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 8 of 9)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #24

Jun 012012

Altima 4-cyl

  • 91,000 miles

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

Problem began with engine jerking at high speeds. Then check engine light came on. Codes indicated crank shaft sensor and cam shaft sensors. Replaced both. Within 6 months problem started all over again with the same codes and this time the car started losing power while driving at low speeds and sometimes doesn't start. Also still having the engine jerking at high speeds. Vehicle just doesn't seem to have much power at all. Even though there has been a recall for these very things, apparently our VIN # indicates our car is not part of the recall even though it was manufactured during the dates specified on the recall letter. Our 16 year old son drives this vehicle and I am now very scared to let him drive it. We are having to pay for these repairs out of pocket. Nissan better be very thankful that nothing tragic has occurred due to this. If it had, a major lawsuit would be in order.

- Wimberley, TX, USA

problem #23

Jun 012013

Altima

  • 104,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated, jerked and stalled sporadically while driving at any speed. The failure was experienced numerous times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and a diagnostic was performed, which located the failure at the speed sensor and the crank shaft position sensor. The manufacturer advised that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number 07V52700 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 104,000 and the approximate current mileage was 107,000.

- Baltimore , MD, USA

problem #22

Apr 012013

Altima

  • 63,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the engine oil was consuming prematurely. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to have a diagnostic performed. The manufacturer advised that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number 06V223000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 63,000 and the current mileage was 64,000.

- Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #21

May 142013

Altima

  • 58,000 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 while driving 25 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. After approximately one minute the vehicle was restarted and operated as designed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis and the contact was advised that the crankshaft position sensor would need to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 58,000.

- Medford, MA, USA

problem #20

May 132013

Altima 4-cyl

  • 58,000 miles
I was driving at approx 25 mph when all of a sudden the engine cutoff with no warning. Was able to coast the car to the side of the road, restart, and drove to dealership immediately. Dealership diagnosis error code P0335 camshaft and crankshaft sensor failures and needed to be replaced for $570 (plus the $110 diagnosis fee). A recall exists for same make and model, but car VIN is excluded. This problem seems to be very common and widespread after doing some online research. The dealership's parts manager also stated this was a very common problem. I find it very disturbing that Nissan would knowingly risk passenger safety by not recalling and covering the cost of repair for a well maintained car that is having the same issue as others in the same make and model year.

- Medford, MA, USA

problem #19

May 112013

Altima 4-cyl

  • 81,000 miles
I was driving on the freeway in Texas going 70 miles an hour on cruise control then two unexpected jerks in the engine happened and loss of speed and the service engine soon light came on.

- San Marcos , TX, USA

problem #18

Apr 252013

Altima 4-cyl

  • 147,000 miles

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

Check engine light came on about 2 days prior to incident. Went to a friends house, while slowing down for a speed bump car completely shut off. After leaving house car acceleration was very hesitate, took it to advanced auto to get the codes read on the car and it came back P0345 camshaft position sensor malfunction and P0430 catalytic converter failure and cylinder 3 misfire. So I called Nissan because I went online reading about recalls on the 2006 Nissan Altima engines but they told me that mines was not one of them. Changed both camshaft sensors and cylinder 3 coil. And car still acting like it doesn't want to start and stall. Took it to my mechanic and the way it looks I might have a head gasket blown. Crazy because researching on the internet, I see a lot of Altima owners are having the same problem.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #17

Jan 242013

Altima

  • 137,700 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle would stall without warning when at a complete stop or when driving at very low speeds. The check engine warning light was constantly illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who advised the contact that the crankshaft position failed and needed to be replaced. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign id number: 07V527000: (engine and engine cooling) but was advised by the manufacturer that the VIN was not included and offered no further assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 137,700.

- Fishers, IN, USA

problem #16

Feb 252013

Altima

  • 78,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while parked, the engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. The mechanic stated that the crank shaft position sensor and the engine speed sensor would have to be replaced. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 06V223000 (engine and engine cooling) but was advised by the manufacturer that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.

- Eden Prairie, MN, USA

problem #15

Dec 012012

Altima

  • 61,800 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle gave a hard jerk while driving 60-65 mph. The contact performed a diagnostic on the vehicle and located the failure at the crank shaft position sensor. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign id number: 07V527000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 61,800 and the current mileage was 62000.

- Anderson , CA, USA

problem #14

Oct 272010

Altima

  • 61,748 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 exhibited excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was taken to an independent auto mechanic, who advised that a quart of oil was being consumed every 1,000 miles. The technician detected that the engine dip-stick was completely dry and engine oil was dispensed at the appropriate level. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign id number: 07V527000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the VIN was not included in the recall campaign. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 61,748.

- Burlington, MA, USA

problem #13

Jan 062013

Altima

  • 53,000 miles
Morning 6 am while driving to airport all of sudden some thing cause the car to stall randomly while driving. Imagine that happening at 65mph on the highway! that freaked me out!, after diagnosed they said the problem actually lies in a faulty sensor. I'm surprised more people haven't filed complaints about this as it seems many people have the same problem and it is a serious safety concern as it can cause the car to stall randomly while driving.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

problem #12

Jul 232012

Altima

  • 120,000 miles
My 2006 Nissan Altima 2.5 sl appears to be part of a recall (ntb06-028) for excessive oil consumption. The car began exhibiting the symptoms of the recall concerning excessive oil burning at 120K miles in late June 2012. The problem started suddenly, burning one quart every 600 miles and with in two weeks one quart every 300-350 miles. Throughout my ownership of the car the vehicle had always been properly maintained at my local Nissan dealer. At 138K miles the vehicle began making a noise that sounded like a bag trapped underneath the car. Just after arriving home, the car exploded in thick, black smoke that billowed from under the hood and into the vehicle through the vents. Recall campaign id number: 06V223000 clearly states that, "certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.5L engines may experience excessive oil consumption". the extreme consequence of this problem is engine damage and fire. According to my records the recall was performed on the car on 4/24/08 at my local dealership however my initial contact at Nissan corporate said that the car was not a part of the recall. Later, another representative said that the recall was performed on 4/26/06 (this predates the NHTSA a preliminary defect report). After multiple phone calls and conversations I am extremely disappointed that Nissan will not accept any responsibility for the faulty recall fix.

- Grover Beach , CA, USA

problem #11

Sep 052012

Altima

  • 129,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact made several attempts to restart the vehicle before the vehicle responded. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop where the mechanic replaced the battery however, the failure recurred. The service engine warning light also illuminated. The vehicle was then taken to dealer who advised that the failure was related to the crankshaft sensor. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign id number: 07V527000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the contact's VIN was not included in the recall campaign. The approximate failure and current mileage was 129,000.

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #10

Feb 152012

Altima

  • miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while traveling 40 mph, the rpms decreased abnormally. The contact also mentioned that the vehicle stalled on a separate occasion with the illumination of the check engine warning light. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 113,000.

- Ontario, CA, USA

problem #9

Aug 062012

Altima 4-cyl

  • 65,000 miles
My service engine light came on and my vehicle's engine lurched forward, as if it was not getting gas. I made it home without incident. I thought I had purchased bad gas. The next morning my car would not start, it took several times for it to final start. This has happened on several occasions. I ran a scan and the scan said I needed to replace the crankshaft sensor which I did and it did no good. The engine is very hard to start and is consuming a lot of gas. This past weekend the engine started to buck when idling in traffic. I was afraid the engine was going to die and catch fire. I found a previous recall that sounds exactly like mine with the crankshaft sensor. I contacted Nissan about it and they said my engine was not part of the recall. This angered me that they do not take these things seriously enough to include all 2.5L engines for that year. The recall id # 67703 - engine and engine cooling is the one I'm referring too.

- Norfolk, VA, USA

problem #8

Sep 142012

Altima 4-cyl

  • 106,000 miles
My vehicle is having trouble when starting and I had a scan code done by auto zone which said it was the crankshaft position sensor. I saw there was a recall for 2006 Nissan Altima for this problem so I went to the dealer to inquire about the recall and they stated there was no recall.

- Severn, MD, USA

problem #7

May 152012

Altima

  • 79,005 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact stated he was checking the oil level on the vehicle and noticed that he had lost 2/4 of oil in a week. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnose that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in recall NHTSA campaign id number: 06V223000 (engine and engine cooling). The failure mileage was 79,005 and the current mileage was 129,000.

- Devine , TX, USA

problem #6

May 182012

Altima

  • 90,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving 60 mph the check engine light illuminated. The failure recurred one week later. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis and the contact was informed that the crankshaft position sensor would need replacing. The vehicle was repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign id number: 07V527000 (engine and engine cooling) however was told that his VIN was not included in the recall. The contact however felt as if the vehicle had the same defect as that listed per the recall. The failure and current mileages were 90,000.

- Victoria, TX, USA

problem #5

Jul 042012

Altima

  • 81,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 70 mph, the vehicle decelerated independently and would not respond to acceleration attempts. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that they had to replace the crank shaft. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 81,000 and the current mileage 82,000. The VIN was not available.

- Merritt Island , FL, USA

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