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2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid problems

The most common problem on the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid is brakes, typically around 13,500 miles. Its complaint count is close to a typical Altima Hybrid model year.

Typical yearClose to a typical year
Year score
65/100
Owner complaints
16
Recalls
1
Service bulletins
50
Worst area
Brakes
Fuel economy
34mpg

The worst 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

  • Brakes
    5
  • Engine
    4
  • Acceleration
    3
  • Electrical
    3
  • Airbags
    1

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

  • Brakes
    5
  • Engine
    4
  • Acceleration
    3
  • Electrical
    3
  • Airbags
    1
  • Driver assistance
    1
  • Lights
    1
  • Transmission
    1
  • Visibility
    1

Trouble codes owners of the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid mention

P0300 2

Recalls 1

Electrical system: softwareReported October 7, 2008 · 204,361 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Nissan is recalling 204,361 my 2007-2008 altima, altima hybrid, 350z, 350z roadster, my 2008 altima coupe, rogue, my 2009 murano, and infiniti my 2007-2008 g35 sedan, my 2008 g37 coupe and ex35 passenger vehicles equipped with continental automotive systems' occupant classification system (ocs) control units. A varistor in the ocs control unit located in the passenger seat cushion may have been manufactured out of specification. Under certain conditions, this could cause an interruption of signal between the ocs and the air bag control unit (acu).
Risk
This could result in the passenger air bag being suppressed which could fail to provide adequate protection in the event of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will test the signal between the ocs and acu systems using a special tool to check that it is functioning as designed. If necessary, the seat cushion (containing ocs hardware) will be replaced with a new one manufactured to specification. The recall began on november 4, 2008. Owners may contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261 or infiniti at 1‑800‑662‑6200.

Recall number 08V521000 · Recall details

See all 1 recalls for the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid

Defect investigations

Pedestrian alert soundsOpened January 27, 2023, closed August 7, 2023

the federal safety agency received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, the federal safety agency opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified the federal safety agency he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by the federal safety agency regarding the subject matter of the petition.

DP22005

Technical service bulletins for the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid 50

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 50 bulletins for the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid

2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid fuel economy

Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.

EngineDriveCityHighwayCombined
2.5L 4‑cyl HybridFWD353334

What 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Apr 8, 2019 · Airbags · 171,000 miles · CT

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 nissan altima hybrid. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator remained illuminated while driving. The contact was concerned that the air bag could deploy. The contact called paul miller nissan at (203) 335-3181 (located at 5420, 930 kings hwy e, fairfield, ct 06825) and was informed that there would be a diagnostic fee. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 171,000. The VIN was not available. *tt

Filed May 14, 2017 · Brakes · 89,754 miles · PA

I have a 2008 nissan altima hybrid and am having problems with the brakes. I was driving the car when I stepped on the brakes to stop for a signal. The pedal went down without slowing the car until it was near the bottom of its travel at which time the car came to an abrupt halt, the ABS, vdc and brake warning light came on. I continued home without trouble until I was coming into the garage at which time the same thing happened.I have checked and found others who have had the same problem. Fortunately I was traveling at a low speed with no traffic.

Filed Oct 20, 2015 · Acceleration · 130,000 miles · CT

Traveling south interstate 95 passing lane on curve @ east lyme ct. Car suddenly decelerated rapidly. Accelerator would not respond to depression. I couldn't immediately coast into right lane & no breakdown lane on my side. Cars behind me, apparently because there were no brake lights activated, drove right to my bumper & began honking. When surprisingly the accelerator responded from complete halt , right lane cleared and I moved through it immediately onto exit ramp. I was baffled & car was responding so I rounded into east lyme stop & shop parking lot with blinkers on. After composing myself, I continued home on back road without incident. Two weeks later leaving my development the vehicle was traveling at 30 (slight uphill) and same thing happened with my wife present; vehicle behind was alerted by hand signals to pass. After accelerator recovered function within minutes (slower than previous incident) I contacted nissan repair grossman's old saybrook from home. They said to bring it in. I said is it safe? They said I could contact aaa. I called a friend with a diagnostic computer which indicated a "transmission module" failure. Then, at nissan, shop foreman claimed that since there was no dash indicator or trouble code with his device there was nothing they could do. 1/4 mile away, the car stalled in middle of large intersection making a turn blocking everyone. When it recovered, I returned and he again claimed there was nothing they could do and kept asking me where I bought it. I told him it was unsafe to drive, until a mechanic overheard and convinced him to allow investigation. Mechanic acknowledged code. Test drive nothing happened. Shop foreman refused to note "accelerator failure" & wrote power failure. They ridiculed when told online search "accelerator failure" gets hits. Shop has it since september 15th to date without notice? Options?

Filed Mar 10, 2015 · Electrical · 83,000 miles · MN

Nissan dealer is saying I must replace part # 48700-9n00b, this same part is under extended warranty on the altima 2009-2012. Can I get a new version of these.

Filed Jun 24, 2014 · Engine · 104,500 miles · NY

Check engine light came on. Obd2 code was p0303 and intermittently code p0300 indicating cylinder #3 and multiple cylinder misfiring. Took the car to local garage. Installed new spark plugs and with nissans guidance,they performed upper intake cleaning. Check engine light came back on for same codes. Notified nissan and brought car to dealer as advised. Dealer replaced coil pack #3 and performed fuel induction cleaning. Cel came back up and dealer recommended removal of head to inspect for warpage after already spending $1200 on this issue. Nissan said they couldn't let me know if any or no financial assistance on the issue until I pay another $600 to inspect the head when a compression test should have been performed when nissan first worked on the vehicle. Overall, not satisfied with nissan for dropping the ball on an obvious recall under service bulletin ntb-10-056.

Filed Feb 14, 2014 · Engine · 35,000 miles · NY

A carbon buildup in the cylinder head causes the vehicle to shake and during initial start up and stutter/shake during acceleration. This build up is due to a design flaw in the cylinder head. It cause multiple unsafe instances when trying to merge with oncoming traffic and safely navigate in normal driving conditions. This is a know issue to nissan and they have redesigned the head but are unwilling to help with the issue. This occurred on our vehicle with only 35,000 miles on it.

Filed Sep 27, 2013 · Brakes, Lights · 68,000 miles · CA

Hi, I recently discovered that the brake lights are intermittently malfunctioning because of an unreliable brake lights switch. I became aware of the issue because the push button ignition was intermittently failing. After a little bit of research I found out that it is a known issue for nissan altima 2007-2008 owners, but was never addressed by nissan. I have a three month old baby that could have been severely injured in a rear end collision. Please make sure this issue gets addressed before any accident occurs. Thank you so much!

Filed Aug 8, 2013 · Engine · 70,000 miles · GA

Check engine light came on. Diagnostic error code was p0300 indicating intermittent multiple cylinder misfiring. Took the car to the dealer. Was informed that this is a known problem with altima hybrids due to carbonation of the engine due to frequent starts and stops. Nissan has redesigned the cylinder head and at one time considered a recall but then decided against it and are handling it on a case by case basis. Initiated contact with nissan corporation. Nissan responded back in 10 days that they will not cover it because the car is not under warranty anymore (warranty expired at 60,000 miles). Newly designed cylinder head was going to cost $2700. Decided to decarbonize the car engine using a kit. Car has been running fine since then. Cost $185. Bottom line: nissan should have covered the repair cost because it was caused by a design flaw in the cylinder head. Nissan should have advised about trying decarbonization. Overall very unhappy with the way I was treated by the company and the dealer. This is the 6th nissan product I have bought in the last 20 years, and will more likely be the last one.

Filed Jan 7, 2013 · Acceleration, Brakes · 10,700 miles · CA · crash

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 nissan altima hybrid. The contact stated that the brakes failed when applied, causing the contact to crash into a wall and another vehicle. The police were not contacted and there were no injuries. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they advised her that the floor mat could have caused the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 10,700. The current mileage was approximately 10,800. Updated 2/20/13*lj the consumer stated the body work was completed. Updated 02/21/13

Filed Aug 15, 2012 · Electrical · 16,000 miles · CA

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 nissan altima. The contact stated that the vehicle could only be started sporadically. The failure progressed until the vehicle could no longer be started. The dealer was notified but no assistance was offered. The vehicle was diagnosed by a private mechanic who advised that the brake sensor cables caused the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 16,000 and the current mileage was 40,000....updated 10/17/12 *bf the consumer stated the start engine button failed about 30 times, when he attempted to start the vehicle. The consumer stated aaa knew exactly what cables to tighten under the steering. Updated 10/17/12

Compare the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid

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Questions about the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid

Is the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid reliable?

Owners have filed 16 complaints about the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid, close to a typical Altima Hybrid model year.

What is the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid year score?

The 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid scores 65 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Nissan Altima Hybrid: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.

What is the most common problem with the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid?

Brakes, with 5 complaints, typically around 13,500 miles. Next is engine (4).

How many recalls does the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid have?

1 recall, covering electrical system.

What gas mileage does the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid get?

Official estimates for the 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid range from 34 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.5L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD) gets 35 city and 33 highway.

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