The 2014 Altima suffers from catastrophic CVT transmission failures and severe 2.5L engine oil consumption issues that often lead to complete engine replacement. These are not minor inconveniences—they're platform-defining defects that make this generation one to avoid.
CVT Transmission Failure (Judder, Shuddering, Complete Loss of Drive)
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 60,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: Violent shuddering or juddering during acceleration, especially 15-40 mph, Hesitation when accelerating from a stop, Whining or grinding noises from transmission, Complete loss of forward movement, limp mode, Transmission overheat warnings
Fix: CVT replacement is the only real solution—rebuilt units fail just as quickly. Nissan extended warranty to 120k/10yr on some VINs but many owners are past that. Fluid changes every 30k can delay but not prevent failure. Expect 8-12 labor hours for R&R.
Estimated cost: $3,500-5,500
Catastrophic Engine Oil Consumption (2.5L QR25DE)
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 80,000-150,000 mi
Symptoms: Burning 1+ quart every 500-1,000 miles, Blue smoke from exhaust on startup or acceleration, Check engine light with P0420 catalyst efficiency codes, Engine knock or bearing noise when oil level drops, Complete engine seizure if oil not constantly monitored
Fix: Piston ring design flaw causes oil to bypass into combustion chambers. Nissan's 'fix' is a software update that does nothing. Real solution is engine rebuild (piston rings, honing, typically 18-24 hours labor) or short block replacement (16-20 hours). Many engines seize before owners realize the severity.
Symptoms: Strawberry milkshake-colored fluid in radiator or CVT, Transmission slipping or erratic shifting after coolant leak, Overheating transmission and engine simultaneously, Complete CVT failure within days of mixing
Fix: Internal failure of radiator allows CVT fluid and coolant to mix—the dreaded 'Nissan milkshake.' Once fluids mix, both radiator AND CVT must be replaced, plus full cooling system flush. Preventive replacement of radiator at 80k is cheaper than the aftermath. 10-14 hours total labor if caught early.
Estimated cost: $2,000-6,000
Crankshaft and Bearing Failure (2.5L, secondary to oil starvation)
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 90,000-140,000 mi
Symptoms: Loud knocking or rattling from bottom end, especially cold starts, Metal shavings in oil, glitter on dipstick, Loss of oil pressure, warning light illuminated, Engine locks up completely
Fix: Direct result of the oil consumption issue—engines run low on oil, bearings starve, crank journals score. Requires complete teardown: crank grinding or replacement, bearings, often rods. At this point most shops recommend short block or used engine swap. 20-28 hours labor for rebuild.
Estimated cost: $5,000-8,500
Hood Latch Failure (Secondary Latch)
Occasional · medium severity
Symptoms: Hood pops open while driving after hitting bump, Primary latch releases but secondary doesn't engage, Hood appears closed but isn't fully latched
Fix: Recall-covered issue (multiple campaigns) but many owners don't get it done. Secondary latch cable corrodes or breaks. Dealership replacement takes 1-2 hours. Critical safety issue—hood flying up at speed causes accidents.
Estimated cost: $150-350
Front Engine Mount Collapse (2.5L and 3.5L)
Occasional · medium severity
Typical onset: 70,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: Excessive engine vibration at idle, especially in Drive, Clunking noise when shifting from Park to Drive or Reverse, Visible sagging of engine, misalignment, Accelerated CVT wear due to driveline misalignment
Fix: Hydraulic mount fails, allowing engine to drop and torque excessively. Accelerates CVT death. Upper mount replacement is 2-3 hours, but often multiple mounts need replacing. Should be inspected every oil change after 60k.
Estimated cost: $400-800
Owner tips
Check oil every single fillup if you have the 2.5L—this is not optional, it's survival
Change CVT fluid every 30,000 miles with Nissan NS-3 fluid despite 'lifetime' claims—it buys time
Replace radiator preventively at 80k miles to avoid CVT cross-contamination disaster
Inspect engine mounts annually after 60k—collapsed mounts kill CVTs faster
Budget $500/year minimum for unexpected oil consumption and transmission repairs
Absolutely not—the 2014 Altima is a financial trap with near-certain engine and CVT failure; buy a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry instead.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
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Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2018 Nissan Altima vehicles. If the primary hood latch is inadvertently released, there is an increased likelihood that the secondary hood latch may corrode over time.
Consequence: Corrosion to the secondary latch may cause it to bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed. If the primary latch is inadvertently released again and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install a stronger release spring in the hood release lever, a warning label near the secondary hood latch, and an Owners Manual addendum card with instructions on how to lubricate and maintain the secondary hood latch mechanism, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: Recall 16V-029 remains open for any unremedied 2013-2015 Altimas and this recall applies to all vehicles covered by 16V-029 even if those repairs have already been performed.
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION · 16V911000
2016-12-19
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima vehicles manufactured January 3, 2013, to July 29, 2013, 2015-2016 Rogue vehicles manufactured October 14, 2014, to August 12, 2016, and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured June 4, 2015, to August 19, 2015. An incorrect Occupant Classification System (OCS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may have been installed in the front passenger seat. The incorrect ECU and seat combination may misclassify the front passenger seat occupant.
Consequence: If the front passenger seat occupant is misclassified, the air bag may deploy incorrectly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ECU and update the OCS software free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION · 16V244000
2016-04-26 · EA15004
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 Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.
Consequence: If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH · 16V029000
2016-01-22
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Nissan Altima vehicles manufactured March 6, 2012, to December 31, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch may bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
Consequence: If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: These vehicles were previously included in recalls 14V-565 and 15V-116, however the previous remedy plan may not have been performed consistently to remove the safety risk. To correct this issue, Nissan will re-notify all affected owners and dealers will replace the hood latch with a new one, free of charge. The recall began on February 17, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 14V-565 and 15V-116.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL · 15V681000
2015-10-20 · EA15004
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima and Pathfinder vehicles, 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra vehicles, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles, 2014-2015 Infiniti QX60 vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles received an incorrect occupant classification system (OCS) control unit during a repair. These OCS control units may incorrectly classify the front passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
Consequence: If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger air bag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE · 15V486000
2015-08-04
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) notified the agency on July 31, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2016 Nissan Maxima vehicles manufactured February 10, 2015, to August 18, 2015. On October 14, 2015, Nissan expanded the recall to cover an additional 41,388 vehicles, including certain model year 2013-2015 Altima 3.5 vehicles equipped with a V6 engine manufactured March 30, 2012, to August 18, 2015 as well as the vehicles covered by the July 31, 2015 notification. In the affected vehicles, due to an improperly installed o-ring that may not have been seated correctly at the time of assembly, fuel may leak during a crash from the area where the fuel sending unit attaches to the fuel tank.
Consequence: If fuel leaks from between the fuel sending unit and the tank, it may increase the risk of a fire in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install a retainer ring between the fuel tank and the fuel sending unit. The recall began on September 28, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH · 15V116000
2015-02-27
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Nissan Altima vehicles manufactured March 1, 2013, to December 31, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch may bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
Consequence: If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will be instructed to modify the bend angle of the hood actuation lever to eliminate potential interference with the hood inner panel. In addition, dealers will clean and lubricate the latch joint as needed. If significant corrosion is observed, the latch assembly will be replaced. This repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 14V-565.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE · 14V138000
2014-03-25
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the occupant classification system (OCS) software may incorrectly classify the passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
Consequence: If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger airbag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
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