2019 Nissan Altima Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2019 Altima most often describe advanced driver-assistance systems that behave unexpectedly — automatic emergency braking that engages with nothing in front of the car, warning lights that come on and off, and rear camera or sensor problems. A second cluster of complaints covers the engine: stalling, no-start conditions, overheat and, in higher-mileage cars, internal damage that led to engine replacement. Many electrical complaints involve batteries draining, doors that lock or unlock intermittently, and infotainment failures.

1. 1
   Forward collision avoidance

   Automatic emergency braking engages with no obstacle

   • 45 complaints (19%)
   • median 8,596 mi at 1.2 yrs old (23 state mileage)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners describe the car braking hard on its own while driving at city and highway speeds with no vehicle or object nearby, sometimes accompanied by a forward-collision or AEB warning light. A few report the system failing to act when a collision was actually imminent. Complaints say dealers often found no codes, told owners the front sensor or radar was misaligned or damaged, reprogrammed the system, or replaced a radar unit — in several cases the behavior returned afterward. Mostly reported below about 40,000 miles, often within the first year of ownership.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test drive at highway speed and over curves, and ask whether any radar or camera reprogramming or sensor realignment has been done. Have a dealer scan for stored ADAS codes such as C1A16 or C2582.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving straight over the upper roadway gw bridge, my automatic brakes engaged with no objects in front of my car. This caused my front brakes to lock which caused me to drift left into the left lane, at which point I was almost crushed by a speeding 18-wheel truck.”

   NHTSA complaint #11387480, filed 2021-01, 38,500 miles

   “The emergency breaking system has engaged multiple times when there was nothing in front of the vehicle. The vehicle was in motion around a curve when the breaking system engaged and brought my car to a stop. If there was anyone behind me I would have been hit.”

   NHTSA complaint #11329005, filed 2020-06, 23,240 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Engine stalls or will not restart

   • 37 complaints (16%)
   • median 65,515 mi at 4.2 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • filed 2020–2026

   Complaints describe the engine cutting out at stop lights, at low speed leaving a driveway, or at highway speed, sometimes with the RPM fluctuating first and no warning light. Several owners report the car failing to restart after shutdown, and that dealers could not duplicate the problem or replaced a sensor without resolving it. A few say the engine then had to be replaced. Spread from a few thousand miles up to about 70,000 miles, with many reports in the 10,000-45,000 mile range.

   Recall 25V4370002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for service history on stalling or no-start visits and any sensor replacements. Confirm the vehicle has had the engine-related recall work checked against its VIN, and listen for rough idle or hesitation on a cold start.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On three separate occasions, upon shifting the car into park, with the proximity key within 3-4 feet of the car, the engine shut off. On each occasion the car was restarted with no apparent problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #11366267, filed 2020-10, 3,100 miles

   “The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. After several attempts, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The contact stated that an unknown part was replaced. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to several dealers, who refused to accept the vehicle. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11646972, filed 2025-03, 43,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Engine overheat and internal engine failure

   • 18 complaints (8%)
   • median 108,000 mi at 6.8 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners describe the temperature gauge climbing, coolant disappearing from the reservoir, and hot air through the vents, sometimes without any warning light. Others report the check engine light followed by the engine seizing, with mechanics finding oil on the spark plugs, coolant intrusion, metal shavings or bearing debris in the oil, and recommending engine replacement. Dealers in some cases declined the repair or said the VIN was not covered by a recall. Mostly reported between roughly 65,000 and 180,000 miles, with several cases above 100,000 miles.

   Recall 25V437000

   What to check: Check coolant level and look for residue or a low reservoir, ask whether the thermostat or cooling system has been serviced, and have an independent inspection pull an oil sample and scan for engine codes before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Thermostat has been replaced twice. Car is still having issues with overheating. First replacement of thermoastat the car ran fine for about 2 months then the car started doing the same thing. It will overheat and then come right down again. Thermostat was replace again and was doing good then the same issue keeps occuring. My car currently has 175000 miles. No warning lights come on when the vehicle begins to overheat”

   NHTSA complaint #11726580, filed 2026-03, 175,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine overheated and hot air came out of the vents, entering the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the coolant reservoir needed to be refilled. The dealer refilled the coolant reservoir. The failure persisted, and the vehicle was returned to the dealer, who then diagnosed that the radiator thermostat had failed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11695388, filed 2025-10, 150,000 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Battery drain and electrical no-start

   Mentioned in 8 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report the battery going flat overnight or within a day, leaving windows and doors inoperable, plus intermittent failures to start with the push-button. Complaints also describe warning lights appearing at random, an infotainment unit that stops working or changes volume by itself, and grille shutter faults that let the engine run hot. Several say dealers could not reproduce the problem and the car was returned unrepaired. Typically reported between about 12,000 and 75,000 miles, often after repeated short trips or overnight sitting.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for a battery load test and a parasitic draw check, and confirm whether infotainment software updates have been applied. Note whether warning lights stay on after start-up.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The gas tank notification says that I have no gas when I have gas in the car it also gives me a burnt smell and loud static noise even when the car is off, the stereo stopped working and I just bought the car 5/5/19”

   NHTSA complaint #11209980, filed 2019-05, 300 miles

   “The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled, and the power brakes and power steering were inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and called roadside assistance for a jumpstart. The contact stated that the failure of the electric power had become a recurring failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle had not been repaired. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11552863, filed 2023-10, 75,000 miles
5. 5
   Electrical system

   Doors will not lock, unlock or open

   • 27 complaints (12%)
   • median 24,000 mi at 1.7 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners describe doors that will not lock or unlock from the key fob, interior switch or door button, sometimes working only intermittently, and a front door that would not open at all until it was pushed or opened from another door. Complaints report dealer diagnosis of a faulty door lock actuator, with at least one replacement done under warranty that later recurred. Reported from about 16,000 to 45,000 miles, typically while parked.

   What to check: Cycle the locks several times with the fob and the interior switch on every door, and ask whether any door lock actuator has already been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Back seat doors do not lock when pressing the automatic lock button located on the inside of the doors, and when pressing the lock button on the remote key. Vehicle was stationary.”

   NHTSA complaint #11290403, filed 2019-12, 24,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted to open the door with the key fob however, the door failed to open. The contact had to physically hit the front door to manually open the door. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the front door actuator was not fully locking, and the door actuator needed to be replaced. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11636573, filed 2025-01, 16,147 miles

Buying note. Check that all open recalls for the VIN — engine, rear camera, fuel pump and brake switch campaigns — have been completed, and budget for a thorough scan of the driver-assistance and electrical systems. A pre-purchase inspection that includes coolant, oil condition and battery testing is worth doing on this model year given the engine and electrical reports.

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.