CarComplaints.com Notes: You don't want to get 2009 and 2010 Altima owners started about their cars. That is, unless, you know how to start their cars.

These vehicles can suddenly become impossible to start thanks to a faulty electronic steering column lock (ESCL). Nissan dealers will gladly replace it, but that will run you $1000.

More info & videos about the Nissan ESCL defect are available over at NissanProblems.com.

It's one of the many reasons this car was named CarTalk's Turd of the Week and given our Beware of this Clunker badge. Two dubious honors.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
59,766 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.

2010 Nissan Altima engine problems

engine problem

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2010 Nissan Altima Owner Comments

problem #20

Jan 012023

Altima

  • miles

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

When parked letting the car warm up constant shaking kinda a rough ideal at times. From park to reverse it shifts hard the to drive its ok I guess then on the go it's like driving a boat on land loud knocking sounds seems like the tires are flat or about to explode off the car really nerve-wracking

- Richmond , KY, USA

problem #19

Jul 012023

Altima

  • miles
At some point on the highway the car throttles down to less than 60 mph. Mashing the gas pedal to the floor results in nothing happening. This causes a dangerous road situation with the slower speed, but the worst part is when it suddenly begins to accelerate again, potentially hitting the car in front of you unexpectedly. No mechanic can reproduce the effect as it only takes place after driving on the highway for an hour or so.

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #18

Apr 282022

Altima

  • miles
Was driving home on a rather busy highway, had my cruise control set at 65 mph, then the cruise control just shut off, no warning indications, no alerts, just poof off. It caused my car to lose speed instantly and caused a great deal of concern for both myself and everyone around me, this is now the second time this has happened within a month. Have not had time to take it to a dealership yet going to do so next week and see if they cant figure it out.

- Merriam Woods Village, MO, USA

problem #17

Jul 212020

Altima

  • 96,667 miles

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

After buying the car in late 2019, it came to my attention that the cvt transmission was faulty. I later found that the year, model, and make of my vehicle was included in a recall of the cvt transmissions, among other saftey issues. After having the vehicle inspected by three different shops, the conclusion was made that it was indeed the cvt transmission and stepper motor causing the problems. Upon further examination, it was found that my vehicle has not had a recall replacement of the faulty parts as of yet. The car has only 96K miles on it. When the issue arises, the transmission goes into a "safe" mode. This mode creates a throttle problem as the vehicle cannot travel faster than 40 mph without a high pitch wind up sound and a cut in power of almost 50%.

- Henderson, NV, USA

problem #16

Jul 272019

Altima

  • 10,000 miles
Around 20 mph when braking to a stop the rpms do not go down and the car continues to accelerate. I have to brake hard or put the car into neutral to stop. This is an intermittent event- once every 5- 6 months.

- Sterling, VA, USA

problem #15

Oct 262018

Altima

  • 220,000 miles
When accelerating from 20mph to 40mph the rpms increase to 3rpm and the transmission hesitates to change the gear. It seems to be an issue with the tcm (transmission control module). I bought my car brand new in 2010. It has 220,000 miles on it. I did some research online and saw this us a known issue with the car. Nissan also sent out a bulletin ntb10-121B. They should recall these cars and fix the issue at their cost. Attached is the pdf of the bulletin.

- Seneca, SC, USA

problem #14

Oct 132017

Altima

  • 120,000 miles

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

After approximately 2 hours of continuous driving the vehicle refuses to accelerate. Whatever speed you are driving at the time the issue kicks in is the maximum speed the vehicle will drive. Stopping and turning off the vehicle seems to reset the process and you can drive normally for the next 15 - 30 minutes until the problem resurfaces. Looking online indicates this a common issue for Nissan vehicles manufactured from 2007 - 2010. The issues seems to surface once the vehicles hit 80,000 miles. This is a safety hazard as in my case it prevented me from diving at the posted speed limit while on a major highway.

- Carrollton, TX, USA

problem #13

Oct 172016

Altima

  • 120,000 miles
This is a huge safety defect. I was driving on the highway, going about 65/70 mph. I had to break, due to traffic. I pressed on the gas, it went all the way to the ground, the car didn't accelerate at all. I released the gas and pressed again...still the same thing. This is in the middle of very fast moving traffic. I had to put my hazards on, as the car continued to slow down... then suddenly as I was releasing my foot from the gas...it forcefully accelerated causing me to slam on the breaks, to keep me from hitting the car in from of me. I had to carefully coast my way to the right side of the road, as I was in the fast lane closest to the median. It still wouldn't completely accelerate, it kind of scooted over the side of the road. I turned the car off, waited for about 2 minutes and attempted to start the car and it would not start. After about 3 tries it started, and I could drive the car back to my house, and the car continued to replicate the same issue. I haven't driven the car since. It's sitting in my driveway. I'm afraid to drive it, and at the present moment, don't have the means to get it towed anywhere to be looked at. It's such a shame that as soon as you pay a car off, and you are no longer covered under the warranty, that you start to have major problems. I bought a Nissan, because they were known for their longevity.... I will never buy Nissan again. I look on the sites to see if there is a recall for this issue, and have not found one. Please someone help me. I'm a single mom, with two kids. One in high school and the other in college. I can't afford another car note.

- Lithonia, GA, USA

problem #12

Feb 052017

Altima

  • 134,596 miles
After driving for extended periods in warm weather or uphill, car begins to loose power and begins to slow down on the highway. Pressing on the gas pedal does not give more power and I need to pull over and wait anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour for the car to reset itself.

- La Habra, CA, USA

problem #11

Sep 242016

Altima 4-cyl

  • miles
Was putting my car in reverse and when I put my foot on the gas in stead of reverse the move forward, please have someone contact me immediately. Thank you. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Harrisburg, PA, USA

problem #10

May 132016

Altima

  • 207,000 miles

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

The cvt transmission started shifting hard a few months ago. Then about a month ago the transmission started slipping. I exited the freeway and came to a light. Turned left and was in the middle of the intersection when the car would not go. I was nervious and pushed then pumped the gas and the car would not go. Then out of the blue it took off with out my foot on the gas. I had the transmission fluid changed. Then a few weeks latter I was driving 75 (speed limit) with cruise control on then the car started loosing power, 65,60 55. I accelerated the car and it just would not go faster. I was able to stop it with the cruise at 55. With flashers on could have been killed. Started my research and found that Nissan has extended the warranty by doubling it from 5 years/60,000 to 10 years/120,000 miles. My issue is my car is only 6 years old with 128,000 miles and Nissan has my car in their shop and will not fix it. I believe the cvt transmission needs to be recalled before someone get killed. I have very service record since the day I bought the car with 12 miles on it. The car has been well maintained.

- Baton Rouge, LA, USA

problem #9

Apr 132014

Altima

  • 121,895 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving approximately two hours the vehicle suddenly failed to accelerate over 60 mph and the RPM's would not increase past 2000. The contact indicated that the defect recurred on multiple occasions after driving for more than two hours at highway speeds. The vehicle failure was not diagnosed nor was the vehicle repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 121,895.

- Lithonia, GA, USA

problem #8

Apr 072014

Altima

  • miles
The contact owns a 2010 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving, the vehicle decelerated and stalled. The contact was unable to shift the vehicle into reverse. The failure recurred for two months. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic for diagnostic testing; however, they were unable to determine the cause of failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage were not available.

- Lower Peach Tree, AL, USA

problem #7

Jul 132013

Altima 4-cyl

  • 60,500 miles
Running to about 60 or 62 mph my vehicle decelerated repeatedly at the highway, I was pushing the pedal but nothing happened, I had to exit to the shoulder and turn it off and wait for a about ten min. After that I turn on the engine and could continue my way normally, never pass again but its weir because its relative a new car.

- The Colony, TX, USA

problem #6

Feb 092013

Altima 4-cyl

  • 38,700 miles
I was driving about 40 mph and the car just started slowly down even though I was pressing the gas pedal all the way to the floor.the gas pedal was not responding. The car would not pick up speed and I thought the headlights where dimming out but I'm not completely sure. I was panicking because other vehicles were behind me. I put on my hazard lights. I was able to pull to the shoulder of the rode. I placed the car in park for a few minutes and then tried to drive again. The car picked up speed after that. Very scary on a dark rode at night.

- Waldorf, MD, USA

problem #5

Mar 112011

Altima 4-cyl

  • 10,602 miles
Engine ping noise from engine at times really loud noise got worse then more problems happened over time at a stop car was accelerating like if was pressing the brake and the gas at the same time, next car would come to a stop then lost power when accelerating the car would not go more than a few mph this happened a few times and once down hill the car would not go in reverse and almost hit a parked car also almost got in an accident because the car would not clear an intersection, I also got video footage of incident, dealer keeps saying there is nothing wrong and the car is safe even after they saw the video they say the computer shows nothing then a recorder was installed in the car and the car was accelerated by itself the recorder button was pressed and the car was then taken to the dealer the recorder was taken off and the main Nissan company called me and said that the information on the recorder was accidentally erased. I have had many problems with this car since I had it this is my main concern but I have had problems from the windows not rolling down to the airbag light turning on and tail lights not working the dealer is not helping neither Nissan direct and at this point im concerned of my safety and my family's.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #4

Jun 072012

Altima 4-cyl

  • 44,000 miles
While driving home from Mexico we stop at the border check point and after coming to a complete stop and trying to accelerate, I had the gas pedal all the way to the floor and the car would not accelerate at all. From there after it did that after everytime time I had to come to a complete stop the entire way home. I have only had this car for less than a year.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #3

Jan 082012

Altima

  • 10,500 miles
In Oct 2011 car surged at stopped sign called dealer he said if happen again bring it in Nov 2011 car surged again took it to dealer he could not find anything wrong in Jan 2012 car surged again but this time there was a vehicle in front of me. The Nissan was completely damage in the front. The air bags did not open up. I traded the car in on a new and different company car. I was afraid to drive this any more. Gas pedal ## VIN failed ## 2010 Nissan Altima ##

- Va, VA, USA

problem #2

Nov 052010

Altima

  • miles
Last week I rented a Nissan Altima from hertz. This was the first time that I had driven this car. There is a design problem with the location of the brake pedal and spacing between the accelerator. I wear a size 10 shoe and the edge of my shoe kept getting caught on the edge of the brake pedal when I moved my foot to apply the brake. I narrowly escaped several accidents as a result of this. There is no space between these 2 pedals!

- Vail, AZ, USA

problem #1

Apr 262010

Altima 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 850 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Nissan Altima. The contact stated the vehicle abnormally accelerated while pulling into an uphill parking spot at speeds of 5 mph. The vehicle crashed into a large cement pillar and came to a stop. There were no injuries. The vehicle was taken to the bodyshop and repaired. The failure and current mileage were 850. Updated 06/25/10 updated 07/27/10 the consumer stated there was abnormal acceleration, due to electronic throttle control, or drive by wire. There were no codes. Updated 09/15/10

- Durham, NC, USA

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