2005 Nissan Altima problems & reliability
1,091 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2005 Nissan Altima, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
44 complaints report injuries (62 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2005 Nissan Altima vehicles were involved in 149 fatal crashes with 125 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 351 | 32% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 259 | 24% |
| Engine | 141 | 13% |
| Power Train | 115 | 11% |
| Electrical System | 97 | 9% |
| Unknown OR Other | 60 | 5% |
| Air Bags | 47 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 42 | 4% |
| Steering | 31 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 29 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 87,000 miles (middle 50% between 55,000 and 116,000 miles), based on 882 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“While driving my 2005 Nissan Altima in active traffic with my [XXX] child, the vehicle suddenly stalled without any warning. The engine completely shut off while in motion, creating an immediately safety hazard in live traffic conditions. Immediately after the stall, I observed oil leakage and smoke entering the…”
Engine · filed Apr 28, 2026
“Vehicle: 2005 Nissan Altima | VIN: [XXX] To the Executive Team and Legal Counsel, I am writing this under extreme duress following a catastrophic, life-threatening vehicle failure on April 23, 2026, in Ripley, WV. While transporting my [XXX] son, my 2005 Nissan Altima suffered a sudden engine stall, followed by the…”
Engine · filed Apr 27, 2026
“The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle made an abnormal grinding and whining sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where an unknown diagnosis was…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Jun 12, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
108 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2005 Nissan Altima. The 10 most recent:
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label =…
NTB09-131C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 13, 2026
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label =…
NTB09-131C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 13, 2026
VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB13-107G · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 21, 2024
CAN COMMUNICATION – NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB13-027D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 21, 2024
CAN COMMUNICATION CODES – DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB10-066C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 21, 2024
WINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB17-019H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2024
REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB13-028I · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2024
WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB09-081K · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2024
Expiration Notification - Maxima/Altima Floor Pan ***** Dealer Announcement ***** On October 28, 2022, in connection with the court-approved settlement of class action litigation filed in Missouri, Nissan launched a…
PC926 04-08 Maxi · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2023
VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2002-2006 ALTIMA AND 2004-2008 MAXIMA; FLOOR PAN Voluntary Service Campaign ID # PC926 is no longer active. ï · Repair orders opened after this bulletinâ s published date are no longer…
NTB22-095A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2023
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2005 Nissan Altima has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2005 Nissan Altima?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 87,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.