Comments: 1-15, 16-29
Would not start after having the car for 3 days.
After this problem was fixed, it would not turn off about 3 weeks later. Yes, I said would not turn off! I had to leaving it running while I was at work for about 4 hours before the dealership came and got it.
Stalling out occured at about 15,000 miles.
Seats are not durable. I had leather seats and after about one month they already had cracks in them.
Back window leaks worse than anything I have ever seen.
Power windows would not work on a regular basis.
Service engine light would come on often and no one could tell me why.
Had to put new tires on the car just after buying it because they kept going low. And I know I did not run over anything because I drive strictly highway miles.
Nissan has the worst customer service of a manufacturer I have ever seen. They are doing a buy back, or should I say a "screw me deal". They are not even giving me back my down payment on the car so that I can get another decent car. Instead I am going to be forced to drive a piece of junk and be out of pocket about $10,000.
THEY COME WITH A Warranty!! You wouldn't have to put new tires on them because they keep going low.
I own a 2008 Nissan and it has been the greatest car that I have ever owned. ZERO problems, and I have never heard of anyone having problems with one.
You probably should have checked your warranty... even tires are covered under those for "x" number of miles (for anything other than obvious puncture / misuse). Sounds to me like you have more of an issue with the dealership than the car- the MANUFACTURER would have taken care of any problems had you contacted them.
Nissan has pretty much lost any credibility as a reliable vehicle. Like Toyota, Nissan has suffered a terrible drop in build quality, especially in the Titan and Armada lines, which have really given Nissan a bad reputation and earned them "much worse than average" ratings for these vehicles.
I'm sorry you had to learn the hard way, but there seems to be such a strong myth that Japanese cars are somehow "better" that few people bother to really research them. Try a Malibu (American Car of the Year) or the Ford Fusion (highest rated car Consumer Reports has ever rated).
I have an 08 Altima that has been a great car so far. It's the 2.5SL model - a 4 cyl. That car is rated above average by Consumer Reports.
It's too bad this person has had so much trouble with theirs. Japanese cars did get a reputation for being reliable - a well deserved reputation. But today they aren't the whole story.
When I bought my Altima, I also test drove a Malibu. I really liked that car and wished more were in stock so I could drive the one I would ultimately buy. But all the dealers in the area had only 1 in stock each. Plus few of them would deal on them.
The Altima was just as good, we could drive the one we wanted, and they gave us a good deal.
The Ford is indeed an excellent product and rated more reliable than others in this class, minus the Hyundai Sonata, which is rated just as good - if memory serves. But the point is that the real movement in the industry is with American models, which are rapidly improving and presenting a very viable alternative to Japanese and German mid-size cars. The truth of that is starting to show on the road and in sales reports, as Fusions are everywhere and Malibus are a hot seller.
So, if the previous commenter thinks that all import buyers are prejudiced against American models, I'll just say that I'm not and am excited by some of the upcoming stuff from GM and Ford. Check out the 2010 Saturn Aura. That may be my next car. So it's not all us vs. them. For many it's just about buying the car that works for them.
I don't believe this review. Too many issues that would have been corrected by dealer. Vehicles have warranties as do tires. No reason issues wouldn't have been corrected.
Come on, bad tires, cracked leather, starting issues, won't shut off?
I must agree on the quality of Japanese vehicles. I think they are over rated and it is more of an image thing. They change their styling so often and so dramatically, after three years the car you think is like new is outdated.
I Prefer Euro, but had to settle for a less expensive family car. I got a sweet deal on an 08 Ford Fusion with the 2.3, runs great. Has the sports appearance package, the 18" wheels really make the car look good. It is no Passat, but it beats the Jetta Hands down. I have never driven a Nissan, but came here researching for a family member who is looking to buy one. They are into the whole image thing, his wife wants him to buy an Infinity, I just laughed. I thought the Nissan would suffice, but this site definitely made me think twice.
As a mechanic, car enthusiast and member of 2 car clubs, I can assure you that GM, Ford and Chrysler have surpassed most (probably all) Japanese imports in reliability, fit and finish and build quality. Although the Altima is one of Nissan's better offerings, the disastrous Titan and Armada really hurt Nissan's reputation.
I've personally owned cars from all three U.S. auto makers that went over 200,000 miles with virtually no problems at all (and over 300,000 miles in the case of one Ford). Three of Car and Driver's "World's 10 Best Cars" are from GM. The Cadillac CTS is Motor Trend's Car of the Year, and the Chevy Malibu is the American Car of the Year. The Corvette has seen a 300% increase in sales in Europe since 2000, and is recognized as a world-class sports car on a par with Europe's best. The most reliable and highest rated car that Consumer Reports has ever tested is a Ford (the Fusion) and J.D. Powers pick for best sport coupe is the Ford Mustang.
It is becoming very obvious to those who are really into cars, that the current crop of cars being built by Ford, GM and Chrysler are some of the best in the world. GM's last quarter sales were UP in several other countries in spite of dropping in the U.S. (and even at that they didn't drop AS MUCH in the U.S. as Toyota sales did in the same period). Look for more and better cars to come from all three U.S. companies. Ford is coming out with a new truck to replace the Ranger (one of the most reliable small trucks ever built, see Oct. 2007 Consumer Reports) and GM is bringing over its hot Euro compact soon.
G.M. lost money in the last quarter because of its product mix (too many SUVs, too spendy to drive with $4. gas) not because of perceived or real product quality. Overseas it did better because its product mix there was long ago biased toward the economy car end of the spectrum. So how well G.M. did in the last qtr is irrelevant if the question is relative product quality.
Nissan has indeed declined in relative product reliability over the last 10 years or so. G.M. and Ford are doing significantly better. But "Consumer Reports" rates entire manufacturers too. You'll find those ratings in the annual Automobile issue.
Still, what this whole line of reasoning ignores is that you aren't buying an automobile manufacturer, you're buying an automobile. With that in mind, you'll find that the Nissan Altima is rated above average on reliability (2.5 liter, average for the 6 cyl) notwithstanding the poor ratings on the Titan/Armada. It compares well to the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry 4cyl, Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, and Chevy Malibu. All of these cars are either reliable or, in the case of the Malibu, showing early signs of very good reliability.
It is inaccurate to say that all American autos are more reliable than foreign counterparts, but it IS accurate to say that, today, American companies are competitive in a number of segments. That is significant and hopefully signals a turnaround for what we traditionally see as American companies.
As far as the Altima is concerned, I own an 08 2.5 SL with the leather interior and most of the power and luxury features Nissan offers. We are nearing 20,000 miles on the odometer with none of the problems some have mentioned on here. But I realize that my experience isn't universal. Others can have troubles I haven't had.
But I am curious about the leather cracking. In light of the leather quality in our car it would seem to be an unlikely problem.
The best feature these days is the car's mileage. We get about 29mpg in mixed driving. On the highway we've seen as high as near 36mpg on one tank. Normally we expect about 32mpg on the highway. On the low end (In the city or stop and go conditions plus extreme cold) we've seen as low as 24mpg but that was on only one tank and it was midwinter on a brand-new engine.
Another note-worthy point: this car is exceptionally powerful for a 4 cylinder. It feels like a V6. In fact in some tests it matched the 3.5 liter V6 in the Saturn Aura for 0-60 times (This is probably because of the CVT transmission since the Aura has much higher HP numbers). Now if only Nissan could make it SOUND like a V6... :)
Have this guy ever heard of manufacturer faults? A friend of mine had a Toyota Camry that starts by itself and would not shut off, and she had to tow it to the dealer. She got it back, but the car would not start the next day either. Same problem like the Altima.
But the point is the Camry is relative good car, also the Altima, but sometimes things go bad in the wiring circuits. Come on, it is electronics, even a new stereo goes bad after purchase.
I am not make any excuses for Nissan, but to say these things can happen to Ford, Nissan, Toyota and another manufacturers. So you are not the only one with a problem. That does not make Nissan a bad manufacturer, so do not encourage people not to buy, but tell them of your tale, and let them decide. I have had a Nissan car for three years with no problem.
I have had a GM car for 8 years with no problems.
I had a (2001) GM Car for 5 years and had loads of problems by the 5th year (it was solid for the first 3 and I take care of my cars.) What the owner is experiencing with their Altima is definitely a fluke or they're making stuff up.
And Chrysler is nowhere close to any other manufacturer, though GM and Ford are catching up.
I currently own an 08 Nissan Altima 3.5 SE. I have one small issue with it, and that is the computer transmission went out on after about 200 miles. The dealership picked up the car and did not ask any questions, and fixed and dropped it back off at my work the same day.
Other than that, I now have 18k miles on the vehicle with no issues at all. I average about 23 miles to the gallon, it rides smooth, the tires have held up, I have cloth interior but I am a police officer so I get in and out of vehicle with a full duty belt on, and have had no rips, tears or gouges.
I have owned several Saturn before this, and they had the same luck as my Nissan. I think this person had one bad experience, and is trying to make a invalid point.
My wife just bought an 09 Altima 2 weeks ago... she came home yesterday and the car wouldn't shut off. We spent 30 minutes on the phone with a Nissan Mgr. who tried to figure out what to do (this was after service closed for the day). The car would not respond... running but dash blank, lights on, compressor wouldn't kick in. We finally had to pull the fuse for the ignition to shut the engine but the fans were still going and not shut off. We ended up disconnecting the battery and are now awaiting towing to the dealership.
Titan, Armada and Altima are not Japanese vehicles. They are manufactured at plants in Smyrna, TN and Canton, MS. This is the reason for so many reliability issues. The only US Nissan's manufactured in Japan are the Z sports car, Rogue and Murano.
Nissan, like Toyota and Honda, has experienced quite a huge drop in quality, though the Altima is generally one of its better models.
Next time I'd give very serious thought to the top-rated (and less expensive) Ford Fusion or Chevy Malibu. The Fusion carries the highest rating Consumer Reports gives, and GM has become one of the world's best car makers.