behind. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate, and the vehicle lunged forward causing the contact to quickly depress the brake pedal. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.
As we were getting the highway the breaks had failed and then we some were able to get off the highway but the steering wheel cruise control decided it was gonna work by itself it was a very accident. And not only that my identity has been affected so bad because of the situation with mission and the dealership that I'm unable to use my name for anything anymore my credits ruined and now they want 18 grand for me to pay off the vehicle that's they purposely made the car look like a rebuild so it was no longer covered I guess because the person set up the insurance with Geico and actually some how have me insurance in my father dl number and later on start changing stuff removing the insurance forging documents My name is [redacted] Email is [redacted]
Hood popped up while driving and smashed windshield and did additional body damage. Secondary hood latch safety mechanism was non operable according to mechanic who looked at it after incident. Hood latch was replaced as part of recall in 2022. Spoke to Nissan but they are dismissing because there is no open recall and because it was already fixed. Many online comments about others dealing with this same issue of failure after repair and Nissan not taking responsibility.
Subject Safety Defect Complaint Recall Repair Refusal and Manufacturer Delay Nissan Altima 2016 My 2016 Nissan Altima is subject to a safety recall related to the hood latch cover The hood latch cover on my vehicle is defective and stuck which caused the hood to become completely locked shut This defect creates a serious safety hazard because the hood could unexpectedly open while driving putting me my family and other road users at risk I contacted and visited two authorized Nissan dealers multiple times to have the recall repair performed Both dealers refused to repair the vehicle unless I personally opened the hood first I explained that the hood cannot be opened due to the recall related defect and that attempting to force it open is unsafe The dealers still refused to perform the recall repair I then contacted a third party service AAA but they refused to work on the vehicle …
There is a recall on my hood latch that I received in the mail. . Due to this recall my hood opened while I was driving and shattered my windshield and messed up my hood and fenders. * (recall related incident) ts
The vehicle was purchased in 11 nov of 2016, the day of purchase the left passenger window would not go down. The new car was left at the dealer the day of purchase for repairs. Three plus weeks later, around 12/03/2016 I had to call to find out if the car had been fixed. No communication from the dealer. The car was picked up and used after repairs. 03/March 2017 while driving down the road my 11 year old son rolled the left passenger window down and the door came open while on the highway. I researched the recalls and there was a recall for the right door only. Research Nissan had not sent to the dealerships.(recall number, 17v-040, recall date 01/18/2017) no notice of recall was ever sent to me nor was the dealership aware of the recall. The copy I took a copy to them was their first notice of a recall. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. When opening the trunk of the vehicle, the trunk failed to stay up and failed to lock when closed. The contact took the vehicle to empire Nissan located in ontario, ca who was unable to identify the cause of the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and sent the contact to fontana Nissan located in fontana, ca where the immobilizer, battery, remote, av master control unit, rearview camera, rearview camera assembly, door handles on the driver side, trunk lid gate lock assembly, and the trunk lock were all replaced. The failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened case number: 26294642. The approximate failure mileage was 3,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at 50 MPH, the hood opened independently and damaged the windshield. The driver coasted to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the windshield was repaired. The vehicle was taken to south shore Nissan (200 sunrise hwy, amityville, ny 11701), and repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 20V315000 (latches/locks/linkages) however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 47,400. The VIN was invalid.
It is in the trunk. The off-white sealant use everywhere in the trunk visible. It is underneath the trunk carpet, underneath the rubber mat. I found the sealant got melted causing rubber to be melted. I believe when temperature in texas reached 110 degree that's when it happened. Luckily I spotted before it could have caught fire. Dealer says body shop will have to look at the cause and god knows if they May have to cut the whole trunk from inside to fix it. Car is still in service for more than 7 days.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the rear passenger door window lowered approximately 3/4 down automatically and the door erroneously unlocked and opened. The contact indicated that the failure also occurred when lowering the rear passenger door window from both the front driver side door and rear passenger door. The failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 17,000.
Related recalls
Structure › Emergency › Escape/egress/exit
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Altima vehicles, previously remedied under recall number 17V-040. The door latch-lock cable may not have been routed properly in the rear door when the remedy was applied.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will secure the latch-lock cables in the correct position using the new remedy procedure, free of charge. The recall began February 5, 2019.
Body complaints in other Altima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2016 Nissan Altima?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the body & structure of the 2016 Nissan Altima, 5% of the model year's 554 complaints. The component named most often is body (24 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2016 Nissan Altima body problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 18V-915 (escape/egress/exit, Dec 19, 2018). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2016 Nissan Altima body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 32,000 miles, and 40% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 5 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.