2004 Nissan Altima: problems, recalls and reliability
5 recalls and 276 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine and engine cooling (37% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · latest recall Sep 2007
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 276 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The car has a fuel problem and crankshaft position sensor issue causing the car to die and also not start up normal idling. When I do get it to start up it idles very groggy.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Aug 2023
“The crankshaft position sensor (cps) was not responsive when the repair shop was testing the vehicle because of the "service engine soon" light came on. After a short search online they 1.) Had no signal to the cps from the pcm 2.) That there was also a voluntary recall by nissan for this issue covering this make an model. I called nissan and told me that the recall wasn't for that car but the vehicle was in fact built in the years covered and also had the exact issues the recall covered”Owner report · Engine · May 2023
“The frame of the vehicle is rusting away. There is a hole in the floor board on passenger side, from underneath the vehicle from rust. You can feel around the frame of the car and chunks of metal fall off . This was noticed during maintenance on the vehicle . Car was stationary , I had noticed that I was getting an extreme amount of dust inside the vehicle.”Owner report · Structure · Aug 2019
Show 7 more owner reports
“My vehicle was in a front collision at 35mph. The driver was the only occupant in the vehicle at the time of the accident. The passenger airbag deployed there was no one sitting in that seat. The driver airbag did not deploy.”Owner report · Air Bags · May 2018
“The sound packaging was peeling ; yet truly the floor boards on driverside and front pasenger have completely rusted off!! So dangerous! And I have horrible allergies and the carpet is full of dust and mildew.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jan 2018
“Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan altima. While attempting to start the vehicle, the extended crank failed to spark the crank sensor. While the gear shifter was placed in drive, the vehicle began to shake and the engine stalled and the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The contact called middletown nissan at 860-632-6550 (located at 1153 newfield st, middletown, ct 06457) and was informed that there was no recall associated with the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 06v242000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 192,000.”Owner report · Engine · Aug 2017
“Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan altima. While driving various speeds and while the vehicle was stationary, the vehicle stalled without warning. Several independent mechanics were made aware of the failure and replaced the manifold, oxygen sensor, and a computer chip; however, the failure recurred. The dealer and manufacturers were not made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 1,361.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jun 2017
“I recently had my car serviced and was told my floor panel had rotted through. The car is a 2004 but has less than 44,000 miles, has been serviced regularly and has been garaged part of the time.articles on the internet show it is a massive problem with these cars due to poor drainage design. The repair is over $2000. Otherwise the car is in good shape. This is just one of 1000's of reports to the NHTSA about this problem.”Owner report · Structure · Jun 2017
“Mi carro tiene problemas con las cabezas .y ahorita no lo puedo usar porq esta parado por no arreglarlo todavia quisiera saber sobre recall.gracias”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Nov 2016
“"takata recall"tengo problema con mi carro desde q lo agarre siempre fallaba de lo mismo engine y hasta ahora se descompuso y no puedo arreglarlo q tengo q hacer o sobre el programa recall .gracias”Owner report · Engine · Nov 2016
When filing, owners marked a crash in 14 of these complaints and injuries in 11 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 5 campaigns
CERTAIN EAGLE EYES HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES, P/NOS. DS517-B001L AND DS517-B001R, SOLD FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE OPTICEL SURFACE OF THE REFLECTOR IS CORRODED INHIBITING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE UPPER AND LOWER BEAMS WHICH FAILS TO CONFORM TO THE PHOTOMETRIC REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
Remedy: EAGLE EYES WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER REIMBURSEMENT FOR ANY NONCOMPLIANT HEADLIGHTS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 11, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT EAGLE EYES AT 1-800-568-1098.
CERTAIN ANZO COMBINATION HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS WHICH FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."
Remedy: ANZO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE HEADLAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN MAY 9, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT ANZO USA AT 909-468-3688.
CERTAIN MAXZONE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES, DEPO BRAND, P/NOS. 315-1145L-AS AND 315-1145R-AS, SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. DURING PRODUCTION THE LAMP REFLECTOR SHAPE DEFORMED CHANGING THE SHAPE OF THE OPTIC SURFACE. THIS WILL CHANGE THE OPPOSITE POSITION OF LOW BEAM AND HIGH BEAM OPTICSAND CHANGE THE ANGLE OF INCIDENCE AND ILLUMATED LOCATION WHICH FAILS TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
Remedy: MAXZONE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER REIMBURSEMENT FOR ANY NONCOMPLIANT HEADLIGHTS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 16, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MAXZONE AT 909-822-3288.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 2.5L ENGINE, THE CRANK ANGLE SENSOR IS AFFECTED BY TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS. UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS, THESE VARIATIONS IN TEMPERATURE CAN BE LARGE ENOUGH TO CAUSE A BRIEF INTERRUPTION IN THE SIGNAL OUTPUT FROM THE SENSOR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ECM FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 21, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
CERTAIN ANZO AFTERMARKET HEADLIGHTS, P/N 02-AZ-NA02-B-A, SOLD FOR USE ON 2002-2004 NISSAN ALTIMA VEHICLES. DURING PRODUCTION THE LAMP HOUSING SHAPE DEFORMED DISTORTING THE ASSEMBLY ANGLE OF THE REFLECTOR AND INFLUENCED THE AIMING POSITION. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
Remedy: ANZO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT ANZO AT 909-628-1440.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2004 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Altima 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 2004 Nissan Altima reliable?
NHTSA has 276 owner complaints and 5 recall campaigns on record for the 2004 Nissan Altima. The most complained-about area is engine and engine cooling (37% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2004 Nissan Altima problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 74,500 miles or less.
Does the 2004 Nissan Altima have open recalls?
5 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning exterior lighting:headlights. 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.