Problems · by component

2016 Nissan Altima exterior lighting problems

42 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2016 Nissan Altima cite exterior lighting, 8% of all 555 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
42
8% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the exterior lighting

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 10, 2026Exterior lightingODI 11755925
“The headlights on this vehicle are very dim because of a defect by the manufacturer. The inside of the headlight has delamination and causes the lights to be very dim which is a hazardous situation when driving at night. A recalled was issued, but has since expired. Dealer wants to charge over 1800 to replace both headlights.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 21, 2026Exterior lightingODI 11751952
“My headlights are not putting out very well at all. I have to drive on high beams at night to be able to see which I’m sure is disrupting others driving but when I have my lights on low beams it’s almost like my lights are off or like fog lights. It’s super dangerous. This is been going on for months and I have to avoid driving at night all the time because it’s so bad.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 15, 2026Exterior lightingODI 11724436
“The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving up an incline at 65–70 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and briefly lost automotive power. The vehicle returned to normal functionality. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the stop lamp switch and wiring had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. Most recently, the contact stated that while driving up an incline at 60-70 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and briefly lost automotive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 20, 2025Power train, Exterior lightingODI 11644006
“Nissan issued a notification of a safety issue with dimming headlights caused my a manufacturing issue. It's not a recall, however an extension was provided to address the concern. The problem is the letter is not clear when that extension starts, it indicates it's began January 2022 and is covered for an additional 3 years, however per Nissan the start date was the end of the manufactures warranty. I have a vehicle driven by my son that has dim headlights. This is a safety defect, created by the manufactures flaw, and should be covered by Nissan. Both headlights would need to be replaced and they should be held accountable for their safety issue.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 20, 2024Exterior lightingODI 11626463
“The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the headlights failed to properly illuminate the roadway while driving. The contact stated that the headlights were very dim. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who replaced the headlights; however, the failure persisted. The contact learned of a Class Action Lawsuit regarding the poorly illuminating headlamps. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the lawsuit was no longer active, and the remedy would not be provided. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 30, 2024Exterior lightingODI 11622708

Showing 6 of 42 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.