2007 Nissan Altima Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about suspension parts — especially a rear stabilizer (sway) bar that snaps and hangs under the car — along with brakes that feel like they drag or fail to release, air bag warning lights tied to the passenger seat sensor, and CVT transmission failures that appear at higher mileage. Many reports come in around 40,000-60,000 miles for suspension and brakes, while transmission complaints cluster well past 100,000 miles.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   CVT transmission slips, whines or drops into fail-safe

   • 70 complaints (15%)
   • median 98,000 mi at 6.1 yrs old (59 state mileage)
   • 9 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,667 (median of 7 quotes)
   • filed 2007–2024

   Owners describe the CVT whining, jerking, refusing to accelerate, downshifting on its own, or losing forward motion entirely, sometimes with the check engine light on. Several say mechanics told them the transmission needed replacement, and one reported the dealer replaced the control module before the symptom returned. A few describe poor acceleration after hard braking or after long drives, consistent with a fail-safe or limp mode. Often reported past 100,000 miles, though some complaints came in under 5,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test drive from cold and again after warm-up, watching for hesitation, whine or delayed engagement; ask for transmission fluid service records and whether any CVT fail-safe bulletins or software updates were applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 2007 Nissan Altima 2.5s with CVT transmission that has failed at 181,225 miles. Car has always been taken care of.. Driving down the road a whining sound started lost acceleration then a very loud grinding noise and then shifting issues.. All with in 15 minutes.. No warning just quit going. Mechanics state it is the transmission and has to be replaced. Really love my car but the replacement is so expensive. Nissan needs to help due to this is an on going issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #11375818, filed 2020-11, 181,225 miles

   “I was driving and my car started shaking. The engine light came on and I had to go get it checked out so I did and the guy said my transmission could explode on me, stop while I'm driving, or stop working randomly.”

   NHTSA complaint #11377870, filed 2020-12, 184,600 miles
2. 2
   Suspension

   Rear sway bar snaps and hangs under the car

   • 112 complaints (24%)
   • median 60,150 mi at 5.3 yrs old (106 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $750 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2008–2018

   Owners describe hearing a loud pop or noticing a metal tube hanging beside a rear wheel, and finding the rear stabilizer bar broken in half, often near the bushing or bracket. Several say there was no impact, heavy load or rust involved, and that the car felt less stable or was pushed around by wind afterward. Others report broken rear coil springs or rear shocks seized and rusted into the knuckle, and note that dealers described the bar breakage as something they had seen before without an open campaign. Mostly reported between about 25,000 and 100,000 miles, often noticed during routine service or tire changes.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Have a shop inspect the rear stabilizer bar end links and bar itself for cracks, and check rear springs and shocks for rust or seizure. Service bulletins on strut/shock replacement exist, so ask what suspension work has already been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Upon inspection of an unknown metal tube hanging visibly next to the driver's side rear wheel, I was able to determine that the sway bar had deteriorated and broke. It is a very poorly designed hollow tube steel. My vehicle has approx 43,000 miles on it. I did research and found this to be a common yet unadressed issue with Nissan.”

   NHTSA complaint #10442464, filed 2012-01, 43,000 miles

   “Similar to many others, I noticed a piece hanging down from the underside of my 2007 Nissan Altima. It turned out to be the sway bar. It had just broken in half. This apparently has been a common problem for many owners of this particular model. It would appear to be a defect, and could be a serious safety problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #10470049, filed 2012-08, 60,300 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Passenger air bag 'off' light and seat sensor faults

   • 50 complaints (11%)
   • median 39,000 mi at 3.6 yrs old (31 state mileage)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2007–2022

   Owners report the passenger air bag warning light blinking or staying lit, and the 'passenger air bag off' indicator remaining on even with an adult in the seat. Some say the air bag did not deploy in a collision. Several complaints tie the symptom to the occupant classification sensor in the passenger seat cushion and mention that their vehicle was not covered by the campaign for that part; dealers reportedly diagnosed the sensor as failed and quoted replacement. Reported from very low mileage up past 150,000 miles, sometimes soon after purchase.

   Recall 08V5210001 related service bulletin

   What to check: With the car running, sit in the passenger seat and watch whether the air bag 'off' light clears; have any stored air bag codes read. Ask whether the occupant classification system campaign (08V521000) was completed for this VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This is a recurring problem. I have a 2007 Nissan Altima 2.5s. As indicated by the safety light on the dashboard, the passenger side airbag in my vehicle will turn on and off repeatedly when I have a passenger sitting in the seat. This is despite knowing the passenger weighs far more (over 150 lbs) than the safety limits for which the airbag should be designed to turn off. The airbag indicator will light notifying us that the passenger airbag has turned off and will often remain lit for 20-30 minutes at a time, but the time will vary. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10302969, filed 2010-01, 20,000 miles

   “Purchased this vehicle from the original owner. Saw that the front passenger air bag off indicator light stayed on when the front passenger seat was occupied along with the air bag warning light blinking in the instrument panel (all the time). Upon investigating the issue, I found that the varistor in the ocs control unit (occupant classification system) in the front passenger seat was bad. This varsitor is the switch that engages the front passenger air bag when the seat is occupied. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11110025, filed 2018-07, 154,500 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   Brakes dragging, soft pedal or master cylinder leaks

   • 90 complaints (19%)
   • median 48,000 mi at 4.8 yrs old (73 state mileage)
   • 14 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $600 (median of 15 quotes)
   • filed 2007–2023

   Owners describe a brake pedal that feels like it sticks or does not return fully, inconsistent stopping, and occasional sudden hard braking. Others report the brake warning light coming on and a dealer diagnosis of a leaking master cylinder, sometimes at low mileage, with repair billed to the owner. A few say the problem persisted after pads or brake work was performed. Mostly reported between roughly 25,000 and 60,000 miles, with some at very low mileage.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check brake fluid level and look for wetness around the master cylinder and lines; ask whether the brake warning lamp has come on and whether the brake system was inspected under the related service campaign.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “After the brake light was sporadically coming on and off while I was driving, I brought my 2007 Altima into the dealership. The technicians diagnosed that the master cylinder is leaking. The car has just over 27,300 miles on it. The mechanic topped off the fluid and advised me to bring it back in a few days when they had an open appointment. I am the first and only owner.”

   NHTSA complaint #10421256, filed 2011-08, 27,300 miles

   “Brand new 2007 Nissan Altima took to deale r at 2915 for oil change and asked them to check brakes. They told me they needed to replace back brake pads. While waiting 6 hours they finally were going to let me take it, but the warning light came on. The mechanics were not sure what caused this and they needed the car to stay. At one point I was told the computerwas not doing what it was supposed to with the car. After several days I was told they would need to replace the wiring harness. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10196112, filed 2007-07, 2,915 miles
5. 5
   Engine cooling

   Coolant and oil leaks around the engine

   • 35 complaints (7%)
   • median 55,000 mi at 3.4 yrs old (32 state mileage)
   • 14 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2007–2023

   Owners report coolant or oil leaking from the engine area, sometimes noticed right after an oil change, with dealers pointing to the oil cooler assembly or a failed hose. Some describe overheating that led to engine replacement at very low mileage, and others report transmission fluid or coolant spraying over the engine compartment and smoke from under the hood. One complaint describes oil found in the radiator. Reported from a few thousand miles up to about 230,000 miles, with several cases at 60,000-100,000 miles.

   Recall 07V2670003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check for coolant and oil residue around the oil cooler, hoses and radiator, and ask about any overheating history or engine replacement; confirm whether the exhaust heat shield campaign was completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My complaint is for oil leak and electrical system problem. 1 year after purchasing my 2007 Nissan Altima, I took it for oil change were they stated we think there might be a leak somewhere. 3 months later I took the car for another oil change and all of a sudden it was a major oil leak. This just one incident and I have read several complaint forum where people are having the same problem and some resulted in there cars catching on fire. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10750258, filed 2015-08, 94,520 miles

   “The contact owns a 2007 Nissan Altima. While driving between 2-35 MPH, the engine made a loud screeching noise. The vehicle has not been inspected by a dealer. The engine was previously replaced at 6,000 miles due to the engine overheating. The failure mileage was 6,000 and current mileage was 8,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #10201162, filed 2007-08, 6,000 miles

Buying note. Look closely at the rear suspension and air bag indicator lights on any example, and get a pre-purchase inspection that covers the CVT and brake hydraulics. Ask for service records on transmission fluid, brakes and the occupant sensor campaign so you know what has already been addressed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.