Is the 2007 Nissan Altima a bad year?
471 owner complaints to NHTSA. Transmission complaints: 62, 6.2× a quiet Altima year.
Keep it, but watch the transmission
The transmission draws 6.2× the complaints of a quiet Altima year, spread over 52k–144k miles, so there's no single mileage to plan around.
The verdict moves with mileage: the same car reads differently at 30,000 and at 150,000 miles.
What 2007 Altima owners report, by mileage
Each system owners named in five or more complaints, with the mileage range where the middle half of those complaints were filed. Read at 103,000 miles.
| SYSTEM | COMPLAINTS | MIDDLE HALF FILED AT | TYPICAL US REPAIR BILLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission and drivetrainSTANDS OUT | 62 (13%) | 52k–144k miles · around this mileage | CV axle / CV joint replacement (one side) $300–$1,500 · Automatic transmission replacement $2,500–$7,000 |
| Engine | 65 (14%) | 10k–121k miles · around this mileage | Valve cover gasket replacement $110–$500 · Timing chain replacement $1,000–$4,000 |
| Speed control | 17 (4%) | 37k–118k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Steering | 17 (4%) | 45k–124k miles · around this mileage | Steering rack and pinion replacement $700–$2,100 |
| Seats | 11 (2%) | 5k–117k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Fuel system | 9 (2%) | 47k–130k miles · around this mileage | Fuel pump replacement $220–$1,500 · Fuel injector replacement (one injector) $300–$1,200 |
| Stability control | 5 (1%) | 63k–138k miles · around this mileage | — |
| SuspensionSTANDS OUT | 121 (26%) | 43k–86k miles · mostly behind | Ball joint replacement (one joint) $200–$500 · Control arm replacement (one arm) $200–$900 |
| BrakesSTANDS OUT | 69 (15%) | 29k–70k miles · mostly behind | Brake pad replacement (one axle) $115–$390 · Brake pads and rotors replacement (one axle) $200–$1,084 |
| Air bags | 63 (13%) | 13k–100k miles · mostly behind | — |
| Electrical system | 37 (8%) | 55k–98k miles · mostly behind | — |
| Body structure | 27 (6%) | 42k–92k miles · mostly behind | — |
| Visibility and wipers | 12 (3%) | 49k–96k miles · mostly behind | — |
| Exhaust | 6 (1%) | 30k–96k miles · mostly behind | — |
Bills are typical US ranges from the sources named in the tool (J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, CarParts.com and others), printed only for systems that stand out or sit at or ahead of 103,000 miles. Not a quote.
What owners reported alongside their complaints
Of 471 complaints: 28 mention a crash · 22 mention a fire · 13 report an injury · 10 say the car was towed.
2 complaints were filed in the last 12 months, the newest in Jun 2026.
Counts of what owners wrote in their complaints, not verified by anyone.
In owners' own words
The vehicle began making a loud noise from the front end while rolling down in any situation. Eventually, the car was unable to go into gear due to a CVT failure.
"Takata recall" I was driving in town & car started to do somewhat of a "Jump/skip" When it was trying to shift gears one day.then it drove fine for a few days.
While on my way home from work I noticed suddenly the car won't take drive and just keep idling high when I press gas.
Unedited excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, chosen by mileage (nearest 103,000 miles), not by content. Unverified.
Recalls for the 2007 Nissan Altima: 3
A varistor in the OCS control unit located in the passenger seat cushion may have been manufactured out of specification. Under certain conditions, this could cause an interruption of signal between the OCS and the air bag control unit (ACU). This could result in the passenger air bag being suppressed which could fail to provide adequate protection in the event of a crash.
On certain passenger vehicles that have had the body control module (BCM) replaced during service at a dealership, the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) may have been inadvertently deactivated due to an issue with the dealer service software. Driving on under-inflated tires is unsafe and could result in a crash.
On certain vehicles, if a sufficiently hot object enters the air filter housing through the engine fresh air intake system and contacts the engine air filter, the flammability characteristics of the air filter material are such that the filter may ignite. If the air filter material ignites, a fire may occur.
A recall may cover only some cars of a model year; the campaign size counts every model and year it lists. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls: dealers fix open recalls free.
Service bulletins from Nissan: 63
Repair instructions Nissan sent its dealers for symptoms seen in the shop on the 2007 Nissan Altima. Ask a dealer or mechanic for a bulletin by its number.
CVT fail-safe condition
The vehicle speed is, or was, reduced by the CVT fail-safe (reduced vehicle speed) after continuous operation under the following conditions: * High RPM and/or…
When diagnosing possible power steering gear (rack and pinion steering rack, or steering rack) leak issues…
Oil is leaking from the upper end of the engine oil cooler
NHTSA defect investigations: 2
Brake Master Cylinder Internal Leak
Engine compartment fire
Neighbouring years
2006 Altima: 824 complaints, consider selling · 2008 Altima: 1,031 complaints, keep it.
Every Nissan Altima year
2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2021 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · 2026 · All Altima years side by side
Other Nissan models: Nissan 350Z · Nissan 370Z · Nissan Armada · Nissan Cube · Nissan Frontier · Nissan Juke · Nissan Kicks · Nissan Leaf · Nissan Maxima · Nissan Murano · Nissan Pathfinder · Nissan Quest · Nissan Rogue · Nissan Rogue Sport · Nissan Sentra · Nissan Titan · Nissan Titan XD · Nissan Versa · Nissan Versa Note · Nissan Xterra. All makes and models.
Questions
Is the 2007 Nissan Altima a bad year?
471 owner complaints to NHTSA. Transmission complaints: 62, 6.2× a quiet Altima year. At 103,000 miles the tool says: Keep it, but watch the transmission. The transmission draws 6.2× the complaints of a quiet Altima year, spread over 52k–144k miles, so there's no single mileage to plan around.
What are the most common problems with the 2007 Nissan Altima?
By owner complaints to NHTSA: transmission and drivetrain (62), engine (65), speed control (17), steering (17), seats (11). Half of the transmission complaints were filed between 52k–144k miles.
How many recalls does the 2007 Nissan Altima have?
3 recall campaigns list this model year: Electrical system (NHTSA 08V-521), Electrical system (NHTSA 07V-599), Engine (NHTSA 07V-267). A recall may cover only some cars; check by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Method: counts of unverified owner complaints filed with NHTSA, compared only with other years of the same model (sales volumes are unknown, so no failure rate is computed). A system stands out at 40+ complaints and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share across every vehicle of that model year. The mileage range is the 25th to 75th percentile of the mileages owners reported. Data received by NHTSA through November 5, 2026. Repair prices are typical US ranges from named sources, not quotes. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Check this car at your own mileage.