Problems · by component

2016 Nissan Altima fuel/propulsion system problems

27 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2016 Nissan Altima cite fuel/propulsion system, 5% of all 555 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
27
5% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the fuel/propulsion system

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Delayed gear change from 1st to 2nd/delayed acceleration 1-5 seconds mid-traffic because the car overheats soon after driving which causes the car to not properly accelerate causing more RPMs than necessary during longer drives with frequent stops (within urban/suburban areas).”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 26, 2026Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11720589
“I have a 2016 Nissan Altima 3.5 Sr I brought into the Nissan dealership multiple times since 2022 now in 2025 at 100,000 miles to transmission is not working it's dying at intersections and oil is pouring out of the engine I was told that there was a recall that expired in April of 2023 however I was never notified about the recall despite taking my car to the Nissan dealership prior to that date no one ever said that there was a problem with the CVT I've stored my car multiple years because I'm a veteran and I had to deploy so it wasn't driven as much and now that's crossed 100,000 miles it's on its last leg this isn't fair the 2019 models are getting recalled they should fix mine I've taken care of this car and now they're trying to deny me my mobility I'm a retiree I don't have that much money the last time I took it to the dealership they said I needed a new engine never once mentioning that there were previous recalls on this vehicle. I need help.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 22, 2025Vehicle speed control, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11675466
“After the car warms up it will not accelerate like it should. I was stopped at a light - when I went to turn left at the light my car would not accelerate. It slowly rolled out into oncoming traffic. Like it was in limp mode or something. Then at the last minute the car jolted forward like I had the gas pedal fully depressed. Very scary and unsafe. I’ve had this happen many times. I’ve taken it in but haven’t found a solution.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 6, 2025Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11641114
“After driving the vehicle for about an hour, when coming to a stop, the vehicle will not accelerate. Stepping in the acceleration pedal does nothing. No RPM increase, nothing. After 10 seconds the vehicle suddenly takes off. After angry drivers honk. The RPMS rev up and will not decrease to normal. I am limited to 25 mph with very high RPMs. Same thing repeats after every stop. The problem goes away intermittently after restarting the car. I've almost died trying to make turns in front of oncoming traffic when it will not accelerate.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 2, 2024Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11606216
“When I am stopped at a light or in stop and go traffic my car will not accelerate when I put my foot on the gas pedal. I can push it all the way to the floor and my car will not move. It takes about 10 seconds or so then my car will jolt quickly and finally go. I have also had issues with the RPM's shooting up while I am driving at a low rate of speed. This has happened maybe 3 times and I have to pull over and turn my vehicle off then turn it back on and then it seems to drive normally. This issue started several months ago and at first it was just occasionally. Now it is more frequent and happens anytime I am driving. If I turn my car off then turn it back on it seems to correct the issue briefly. I have found myself while stopped in traffic just turning my car off then back on because I am in fear of it happening. This is dangerous as I am at risk of getting hit when I am making a turn at an intersection if my car will not move. I have looked online and it seems other people with Altimas the same year have also experienced similar problems. I have not had the vehicle inspected. There are no warning lights that have come on in the vehicle indicating there is a problem.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 6, 2024Power train, Vehicle speed control, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11592839
“Since June of 2022, my car has been in service repair a total of 10 times. Each time my check engine comes on, the diagnostic codes always involve the A/F sensor. This started at 35,000 miles and Nissan cannot figure out the issue. There are SEVERAL bulletins addressing the issue, with the most recent being 2022. The service dealership will no longer work on my car surrounding the issue. As a result of having a sensor issue that cannot be repaired, the car will periodically not respond with acceleration. I have had two VERY close calls of making a left hand turn in front of oncoming traffic with the gas pedal suddenly not responding no matter how hard it’s pressed. It’s almost as if it goes into neutral. The rpm’s increase and the engine revs, but it just won’t move. After several seconds of remaining motionless, the car then suddenly accelerates to the speed that it should. This issue is not an outlier. I contacted several people that listed their cars for sale, that stated their check engine light is on due to an 02 sensor. They all stated they have tried to get the car repaired with zero success. People then just sell the car and transfer the issue to…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 28, 2023Power train, Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11557272

Showing 6 of 27 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.