2005 Nissan Altima

Typical pattern

6.1% of complaints about the 2005 Nissan Altima came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2005 vehicle — around the middle of the 245 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 7.8 yr in service. The most-reported system is structure (351 complaints), typically at 9.8 yr or about 104,000 miles.

Complaints: 1,343
Median age at failure: 7.8 yr
Median mileage: 86,000 n=1093
Crash / fire / tow: 8.3% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Structure

351 reports · 104,000 mi

9.8 yr

2.3%

Engine cooling

261 reports · 72,980 mi

4.8 yr

Engine

141 reports · 97,000 mi

9.9 yr

6.4%

Power train

114 reports · 65,498 mi

5.4 yr

4.4%

Electrical system

94 reports · 73,000 mi

6.7 yr

11.7%

Other

60 reports · 113,000 mi

11.1 yr

6.7%

Air bags

49 reports · 90,000 mi

8.1 yr

51%

Speed control

42 reports · 79,900 mi

7.6 yr

14.3%

Service brakes, hydraulic

36 reports · 24,000 mi

2.4 yr

13.9%

Steering

29 reports · 87,000 mi

6.2 yr

27.6%

Tires

21 reports · 12,000 mi

1.0 yr

4.8%

Suspension

21 reports · 38,000 mi

6.8 yr

9.5%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

07V527000 2007-11-14

Engine cooling

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 2.5L ENGINE, THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR CAN OVERHEAT CAUSING A BRIEF INTERRUPTION IN THE SIGNAL OUTPUT FROM THE SENSOR.

IF THE INTERRUPTION IN THE SIGNAL FROM THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR IS SO BRIEF THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) LOGIC DOES NOT HAVE TIME TO DIAGNOSE THE CONDITION, THE ENGINE MAY STOP RUNNING WITHOUT WARNING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN AT A LOW SPEED INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

07E087000 2007-10-25

Exterior lighting:headlights

CERTAIN TYC HALOGEN TYPE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES P/N 20-6644-00 SOLD AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR 2005-2006 NISSAN ALTIMA PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE PHOTOMETRIC WERE MISALIGNED WHICH DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

MISALIGNMENT OF THE LIGHTS DIMINISHES FRONTAL ILLUMINATION WHICH COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

In owners’ own words

Power train mileage not reported 0 mo in service

WHILE DRIVE AT 25 MPH, CONSUMER HEARD A POP NOISE AND VEHICLE DIDN'T SHIFT FROM THE FIRST GEAR TO THE SECOND GEAR. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, MECHANIC INDICATED THE CABLE BROKE. CONSUMER INDICATED DON'T KNOW WHICH CABLE WAS BROKE AND SHE WILL PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.

Power train 2,500 mi 7 mo in service

WHEN ACCELERATING, THE CAR ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE GEARS AND HESITATES BEFORE CHANGING INTO THE NEXT GEAR. WHEN HESITATING, THE CAR LOSES ACCELERATION AND SOMETIMES WHEN IT DOES CHANGE INTO THE NEXT GEAR, THERE IS A LOUD CLUNK NOISE. IT ONLY HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY. THE DEALERSHIP HAS ALREADY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION SOLENOID PACK BUT THAT HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM.*AK

Power train 4,200 mi 9 mo in service

DT: HAD THE VEHICLE 3 MONTHS AND TRANSMISSION REPLACED. NOTICED WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT ACCELERATED, THEN WHEN LETTING OFF THE ACCELERATOR WAS PULLING BACK LIKE A RUBBER BAND EFFECT. CURRENTLY, THAT THE TRANSMISSION BEEN REPLACED WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN IT MAKES A CLANKING NOISE . ALSO, CAN FEEL EVERY BUMP IN THE ROAD.*AK

Engine cooling 729 mi 1 mo in service

I BOUGHT THE CAR ON 9/20/04. ON 10/3/04 I NOTICED THAT, THE ENGINE WAS LEAKING OIL. DIPSTICK SHOWED OIL LEVEL WAS BELOW LOW MARK. DEALER INSPECTION TRACED OIL LEAK TO THE GALLEY PLUG. *NM

Other Altima model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.