CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2008 Altima has a defect trend of CVT transmission failure showing up around the 100,000 mile mark.

It's an expensive repair at nearly $4,000 average repair cost. For more information see Nissan Altima CVT defect info on NissanProblems.com.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
65,857 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.

2008 Nissan Altima brakes problems

brakes problem

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2008 Nissan Altima Owner Comments (Page 2 of 2)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #12

May 152013

Altima 4-cyl

  • 72,000 miles

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

Ramsey Nissan service department replaced my worn rotors with "warped" rotors...I need replacement of both front and rear brakes and rotors, according to ramsey Nissan service department. The service department installed, allegedly, original equipment manufactured brakes and rotors to replace my worn parts. The day I picked my car back up from the service department, I drove out of the dealership parking lot onto the highway - it only took the first brake, literally, going at around 40-50 mph to notice that my car was shaking. Confused, I immediately called Nissan service to let them know what I was experiencing. They assured me that this was the normal "break in" period for the brakes and that I would likely experience this for the next 500-1000 miles; keep in mind that I had no reason to not believe them as I was confident they had at least tested the brakes/rotors before giving the car back to me. Approximately 5-6 weeks later, I was still experiencing this issue; Nissan service later confirmed that my front rotors were "warped". Nissan service had ultimately installed inadequate and faulty rotors in my car. According to a individual auto mechanic who runs inspections, my car would immediately fail inspection. Clearly, with these faulty rotors, my braking ability was severely diminished; in an emergency situation, the last thing I would want to be unsure of is my brakes/rotors, which should be working 100 out of 100 times in extreme situations. These were rotors would cause my car to fail inspection and thus put in danger the lives of me, my family, and the people around me. Had I known that these were faulty rotors, I immediately would have had them replaced. But I drove around for over a month with a braking system that would fail inspection.

- Suffern, NY, USA

problem #11

Jun 292013

Altima 4-cyl

  • 103,000 miles
On several occasions I have tried to start the car but the brake resists being pressed in. I press the push to start button but the car does not start, only the dashboard lights and radio come on (as though I am not pushing the break in). I took my car to the dealership and they said I needed to replace my brake switch and harness for the low, low price of $500. The problem is intermittent so they cannot guarantee that it will fix the problem. This needs to be addressed by Nissan immediately, as I see all over the web that everyone with a 2007 or 2008 Altima is having this problem. What are recalls for except for precisely this type of issue??

- Boston, MA, USA

problem #10

Nov 062012

Altima 4-cyl

  • 20,000 miles
My brake light on the dashboard lights on and off. I had less than 25K miles on my car. I am reporting this because I have read of numerous complaints re this on the internet but no known recall by Nissan. Apparently this is a known issue and brake fluid is leaking.

- Oakton, VA, USA

problem #9

Apr 102013

Altima 4-cyl

  • 48,000 miles

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

In December of 2012 my car started to give me problems with starting. (45000 miles)I push the brake and push to start button, but only the lights come on. I had it towed to the dealer, and they said it is a brake switch problems, and that others have come in with the same problem on the 2007 and 2008 Altima. They fix the problem for $268 which was a complete waste of money, because in April 2013 and the same problem happening again.(48000 miles) I had the car towed back to the dealer and they replace the brake switch for me for free this time, and said that it maybe a bigger problem such as the sub harness for the brake light switch. But I will have to pay $125 for the diagnosis charge and I told them to call the corporate office have the Altima recalled and some other "kind words". I read online from various posts that others Altima 2007 and 2008 are having this problem. So for now I am left to pay to fix the problem out my pocket which is a complete headache, because Nissan should be fully aware of this problem.

- Irvington, NJ, USA

problem #8

Feb 022013

Altima 4-cyl

  • 52,000 miles
I had noticed months ago that the brake performance was not up to par, but as conditions were generally dry, it was not a problem. I did have new rotors and pads installed at 50,000 miles, but had no better brake performance. As soon as we experienced snowy/icy conditions it became a problem as the vehicle would then slide with the brakes locked, even though snow tires were installed. I then determined that the rear brakes were not working at all, and the hash marks from manufactures grinding on the new rear discs was virtually untouched. The rear brakes were bled, and there was no evidence of air in the line which pointed to a problem upstream. With the rear of the car raised and the brake pedal fully depressed, the rear wheels could still be turned by hand. There is evidence that the master cylinder is weeping at the booster.

- Lake Zurich, IL, USA

problem #7

Oct 122012

Altima 4-cyl

  • 28,000 miles
To whom it may concern, I wrote this letter to Consumer Affairs and to the CEO of Nissan: Dear [xxx], my name is [xxx]and I am a current owner of a 2008 Nissan Altima. For the past three weeks, I have been dealing with Nissan's West coast regional office in regards to issues I have been experiencing with my car. I have been treated very poorly and I am astonished and disgraced by both one of your Nissan dealerships here in los angeles and by your corporate representatives. As a leader myself for one of the most valuable company's in the world, I have found myself at a loss for words. [xxx], a man who has been empowered to make decisions for Nissan, stated by brett locher, his supervisor, has decided that Nissan should not fix the issue that I have been experiencing since the first day I leased the car. I was lied to by the sales representative that my vehicle had temporary battery issues. Later on in the year, I experienced similar issues. I was advised by your dealership in glendale, ca to pay for a new battery exchange. After purchasing the vehicle, I experienced the same issues until recently when my car became inactive to the the start/stop ignition switch not responding with the brake harness. Although I advised your representatives that I have been experiencing this problem way before my vehicle was out of warranty, they continued to explain to me that they would not be able to fix the car without charge because now its out of warranty. The car has around 29,000 miles and has never needed service. I am disappointed from an ethical standpoint and I would like to have my car fixed. It's time for Nissan to stop serving crackers and cheese and begin to serve caviar for customer retention. [xxx] class action lawsuit is needed! many people are experiencing these problems all over the net. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Glendale, CA, USA

problem #6

Jun 052012

Altima 4-cyl

  • 74,000 miles

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

Pressed on the brake while pushing start button to start car. Car couldn't recognize pressure on brake and wouldn't start. This happened on 20+ occasions. After a period of 10-30 minutes each time, car would eventually start.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #5

Mar 092012

Altima 4-cyl

  • 19,752 miles
The push start engine ignition depends upon pressing the brake pedal to start the vehicle. The engine would not start because the brake pedal could not be pressed completely in order for the push start to operate correctly. This has since occurred multiple times. We must push the brake pedal a number of times in order for the vehicle to start. According to the auto dealer they are not aware of any problem but upon search of the internet I have found many cases of similar problem. Nissan dealer offers to replace the brake part at a fee. Request that Nissan take responsibility for faulty brake button that appears to be causing this problem on many Nissan Altima vehicles.

- Chico, CA, USA

problem #4

Jul 022012

Altima

  • 53,000 miles
I have 2008 Nissan Altima 2.5 S which has push button start. I.e. person has to push button and press brake at same time to start the engine. There is a switch / sensor near brake pedal which sends signal that brake has been pressed (and also turns on rear brake lights). One day, all of sudden, when I tried to start car it didn't start. It keep saying press brake (accessories / radio etc all turn on). So the cycle of accessories - on- off kept on happening. I thought battery is weak and even tried jump start. So, after trying pushing brake + button for 30minutes, car finally started. This happened 2-3 times and I got very frustrated....finally I started reading online about this problem. Many people have posted same complain / issue. They suggested to check whether rear brake lights turn on when I press brake or not.. if not then the switch is bad.. I saw many people were able to fix problem by replacing switch ($50 expense). I did the same and car has been working fine since then (2-3 months). Dealer tries to charge $150 only for switch and then $500 for other stuff to eliminate root cause of issue.. as many people are effected by this issue, I firmly believe that Nissan should recall and fix this issue at their cost. Dealers are making tons of money off 2007-2008 Altima owners.

- Overland Park, KS, USA

problem #3

Jul 202012

Altima

  • 59,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start. The contact was able start the vehicle and took it to a private mechanic where it was confirmed that the brake switch failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The current mileage was 61,310 and the failure mileage was 59,000.

- Fenton, MO, USA

problem #2

Jun 092012

Altima

  • 80,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that as she attempted to use the push button ignition start and applied the brakes, the brakes seized abnormally and the vehicle did not start. The contact played around with several wires above the brake pedal to get the vehicle to start however, the failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and provided no assistance. The failure and current mileages were 80,000.

- Nashville, TN, USA

problem #1

May 262011

Altima 4-cyl

  • 66,536 miles
The master cylinder failed. It leaked fluid onto the brake booster causing the booster to fail. When released, the brake pedal would stay depressed momentarily and then pop up abruptly and then when depressed again the brakes would grab.

- Grant, AL, USA

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