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Nissan · NHTSA safety record

2010 Nissan Altima Hybrid

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

12

Complaints

0

Crashes

2

Fires

0

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2010 Nissan Altima Hybrid have filed 12 safety complaints with NHTSA between February 2010 and October 2019. The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 4 of them (33%). The typical failure was reported at 54,000 miles, the median across the 11 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.

Defect investigations (1)

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Pedestrian alert sounds

DP22005

Closed defect petition · opened January 27, 2023 · closed August 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000

the electrical system

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 12.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 4 33%
ENGINE 4 33%
POWER TRAIN 2 17%
AIR BAGS 1 8%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 8%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 8%
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 1 8%
SEATS 1 8%
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC 1 8%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2014 at 4.

2010 2014 2019
2010 to 2019

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire · 70,000 miles

WHILE AT A FULL STOP AT A RED LIGHT AT THE INTERSECTION OF I-495 (EXIT 51 E) AND RT 231 IN SUFFOLK, NEW YORK, MY WIFE'S 2010 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID, WHILE IN ELECTRIC HYBRID MODE, EXPERIENCED SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHICH OCCURRED MARCH 8, 2014 AND IGNITED WITH VISIBLE SPARKS REPORTED BY EYEWITNESSES UNDERNEATH THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO COMBUSTION. AGAIN, THE VEHICLE WAS AT A FULL AND COMPLETE STOP AT A RED TRAFFIC LIGHT. FORTUNATELY MY WIFE NARROWLY ESCAPED SERIOUS INJURY OR WORSE......WITH NO VEHICLE WARNING LIGHTS OR INDICATION/ANOMALIES WHICH WOULD WARN HER OF THE IMPENDING DANGEROUS VEHICLE IGNITION. NISSAN AND METLIFE, MY INSURANCE CARRIER, ARE

NHTSA complaint 10575240, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

fire · 73,000 miles

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I AM WRITING TO REPORT A VEHICLE ENGINE FIRE WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP INVOLVING MY WIFE'S 2010 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID AT THE INTERSECTION OF RTE 231 & I-495 SERVICE RD (E/B) IN SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY. NISSAN WAS CONTACTED, AS WELL AS MY INSURANCE CARRIER, MET LIFE, AND OTH SENT INDEPENDENT ARSON INVESTIGATORS TO EXAMINE THE VEHICLE AND IDENTIFY A CAUSE/ORIGIN OF THE SPONTANEOUS IGNITION WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP. MET LIFE'S INVESTIGATOR FOUND NOTHING POINTING TO THE MAINTENANCE OR OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUSED OR CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SPONTANEOUS IGNITION. NISSAN SENT THEIR INVESTIGATOR, WHOM IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR, IDENTIFIED THE

NHTSA complaint 10585064, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

towed · 135,000 miles

TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID RECALL - TOYOTA HYBRID PRIUS SYSTEM WHICH IS CURRENTLY UNDER TWO HYBRID SYSTEM RECALLS USED BY NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRIDS 2007-2011. MY VEHICLE UNEXPECTLY AND SUDDENLY LOSS ENGINE POWER WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, NO WARNING LIGHTS OR PRIOR MECHANICAL ISSUES PRIOR TO THIS EVENT. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED TO THE ENGINE WIRING HARDNESS WHICH CONNECTS TO THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT (HYBRID COMPUTER)AND DAMAGED MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM COMPONENTS (ECU, COILS, AND AUXILARY BATTERY. OPEN NISSAN CASE NUMBER [XXX] PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT

NHTSA complaint 11138989, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

towed · 68,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE BATTERY AND THE COMPUTER SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CALLED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68,000.

NHTSA complaint 11266084. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT HOME, IT WOULD NOT START DUE TO A DEFECTIVE SENSOR. THE VEHICLE EVENTUALLY STARTED AND WAS DRIVEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE DEFECTIVE SENSOR. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA complaint 10915281. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

36,433 miles

THE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" CAME ON. THE CODE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ISSUE IS P0448. THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE EVAP CANISTER VENT CONTROL VALVE. WE ARE THE ORIGINAL CAR OWNERS.

NHTSA complaint 10758553. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

54,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING UPHILL, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED GEARS INDEPENDENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA complaint 10652795. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

63,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR FLASHED AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE WAS WITHIN THE SENSOR FOR THE SEAT DETECTION. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 14V138000 (AIR BAGS), 13V069000 (AIR BAGS), 11V408000 (AIR BAGS) AND 12V055000 (AIR BAGS). THE VEHICLE WAS SCHEDULED FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND TO BE REPAIRED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000.

NHTSA complaint 10608099. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other 2010 Nissan models

Altima 380 Rogue 282 Maxima 275 Versa 267 Murano 189 Sentra 144 370Z 110 Frontier 59

Every Nissan on this site — 200 vehicles, 319 recall campaigns and 5 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst