2001 Nissan Altima Suspension Problems
19 owner-reported suspension complaints from NHTSA data
Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
Owner Complaints (19)
While driving at 15 mph, your passenger side tire suddenly turned outward and struck a parked car. When you inspected the damage, you discovered that the control arm had broken at the hub connection, and the transaxle had separated from the vehicle. Parts were scattered across your parking area and up to 50 feet away from where the vehicle came apart. The suspension repair will require replacing the control arm, hub assembly, and likely inspecting the transaxle mounting.
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While driving at 55 mph, your vehicle came to a complete stop after you released the accelerator pedal without applying the brakes. A mechanic found that the brake axle and sway bar welds had failed, and the lower control arm had fractured. These suspension and brake system failures caused the unexpected stopping, and repairs were not covered under warranty. The issue occurred at 187,000 miles.
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Your car is making a loud noise from underneath and swaying while driving, especially when turning. You're also noticing a burning smell coming from the interior vents. These symptoms suggest potential issues with your suspension system and engine components that need professional diagnosis and repair.
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Your car's rear suspension is making loud noises and causing the vehicle to rattle and shake, especially at the back. This suggests worn or damaged suspension components that need inspection. A mechanic will likely need to examine and replace worn suspension parts to restore smooth, quiet operation.
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A RATTLING NOISE IS APPARENT FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS. MY MECHANIC INDICATED THE READ STABILIZER BAR HAS A TSB THAT AN IMPROPER SEALER OR BRUSHING WAS USED WHEN THE CAR WAS MADE, HOWEVER I NOW HAVE 57,000 MILES ON THE CAR THAT IS 3.5 YEARS OLD, I.E. OUT OF WARRANTY THEREFORE I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR A MANUFACTURE DEFECT.
ON 9/17/03 I HAD FOUR P205/60R15 UNIROYAL TOUR TR TIRES PLACED ON MY 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA. WITHIN ONE WEEK TWO WERE REPLACED BECAUSE OF VIBRATION. @ TWO WEEKS AGO I HAD THE TIRES ROTATED. THE REAR TIRES WERE PLACED ON THE FRONT. IMMEDIATELY VIBRATION AND PULLING TO THE RIGHT WAS NOTICED. AGAIN TWO NEW TIRES WERE PLACED ON THE VEHICLE. AGAIN THE PULL TO THE RIGHT. THE FRONT TIRES WERE MOVED TO OPPOSITE SIDES AND THE PULL WAS TO THE LEFT. A NEW TIRE WAS PLACED ON THE VEHICLE AND IT STILLS PULL TO THE LEFT. THE CAR IS IN ALIGNMENT. I WOULD THINK THERE IS A DEFECT IN THESE TIRES. I HAVE NOTIFIED UNIROYAL OF THE SAME BY EMAIL. *JB
MY 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA GXE/LE CAR HAS A PROBLEM WITH ITS SUSPENSION. IT MAKES A CRUNCHING/RATTLING NOISE. MY CAR HAS BEEN TO 2 NISSAN DEALERS A TOTAL OF 9 TIMES. IN ALL IT HAS BEEN OUT OF SERVICE FOR 17 DAYS. THEY HAVE REPLACED MANY SUSPENSION PARTS. BUT THE PROBLEM STILL REMAINS. I HAVE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER SEVERAL TIMES WITH MY COMPLAINTS VIA PHONE AND LETTERS. I HAVE ALSO DEMANDED A REFUND UNDER THE CALIFORNIA LEMON LAW. BUT NISSAN OF NORTH AMERICA HAS REFUSED. ON MARCH 2002, I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE BBB AUTO LINE PROGRAM. ONCE THE BBB AUTO LINE REVIEWED MY COMPLAINT THEY CONTACTED NISSAN. WE HAD A NISSAN DTS PERSON INSPECT MY CAR. I TEST DROVE WITH HIM AND HE VERIFIED MY EXISTING SUSPENSION PROBLEM. I AGREED TO GIVE THEM ONE MORE CHANCE TO FIX MY CAR ON APRIL 12, 2002. THE DTS PERSON ORDERED BOTH FRONT STRUTS AND SPRINGS REPLACED AGAIN. AS OF SEPTEMBER 2002 THE SAME SUSPENSION PROBLEM HAS RE-OCCURRED. ON OCTOBER 2002, I FINALLY DECIDED TO CONTACT A LAWYER EXPERIENCED IN THE LEMON LAW CASES. HE WROTE THE FIRST DEMAND LETTER TO NISSAN. THE LETTER MENTIONED ALL MY PROBLEMS AND DEMANDED A LEMON LAW BUY BACK BECAUSE OF THE SUSPENSION DEFECT. ON DECEMBER 2002 MY ATTORNEY?S OFFICE HAD TO SEND NISSAN ANOTHER LETTER, BECAUSE THEY HAD FAILED TO RESPOND TO THE FIST ONE. WELL JUST RECENTLY ON JANUARY 2003 NISSAN FINALLY DECIDED TO RESPOND TO THE LETTERS AND AFTER NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS THAT WERE MADE TO THEIR OFFICE. NISSAN SAID THAT BASED ON THE NUMBER OF REPAIR ATTEMPTS, ALONG WITH THE TYPE OF REPAIR THAT WAS PERFORMED TO RESOLVE THE COMPLAINT, WE DO NOT FEEL THAT THERE HAVE BEEN ANY SUBSTANTIAL REPAIRS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE FOR THE SAME NON-CONFORMITY. NISSAN WENT ON TO SAY THAT THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED TO REPURCHASE YOUR CLIENT'S VEHICLE, THEREFORE DEMANDS FOR REPURCHASE AND RESTITUTION OF ASSOCIATED FEES, IS DENIED. THEY AGAIN OFFERED TO HAVE A DTS(DEALER TECHNICAL SPECIALIST) COME OUT AND INSPECT MY VEHICLE. FOR THE ALLEGED SUSPENSION COMPLAINT.
I OWN A 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA, BOUGHT BRAND NEW WITH 35,300 MILES ON IT. NATURALLY THE WARRANTY IS ABOUT TO EXPIRE AND I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE THE REAR BUSHINGS AND STABILIZER BARS HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE ALREADY. IS THIS A SAFETY CONCERN? IS THIS A COMMON PROBLEM? IS THERE A RECALL? WHAT ARE MY RIGHTS ONCE MY WARRANTY EXPIRES? *LA
SWAY BAR BUSHING FELL OFF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE BUSHING. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS
CONSUMER NOTICED THE VEHICLE WOULD SWAY IN THE REAR AND MAKE NOISE. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THE REAR SWAY BAR WAS DISJOINTED.TS SCC *JB
METALLIC RATTLEING SOUND FROM SUSPENSION WHEN CROSSING OVER BUMPS OR LANE DIVIDER DOTS. SIMILIAR TO ODI #746528 & #759328. DT
MY CAR HAS A DEFECT WITH ITS SUSPENSION BOTH FRONT AND REAR. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR FOR SERVICE TO 2 DIFFERENT DEALERS FOR REPAIRS. IT MAKES A LOUD CRUNCHING,RATTLING AND SQUEAKING NOISE FROM THE FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION. WHILE DRIVING OVER THE SLIGHTEST BUMPS ON THE ROAD. INFACT IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS 8 TIMES IN ALL IT TOTALS 14 DAYS OUT OF SERVICE. AS OF NOW THE PROBLEM STILL REMAINS AFTER THE DEALER HAS REPLACED NUMEROS PARTS. THEY ARE AWARE OF THE EXISTING PROBLEM BUT CANNOT FIX IT.*AK
THE SWAY BAR BUSHING HAS BEEN REPLACED "FIXED" 4 TIMES ALREADY AND IT IS CURRENTLY BROKEN AGAIN. IT HAPPENED WHILE ENTERING THE DEALERSHIP DRIVEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH. THIS WAS A BRAND NEW CAR AND IT SIMPLY HAS PUT ME OUT! THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. I DRIVE MOSTLY ALL HIGHWAY MILES WITH NO BUMPS OR POT HOLES FOR THIS TO BE HAPPENING. *AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 15MPH SUDDENLY VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT. CONSUMER WENT OFF THE ROAD TRYING TO VEER TO LEFT, AND VEHICLE KEPT PULLING TO THE RIGHT. VEHICLE STOPPED ON IMPACT BY HITTING A TREE. FRONT RIGHT PASSENGER'S SIDE WAS DAMAGED. OFFICER AT THE SCENE STATED VEHICLE WASN'T TRAVELING TOO FAST ACCORDING HOW AIR BAG DEPLOYED. CONSUMER WAS WAITING FOR INSURANCE ADJUSTER TO INSPECT VEHICLE. *AK
SWAY BAR FAILED. *YH
SWAY BAR BUSHING HAS FALLEN OUT TWICE. *AK
AFTER HAVING VEHICLE FOR TWO WEEKS CONSUMER NOTICED A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM LEFT REAR. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE SERVICED AT DEALER. TECHNICIAN STATED SWAY BAR WAS LOOSE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
LEFT REAR OF VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A CRUNCHING/RATTLING NOISE OVER EVEN THE SLIGHTEST BUMP. DEALERSHIP DETERMINED IT TO BE NOISEY SWAYBAR LINK. THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE BUSHING PUSHED OUT APPARENTLY. THEY HAD TO INSTALL A WASHER ON SWAT BAR BUSHINGS RETAINER. NOT SURE IF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD WHERE I COULD OF LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. I FOUND THIS BAD BECAUSE CAR IS NEW AND ONLY 2 MONTHS OLD AND I DRIVE ALL HIGHWAY INTERSTATE MILES. NO SIDE/OFF ROADS WITH MAJOR BUMPS TO KNOCK THIS OUT. HOPEFULLY PROB WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN.IT IS A CONCERN SINCE VEH IS NEW AND THERE WAS NO EXTREMELY ROUGH DRIVING DONE WITH VEHICLE.
CONSUMER HEARD A BANGING NOISE IN REAR. TOOK VHEICLE TO DEALER . DEALER CLAIMED SWAY BAR AND BUSHINGS HAD TO BE REMOUNTED. *AK *JB