Nissan Altima / 2008
2008 Nissan Altima problems
Owners have filed 1,376 complaints about the 2008 Nissan Altima with NHTSA. Structure accounts for 22.7% of them — the clear leader, ahead of visibility/wiper at 12.2%.
Complaints1,376
Crashes73
Fires22
Injuries40
Deaths2
What owners report breaking
Structure 22.7% · 313
Unknown or other 14.5% · 199
Visibility/wiper 12.2% · 168
Air bags 10.7% · 147
Electrical system 6.5% · 90
Power train 5.8% · 80
Service brakes, hydraulic 4.2% · 58
Engine 3.9% · 54
Severity
Of those complaints, 73 describe a crash, 22 describe a fire, 40 report an injury and 2 report a death.
Reading the numbers
Across the 29 model years of the Nissan Altima in this data, 2008 sits 4th by complaint volume. 2013 draws the most.
Filings have fallen off, 25 in the last three years against 77 in the three before. That is normal as a generation leaves the road.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 71,400 miles.
In owners' own words
The dashboard is sticky which sometimes causes a glare on the windshield when driving the vehicle. My daughter is 18 and the primary driver of the vehicle. She has stated that sometimes on sunny days there is a glare on the windshield caused by the sticky dashboard. My concern is for her safety when driving and this causing an accident because of it. We live in texas where the heat and sun can be extreme at times. Structure · reported at 60,000 miles
My dashboard started to melt with the rising temperatures this summer and is spreading and getting worse as the temperature rises...... Which is caused by the substandard materials they used to manufacture the dashboard... <<<< In this day and age, what else could it be >>>> and has developed a sheen that is reflecting a large glare back at the windshield which makes it unsafe to drive on sunlit days. Structure · reported at 61,000 miles
My 2008 Nissan Altima dash has been melting for the past 3-4 years and is now causing an inability to see while driving. There is a large reflection on the windshield during daytime driving making it very difficult to see objects and other cars in front of me. The corporate office at Nissan offered 1/2 off the price, but I believe this should be a recall due to the dangers that it's causing for many drivers. Structure
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…