CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2006 Nissan Altima has a trend of engine & transmission problems.

Excessive oil consumption is the main problem reported by owners. Nissan did a recall back in 2006 for oil consumption due to bad piston rings, but many owners report to us that the recall didn't fix the problem. The dealer only had to check the oil consumption rate. Typically 1 qt per 1,000 miles is "acceptable" per OEM standards ... that's a lot of oil!

The 2006 Altima also has a defect trend of CVT transmission failure showing up around the 100,000 mile mark.

It's an expensive repair at over $2,000 average repair cost. For more information see Nissan Altima CVT defect info on NissanProblems.com.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 6
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
92,327 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2006 Nissan Altima engine problems

engine problem

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2006 Nissan Altima Owner Comments (Page 7 of 9)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #44

Mar 242014

Altima

  • 114,371 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while traveling various speeds, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The contact also mentioned that the vehicle occasionally failed to start. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was found that the crankshaft position sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number 07V527000 (engine and engine cooling). The failure mileage was 114,371. The VIN was unavailable.

- Wilkes-Barre, PA, USA

problem #43

Feb 172014

Altima

  • 132,000 miles
On 2-17-14 I had check engine light come on and on Friday had dealer put it on the diagnostic. Result was po 420 replace manifold/bolt and gaskets. This was at 132,000 miles but we have problems with excessive oil consumption also. Change oil every 3000 miles but end up putting in 4 more quarts besides oil change amount before next oil change is due. Had both O2 sensors and mass airflow sensor changed last year and passenger front side ball bearing replace. Two yrs earlier had both crank sensors replaced. May have to have cat converter replaced if keeps drinking the oil but was told by dealer if replace cat convert still will have oil consumption problem ( so means company really hasn't fixed problem if have it replace and will still happen). Expensive repairs cranks about $500, O2 about $300 ea., mass airflow $700, and this manifold problem is $780 + 106 for diagnostics. Fix problem and look at other blogs and see many have this problem with this yr of Altima.

- Blue Springs , MO, USA

problem #42

Nov 302013

Altima

  • 86,120 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning while driving at various speeds. The failure was experienced several times. The dealer performed a diagnostic which located a failure at the camshaft sensor. The manufacture advised the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number 07V527000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 86,120.

- Reynoldsburg, OH, USA

problem #41

Dec 092013

Altima 4-cyl

  • 99,200 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving in a small street, gas peddle just stops working. Car just keeps moving at speed of 5miles like in neutral mode but checked being in drive mode. Then all lights start flashing and stops after some distance). Towed to dealer-states battery suddenly died. Bring it home. Then same thing happened - again just stops working at redlight with flashing all lights but clearly battery ok as powered drive seat can be moved. Again towed and dealer stating that they are changing alternator. Appears recall of 2007 - crankshaft position sensor/engine stall or similar nature problem happening again. Very dangerous to suddenly stop on road. Called Nissan- opened case #[xxx]. waiting for their assessment. Car has been repaired so many times since bought new in 2006, even engine changed. Still multiple problem- dealer visit. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Beverly Hills , CA, USA

problem #40

Dec 072013

Altima 4-cyl

  • 76,790 miles
Driving on dry road at speed engine suddenly stopped. Pulled over to side and before car fully stopped put into neutral and engine restarted. Then placed back in drive and continued 50 miles with no further problem that day. On 12/15 while on interstate the engine stopped again with much more danger as traffic was coming up on our rear. Managed to get into breakdown lane and while going 15/20 mph placed the transmission into neutral and engine restarted and proceeded 50 miles to home. Brought into Nissan dealer on 12/18 and they claimed they checked it out and could find no problems. Nissan customer service opened a case #[xxx] but has not returned calls after the Nissan dealer diagnostics. The car is a danger to ourselves and others but it is our only vehicle. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Wareham, MA, USA

problem #39

Nov 182013

Altima

  • 50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle lunged forward abnormally and the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle was hesitant to start. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. The technician stated that the crank shaft sensor would have to be replaced. There was a recall under NHTSA campaign number: 07V527000 (engine and engine cooling) that could have been related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

- Havre De Grace, MD, USA

problem #38

Nov 262013

Altima

  • 89,300 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the engine stalled and every light on the instrument panel illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the crankshaft sensor and the ECM needed to be replaced. The dealer also stated that the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 07V527000 (engine and engine cooling), but the contact could not have the vehicle repaired under the recall until the crankshaft sensor was replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 89,300.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #37

Oct 292013

Altima

  • 141,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle consumed an excessive amount of oil. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number 06V223000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was not repaired or diagnosed to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 141,000.

- Duluth, GA, USA

problem #36

Jan 162013

Altima 4-cyl

  • 170,000 miles
This past January, we went out to our vehicle in the morning & it would not start. Had it diagnosed, came back as the crank shaft sensor. We had it replaced. Now in November we are having issues with it again. While driving a steady speed on the highway it will what feels like jump/slam into gear. Check engine light has come on, had it diagnosed comes back as crank shaft sensor. Did research online, come to find out there is a recall issued for 2002, 2005-2006 Nissan Altima crank shaft sensor. Contacted Nissan and were told by associate that our vehicle was not effected by that recall campaign. I asked her "is it normal to have to replace the crank shaft sensor twice within less than a year ", she did not have an answer and asked "what do you expect from Nissan". my response was that, " I just feel like this part should not have to be replaced twice in less than a year, and after doing research I find out there is a recall, but not on my car, apparently just a fluke I have the same issue", and she said "my only suggestion is take it to a Nissan dealership for proper diagnose & repair in which you will have to pay for." I said "well obviously, thank you for your help."

- Sterling, CT, USA

problem #35

Sep 032010

Altima 4-cyl

  • 48,280 miles
On Sept 3rd 2010 (labor day weekend), I drove on I-17 (AZ) at about 70 mph for about half an hour. The car suddenly lost the acceleration. No matter how hard I pressed the gas pedal, there is no acceleration. The engine service light was on and the car quickly decelerate. I had to turn on emergency light and moved out. Then I went to autozone and had the code read. P2138, error with pedal position sensor and throttle position sensor. I had to drive locally to send the car to the power Nissan at tempe (dealer) for repair. They could not find problems but turned off the engine light and returned the car to me. On July 4th 2013 (independence day), I drove on highway 87 at about 70 mph for 1 hour and the same problem occurred. The car suddenly lost acceleration. Engine service light was on. I had to drive back at no more than 40mph or the deceleration occurred at higher speed. I went to autozone again for code reading. Same code P2138. Then I sent the car to sears. Sears replaced gas pedal sensor and throttle body. On September 1st 2013 (labor day weekend), I drove on highway 101 at 70mph for 1 hour and the same problem occurred. The car suddenly lost acceleration. Engine service light was on. Sears got the same error code P2138. Sears re-trained the electronic sensor program. On September 10th 2013, I sent the car for emission test. During the test when technician press gas pedal, engine service light was on. Sears got the same error code P2138. Sears asked me to send the car to Nissan dealer. Nissan dealer (the same dealer but name changed to autonation Nissan at tempe) got the same code P2138. Nissan dealer re-trained the electronic sensor program and returned the car to me on September 12th 2013. On September 13th 2013, I tried the car on highway. Once it reached 70mph, the problem occurred for the 5th time. The car lost acceleration and engine service light was on.

- Chandler, AZ, USA

problem #34

Oct 082013

Altima

  • 138,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the engine was consuming an extreme amount of engine oil due to the failure of the pistons. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 06V223000 (engine and engine cooling) and stated that his vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 138,000.

- Villa Rica, GA, USA

problem #33

Jun 202013

Altima 4-cyl

  • miles
I had coolant service and after that I started experiencing low levels of coolant which led to overheating of car. I kept getting the car check to find out if there were leaks. I checked recall notices and then was told I needed sensors. I called Nissan in September and was told out of the 653K cars mine was not affected! I find that hard to believe. I then had sensors replaced (crankshaft and speed). Now I'm being told head gasket blown and engine needs replacement. The recall from Nissan says there we engine cooling problems.

- Pittsburg, CA, USA

problem #32

Oct 122013

Altima 4-cyl

  • miles
While at a red light, the power on my 2006 Nissan Altima shut off without warning. After trying to turn over the ignition several times, the vehicle finally started. I drove it to advance auto where they ran a diagnostic and advised that there were two error codes: P0725 & P0335 (engine speed sensor circuit malfunction & crank shaft position sensor circuit malfunction). Upon calling my mechanic, he advised that this has been a typical problem for this model and that he believed there was a recall. I called and have been advised by Nissan that there was a recall but my VIN wasn't part of the recall. However, Nissan was unable to provide which vehicles were actually part of the recall! there are many unresolved complaints regarding this issue, and I believe that this is a seriously dangerous hazard for drivers. What if the vehicle stopped on an interstate highway while driving at 65 mph? I would like verifiable information on what vehicles this recall covered, as Nissan seems to be deflecting some of their responsibility.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #31

Oct 022013

Altima

  • 83,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the vehicle stalled as the engine light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted and taken to the dealer for inspection. The dealer stated that the cam shaft and crank sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 83,000. The VIN was not available.

- Staton Island, NY, USA

problem #30

Oct 232012

Altima

  • 92,994 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving at various speeds. The contact also experienced difficulty restarting the vehicle occasionally. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the electronic control module (ECM) and crank shaft position circuit needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign id numbers: 07V527000 (engine and engine cooling) or 06V223000 (engine and engine cooling). The approximate failure mileage was 92,994.

- Arlington , TX, USA

problem #29

Aug 132013

Altima 4-cyl

  • miles
Vehicle shut off in traffic. Was able to start back up and went to park. Hood of vehicle was extremely hot. Multiple times since then I have had issues starting car after having driven it. Car cranks fine in the morning. I have had to leave hood open when I get home to allow engine to cool. Car will start fine again after an hour or two but sometimes taking up to 5 hours. I can feel when the car is about ready to give out as it doesn't accelerate when gas is pushed until you get around 45mph. I have even felt car pull/jerk forward when in stop and go traffic when I let up brake a little bit. I have to keep a good distance from cars ahead of me to ensure I wont hit anyone if it pulls forward.

- Panama City, FL, USA

problem #28

Aug 242013

Altima 4-cyl

  • 92,222 miles
On our return trip home from vacation we stopped for gas turning the engine off. When we tried to restart after filling up it was very difficult and about a mile later the check engine light came on. The light eventually went off after the battery was disconnected. A few days later while driving at 65 mph the car seemed to decelerate then jolt forward. The next day after driving for an hour, then turned off, difficult to start again and check engine light came on again. When checked with a code reader the codes came up with defects to the cam and crank shaft sensors. We checked on line and found this to be a not uncommon problem for our model and there was a VIN specific recall. We called the dealer we purchased the car from who then directed us to call Nissan usa. They told us even though the problem was similar (the same) as the recall, our car was not part of the recall, sorry. Cost of the repair was $628.50!!!! currently checking our options for some sort of recourse to recoup some of the repair cost.

- Jackson, NJ, USA

problem #27

Aug 232013

Altima 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 76,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that vehicle consumed oil at an alarming rate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was found that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number 06V223000 (engine and engine cooling). The failure mileage was 76,000. Updated 09/30/13 the consumer was informed the vehicle had an oil consumption problem. Updated 10/22/13

- Macungie, PA, USA

problem #26

Aug 092013

Altima

  • 87,000 miles
The vehicle listed above went in for a oil change three weeks prior to the incident date listed above. Two weeks after the oil change the oil indicator began to flash, calling the mechanic instructed for the car to be brought in for inspection. The mechanic noticed that a excessive amount of oil was consumed, the mechanic further notice that there was no leak under or around the vehicle to lose oil, coming to the conclusion that the engine had consumed all of the oil. He proceeded to put more oil in the car. A week later I noticed that the engine began to knock, that the engine had been damaged. I proceeded to look to see if there was any recalls on the vehicle listed above. I found on the website www.safer car.gov had listed the exact thing that happen to the vehicle listed above. The recall: Certain vehicles equipped with 2.5L engines may experience excessive engine oil consumption as a result of improper performance of the piston rings. If the oil is not maintained at least at the minimum level, engine damage can occur and in extreme cases result in an engine fire this is the very thin that happen to the vehicle listed above and now the engine has ceased. I contacted Nissan main customer service and was told the only open recall on the vehicle listed above have a reprogram electronic control module (ECM).I'm looking for help because I feel that the car listed above should be repaired by Nissan for damage to the engine.

- Queens Village, NY, USA

problem #25

Jul 172013

Altima

  • miles
Handling of the Nissan Altima crank shaft sensor recall is completely unacceptable. No notice of the recall was ever sent, which meant we found out the hard way: When the car stalled out in the middle of a major highway, without warning (exactly as described in the recall that wasn't sent) I only found the recall after a local non-Nissan mechanic told me about it, and then when I brought it into the dealer, they didn't understand the nature of the recall. Please help!

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

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