How many recalls does the 2004 Nissan Altima have?

NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2004 Nissan Altima model year. Whether one car had the recall work done depends on that car, so check its VIN with NHTSA.

What is the WhipWorthy verdict on the 2004 Nissan Altima?

Worthy. Fewer owner complaints than a typical year. The verdict weighs this year against the other years of the Altima, from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are unverified and not adjusted for how many cars were sold.

1995: 193 owner complaints, Worthy

Our take: worth a look. Owners filed fewer complaints than in a typical year of this model.

Year verdict

Worthy

0.4× a typical year

Fewer owner complaints than a typical year. Still get it inspected.

Confidence: High

Based on 161 complaints in its first 8 years vs about 392 typical across 8 other model years.

Past 100,000 miles

Locked

How this year held up past 100,000 miles.

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How the dial was counted

Year verdict: Typical year: 392 complaints, the median of 8 nearby years. Each counted over its first 8 years from January 2003; this one had 161.

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WhipWorthy sticker

2004 Nissan Altima

Complaints276From owners
Loading owner complaints
Recalls5On file
Loading recalls
CrashNoneNo overall stars
Loading crash ratings
MPG20 to 23Combined, EPA
Loading fuel economy

Complaints are unverified owner reports, not adjusted for how many were sold.

Compare this car Every Altima year

Car report

Park this car in My Garage and see its recalls at a glance.Car Hunt Pass or Pro

Value signals

We do not price cars.

These help you judge whether this one is worth its price.

Costly problem zones ahead at your miles come with a Car Hunt Pass or Pro. See plans
Fuel: $2,800 to $3,200 a year.The EPA’s estimate for 15,000 miles a year, 55% in town, at its fuel prices. Each version
Loading the EPA's yearly fuel cost
Have the VIN? Check it is this car, and see its open recalls at NHTSA.
VIN
On the dash at the base of the windshield, or on the driver’s door sticker.

What about the price? Check the asking price on two listing sites. Buying from a dealer? Run its offer through the offer X ray.

Education, not financial or mechanical advice. Have any used car checked by a mechanic you trust before you buy.

The full record

Tap to open

What owners complain about

276 complaints; the part named most is the engine

Unverified reports, not adjusted for sales. One complaint can name several parts, so shares add up past 100%. Filed Jan 5, 2004 to Sep 7, 2023. 69% name a part that is usually costly to fix.

Owners reported 14 crashes, 3 fires and 11 injuries in these complaints.

Engine138 · 50%Usually costly to fix
Body and frame42 · 15%Usually costly to fix
Electrical32 · 12%

What one owner wrote about the engine

The car has a fuel problem and crankshaft position sensor issue causing the car to die and also not start up normal idling. When I do get it to start up it idles very groggy.

Filed Sep 7, 2023NHTSA complaint 115430611 of 18 owner quotes

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15 more parts, and 18 owner quotes

Every part owners name for the 2004 Nissan Altima, with their own words about what went wrong. Usually costly to fix among them: Transmission and drivetrain.

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SourceOwner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Nissan Altima. NHTSA, checked Nov 1, 2026.

Seller kit

Questions for the seller, test drive checks and price points

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Walk up to the seller ready

Questions to ask the seller of a 2004 Nissan Altima, built from this year's owner complaints and recalls. What to feel, hear and look at on the test drive, with boxes to tick at the car. Honest points to raise on price, from the records and never from guesses. Copy the questions to your phone in one tap.

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Write your offer

A ready to send offer for the seller, by text or email

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Send the seller a fair offer

Type the asking price and your own offer for the 2004 Nissan Altima, tick what you found, and get a polite message ready to text or email. Its reasons come from this year's owner complaints, recalls and crash ratings, and never from made up repair prices.

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When problems show up

Engine: the middle complaint around 80,000 miles

The bar holds the middle half of the complaints that gave a mileage; the dark mark is the middle one. 84 complaints of 276 gave one. Owners file when something fails, so this shows when problems were reported, not how long the cars last.

EngineCostly60,000 to 95,000 mi
Half of these 49 complaints came between about 60,000 and 95,000 miles, the middle one around 80,000.

SourceMileage from owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Nissan Altima. NHTSA, checked Nov 1, 2026.

Will it outlast the loan?

The month of your loan each problem zone lands in

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1 problem zone to lay against your loan, 1 usually costly

See the month of your loan each one lands in, and what you would still owe then.

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Recalls

5 recalls on file

Not every car needs every fix. Run the VIN at NHTSA to see which are still open. Repairs are usually free at a dealer for the brand; ask before any work.

Lights
Sep 14, 2007 · Recall 07E074000
Certain eagle eyes headlamp assemblies, p/nos. Ds517-b001l and ds517-b001r, sold for use as replacement equipment for the above listed passenger vehicles. The opticel surface of the reflector is corroded inhibiting the performance of the upper and lower beams which fails to conform to the photometric requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
What can happen
Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
The fix
Eagle eyes will notify owners and offer reimbursement for any noncompliant headlights. The recall began on december 11, 2007. Owners may contact eagle eyes at 1-800-568-1098.
Lights
Aug 21, 2007 · Recall 07E063000
Certain anzo aftermarket headlights, p/n 02-az-na02-b-a, sold for use on 2002-2004 Nissan altima vehicles. During production the lamp housing shape deformed distorting the assembly angle of the reflector and influenced the aiming position. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
What can happen
Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
The fix
Anzo will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant lamps. The recall began on september 10, 2007. Owners can contact anzo at 909-628-1440.
Lights
Jul 25, 2007 · Recall 07E054000
Certain maxzone headlight assemblies, depo brand, p/nos. 315-1145l-as and 315-1145r-as, sold for use as aftermarket equipment for the above listed passenger vehicles. During production the lamp reflector shape deformed changing the shape of the optic surface. This will change the opposite position of low beam and high beam opticsand change the angle of incidence and illumated location which fails to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
What can happen
Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
The fix
Maxzone will notify owners and offer reimbursement for any noncompliant headlights. The recall began on july 16, 2007. Owners may contact maxzone at 909-822-3288.
Engine
Jul 7, 2006 · Recall 06V242000
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5l engine, the crank angle sensor is affected by temperature variations. Under certain driving conditions, these variations in temperature can be large enough to cause a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor.
What can happen
If the interruption in the signal from the sensor is so brief that the electronic control module (ecm) logic does not have time to diagnose the condition, the engine may stop running without warning while the vehicle is driven at a low speed increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix
Dealers will reprogram the ecm free of charge. The recall began on august 21, 2006. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Lights
Mar 13, 2006 · Recall 06E023000
Certain anzo combination headlamp assemblies sold as replacement lamps for use on certain passenger vehicles. Some combination lamps are not equipped with amber side reflectors which fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
What can happen
Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
The fix
Anzo will notify owners and replace the headlamps free of charge. The recall began may 9, 2006. Owners may contact anzo USA at 909-468-3688.

SourceRecalls listed by NHTSA for the 2004 Nissan Altima. NHTSA, checked Nov 1, 2026.

Crash ratings

No overall rating given

NHTSA's stars out of five, for each version it tested. Front crash stars only compare cars of about the same size and weight. The tests changed for 2011 models, so these stars do not line up with newer ones.

2004 Nissan Altima 4-DR.
Overall
Not rated
Front
Not rated
Side
Not rated
Rollover
Not rated
Stability control
Optional
Forward collision warning
Not available
Lane departure warning
Not available

NHTSA investigations: 0

SourceNHTSA crash ratings for the 2004 Nissan Altima. NHTSA, checked Nov 2, 2026.

Fuel economy

20 to 23 mpg combined, across 4 versions

The EPA's estimates for each engine and transmission, and its own yearly fuel cost. Yours depends on how you drive and the shape the car is in. Figures for 2007 and older use the EPA's 2008 method, so they may be lower than the original sticker.

Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.5 L
Altima · Front wheel drive · Regular gas
City
20 mpg
Highway
27 mpg
Combined
23 mpg
Miles per gallon. Yearly fuel, EPA$2,800
This one on fueleconomy.gov
Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L
Altima · Front wheel drive · Regular gas
City
17 mpg
Highway
24 mpg
Combined
20 mpg
Miles per gallon. Yearly fuel, EPA$3,200
This one on fueleconomy.gov
Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.5 L
Altima · Front wheel drive · Regular gas
City
20 mpg
Highway
28 mpg
Combined
23 mpg
Miles per gallon. Yearly fuel, EPA$2,800
This one on fueleconomy.gov
Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L
Altima · Front wheel drive · Regular gas
City
18 mpg
Highway
24 mpg
Combined
21 mpg
Miles per gallon. Yearly fuel, EPA$3,050
This one on fueleconomy.gov

SourceEPA fuel economy data, fueleconomy.gov. EPA, checked Nov 2, 2026.

True cost to own

The loan, fuel, insurance and upkeep, a month and over 5 years

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What it really costs to own

What the 2004 Nissan Altima costs a month and over 5 years: the loan and its interest, fuel worked out from the EPA's figures for the version you pick, and your own insurance, registration and upkeep. A cost a mile, a link that reopens your numbers, and the breakdown copied to your phone in one tap.

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Every year of the Altima

23 Worthy, 5 Maybe, 3 Pass, of 32 years on file

Owner complaints for each model year, this one outlined. Tap a year to open it. The newest 2 are not judged yet. Bars are totals, so older years stand taller; the verdict compares every year at the same age.

Best and worst years of the Altima

NHTSA did not answer for 4 years, so the chart may be missing some.

SourceNHTSA owner complaints and recalls for the Altima. NHTSA, checked Nov 1, 2026.

Before you buy this one

5 checks, with a close look at the engine

Built from this year's numbers. Whatever the data says, the car in front of you is the one that counts.

Run the VIN at NHTSA to confirm every recall was fixed.
This year has 5 recalls on file. Recall repairs are usually free at a dealer for the brand. Ask the dealer to confirm before any work is done. Look up a VIN at NHTSA.
Ask the seller for the service records.
Look closely for any work on the engine. It is the part owners complain about most for this year.
Have a mechanic you trust inspect it before you pay.
Ask them to look hard at the engine. It is usually costly to fix.
Look at a vehicle history report.
It can show reported crashes, flood or salvage titles, and mileage that does not add up.
On the test drive, pay attention to the engine.
Start it cold if you can. Listen for knocking or ticking, and watch for warning lights and smoke.

Going to see it? Take the checklist52 checks with the bad signs to look for, saved on your phone.

Check this exact car

The verdict is about the model year. These checks are about the one in front of you. Most are free or a few dollars.

VIN for these checks

Copy it, then paste it into each check. Nothing is sent until you open one.

Official checks on this VIN

Open recallsFree
NHTSA
Safety recalls on this VIN that are not fixed yet, from the last 15 years.
A recall already fixed does not show.
Check recalls at NHTSAnhtsa.gov (opens in a new tab)
Theft and total lossFree
NICB VINCheck
Whether an insurer reported it stolen and not found, or wrote it off as a total loss.
Only insurer records. Five checks a day.
Open NICB VINChecknicb.org (opens in a new tab)
Title brandsA few dollars
NMVTIS, the federal title system
Salvage, flood, junk and rebuilt brands from any state, and the last miles on the title.
No repairs, service or recalls. Sold by approved sellers listed on the site.
See the approved sellersvehiclehistory.bja.ojp.gov (opens in a new tab)
Title statusVaries by state
The state motor vehicle office
Whether the title is branded in that state and, where the state offers it, whether a lender still has a lien.
It will not name the owner. Each state asks its own way, and some only by mail. Ask to see the seller’s title too.
Find your state’s officeusa.gov (opens in a new tab)

What a paid report adds

A history report such as Carfax or AutoCheck pulls in more of the car’s past than these checks can:

Crashes and damage reported by police, insurers or shops, even when it was fixed.
Service visits that shops reported, with the miles each time.
How many owners, for how long, and the states it was registered in.
Whether it was a rental, fleet or lease car, when that was reported.

It only knows what was reported to it. A clean report is not proof of a clean car. Ask the seller first: many dealers hand one over for free.

Red flags in a history

Salvage title
Usually an insurer called it a total loss. In most states it cannot be driven on the road until it is rebuilt and inspected.
Rebuilt title
A salvage car that was fixed and passed a state check. It can be fine, but it is worth less, can be harder to insure, and needs a careful inspection.
Flood damage
Water can ruin wiring and sensors months later. Be wary of a flood brand that vanished after a move to another state.
Lemon or maker buyback
The maker bought it back over a defect it could not fix. Ask what the defect was and how it was fixed.
Odometer rollback
A mileage reading lower than an earlier one, or a title marked not actual miles.
Many owners, fast
Three owners in two years can mean a problem each one passed along.
Gaps in the records
Years with no service or registration. Ask why: it may have sat, been off the road, or been rebuilt.

Title words and rules differ by state. Not legal advice.

Before you pay

Pre purchase inspection
Have a mechanic you choose, not the seller, put it on a lift and look it over before you pay.
Insurance quote
Get a quote on this exact car before you sign. Ask your own insurer and one or two others.

Model year	Owner complaints	Verdict
1995	193	Worthy
1996	109	Worthy
1997	117	Worthy
1998	128	Worthy
1999	100	Worthy
2000	181	Worthy
2001	174	Worthy
2002	1063	Pass
2003	883	Maybe
2004	276	Worthy
2005	1091	Worthy
2006	824	Worthy
2007	498	Worthy
2008	1031	Maybe
2009	1547	Maybe
2010	381	Worthy
2011	242	Worthy
2012	426	Worthy
2013	2314	Pass
2014	1113	Pass
2015	955	Maybe
2016	555	Maybe
2017	393	Worthy
2018	226	Worthy
2019	234	Worthy
2020	182	Worthy
2021	71	Worthy
2022	20	Worthy
2023	30	Worthy
2024	41	Worthy
2025	7	Worthy
2026	1	Not judged

The verdict on the 2004 Nissan Altima

Value signals

What owners complain about

Seller kit

Write your offer

When problems show up

Will it outlast the loan?

Recalls

Lights

What can happen

The fix

Lights

What can happen

The fix

Lights

What can happen

The fix

Engine

What can happen

The fix

Lights

What can happen

The fix

Crash ratings

2004 Nissan Altima 4-DR.

Fuel economy

Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.5 L

Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L

Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.5 L

Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L

True cost to own

Every year of the Altima

Before you buy this one

Check this exact car

Official checks on this VIN

What a paid report adds

Before you pay

Pre purchase inspection

Insurance quote

Lights

What can happen

The fix

Lights

What can happen

The fix

Lights

What can happen

The fix

Engine

What can happen

The fix

Lights

What can happen

The fix

Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.5 L

Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L

Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.5 L

Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L

2004 Nissan Altima 4-DR.