2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 16 owner complaints on record; most reports concern electrical system.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Oct 2008
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 16 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Tl* the contact owns a 2008 nissan altima hybrid. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator remained illuminated while driving. The contact was concerned that the air bag could deploy. The contact called paul miller nissan at (203) 335-3181 (located at 5420, 930 kings hwy e, fairfield, ct 06825) and was informed that there would be a diagnostic fee. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 171,000. The VIN was not available. *tt *tr”Owner report · Air Bags · Apr 2019
“I have a 2008 nissan altima hybrid and am having problems with the brakes. I was driving the car when I stepped on the brakes to stop for a signal. The pedal went down without slowing the car until it was near the bottom of its travel at which time the car came to an abrupt halt, the ABS, vdc and brake warning light came on. I continued home without trouble until I was coming into the garage at which time the same thing happened.I have checked and found others who have had the same problem. Fortunately I was traveling at a low speed with no traffic.”Owner report · Service Brakes · May 2017
“Nissan dealer is saying I must replace part # 48700-9n00b, this same part is under extended warranty on the altima 2009-2012. Can I get a new version of these. *tr”Owner report · Electrical System · Mar 2015
Show 6 more owner reports
“A carbon buildup in the cylinder head causes the vehicle to shake and during initial start up and stutter/shake during acceleration. This build up is due to a design flaw in the cylinder head. It cause multiple unsafe instances when trying to merge with oncoming traffic and safely navigate in normal driving conditions. This is a know issue to nissan and they have redesigned the head but are unwilling to help with the issue. This occurred on our vehicle with only 35,000 miles on it. *tr”Owner report · Engine · Oct 2013
“Hi, I recently discovered that the brake lights are intermittently malfunctioning because of an unreliable brake lights switch. I became aware of the issue because the push button ignition was intermittently failing. After a little bit of research I found out that it is a known issue for nissan altima 2007-2008 owners, but was never addressed by nissan. I have a three month old baby that could have been severely injured in a rear end collision. Please make sure this issue gets addressed before any accident occurs. Thank you so much! *tr”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Jul 2013
“Tl* the contact owns a 2008 nissan altima hybrid. The contact stated that the brakes failed when applied, causing the contact to crash into a wall and another vehicle. The police were not contacted and there were no injuries. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they advised her that the floor mat could have caused the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 10,700. The current mileage was approximately 10,800. Updated 2/20/13*lj the consumer stated the body work was completed. Updated 02/21/13”Owner report · Service Brakes · Dec 2012
“Tl* the contact owns a 2008 nissan altima hybrid. The contact stated was stopped at a traffic stop with the brakes applied when the vehicle abnormally accelerated and crashed into another vehicle. There were no injuries. The manufacturer was not contacted and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 8,000.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Sep 2011
“2008 nissan altima hybrid. There were two incidents of the car running even though I left it for quite a while. First, in a shopping mall I thought the car was off, and it remained running for quite a while. In a second incident it stayed running at the curb for 3 hours until I returned. I thought the car was off when I left it, but it was not off. *tr”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Dec 2010
“Nissan 2008 altima hybrid windows roll down (drivers side and passenger side) by themselves after the engine is shut off and we leave the car locked. *tr”Owner report · Electrical System · Nov 2010
When filing, owners marked a crash in 4 of these complaints and injuries in 0 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 1 campaign
NISSAN IS RECALLING 204,361 MY 2007-2008 ALTIMA, ALTIMA HYBRID, 350Z, 350Z ROADSTER, MY 2008 ALTIMA COUPE, ROGUE, MY 2009 MURANO, AND INFINITI MY 2007-2008 G35 SEDAN, MY 2008 G37 COUPE AND EX35 PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS' OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) CONTROL UNITS. A VARISTOR IN THE OCS CONTROL UNIT LOCATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT CUSHION MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED OUT OF SPECIFICATION. UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, THIS COULD CAUSE AN INTERRUPTION OF SIGNAL BETWEEN THE OCS AND THE AIR BAG CONTROL UNIT (ACU).
Remedy: DEALERS WILL TEST THE SIGNAL BETWEEN THE OCS AND ACU SYSTEMS USING A SPECIAL TOOL TO CHECK THAT IT IS FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED. IF NECESSARY, THE SEAT CUSHION (CONTAINING OCS HARDWARE) WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE MANUFACTURED TO SPECIFICATION. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 4, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261 OR INFINITI AT 1-800-662-6200.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
How other years compare
Counts are not adjusted for time on the road here - see all Altima Hybrid years ranked fairly for the age-adjusted comparison.
Check your exact Altima Hybrid by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid reliable?
NHTSA has 16 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid. The most complained-about area is electrical system.
Does the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid have open recalls?
1 recall campaign has been issued, the latest concerning electrical system. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.