Lemon Law Check › 2016 Nissan Altima

2016 Nissan Altima Problems, Recalls & Complaints

The 2016 Nissan Altima has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns and 543 owner complaints filed with federal regulators, with complaints concentrated in power train. Owners whose Altima has needed repeated repairs for the same warranty problem may qualify for a buyback or compensation under state lemon laws.

Most-reported problem areas

Complaint counts by vehicle system, from 543 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Nissan Altima:

Power train228 complaints
Air bags60 complaints
Unknown or other48 complaints
Exterior lighting36 complaints
Electrical system32 complaints
Vehicle speed control28 complaints

What owners told federal regulators

"My airbag light is on. it just came on one day. (no accident or anything else to cause this to happen) i checked to see if a recall was on my vehicle but it was not. there are other nissan altima"s that have a recall for this reason."
— owner complaint filed with NHTSA, 12/31/2022
"Stating briefly auto not in motion turning the steering wheel side to side there is a clanking noise in the steering column ...while driving in motion making right / left turns steering column feels kind of slack. occurrences city and h'way. this was reported to the dealership…"
— owner complaint filed with NHTSA, 12/31/2017
"Headlight lowbeams are dim. replaced with new bulbs, no improvement. headlight lens are crystal clear from being clear vinyl wrapped when purchased new."
— owner complaint filed with NHTSA, 12/30/2025

NHTSA recall campaigns (4)

Structure:emergency:escape/egress/exit
19/12/2018 · 18V915000
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 applie…
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
18/01/2017 · 17V040000
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Altima vehicles. The rear door latch/lock cable on the vehicles may have been improperly routed. As a result, lowering a rear window may inadvertently cause that door to…
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification
26/04/2016 · 16V244000
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…
Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch
28/05/2020 · 20V315000
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 t…

Recall repairs are performed free of charge at franchised dealers. Check your specific vehicle with the free VIN recall checker.

Has your Altima been in the shop repeatedly?

If the same warranty problem has needed 2+ repair attempts — or your Altima has spent 30+ days out of service — it may qualify for a buyback, replacement, or cash compensation under your state's lemon law. Manufacturers pay the legal fees in most states, so the case review costs you nothing.

Check My Altima — Free →

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2016 Nissan Altima?

Based on 543 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most-reported problem areas for the 2016 Nissan Altima are power train, air bags, unknown or other.

How many recalls does the 2016 Nissan Altima have?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2016 Nissan Altima. Recall repairs are always free at franchised dealers regardless of warranty status.

Is the 2016 Nissan Altima a lemon?

A specific vehicle qualifies as a lemon based on its own repair history, not the model's overall record. If your Altima has had power train or other warranty problems repaired 2–4 times without success, or has spent 30+ days in the shop, it may qualify under your state's lemon law — attorneys evaluate this free of charge.

Researching this car as a buyer instead? Read the full Carivo review of the 2016 Nissan Altima.

All recall and complaint figures on this page come directly from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) federal records for this make, model, and year, fetched at page build time and cached daily. Complaint excerpts are owner-submitted reports to NHTSA, lightly truncated. Carivo is an independent data site, not a law firm; lemon law eligibility is determined solely by attorneys under your state's statute.