2007 Nissan Altima — Known Issues & Recalls

Your dashboard has developed a crack that runs across its entire width, and you're concerned about whether the airbag will deploy properly if needed. The crack makes it look like the bottom portion of the dashboard could fall out. Even though your car is garaged and out of the weather, this cracking has been happening since summer.

Your car is shutting off while you're driving it, requiring you to restart the engine. The car then shuts off again after some time. This is a recurring problem that happens intermittently during operation.

Your dashboard is melting and cracking, even in areas without direct sunlight, creating a burning smell in the cabin. The cracks and deterioration are causing dangerous glare on your windshield that blocks your view of the road, especially in sunny weather. You've also noticed your dashboard lights flickering on and off with intermittent warning messages. The issue may require dashboard replacement or repair by the manufacturer.

Your dashboard has been cracking and deteriorating over time, with pieces now coming off and exposing the yellow foam underneath. You're seeing white patches around the glove compartment that look like the material is melting, and cracks have spread across the entire dashboard panel even in areas that don't get direct sunlight. This is likely a material degradation issue common to this model year. Fixing this typically involves either refinishing the dashboard surface or replacing the dashboard panel entirely.

Your car's CVT transmission suddenly slipped and lost all power while driving on a busy road, with no warning signs beforehand. This happened unexpectedly and left you unable to move the car or safely get off the road, creating a dangerous traffic situation. The transmission may need professional diagnosis to determine if it requires repair or replacement.

Your transmission started making strange noises that changed with acceleration at 51,000 miles, indicating a potential failure. While the transmission hasn't completely stopped working yet, the problem poses a safety concern, especially on longer trips. The fix will likely require transmission service or replacement, which is a major repair.

Georgia

Your driver-side airbag failed to deploy during a major side-impact collision with another vehicle, despite the car passing a safety inspection 30 days earlier with no warning lights. The vehicle was examined by state police, insurance companies, and independent engineers. This failure resulted in serious injury to the driver.

Your passenger side airbag warning light stays on while driving. A mechanic diagnosed that the passenger occupant sensor has failed, which prevents the airbag system from working properly on that side. The fix will likely involve replacing the faulty occupant sensor in the passenger seat area.

While driving, your car started shaking and the check engine light came on. A mechanic diagnosed a serious transmission problem that could cause the transmission to fail suddenly while you're driving, stop working without warning, or potentially cause catastrophic damage. This requires immediate professional transmission inspection and repair.

Your car's check engine light came on shortly after you bought it. A diagnostic scan revealed a transmission circuit problem that could cause the transmission to fail. You'll likely need professional transmission diagnostics and repair to address the faulty circuit.

While driving at 20 mph, your ABS and tire pressure warning lights came on and the engine started to stall, with smoke visible from under the hood. A mechanic found that transmission fluid and engine coolant were leaking into the engine compartment. When you tried to start the vehicle again, the brakes seized and wouldn't move. The dealer said your vehicle wasn't covered by the related recall. Fixing this will likely require replacing or resealing the leaking transmission and cooling system components, and inspecting the brake system.

Your engine stalled without warning while you were driving, which caused another vehicle to hit your car's driver's side and knock off the mirror. You were injured in the incident. The vehicle was towed home but hasn't been diagnosed or repaired yet. Diagnosing the stall will likely involve a mechanic checking your fuel system, ignition system, and engine computer for fault codes.

Your airbag warning light is on, and the dashboard shows "Passenger Air Bag Off" even when someone is sitting in the front passenger seat. A mechanic found that the sensor under the passenger seat that detects occupants has failed and needs to be replaced. This prevents the passenger airbag from deploying properly if there's a crash.

While driving, your Altima suddenly lost all engine power and your speedometer stopped working without any warning. The car came to a stop and wouldn't restart. A mechanic was unable to locate or obtain the necessary replacement part to fix the issue.

Your brakes failed to engage properly while driving at 50 mph in heavy traffic, causing you to rear-end the vehicle ahead of you in a multi-car collision. You felt the brake pedal engage but the car did not slow down significantly, and you noticed a strong burnt smell during and after the incident. The brake system will need complete inspection and likely replacement of failed brake components.

Your brake system failed while driving on the freeway, causing you to lose control and spin out multiple times. The vehicle had odometer tampering—the actual mileage was over 206,000 miles but displayed as 85,000-95,000 miles. The brakes need immediate inspection and likely replacement, as brake failure is a serious safety hazard.

While driving at highway speeds (65+ mph), your engine made a whirring noise, overheated, and you noticed a slight burnt rubber smell along with delayed acceleration. The problem repeats after 20-30 minutes of highway driving. This suggests an issue with engine cooling or a belt-driven component that needs inspection.

Your car shakes or shudders while driving, constantly smells like gasoline, sometimes won't start, gets poor fuel economy, and tends to overheat. The dealer confirmed there's a problem but refused to help because aftermarket parts were used instead of OEM parts, and told you to basically run the vehicle until it fails.

Your dashboard is deteriorating and becoming sticky, with a strong chemical smell coming from it. The melting dashboard also creates a glare on your windshield in certain lighting conditions, which can affect visibility and safety. This issue has been addressed through a class action lawsuit in Florida, where Nissan provided fixes for affected Altimas. You may want to contact Nissan about warranty coverage or a replacement dashboard.