The 2017 Nissan Altima has only three recalls, but they’re potentially dangerous. Two concern the possibility of a door opening while driving, and the other addresses a hood that may fly open. There is also a worrying number of brake-related complaints.
Key Points
- Nissan has issued three technical service bulletins for the 2017 Nissan Altima over computer troubles with its CVT, with owners frequently mentioning randomly losing power.
- The 2017 Altima has three recalls, two concerning the rear doors opening when rolling down the rear windows, and one about hood opening while driving.
- While no service bulletins, recalls, or official communications have been made to address the issue, many owners complain of brake issues, like premature wear or total system failure.
- Despite its downsides, the 2017 Nissan Altima is a reliable used sedan with a lot of noteworthy accolades, and while no car is without fault, this one is a pretty safe bet.
Three Technical Service Bulletins Have Been Issued for the 2017 Altima Over CVT Troubles, with Nissan Later Settling a Class Action Lawsuit Over the Matter
The 2017 Nissan Altima’s biggest and most common concerns have to do with the transmission. Out of 185 complaints on file with the NHTSA, 71 have to do with the powertrain, and 20 for vehicle speed control.
According to one Missouri driver, “My 2017 Altima SR is again experiencing a delay when accelerating from a stop.” A Texas driver reports that while driving at 75 on the highway, “my rpms shot up. I let off the accelerator briefly and when I attempted to push the accelerator again, nothing happened.” And in Florida, “my transmission is slipping at 50k miles. I’m experiencing hesitation and jerking while driving.”
Nissan has not issued a recall or begun an investigation on this matter, but they have issued a number of technical service bulletins addressing issues with the car’s transmission. Of particular interest are the bulletins pertaining to the transmission’s control module unit.
The Altima uses a CVT, which uses a single cone-shaped cylinder in place of a traditional multi-gear transmission. Shifts are made by moving the cone up and down so that the belt is being pulled by smaller or larger sections as needed. As you might have guessed, this process can be a little more fidgety than a standard six-speed stick-shift, requiring precise computer control, meaning one little programming bug can cause a lot of big problems.
So the good news here is that your Altima’s transmission probably isn’t shot. Chances are it just needs a software update, which can be handled at the dealer.
But, worst-case scenario and something is seriously wrong with your CVT, Nissan recently landed on a class-action settlement deal that will have them reimbursing drivers and extending the warranties. So whatever’s wrong, Nissan will most likely be footing the bill.
Brake Issues are Few but Alarming, with Some 2017 Altima Owners Mentioning Having Problems Stopping their Vehicle
An alarming issue faced by 2017 Nissan Altima drivers, but one that thankfully happens at a relatively low rate of incident: the brakes can’t always be counted on.
Braking issues range from concerning, as in the case of an Ohio driver who had to replace their pads at just over 21,000 miles, to quite scary, as with a NYC driver who reports that “I try to stop the car, but the brakes don’t work,” and being forced to use the emergency brake to bring their car to a halt.
Brake complaints number at just 14 total on the NHTSA website, but the potential severity of the issue makes it worth addressing.
No recalls, investigations, or even technical service bulletins have been opened on the matter. Thankfully, the likeliness of this issue happening is low, and most 2017 Altimas will still be under warranty if it does manifest. But all the same, this is an issue worth keeping tabs on, and something you’ll want to check for when taking a Nissan on a test drive.
Three Recalls Have Been Issued on the Nissan Altima, All Involve Doors and Hoods Flying Open
The 2017 Altima has been recalled three times. Twice because the rear door has a tendency to fly open when you try to lower the window. This affected over 341,000 2015-2017 Altimas in early 2017 and again in late 2018, and was traced to misrouted latch cables in the rear doors.
Nissan sold just under 700,000 units between those model years, so if you’re looking at a 2017 Altima, there’s a 50% chance that it was included in this recall.
As for the third and most recent recall: the hood flies open. It almost sounds comical that this keeps happening, but it can be pretty scary at highway speeds.
This recall was issued in May of 2020 and affected nearly 2,000,000 units. The fix involves installing a stronger spring in the hood release lever and adding a warning label and instructions in the owner’s manual showing drivers how to maintain the latch.
While Not Perfect, the 2017 Nissan Altima is Still One of the Safest, Most Reliable Cars on the Road
The 2017 Altima ranks 11th out of 24 midsize cars at Repair Pal with a four-star rating out of five, it also holds a Top Safety Pick+ award with the IIHS and has an overall five-star safety rating with the NHTSA. Despite the issues mentioned in this article, the 2017 Altima is still one of the more reliable used cars you can purchase today.
Photos: Nissan
