Problems · by component
2000 Nissan Altima electrical system problems
35 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2000 Nissan Altima cite electrical system, 20% of all 176 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
35
20% of all complaints
Crashes
4
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
Reported by owners
What owners say about the electrical system
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“GAUGES SHUT OFF, FREEZE, AND ADVANCE WHILE IN MOTION, CONFUSING THE DRIVERS. CAUSING UNKNOWN SPEED, GAS, TEMPERATURE, AND OTHERS METERING. THIS IS HAPPENING SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. SOMETIME WORK FINE. MOST OF THE TIME GAGES ARE DOWN.”
“I JUST BOUGHT A 200 NISSAN ALTIMA. I WAS DRIVING TO HILTON HEAD AND 2 HOURS INTO THE TRIP THE CRUISE CONTROL WENT OFF AND THEN THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. I KEPT GIVING IT GAS AND IT JUST STARTED SLOWING DOWN. WE GOT HIT FROM BEHIND AND SPUN AROUND. I BROKE MY NOSE AND MY GIRLFRIEND BROKE HER HIP IN 3 PLACES.”
“THE FUEL LEVEL IS NOT ACCURATE. IT FIRST STARTED DOING THIS TELLING ME I HAD A 1/4 TANK LEFT, WHEN I RAN OUT OF GAS IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSTATE. I THEN PUT GAS IN IT AND SURE ENOUGH THAT'S WHAT IT WAS. EVER SINCE THEN THE CAR NEVER GIVES ACCURATE READINGS, I CAN FILL ALL THE WAY UP AND IT WILL ONLY SHOW THAT IT IS 3/4 FULL OR SUCH BUT NEVER IS PRECISE. THIS CAN BE A VERY BIG ISSUE FOR SOMEONE THAT DOES NOT HAVE A GAS STATION NEARBY LIKE IT HAPPENED TO ME. *TR”
“WHILE GOING 75MPH ON CRUISE CONTROL ALL OF A SUDDEN ALL THE GAUGES (RPM, MPH, FUEL, ENGINE TEMP) DROPPED DOWN TO ZERO. ONLY THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHTS REMAINED ON. ALL WHILE A COMBINATION OF #'S AND LETTERS CAME UP ON THE ODOMETER (EVEN THE ODOMETER WENT BLANK). IT WAS A SHOCK AND I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO REACT TO THIS. MY FIRST REACTION WAS TO TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL VIA THE BUTTONS ON THE STEERING WHEEL, AS SOON AS I DID IT THIS CAUSED ALL THE GAUGES TO COME BACK TO LIFE INCLUDING THE ODOMETER. VERY WEIRD ISSUE. *TR”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GAUGES IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD FAIL INTERMITTENTLY. ALSO, WHENEVER THE GAUGES DID WORK, THE VEHICLE WOULD LOSE POWER ABNORMALLY. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 150,000.”
“WHILE DRIVING THE DASHBOARD GOES OUT COMPLETELY. YOU CAN NOT TELL HOW FAST YOU'RE GOING OR WHAT THE RPM IS OR ANYTHING, INCLUDING THE GAS GAUGE. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, SOMETIMES THE CAR BEGINS TO LOSE POWER AS IF THE GAS PEDAL ISN'T WORKING AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT COMES BACK AND YOU GET PROPELLED FORWARD. THIS HAPPENS VERY FREQUENTLY AND I'M AFRAID THAT I AM GOING TO GET A SPEEDING TICKET ONE DAY BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY FOR ME TO TELL HOW FAST I AM GOING WHEN THE DASHBOARD GOES DEAD AND EVEN WORSE I'M AFRAID I'M EITHER GOING TO LOSE SPEED AND GET REAR-ENDED OR GAIN SPEED AND BE PROPELLED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS, AND THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL VEHICLE. IN ALL THE OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT I HAVE FOUND ONLINE, THEY ALL GO TO THE MECHANICS AND THEY CAN NOT FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THIS IS A VEHICLE DEFECT AND THE ELECTRICAL UNIT ON THE DASHBOARD NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND FIXED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED OR KILLED DUE TO THIS MALFUNCTION. ALSO, THIS ELECTRICAL ISSUE CAUSES THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT TO TURN ON AND GIVES A MISREAD WHEN YOU TAKE IT IN TO BE DIAGNOSED.”
Showing 6 of 35 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.