2016 Nissan Altima: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
553 NHTSA owner complaints · 4 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
The 2013–2015 Altima is the centre of Nissan's continuously variable transmission problem. The fifth-generation car launched with a Jatco CVT that overheated, shuddered, went into limp mode and, at worst, failed outright; the 2013 model year carries more than 2,300 complaints and scores 23. Read the full note on the model page. 2016 specifically: 553 complaints on record, score 55/100 — read the year table on the model page to see where it sits among its siblings.
Read the guide
Nissan's CVT problem: the Altima, Sentra, Rogue and Pathfinder years to avoid, including 2016 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 553 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 55.3
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
To recap: •Nissan manufactured defective transmissions. •Nissan granted me a warranty extension with a fleeting expiration date (2023) to shift the cost away from them. •In 2020, Nissan performed work on my car. The work they performed masked the problem, didn’t fix it. And it deferred the problem, “kicking the can down the road.” •In 2026, Nissan denied my claim for goodwill approval. •I paid for a piecemeal fix on…
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the driver's side headlight had become inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with an internal headlight failure, and it was determined that the headlight assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.
There is an active recall for the generic 2016 Nissan Altima OCS sensor, but it does not apply to my specific VIN apparently. This sensor is a problem with other vehicles of the same year, make, and model, but I am apparently on the hook for almost $1000 repair cost because the recall did not extend to my VIN. Again, same year, make, model, and issue as other 2016 Nissan Altimas, but the recall did not extend for som…
Recalls: 4 campaigns (1 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 17V040000 | Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Altima vehicles. |
| 18V915000 | Structure:Emergency:Escape/Egress/Exit | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Altima vehicles, previously remedied under recall number 17V-040. |
| 16V244000 | Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan… |
| 20V315000 | Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2018 Nissan Altima vehicles. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 26 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,500
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Power Train235 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Engine86 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other81 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Air Bags70 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Vehicle Speed Control65 complaints · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$520–$1,150
- Exterior Lighting42 complaints · typical job: Headlamp assembly or lighting-module replacement (1.5 h labour + parts)$360–$1,380
Other Nissan Altima years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Nissan Altima?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (235 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2016 Nissan Altima a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 55/100, computed from 553 NHTSA complaints and 4 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2016 Nissan Altima's most common problem?
235 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2016 Nissan Altima sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is transmission service or clutch-pack repair: about 7.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,290–$4,040 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2016 Nissan Altima cost to run per year?
About $5,620 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $28,100 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2016 Nissan Altima have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for the 2016 Nissan Altima, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 18/01/2017. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2016 Nissan Altima really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 553 complaints, 4 recalls on record
- 553 NHTSA complaints on record (55.3/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (29.8/yr)
- 4 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems