- The problem
- Certain eagle eyes headlamp assemblies, p/nos. Ds517-b001l and ds517-b001r, sold for use as replacement equipment for the above listed passenger vehicles. The opticel surface of the reflector is corroded inhibiting the performance of the upper and lower beams which fails to conform to the photometric requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
- The risk
- Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
- The fix
- Eagle eyes will notify owners and offer reimbursement for any noncompliant headlights. The recall began on december 11, 2007. Owners may contact eagle eyes at 1-800-568-1098.
Vehicle safety record
2004 Nissan Altima Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 276 complaints about the 2004 Nissan Altima with NHTSA, most often about the engine & cooling (138) and the body, doors & structure (43). Those complaints describe 14 crashes, 3 fires and 11 injuries. It is covered by 5 recalls, the latest in September 2007 for the headlights. For comparison, the 2003 has 883 and the 2005 has 1,091.
NHTSA data checked
CAbout as many problems as a typical Altima year, for its age
#48 most complained-about 2004 vehicle
- Complaints
- 276
- Recalls
- 5
- Crashes
- 14
- Fires
- 3
- Injuries
- 11
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2004 Nissan Altima problems
Share of all 276 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2004 Nissan Altima recalls 5
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Certain anzo aftermarket headlights, p/n 02-az-na02-b-a, sold for use on 2002-2004 nissan altima vehicles. During production the lamp housing shape deformed distorting the assembly angle of the reflector and influenced the aiming position. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
- The risk
- Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
- The fix
- Anzo will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant lamps. The recall began on september 10, 2007. Owners can contact anzo at 909-628-1440.
- The problem
- Certain maxzone headlight assemblies, depo brand, p/nos. 315-1145L-as and 315-1145r-as, sold for use as aftermarket equipment for the above listed passenger vehicles. During production the lamp reflector shape deformed changing the shape of the optic surface. This will change the opposite position of low beam and high beam opticsand change the angle of incidence and illumated location which fails to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
- The risk
- Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
- The fix
- Maxzone will notify owners and offer reimbursement for any noncompliant headlights. The recall began on july 16, 2007. Owners may contact maxzone at 909-822-3288.
- The problem
- On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5L engine, the crank angle sensor is affected by temperature variations. Under certain driving conditions, these variations in temperature can be large enough to cause a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor.
- The risk
- If the interruption in the signal from the sensor is so brief that the electronic control module (ecm) logic does not have time to diagnose the condition, the engine may stop running without warning while the vehicle is driven at a low speed increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Dealers will reprogram the ecm free of charge. The recall began on august 21, 2006. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
- The problem
- Certain anzo combination headlamp assemblies sold as replacement lamps for use on certain passenger vehicles. Some combination lamps are not equipped with amber side reflectors which fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
- The risk
- Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
- The fix
- Anzo will notify owners and replace the headlamps free of charge. The recall began may 9, 2006. Owners may contact anzo usa at 909-468-3688.
What owners say
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276 complaints about the 2004 Nissan Altima
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 12.
The car has a fuel problem and crankshaft position sensor issue causing the car to die and also not start up normal idling. When I do get it to start up it idles very groggy.
The crankshaft position sensor (cps) was not responsive when the repair shop was testing the vehicle because of the "service engine soon" light came on. After a short search online they 1.) Had no signal to the cps from the pcm 2.) That there was also a voluntary recall by nissan for this issue covering this make an model. I called nissan and told me that the recall wasn't for that car but the vehicle was in fact built in the years covered and also had the exact issues the recall covered
This is the second time that I had to replace the transmission on this car then the axle twice and the brakes then etc
The frame of the vehicle is rusting away. There is a hole in the floor board on passenger side, from underneath the vehicle from rust. You can feel around the frame of the car and chunks of metal fall off . This was noticed during maintenance on the vehicle . Car was stationary , I had noticed that I was getting an extreme amount of dust inside the vehicle.
My vehicle was in a front collision at 35mph. The driver was the only occupant in the vehicle at the time of the accident. The passenger airbag deployed there was no one sitting in that seat. The driver airbag did not deploy.
The sound packaging was peeling ; yet truly the floor boards on driverside and front pasenger have completely rusted off!! So dangerous! And I have horrible allergies and the carpet is full of dust and mildew.
Car was stalling 2 days ago shut it off and drove away just fine not even 4 hours later my fiance was driving the car home he came up around a hill /bend on a city street the car locked up on him along with the oiil brake and battery light the breaks wouldn't do anything car wouldn't stop he ended up going head on into a tree in the neighbors yard. Car is completely totalled. There was a malfunction in the car somewhere and I believe the security of the car or the ecm is what locked it up on him there was no...
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steering in the car as well. No recalls pop up with my vin # but I am suspected to believe there was something wrong internally. It was at 240,700 miles.He was expectidly only going 30 miles an hour but with the pictures im attaching it seems like the computer toom over the speed control
Engine stalls during driving. This happens almost everyday. Cam shaft sensor replaced several times.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan altima. While attempting to start the vehicle, it failed to operate. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine control module burned too much fuel to the catalytic converter and need to be replaced. The catalytic converter was replaced; however, the failure recurred two months later. The vehicle was taken back to the same mechanic where the diagnostic was the same. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred after two...
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months. The vehicle was taken to fort worth nissan (3451 w loop 820 s, fort worth, tx 76116) where it was diagnosed that the ignition and exhaust failed. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 214,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan altima. While attempting to start the vehicle, the extended crank failed to spark the crank sensor. While the gear shifter was placed in drive, the vehicle began to shake and the engine stalled and the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The contact called middletown nissan at 860-632-6550 (located at 1153 newfield st, middletown, ct 06457) and was informed that there was no recall associated with the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 06v242000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 192,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan altima. While driving various speeds and while the vehicle was stationary, the vehicle stalled without warning. Several independent mechanics were made aware of the failure and replaced the manifold, oxygen sensor, and a computer chip; however, the failure recurred. The dealer and manufacturers were not made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 1,361.
I recently had my car serviced and was told my floor panel had rotted through. The car is a 2004 but has less than 44,000 miles, has been serviced regularly and has been garaged part of the time.Articles on the internet show it is a massive problem with these cars due to poor drainage design. The repair is over $2000. Otherwise the car is in good shape. This is just one of 1000's of reports to the nhtsa about this problem.
"Takata recall"tengo problema con mi carro desde q lo agarre siempre fallaba de lo mismo engine y hasta ahora se descompuso y no puedo arreglarlo q tengo q hacer o sobre el programa recall .Gracias
Mi carro tiene problemas con las cabezas .Y ahorita no lo puedo usar porq esta parado por no arreglarlo todavia quisiera saber sobre recall.Gracias
Floor boards (driver & passenger sides), extensive rust causing pieces of floor boards to fall off, or easily be removed with hand by mechanic, leaving insulation exposed on exterior, and hole under carpeting. Smell of gas fumes in cabin. Also, squeaking and cracking sounds under driver seat and surrounding area, when driving over minor/small bumps in road, or when shifting weight, when sitting in driver seat. Note: one owner, garage kept, driven by 115-lb. Person only. Pictures available. (Is my seat falling through the floor? Is my car safe to drive?) *Tr
Car does not start. Acts like it is not getting fuel...Mechanic suggesting cps vehicle was stationary for only ten minutes.. Ran just fine before hand.
PASSENGER FLOOR BOARD RUSTING. HOLE IN THE FLOOR!
Rusted floor boards/panels under vehicle at the driver and passenger floor side due to a manufacturer defect. Rust started after 2 years of use .Vehicle was purchased brand new at the dealership and rust started 24 months afterwards with no action taken by the dealership of nissan. Owner decided to repair the rust at the dealership with no compensation from the dealership of nissan corporate headquarters. Repair s acknowledgement and receipt attached. Nissan corporate claim #22951460.
The passenger floorboard has rusted out leaving a 12" x 10" hole right in the area that you would step into the car. Since this is the area that is regularly inspected due to the location of the oil filter, hard to believe that this wasn't detected previously to just falling out.
Floor boards under the driver & passenger seats completely rusted out. Can see & feel the carpet from underneath the car. If you step too hard on the floor from the inside, you foot would go through and you would touch the ground.
For the 2nd time car running very rough and stalling. Had it serviced seems the spark plugs were destroyed and not functioning. Paid over $500 for mechanic to put in new plugs now it happened again. Seems there is a voluntary service campaign qr25de power valve. Campaign id p5202. A bolt from manifold is falling into cylinder and blowing out spark plug and causing internal engine damage, my mechanic put camera in cylinder. Car is running but it has already happened to cylinder 1 and 4. Next time my 22 year old...
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daughter may not be so lucky on her highway commute. Hopefully the local nissan dealer can rectify problem before the problem becomes more serious. The engine light came on that says to service engine soon, it is still on...From what I have found online sounds like power valve screws are coming out and creating engine damage.
I was unsure how the rust on the fllorboard of my 2004 nissan altima had occurred but is it so bad that there is a hole in my floorboard. It has now gotten so bad that it has now affected the frame of the car.
Rust on floorboard requiring replacement of floorboard. Minor rust was observed via inspection when underneath the car; however, once the seat was removed, the shop indicated the problem was much worse, because the rust is occurring from the inside. This is not typical rust due to salt, etc.
Rear suspension bushings & takata recall the car slips in the rear wheels similar to "fish-tailing" in snow. Nissan offered a recall in 2006 to replace parts on rear suspension system without notifying me until 2015, months before the recall expired. Notices never contained any notification of any expiration date. After hours of customer service claimed there was never a recall; then yes there was a recall that I had replaced in 2007; then claiming the work was completed in 2014, they finally agreed to having...
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the car inspected regarding this recall. The dealership at woodfield nissan claimed that my car was "unsafe to drive" and listed every other part of my suspension that needed to be replaced other than the main one in the recall. A service order was created that the dealership refused to give me when the service manager lost his temper and got physically intimidating towards me. My wife and I are frightened to ever go to this dealership due to this. Now I am driving an "unsafe to drive" vehicle that nissan left me without any paperwork to advise me what is unsafe about it. After asking nissan corporation to step in, as well as bbb & il a.G. Reports were filed, no one to date has given me documentation regarding this inspection. This dealership's owner also owns the other dealership near me and my wife where we are no longer welcomed. This, and the fact that the corporation refuses to help resolve this, makes it impossible for us to have the takata recall work completed without going thru further stress with nissan and local dealerships. That is very unethical, if not illegal.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan altima. The contact stated that the air compressor failed and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the parts were too expensive. The contact had to replace the wheel bearings on both sides of the vehicle. The vehicle was diagnosed, but not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000. Updated 03/11/16*lj *cn
Nissan Altima: every year compared
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 1,031 | 4 | F |
| 2007 | 498 | 3 | D |
| 2006 | 824 | 4 | F |
| 2005 | 1,091 | 2 | F |
| 2004 | 276 | 5 | C |
| 2003 | 883 | 10 | F |
| 2002 | 1,062 | 12 | F |
| 2001 | 168 | 2 | C |
| 2000 | 176 | 2 | C |
2004 Nissan Altima vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 Nissan Altima | 276 | 5 | C | |
| 2004 Honda Accord | 1,018 | 22 | F | Compare |
| 2004 Toyota Camry | 799 | 3 | F | Compare |
| 2004 Volkswagen Passat | 283 | 4 | F | Compare |
| 2004 Kia Optima | 225 | 1 | C | Compare |
| 2004 Hyundai Sonata | 202 | 1 | C | Compare |
| 2004 Mazda MAZDA6 | 185 | 7 | D | Compare |
| 2004 Subaru Legacy | 49 | 11 | C | Compare |
| 2004 Chevrolet Malibu | 0 | 9 | F | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2004 Nissan Altima
Does the 2004 Nissan Altima have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2004 Nissan Altima: headlights (September 2007); headlights (August 2007); headlights (July 2007); engine and engine cooling (July 2006) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Nissan Altima?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the engine & cooling (138), body, doors & structure (43), electrical system (32).
How many complaints has the 2004 Nissan Altima had?
276 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on January 5, 2004 and the latest on September 7, 2023. Of these, 14 describe a crash and 3 a fire, and together they report 11 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2004 Nissan Altima a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 50 out of 100 (grade C: about as many problems as a typical Nissan Altima year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Nissan Altima years have the most complaints?
2013 (2,315), 2009 (1,547), 2014 (1,113). See every Nissan Altima year compared.
What should I do if my 2004 Nissan Altima has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data