TELEMATICS SERVICE INFORMATION HINT: This bulletin applies to vehicles equipped with a 4G network compatible TCU. TCUs compatible with 3G network only are no longer supported. SERVICE INFORMATION The APPLIED VEHICLES that come equipped with a factory installed SOS switch, located near the overhead map lamp, also come equipped with a wireless communication device called a Telematics Communication Unit (TCU). With an active NissanConnect® Services subscription, the TCU communicates with the NissanConnect® Services Data Center to provide various security and convenience services. This bulletin contains important service procedures that must be performed properly in order to set-up and maintain
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2021 Nissan Altima electrical problems
severe Owners of the 2021 Nissan Altima have filed 18 NHTSA complaints about the electrical at roughly $850 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See electrical across all vehicles →
Complaints
18
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$850
| Model year | electrical complaints |
|---|---|
| 2017 Altima | 18 |
| 2018 Altima | 36 |
| 2019 Altima | 54 |
| 2020 Altima | 38 |
| 2021 Altima (this page) | 18 |
| 2022 Altima | 3 |
| 2023 Altima | 10 |
| 2024 Altima | 3 |
1crash
1injury
When does it fail?
Of the 18 electrical complaints filed for the 2021 Nissan Altima, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Electrical accounts for 26% of all owner complaints filed against this vehicle, across 5 categories tracked.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering electrical 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.
INTELLIGENT CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE AND AEB/FEB WARNING LIGHT ON OR RADAR OBSTRUCTION MESSAGE DISPLAYED WITH DTC C1A16 OR C2582 IF YOU CONFIRM IMPORTANT: The purpose of ACTION (on the next page) is to give you a quick idea of the work you will be performing. You MUST closely follow the entire SERVICE PROCEDURE as it contains information that is essential to successfully completing this repair. Nissan Bulletins are intended for use by qualified technicians, not 'do-it-yourselfers'. Qualified technicians are properly trained individuals who have the equipment, tools, safety instruction, and know-how to do a job properly and safely. NOTE: If you believe that a described condition may apply t
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING WARNING LIGHT BLINKING APPLIED SYSTEMS: Vehicles equipped with a lane camera (see Figure 1) SERVICE INFORMATION If the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) warning light or is blinking (but not illuminated steadily) or the customer states it is blinking, and there are no related DTCs, inspect the windshield. A blinking AEB warning light may occur under the following conditions: When contamination or foreign material adhere to the lane camera viewing window on the windshield. When driving while it is snowing or when frost forms on the lane camera viewing window on the windshield. When the lane camera viewing window on the windshield is temporarily fogged up. Fig
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗FALSE ACTIVATION OF AEB OR FCW APPLIED VEHICLES: 2021-2022 Altima (L34) 2022-2023 Frontier (D41) 2020-2022 Sentra (B18) APPLIED DATES: Altima: All Frontier: All Sentra: Built on or before March 10, 2022 APPLIED SYSTEMS: Automatic Emergency Braking/Forward Collision Warning IF YOU CONFIRM The customer states they have experienced false activation and/or unexpected braking of the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) or Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system, AND There are no related DTCs stored. ACTION 1. Confirm the current ICC/ADAS 2 part number. 2. Reprogram the ICC/ADAS 2, if applicable. IMPORTANT: The purpose of ACTION (above) is to give you a quick idea of the work you will be performing. Y
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗CAN COMMUNICATION CODES – DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Multiple electrical failures plague early 2021 Altimas. Door lock actuators are the most common complaint—rear passenger and driver side locks stop responding to fob, buttons, and manual switches within the first year or two of ownership. Owners report sequential failures where one door goes bad, then days or weeks later another stops working. By one account, all four doors became inoperable. When locks fail, doors either stay locked or unlocked no matter what you do, and the vehicle loses automatic locking when driving. Dealerships confirm the issue and blame the body control module, quoting replacement and reprogramming costs owners describe as substantial.
The automatic emergency braking system misfires regularly. It warns and brakes hard without obstacles in front of the car, sometimes at highway speeds with no warning. The warning light flashes randomly in dry and wet conditions alike. One owner reported the system failed to stop during a rainstorm despite the warning light being on; Nissan blamed water in the AEB sensors. Warranty denials are common for both the door locks and AEB repairs.
Other electrical gremlins reported: backup camera display glitches and goes black; radio volume suddenly maxes out and control knobs quit working ($2,000 repair quoted); rear crash warning falsely triggers at traffic lights and when reversing; washer fluid level light stays on when tank is full. One buyer discovered an odometer discrepancy—65,000 miles listed at registration versus 35,000 at dealer purchase.
Same Nissan Altima electrical reports on nearby years: 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2023
Failure modes owners describe
Door lock actuator failure
Rear and front door lock actuators stop responding to fob, key, or door lock buttons. Doors lock or unlock sporadically or remain stuck in one position. Multiple doors on the same vehicle affected sequentially.
When: February onwards; varies by owner; one reported 42,500 miles; another at 35,189 miles at purchase
Symptoms owners cite: Rear passenger door locks stop working first; Driver side rear door locks fail days or weeks later; Front locks eventually stop responding; Doors cannot be locked or unlocked from inside door panel, fob, or outside handle; Doors remain in locked or unlocked position regardless of input; Loss of automatic locking feature when driving
Repairs/costs cited: BCM (body control module) replacement and reprogramming reported by dealership in one case; door lock actuators replaced at multiple repair shops; costs described as 'not inexpensive' but no specific figures given
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership stated issue not replicable on first visit in one case; later confirmed by dealer; no warranty coverage mentioned in repair authorization; Nissan reportedly ignored similar complaints from multiple owners
Automatic emergency braking system malfunction
AEB system warning light illuminates randomly or continuously while driving. Vehicle may brake unexpectedly and aggressively without driver input or visible obstacles. Occurs in all weather conditions and highway speeds.
When: At 17,000 miles in one case; random intervals thereafter
Symptoms owners cite: AEB warning light flashes on dash randomly; Warning light comes on when nothing is in front of vehicle; Vehicle brakes aggressively on its own while driving; Braking occurs at highway speeds without warning; Warning light disengages once clear of rainstorm in one case; Occurs in dry conditions and during rain; No warning before braking event occurs
Codes mentioned: NHTSA ID 10207869 (Electrical System, Forward Collision Avoidance)
Repairs/costs cited: No repairs completed in reported cases; dealership suggested water entry into sensors may cause defect in rainy conditions
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership claimed repair not covered under warranty; manufacturer stated rainstorm could cause water ingress into AEB sensors; owner requested warranty coverage denied
Backup camera malfunction
Backup camera display degrades and becomes unreliable. Screen shows glitches, lines, freezing, or goes completely black.
When: Approximately one year into ownership
Symptoms owners cite: Camera display gets dark; Glitches appear with lines through image; Display freezes intermittently; Screen goes black entirely; Unreliability worsens over days
Repairs/costs cited: Owner reports prior recalls exist for 2021 Altima backup cameras but not for their specific vehicle; requesting recall extension
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Similar models have had recalls issued; this owner's vehicle excluded from existing recall coverage
Audio/AV control unit failure
Radio volume spikes to full blast unexpectedly. Volume control knob becomes unresponsive. Unit fails internally, controlling volume independently of driver input.
When: Unknown; single owner report
Symptoms owners cite: Volume spikes to extremely high level multiple times; Volume control knob defective and unresponsive; Cannot turn radio off or down using controls; Volume independently jumps to full blast; Controls do not function
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership diagnosed internal failure in A/V control unit; replacement quoted at $2,000
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No warranty coverage implied; owner charged full out-of-pocket cost
Rear crash warning system false activation
Rear crash warning light and alert activate when vehicle is stationary or in reverse with no obstructions present.
When: Unknown timing; multiple occurrences
Symptoms owners cite: Rear crash warning activates when stopped at traffic light; Warning triggers when car put in reverse with nothing behind it; Warning occurs at least 5 times in one case; Clicking sound heard at speeds over 50 mph
Repairs/costs cited: No repairs reported
Washer fluid level indicator malfunction
Windshield washer fluid warning light remains illuminated continuously even when reservoir is full.
When: Unknown; reported multiple times to dealership
Symptoms owners cite: Washer fluid warning light stays on; Light remains active when reservoir visibly full; Persists across multiple dealership visits
Repairs/costs cited: No repairs completed; dealership visits made but issue unresolved
Odometer discrepancy
Mileage reading discrepancy discovered at time of registration after dealer purchase. Mileage jumped from 35,189 at purchase to 65,543 at registration.
When: At time of registration post-purchase
Symptoms owners cite: Odometer reading discrepancy of approximately 30,354 miles; Mileage jumped between purchase and registration
Synthesized from 18 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 5 most recent
Vehicle Breaking on Its Own While Driving I am writing to file a formal safety complaint and to demand immediate corporate intervention regarding an extremely dangerous mechanical/ADAS defect. My Nissan Altima has serious, ongoing safety issues where the vehicle will unexpectedly and aggressively apply the brakes on its own while I am driving, including on highways and regular roads. This defect…
The passenger side door won’t unlock at all. By remote nor manually.
Hi this is in reference to my 2021 Nissan altima. The fob key entry and electrical door control doesn't work. The automator for my doors have had to be replaced. First the rear passenger and five days later the rear passenger door on drivers side and now the drivers door. As a single female this is a safety issue. If I can't access my vehicle in an emergency it turns into a life or death…
3out of 4 door lock actuators went out .three of the doors can’t be locked from driver side and don’t automatically lock when the car is being driven.problem has been confirmed by an independent center.there were no prior warnings.
The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH in a rainstorm, the automatic emergency braking system warning light illuminated, however, the vehicle failed to stop. The contact continued to drive and noticed that once they cleared the rainstorm the warning light disengaged. The contact informed the dealer and was informed that the repair was not…
Had electrical trouble with your 2021 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 electrical problem on the 2021 Nissan Altima?
It's a meaningful issue. 18 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $850.
At what mileage does the electrical typically fail?
Based on the 18 complaints filed, electrical issues most often appear around 17,000 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $850 for electrical 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 electrical?
No active recalls currently cover electrical 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/2021/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.