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full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2008 Nissan Altima cruise control problems
severe 20 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $600 · see cruise control across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
20
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$600
7crashes
1fire
1injury
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering cruise control on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 2008 Altima cruise-control and powertrain cluster shows six distinct problems. First, owners report unintended acceleration—the car surges forward while braking or at rest, causing crashes into parked vehicles. Second, acceleration hesitates and surges unpredictably between 25–40 mph from new; Nissan issued TSB NTB10-121B classifying this as normal, but owners say work per that bulletin changed nothing and near-misses have resulted.
Third, the accelerator pedal sticks, fails to respond, or in one case broke off at the plastic hub during acceleration—unlike the metal brake arm. Fourth, the engine stalls or loses all power without warning on highways or in traffic, sometimes requiring multiple restarts. Fifth, in a catastrophic case, brakes failed completely at highway speed, the car wouldn't shut off, and it caught fire.
Finally, CVT transmission hesitation on acceleration occurs alongside reports of transmission fluid thickening in heat, causing overheat and stall. One owner's transmission failed at 90,000 miles and was replaced under Nissan's extended CVT warranty, but the fluid problem persists unless owners pay for an external coolant system.
Same Nissan Altima cruise control reports on nearby years: 2005 · 2006 · 2009
Failure modes owners describe
Unintended acceleration—sudden surging without pedal input
Vehicle surges forward or accelerates abruptly when driver has foot on brake or no foot on accelerator. Occurs at various speeds (parking, highway, intersections) and in some cases causes crashes into parked or moving vehicles.
When: Various mileages: 40,000; 35,000; 64,000; reported at parking, stop signs, highways
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle surges forward while braking; Unintended acceleration without depressing accelerator; Loss of speed control; Multiple crashes into parked vehicles while stopped
Acceleration hesitation and surging between 25–40 mph
Vehicle hesitates or surges unpredictably during normal acceleration between 25 and 40 mph, then clears above 40 mph. Nissan references TSB NTB10-121B and claims this is normal operating characteristic. Work per bulletin provided no improvement. Owner reports this has caused near-miss accidents.
When: From start of vehicle ownership; affects normal city/highway driving speeds
Symptoms owners cite: Hesitation during acceleration at 25–40 mph; Surging between 25–40 mph; Clears above 40 mph; Unpredictable acceleration failure; Near-miss accidents due to improper acceleration
Repairs/costs cited: Work performed per TSB NTB10-121B with no improvement
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: TSB NTB10-121B issued; Nissan claims behavior is normal operating characteristic
Gas pedal sticking or failing to respond
Accelerator pedal becomes unresponsive or stuck. In one case, pedal broke off at the hub during acceleration from stopped traffic. In another, throttle stuck wide open. Owners must floor pedal to get minimal acceleration, or pedal is completely non-functional until sudden response.
When: Various mileages and conditions: 35,000–171,000 miles; highway, stop signs, merging, parking
Symptoms owners cite: Gas pedal fails to accelerate despite pressing; Must floor pedal to get minimal response; Accelerator pedal broke off at hub; Throttle sticks wide open; Sudden acceleration after delay; Stuck pedal sensation
Repairs/costs cited: One owner reports accelerator pivot hub, arm, and pedal are single piece of plastic (unlike metal brake pedal arm)
Complete loss of power/stalling while driving or idling
Vehicle stalls or loses power completely while driving on highway or in traffic, or while idling. Power loss can leave driver stranded in moving traffic. Requires restart to regain power. Check engine light may illuminate after stall.
When: Various mileages and road conditions; 6,000 miles (Rogue) to 171,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Complete power loss on highway; Vehicle stalls while idling; Vehicle stalls when accelerator depressed; Cannot restart immediately; multiple restart attempts needed; Check engine light appears after stall; Service engine light illuminates; Hazardous situation with traffic behind or around vehicle
Codes mentioned: Speed sensor code, Throttle sensor code
Brake failure or unresponsiveness
Brakes stop working or fail to slow vehicle when depressed. In one critical case, driver could not stop on highway despite braking hard, brakes completely failed, and vehicle caught fire. In another, brakes did not respond during unintended acceleration event.
When: Various mileages; one case at high speed on highway
Symptoms owners cite: Brakes do not slow vehicle; Brakes completely fail to respond; Brake pedal depressed with no effect; Unable to stop despite hard braking
CVT transmission hesitation, surging, or decreased speed
CVT transmission hesitates or stalls on acceleration from stop. Transmission fluid can become glue-like in hot weather or high-speed driving, causing overheat and stall. One owner reports whining sound and sudden speed decrease from 70+ mph to 30–40 mph on highway.
When: 90,000 miles (transmission failure); various mileages for hesitation; high-speed highway driving noted in one case
Symptoms owners cite: Hesitation or stall when accelerating from stop; Whining sound from transmission; Sudden decrease in speed without braking; Engine overheating; Check engine light; CVT fluid becomes thick/glue-like in heat
Repairs/costs cited: Nissan transmission replacement covered under extended CVT warranty (90,000-mile case). Solution offered: external coolant system for CVT fluid at owner's expense
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Nissan extended CVT warranty covers transmission replacement; CVT fluid coolant system offered as customer-paid solution
Synthesized from 20 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 0 most recent
Had cruise control trouble with your 2008 Nissan Altima?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the cruise control problem on the 2008 Nissan Altima?
It's a meaningful issue. 20 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $600.
At what mileage does the cruise control typically fail?
Across the 18 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most cruise control failures cluster between 27,001 and 90,000 miles, with the median around 55,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 27,001; a quarter make it past 90,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $600 for cruise control repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to cruise control?
No active recalls currently cover cruise control issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2008/Nissan/Altima.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.