2020 Nissan Altima inspection checklist

The records describe a problem worth checking before purchase.

“The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while his wife was driving at 40-45 MPH with his daughter sitting in the front passenger seat, the vehicle crashed into another vehicle that failed to yield at the stop sign. The air bags failed to deploy and the seat belts failed to engage. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's wife and daughter sustained back pain and headaches but did not seek medical assistance. A police report was filed. The contact met his wife at the scene and assisted her with driving the vehicle to his residence which was approximately 300-400 ft. away. The contact, a certified autobody technician, determined that the air bags and the restraint system failed to operate as needed. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that he would need to tow the vehicle at his own expense for diagnostic tests. The contact declined and the manufacturer informed the contact that they could not assist unless he complied with their request. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.”

The records describe a possible crash, fire, injury, or loss of control.

“The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while the vehicle was at a standstill in a parking lot and using the seat heater for approximately 30 minutes, the front driverside seat heater caught fire. The contact extinguished the fire with bottles of water he had available. The contact sustained superficial burns on his lower back and continues to have trouble breathing but hasn't sought medical attention. The contact drove to the nearest fire department but was under construction and was unable to file any fire report. The contact also stated later on that day he drove to a police department and filed a police report. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000. The VIN was not available.”

The records describe a problem worth checking before purchase.

“Hertz/Vehicles Rented with Open Recalls NHTSA is opening this audit query to investigate whether The Hertz Corporation (Hertz) has complied with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Safety Act). The Safety Act requires, among other things, that a rental company shall not rent a vehicle subject to a safety recall unless the recall remedy has been performed. 49 U.S.C. § 30120(i).NHTSA is in receipt of information that indicates Hertz rented vehicles to customers without having performed required recall repairs. Accordingly, we are opening this audit query to seek additional information concerning this issue.”

The records describe a possible crash, fire, injury, or loss of control.

“Complete loss of motive power due to engine failure On December 13, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23-023 to investigate allegations of engine failures leading to loss of motive power in model year (MY) 2021-2023 Nissan Rogue; MY 2019-2021 Nissan Altima; and MY 2019-2021 Infiniti QX50 vehicles. At that time, ODI had received 6 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ) and multiple early warning reports, with consumers reporting engine knocking noises accompanied by a loss of engine power while driving. The investigation identified bearing failures in certain vehicles equipped with the subject 3-cylinder 1.5L or 4-cylinder 2.0L variable compression turbo (VC-Turbo) engines. ODI also identified early warning reports describing thermal incidents that occurred immediately after the vehicle suffered a catastrophic engine failure.  The failures were the result of a manufacturing defect in specific engine bearings (main, A-, C-, and L-link) or other engine components that may cause engine damage and potentially lead to engine failure. Engine failure can result in a loss of motive power event that can increase the risk of a crash.  Engine failure might also result in a fire if internal components detach and impact the engine block creating a hole that allows engine oil to reach hot surfaces. In its April 2024, May 2024, and June 2025 responses to ODI’s information requests, Nissan provided 998 customer reports (including complaints, field reports, and legal claims) and 1,107 warranty claims related to the alleged defect.  When combining ODI and manufacturer report data, there are 1,878 unique VINs that have experienced failures across all subject vehicles.  In one of the early warning reports, ODI identified an incident involving a 2022 Infiniti QX55 that resulted in an engine fire following an alleged engine failure. The 2022 Infiniti QX55 was not included in the scope of this investigation but the vehicle model shares the same 4-cylinder 2.0L variable compression turbo engine.  Based on the information included with the early warning report, the fire can be directly related to the alleged defect.   A further review of ODI and manufacturer data, identified 12 allegations of engine compartment fires in subject vehicles; three were confirmed as directly related to the engine failure, and nine reports described an under-hood fire that occurred following a loss of power event. Additionally, ODI identified multiple reports describing an engine block crack or hole surrounded by oil residue following an engine failure. On June 27, 2025, Nissan submitted recall 25V-437 involving 443,899 MY 2021-2023 Nissan Rogue, MY 2019-2021 Nissan Altima; MY 2019-2021 Infiniti QX50; and 2022 Infiniti QX55 vehicles. The recall remedy provides the dealer instructions to inspect the engine oil pan for the presence of specific metal debris. For customers with the 3-cylinder 1.5L VC-Turbo engine, if no debris is detected during the inspection, dealers will replace the oil pan gasket, engine oil, and reprogram the vehicle’s Engine Control Module (ECM). For customers with the 4-cylinder 2.0L VC-Turbo engine, if no debris is detected, dealers will replace the engine oil. In the case where specific debris is detected and confirmed by Nissan Powertrain Call Center, dealers will be instructed to replace the engine. In addition, Nissan will extend the vehicle warranty to 10 years and 120,000 miles for the recall subject vehicle population after the dealer performs the inspection. Nissan has implemented multiple corrective actions to address the identified manufacturing defects of certain engine block internal components.  In view of the recall action (25V437) taken by Nissan, ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.”

The records describe a possible crash, fire, injury, or loss of control.

“Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Altima, Maxima and Leaf vehicles. The rear window glass may not remain properly secured to the vehicle. Rear window glass that separates from the vehicle can increase the risk of a crash. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the back window glass, free of charge. The recall began November 4, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC752.”

The records describe a possible crash, fire, injury, or loss of control.

“Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Altima S grade vehicles equipped with Continental ProContact TX tires, size 215/60 R16 H, with TIN date code 3320 and Mold ID S-419149. The tires may have been over cured. Over cured tires can result in a sidewall break causing a sudden loss of air or the tread separating from the tire. Both conditions increase the risk of a crash. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle's tires to see if they are affected, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 10, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-8677669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC765.”

The records describe a possible crash, fire, injury, or loss of control.

“Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Nissan Altima vehicles. The tie rod ball joint fastener was not tightened properly, which could result in the tie rod ball joint detaching from the steering knuckle. A detached tie rod ball joint can cause a loss of steering control, and increase the risk of a crash. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the left and right-side tie rod ball joint fasteners, or install new fasteners as necessary, free of charge. The began March 31, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7769. Nissan's number for this recall is PC795.”

The records describe a possible crash, fire, injury, or loss of control.

“Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Altima and 2018-2021 Titan vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production. Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall, resulting in sudden air loss or belt edge separation which could lead to tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC798.”

The records describe a possible crash, fire, injury, or loss of control.

“Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Altima and 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. Damage to the camera harness can cause distortion or loss of the rearview camera display image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility." A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and harness for damage and replace them as necessary. If no damage is found, the dealer will apply protective tape and reroute the rearview camera harness. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23C3.”

The records describe a possible crash, fire, injury, or loss of control.

“Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Rogue, 2019-2020 Altima, 2019-2022 Infiniti QX50, and 2022 Infiniti QX55 vehicles equipped with 3-cylinder 1.5L or 4-cylinder 2.0L variable compression turbo (VC-Turbo) engines. The engine bearings may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine failure. Engine failure increases the risk of a crash. A bearing failure may cause a breach in the engine block, allowing hot oil to be discharged, increasing the risk of an engine fire. Dealers will reprogram the engine control module (ECM) software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed April 8, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261 or Infiniti's customer service at 1-800-662-6200. Nissan's numbers for this recall are R25A8/A9 and R25B1/B2.”

The records describe a problem worth checking before purchase.

“Active Grille Shutter Emission Warranty Extension Dealer Notification *****Dealer Announcement***** Nissan is committed to providing the highest levels of product quality and customer satisfaction. Therefore, Nissan is extending the emission warranty coverage on the model year 2019-2020 Altima Active Grille Shutter to 15 Years or 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first. All other warranty terms, limitations, and conditions remain unchanged. On affected vehicles, over time, the shaft connecting the grille shutter motor and shutter louvers may become twisted and/or cracked resulting in the shutter remaining in the closed position and illumination of the malfunction indicator light (MIL). This issue will have no effect on vehicle safety or drivability, but the vehicle may experience reduced fuel efficiency. During the limited emission warranty extension period, owners are eligible for free replacement of the Active Grille Shutter if a MIL-On condition occurs with DTC P059F and/or P159F that requires replacement of the grille shutter assembly. Owners of eligible vehicles will receive notification of this limited emission warranty extension during December 2023. ***** What Dealers Should Do ***** 1. Verify if vehicles are eligible for this Warranty Extension using the warranty extension page of Service Comm. 2. If a customer contacts the dealer with an Active Grille Shutter concern in an owned or leased vehicle, dealers should use the ESM to diagnose the root cause of the customer concern and identify the correct repair to resolve the customer concerns. NOTE: Dealers will need to follow the warranty process and obtain pre-approval when the repair cost exceeds a Dealer’s Claims Administration/Authorization Limits (DCAL). 3. The service department should submit the applicable warranty claim for the action performed.”