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2021 Nissan Altima Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Serious

120 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.72 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious21V138000

Steering:Linkages:Tie Rod Assembly

detached tie rod ball joint can cause a loss of steering control, and raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the left and right-side tie rod ball joint fasteners, or install new fasteners as necessary, free of charge. The began March 31, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7769. Nissan's number for this recall is PC795.

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Nissan Altima vehicles. The tie rod ball joint fastener was not tightened properly, which could result in the tie rod ball joint detaching from the steering knuckle.

Serious23V628000

Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera

rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and harness for damage and replace them as necessary. If no damage is found, the dealer will apply protective tape and reroute the rearview camera harness. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23C3.

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Altima and 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. Damage to the camera harness can cause distortion or loss of the rearview camera display image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Complaint volume

120 this model-year 7 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

17Crashes
3Fires
11Injuries
0Deaths

Across 120 complaints. Severity Index 0.72.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Electrical System20 · 17%Service Brakes18 · 15%Forward Collision Avoidan…18 · 15%Unknown Or Other12 · 10%Steering7 · 6%Forward Collision Avoidan…7 · 6%Engine6 · 5%Suspension5 · 4%
  1. Electrical System — 20 reports
  2. Service Brakes — 18 reports
  3. Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking — 18 reports
  4. Unknown Or Other — 12 reports
  5. Steering — 7 reports
  6. Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings — 7 reports
  7. Engine — 6 reports
  8. Suspension — 5 reports
  9. Seats — 3 reports
  10. Back Over Prevention: Warnings — 3 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (5) · 1996 (2) · 1997 (3) · 1998 (4) · 1999 (4) · 2000 (2) · 2001 (2) · 2002 (12) · 2003 (10) · 2004 (5) · 2005 (2) · 2006 (4) · 2007 (3) · 2008 (4) · 2009 (4) · 2010 (3) · 2011 (1) · 2012 (4) · 2013 (12) · 2014 (8) · 2015 (10) · 2016 (4) · 2017 (3) · 2018 (2) · 2019 (7) · 2020 (6) · 2021 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 (1) · 2025 (1)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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