Nissan owners have filed 58,260 complaints with NHTSA across 34 models. On average the car was 5.42 years old when the problem happened, and 33.4% of reports fall inside the first three years — while the factory warranty was still running.
What breaks on Nissan
The systems Nissan owners report most, and how often each failure ended in a crash.
| System | Complaints | Share of Nissan | Ended in a crash |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 14.5% | 1.5% | |
| Air Bags | 8.1% | 21.1% | |
| Unknown Or Other | 5.4% | 2.6% | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 5.3% | 1.1% | |
| Electrical System | 5% | 0.8% | |
| Engine | 4.2% | 0.5% | |
| Structure | 3.8% | 1.6% | |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3.2% | 0.5% |
When Nissan problems show up
| Measure | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Average age at failure | 5.42 years | How old the car was when the problem happened |
| Reported inside 3 years | 33.4% | Share of complaints filed while the factory warranty was likely still running |
| Complaints describing a crash | 2,989 | Of 58,260 total |
| Complaints describing a fire | 1,090 | Of 58,260 total |
A low average age does not automatically mean a fragile car: a brand with a young fleet on the road will always skew early. Read it next to the share reported inside three years.
Which Nissan models draw the most complaints
Volume follows sales, so a bestseller will always top this list. The columns worth reading are age at failure and how many reports ended in a crash.
| Model | Complaints | Share of Nissan | Avg age at failure | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALTIMA | 23% | 5.5 yrs | 709 | |
| ROGUE | 11.4% | 4.2 yrs | 303 | |
| PATHFINDER | 10.8% | 6.0 yrs | 238 | |
| MAXIMA | 9.1% | 6.0 yrs | 259 | |
| SENTRA | 8.7% | 4.8 yrs | 475 | |
| MURANO | 8.3% | 6.3 yrs | 124 | |
| VERSA | 5.1% | 5.1 yrs | 223 | |
| XTERRA | 4.4% | 6.6 yrs | 104 | |
| TITAN | 4.3% | 5.3 yrs | 79 | |
| QUEST | 2.9% | 5.0 yrs | 70 | |
| ARMADA | 2.7% | 6.1 yrs | 61 | |
| FRONTIER | 1.9% | 4.8 yrs | 99 | |
| LEAF | 1.5% | 4.6 yrs | 46 | |
| 350Z | 0.9% | 4.2 yrs | 23 | |
| KICKS | 0.8% | 2.8 yrs | 26 |
Nissan complaints by model year
A bad generation shows up here as a block of years, not as a single spike. Recent years look quiet simply because those cars are young and still under warranty.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | — | 1 | |
| 2025 | 21 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 21 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 35 | 4 | |
| 2022 | 31 | 6 | |
| 2021 | 61 | 9 | |
| 2020 | 54 | 13 | |
| 2019 | 90 | 13 | |
| 2018 | 94 | 8 | |
| 2017 | 150 | 41 | |
| 2016 | 125 | 15 | |
| 2015 | 144 | 25 | |
| 2014 | 172 | 31 | |
| 2013 | 152 | 35 | |
| 2012 | 94 | 27 | |
| 2011 | 80 | 36 | |
| 2010 | 76 | 35 | |
| 2009 | 99 | 28 | |
| 2008 | 124 | 32 | |
| 2007 | 91 | 46 | |
| 2006 | 130 | 39 | |
| 2005 | 114 | 55 | |
| 2004 | 135 | 49 | |
| 2003 | 104 | 23 | |
| 2002 | 96 | 36 |
What Nissan owners report
Grouped by the system owners named. Open any row for the full reports, in their own words — one per model so the same fault does not repeat.
Power Train 8,447 Read
Transmission failed, as I went to turn left it stalled and on coming traffic had to slam on there brakes and 6 veh. Ran into each other i dud not get hit but feel so bad that the 2914 nissan sentra i drive caused this traffic hazard. 2 people had to go to the hospital. It should be illegal to sell these cars with ctv Transmission Nissan sould have to put reg. Transmission in all there veh. Already sold and any to be sold and NHTSA Should be fined for not doing your jobs. These vehicles. ARE a safety hazard. All [XXX] as much as nissan INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Vehicle was on a slight incline. Shifted into park. Vehicle was running and I went and got into the passenger side, waiting for my daughter to come out of work and drive home. Vehicle evidently came out of the park gear and rolled approximately 100' backwards into another vehicle parked behind me on the same incline
The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, there was a loud boom coming from the engine compartment with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the traffic light turned red, and the contact stopped the vehicle, and the vehicle failed to move when the light turned green. The contact stated that the driver behind started honking the horn however, the contact was unable to drive off and waved the other driver to go around. The contact stated that when the vehicle finally responded, the vehicle reversed instead and crashed into another vehicle. The Police was called, and a Police report was filed. The contact sustained a left side muscle strain from the neck down to the hip. The contact received medical attention at the Emergency Room. The contact called the Insurance provider, and the vehicle was towed to a Collision Center. The contact was informed that the failure was transmission related. The Insurance provider stated that the damages to the body of the vehicle would be repaired however, any failures to the transmission was not covered, and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The Insurance provider stated that there were transmission related recalls for similar vehicles; however, the contact had not received any notifications of a transmission recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown
Air Bags 4,735 Read
The contact owned a 2009 Nissan Quest. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, she did not notice that the traffic light had turned red and continued driving. Another oncoming vehicle made a left turn in front of her. The contact stated that she swerved and the front end of the vehicle hit a pole. The contact saw smoke coming from underneath the hood. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact hit her chest against the steering wheel. Bystanders assisted the contact out of the vehicle. The contact was transported to the local hospital. The contact was then transported to the Trauma unit of another hospital. The contact sustained a broken sternum and broken left and right ribs. The contact stated that she spent 10 days in the trauma unit, and she also received home health assistance. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was totaled. A police report was filed. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V067000 (Air Bags) that she related to the failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown
I was driving this car but had stopped to let traffic by (in a turn lane) when an oncoming truck barrelled toward me & hit me head-on, going about 40 mph. His truck bent in the whole front of my sentra but my neither my driver-side or passenger-side airbag went off to protect me & my daughter! There is a recall on the airbags, citing they could erupt & are dangerous, so I don't know if it's good or bad that they didn't deploy?? We were stopped & still in a turn lane on a city street. My car was totalled & wrecker got it. Few weeks later it was sent to salvage/auction company. I am disabled &can't upload pictures etc but can send you email w of my insurance adjuster & police report if you tell where to send it. But I don't know how to upload things, etc. I just think the bags should have deployed but didn't. However I hadn't been able to take car in for airbag recall yet, as told to do before this accident
The contact owns a 2013 nissan armada. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, she rear ended another vehicle. The contact stated the frontal driver's air bags did not deploy to full capacity. The contact stated her wrist was swollen, but did not seek any medical attention. A police report was not filed. The contact stated she continued to drive the vehicle but within a short distance had to stop due to the temperature gauge began to rise. The contact stated she was able to park on the side of the road. The contact stated smoke was seen exiting the hood. The vehicle was towed to her residence. The vehicle was seen by an independent mechanic whom stated that there was transmission fluid leaking. The radiator was replaced and the air bag was removed. The contact recently received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V188000 (air bags) and the vehicle was taken to keating nissan (333 interstate 45 s, conroe, tx 77304, (936) 230-5083) for recall repairs however the recall remedy has not been performed as of yet. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures however, no assistance was offered. The contact was upset that the manufacturer seemed not to care that the vehicle air bags failed to deploy. The failure mileage was 90,000
Unknown Or Other 3,126 Read
Www.cityofpomona.org/lacountysheriffdept/westcovina [email protected] - arrest warrant by sheriffs dept. #sealed - www.odfl.com/long-beach www.chase.com/banking "quick deposits" rt:322200456 acct: 0123456789 california only www.usa.gov/irs
I was driving down the highway and my ac vents started blowing hot air, then my car started to putt like it wanted to stop, then thick smoke started coming out my AC vents filling my car to the point I could not see. I pulled over and my entire car was full of smoke and I began to choke as I put the car in park and crawled out my smoking car. Bystanders pulled over to help me and my car was smoking from the engine and back of car. The police and fire department were called and I was take to a local hospital by ambulance for smoke inhalation
My Nissan Sentra experienced unintended forward movement while Reverse was selected. After restarting the vehicle and shifting back into Park and then Reverse, the vehicle moved forward instead of backward, and the brake behavior became abnormal. This caused a minor collision. The condition has been reproducible, and I have video evidence documenting the issue. The vehicle is currently being held, and I was informed that repairs should not begin until Nissan inspects the vehicle and retrieves diagnostic/event data. I am submitting this as a potential safety defect involving unintended vehicle movement, shifting, braking, and vehicle control
Engine And Engine Cooling 3,078 Read
I purchased a brand new 2006 nissan altima on january 10th 2007 it only had 30 miles on it, I loved the car had minor problems with noise etc, had the oil changed on time through the dealer I never received any notice about the recall? A car pulled out in front of my car so my front end hit the side of his car and my car instantly caught on fire? The police/fire dept can not figure out why it caught on fire because my car was traveling the speed limit which was 35 mph? They think something was wrong with my car and that I should look into a recall or defect on the vehicle I wished I had known about the oil recall because maybe this is why my car caught on fire it is a total loss I have no car and now am fighting with the insurance companies to get a new car I do not want a nissan altima and this car was my wish car I really liked the altimas?
On november 11, 1998 my daughter was driving south on interstate 57 by askum, il. Going 65 mph. She claims the engine lost power and she had to naviage the car to the side of the road to avoid being rear ended by oncoming traffic. The car lost all power and would not restart. She got out of the car and looked under the hood. She was crying and cut herself lifting up the hood. She saw lots of gray smoke coming from the engine and got back in the car and phoned me on a cellular. I told her to call 911 and I also called them. The illinios state police arrived quickly and ordered a tow truck. The car never started again. It is still sitting in my driveway and our mechanic told me this model has no indicator light to signal that it is overheating .this causes it to overheat on the highway since most people are watching the road and not the hot/cold gauge. I feel this major flaw caused my daughter to be in grave danger and that it contributed to the car being effectively worthless at this point. I also noted in the "owner's manual on page 5-8 that the manufacturer addresses options " if you feel a lack of engine power "or your car overheats. This would indicate to me that this model has a history of loss of engine power and overheating. Despite the car's history the manufacturer never put an indicator light to designate that the car is overheating putting drivers on the expressway in grave danger of major accidents
Took maxima in for repair and nissan asked for paper work, mr. Graham sent it in and nissan continues to ask for more which graham does not have (95i-006)
Electrical System 2,900 Read
The contact owned a 2004 nissan titan. While driving at 55 mph, the entire instrument panel illuminated and an abnormal odor emitted into the vehicle. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road and the vehicle caught fire. The contact was not injured. The vehicle was destroyed and a police report was filed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000
Dt: contact stated while driving vehicle stalled. While pushing the vehicle off the road another vehicle hit the contact's vehicle from behind. The contact stated there was NHTSA recall campaign 03V477000 but the contact wasn't notified about this recall. The contact and passenger sustained injuries
Issue: Garage caught fire. All wood (trusses, joists, walls) were in tact. Estimated in tact amount=99%. The vehicle was completely consumed. The hood melted, plastic, seats, tires consumed. Car was not driven day of incident. Origin was attributed to garage. Cause was undetermined by fire department. Report does not today address the vehicle in any way shape or form. There is no documentation as to what was seen upon removing garage doors. Had the can already been consumed? Did vehicle initially encapsulate the fire prior to moving into garage structure? It is speculated that NHTSA part 573 recall report 22V-875 may be applicable when viewed from design engineering point of view and not strictly to only vehicles addressed by Nissan in that report. There were no prior warnings of any kind that foretold the ensuing events. I am trying to get the fire department to amend report to record stated belief of fire origin (vehicle) which is not today evidenced in the report and as per the stated opinion by one of the fire fighters. I am further insisting that the insurance company assign a forensic expert in evaluating the origin and cause of the fire. Nissan has not been notified to date. I am imploring NHTSA to take this apparent prior documented safety issue further beyond what has been concluded in order to prevent any future safety issues should it so be judged by NHTSA as the authority in these matters
Engine 2,422 Read
First there was a random misfire when I first started it that morning. Eventually got it to start, allowed it to run for a few minutes, and then attempted to pull out of the driveway. Once I put it in drive in and moved a few miles the engine completely shut off. Got it back home, changed the camshaft sensor and while attempting to see if the problem was resolved the catalytic converter began to overheat and caused a small fire near the sensor
The contact owned a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that six months after purchasing the vehicle, the vehicle was vibrating abnormally while driving, accelerating, and the vehicle was hesitating. During an oil change, the contact informed the mechanic about the excessive vibration while driving. The contact was notified of an undisclosed recall, but there was no remedy for the recall. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer, but the mechanics were unable to duplicate the failure. During another failure, the vehicle turned off independently while stopped at a red light. The vehicle restarted after three attempts. The vehicle was driven slowly back to the residence. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer a second time, and an undisclosed pump was replaced. The contact stated that months later, the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle could not be restarted. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the vehicle started smoking while it was stuck on the roadway. While the vehicle was completely stopped and disabled in the roadway, another vehicle rear-ended it. The air bags did not deploy. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 41,000
Driving down the highway and the truck shut off. Pulled over and the engine will not crank. Suspect the engine is locked as the starter tries to turn over the engine but just starts to smoke due to engine not moving
Structure 2,223 Read
My Nissan altima dashboard is melting and the reflection is causing glare on windshield in the sun. Salt buildup on the windshield in combination with a flash of bright sunlight suddenly caused visibility out of the windshield to be nonexistent. I caused an accident when this happen to me on the freeway, as I lost all visibility and started to swerve and slow down. I had pull to the shoulder blindly and almost died
Told of a report on "car fax" that my air bag had been deployed (not true!). Does your organization track such information? This affects the value of the car damage was only a dented bumper
The design of the windshield to the doors is hazardous as it limits visibility. Also the back is limited as well. I was broadsided or sideswiped and it was not my fault yet the way they wrote the report put me at fault
Fuel System, Gasoline 1,851 Read
On nov 21, 2002 I was involoved in a very low impact accident in which my 2001 nissan quest vehicle rear ended a 98 mercury marquis. My air bags did not even deployed indicative of the low impact nature of the accident however, upon impact the quest immediately caught fire. I was uninjured in the accident but the vehicle was totally destroyed. It was recommended to me by mr. Nick perrone, a forensic accident investigator, that I contact the NHTSA in regards to the nissan recall involving 93-98 quest fuel tank line. He feels that the accident in which I was involved in might be related to this recall and that it be investigated and perhaps extended to the 2001 year models
Car caught on fire and burned while driving on highway. Failure more than likely due to fuel injector defect, spraying gas over engine. Result was intense fire destroying car. Nothing salvagable. Recall of 90's nissan 300zx is highly recommended
Due to significant corrosion of the fuel filler tube resulted in fuel leaks, which in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire. In addition, the left rear seat belt retractor is mounted to the wheel housing and in the event of significant corrosion, and the mounting could fail in a vehicle crash. I have already contacted nissan and dealer in this regard; the nissan is not giving response from last one month to the dealer. I have a newborn baby, I am worried of crash or fire, please help me to solve this asap. There is recall available on these items already but nisaan is bot relacing them. I have got a case opened with nissan I.e 3517845. Please help me to take some step. I have been caling nissan almost everyday. Please help..help
Unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA. Percentages are shares of all 58,260 Nissan complaints.
Nissan against the rest
| Measure | Where Nissan sits | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| By complaint volume | #6 | 29 brands with 3,000+ complaints |
| By age at failure (later is better) | #18 | 29 brands |
| Complaints ending in a crash | 5.1% | across all 58,260 reports |
Ranking by volume says more about how many cars a brand sells than about how they hold up. Age at failure is the fairer of the two.
Compare Nissan with the rest
Nissan problems by model
30 Nissan models have owner complaints on file. Pick one for its worst years, failing systems and what owners actually wrote. Another 4 Nissan models have no complaints on record at all.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
- The original window sticker and factory options
- Full research report as a PDF for the pre-purchase inspection
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Go deeper
Frequently asked questions
How reliable is Nissan?
Owners have filed 58,260 complaints across 34 Nissan models. On its own that number reflects how many Nissan cars are on the road — compare the average age at failure (5.42 years) instead.
What breaks most often on a Nissan?
The most reported system is Power Train with 8,447 complaints.
Do Nissan problems show up under warranty?
33.4% of Nissan complaints describe something that happened in the first three years, while the factory warranty was likely still running.
Which Nissan model has the most complaints?
See the model list above — each card shows its complaint count, and the model page breaks it down by year and by system.