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Nissan Altima abs comes on

69 of the 15,497 owner complaints about the Nissan Altima describe aBS light or ABS activating, most of them for the 2010 model year.

owner complaints
69
worst model year
2010
typical repair cost reported
$531
typical mileage
65,200
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below

By model year

  • 2025
    1
  • 2023
    2
  • 2020
    3
  • 2019
    2
  • 2018
    4
  • 2017
    1
  • 2016
    2
  • 2015
    4
  • 2014
    5
  • 2013
    3
  • 2012
    2
  • 2010
    15
  • 2009
    6
  • 2008
    2
  • 2007
    4
  • 2006
    2
  • 2005
    2
  • 2002
    3
  • 1998
    1
  • 1997
    1
  • 1995
    1
  • 1994
    2
  • 1993
    1

What owners say

Filed Sep 22, 2026 · Brakes · 6,900 miles · CT · crash · 1 injury

The contact's wife owned a 2025 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving downhill at 25 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle continued accelerating downhill and the contact drove over granite lines on the side of the road to slow the vehicle but the vehicle side-swiped another vehicle and stopped at the bottom of the hill. The contact stated that the vehicle had continued to accelerate through the intersection and he made a right turn up a hill and then made a left turn into a parking lot. The contact proceeded to drive the vehicle in a circle around the parking lot to slow the vehicle down to a near stop before shifting the vehicle into park(P) and shutting off the vehicle. At the time of the crash, no one involved in the crash reported any injuries, and medical attention was refused; however, the contact's insurance company received notice of a lawsuit from the other driver claiming they suffered bodily injuries due to the accident, the injuries remain unknown. A Police report was filed. The contact stated that the crash aggravated an existing back injury; however, the injury did not require medical attention. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent collision center and DTC: C1A04-97(Front Radar Center) and C1A26-97(Advanced Driver Assistance System Malfunction) was retrieved. The contact's wife had also received two separate emails for notices regarding the ABS and Braking System Warning. The vehicle remained at the collision center for over a month, and the mechanics failed to determine the cause of the failure. The contact paid off the remainder of the lease agreement and no longer had possession of the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 6,900.

Filed Jul 14, 2026 · Brakes, Driver assistance · 120,000 miles · WA

The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the auto-braking system unexpectedly activated, and there was a grinding sound coming from the brakes; however, the vehicle failed to stop as needed. The ABS warning light was illuminated. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the brakes suddenly activated, and the instrument panel illuminated with a vertical yellow light. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and waited for a while before restarting the vehicle to continue driving. The failure reoccurred the following morning while driving 35 MPH. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was pulled over, turned off, and restarted to continue driving. The failure had occurred approximately 5 times. The contact stated that with the cruise control set to co-pilot, the steering and lane assist features failed to operate as intended, advising the contact to manually steer the vehicle. The failure became more persistent. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Filed Jul 1, 2026 · Brakes, Suspension · 216,000 miles · MI

The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while his son was driving 50 MPH, the ABS warning illuminated, and the vehicle failed to exceed 15 MPH. The vehicle was driven to the residence and parked. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer associated the failure with TSB: NTB21-045a. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the warranty on the vehicle had expired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 216,000.

Filed Mar 1, 2026 · Airbags · FL

In my altima I've noticed over the few years of ownership occasionally the passenger airbag light wouldn't go off for a few minutes sometimes like it wasn't recognizing a passenger was occupying the vehicle. Then it started occasionally not recognizing the occupant, now it will not recognize an occupant and the airbag light is permanently stuck on the dash. This puts any occupant in the car at risk, when I hookup my own abs/airbag scan tool it shows no faults. It would appear to me the occupant sensor in the seat isn't functional because this is a common fault with this vehicles and it typically exhibits these symptoms. This is such a problem and replacing it is so difficult people have come up with seat sensor emulators which bypass the sensor making the system think there's always an occupant so the airbag goes off, a quick google search will show what I'm talking about. I called my local dealer sutherland nissan and they refused to help me, they said they were going to charge me a diagnostic fee and if it's anything other than the sensor I'd pay thousands, they're known for lying at that dealer so I know they'll tell me it's something else even if it isn't. So essentially I cannot have a passenger safely in my vehicle because nissan is going to make it a financial hardship for me. This is a known safety defect in this vehicle, I shouldn't be paying for anything. It shouldn't be this difficult to have a known safety defect fixed, I shouldn't have to be playing mind games with Dealership employees who are trying to steal my money and I shouldn't have to make complaints about this.

Filed Feb 12, 2025 · Transmission · 33,737 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle failed to accelerate immediately. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with CVT judder, and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 33,737.

Filed Jan 23, 2025 · Brakes · 65,200 miles · KY · crash

The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at 10 MPH on a snowy hill road, the ABS warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the ABS independently enabled, the vehicle jerked and veered off the road. The rear passenger side of the vehicle crashed into multiple trees. In addition, the vehicle crashed into the last tree which prevented the vehicle from entering into the river. The contact's spouse was an occupant in the vehicle and was seated in the front passenger's seat. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The damage to the vehicle consists of damage to the rear passenger side of the vehicle and the front passenger side door. No injuries were sustained. No police report was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 65,200.

Filed Dec 27, 2024 · Acceleration, Driver assistance · IL

The sensor was replaced but the light engine light still came back on now the speed sensor is causing the issue. The abs light comes on while accelerating it jumps and jerks

Filed Oct 7, 2024 · Brakes, Engine · 184,000 miles · GA

The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, there was an abnormal clanking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was driving rough. The contact stated that the ABS, brake, check engine, and TPMS warning lights were illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that there were no recalls for the failure on the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the strut housings had failed. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 184,000.

Filed Dec 13, 2023 · Brakes, Steering · GA

1. Power steering cuts off while driving. Occurs intermittently -- once every two weeks or so. I am guessing that the intermittent nature of this is why more have not reported it. Warning lights show on dash indicating ABS, etc. but codes disappear when car is turned off and back on. Yes, you can inspect this. We bought a BlueDriver OBDII with an app because we couldn't capture this and the dealer couldn't recreate the problem. I have the records of the codes. We were able to get the vehicle to the dealer while still running and they are fixing it by replacing the ABS computer (at significant cost). 2. Sudden loss of power steering could result in a major accident -- especially in emergency situations, at higher speeds or if the driver was weaker/smaller. My wife drives this car, and it was a major shock when this happened. Fortunately, she was moving less than 30 mph when this happened -- and she was not trying to avoid an accident. 3. The problem has been reconfirmed by Regal Nissan Service at this time. [XXX] See above for description of how hard it was to capture this condition. 4. The component has been deemed unworking. I believe that the dealer is just replacing it, however, vs, in-depth diagnosing at the corporate level. 5. The warning lights come on at the same time the power steering stops. There is absolutely no pre-warning. We have no idea if the ABS system also stops working because conditions were dry, speed was low, no slamming on of brakes -- but I am guessing that the ABS also wouldn't work. That's a guess. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Sep 7, 2023 · Brakes, Driver assistance · 5,300 miles · CA · crash

The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the windshield had cracked with no external cause. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was the windshield was replaced. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 45-50 MPH, the vehicle ahead slowed down, slid and stopped side ways, approximately two feet in the emergency lane and two feet in the left lane. The contact stated that upon depressing the brake pedal, the wheels locked but the ABS failed to engage, causing the vehicle to skid. Additionally, the contact attempted to turn to the right to avoid the other vehicle, but the steering wheel was locked. The contact used his physical strength to steer the steering wheel; however, the vehicle crashed into the passenger's side rear bumper and headlight of the other vehicle. The contact stated that the forward collision avoidance emergency braking system failed to engage. The air bags did not deploy. The front driver's side door failed to open widely. The contact stated that he kicked the door in order to exit the vehicle. There was no injury sustained. There was no police report filed. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer's autobody repair shop, All Magic Paint & Body (14461 Commerce Center Dr, Moreno Valley, CA 92553). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that a Nissan field inspector would inspect the vehicle and would review the EDR information. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 5,300. The VIN was unavailable.

Related recalls

Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: caliperReported November 5, 2015 · 119 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2015 Altima and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured October 6, 2015, to October 7, 2015. The affected vehicles have front brake calipers whose mounting bolts may not be properly tightened.
Risk
If the bolts were not properly tightened, the caliper may detach and reduce braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will check the brake caliper mounting bolts, tightening them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 14, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1‑800‑647‑7261.

Recall number 15V733000 · Recall details

Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsReported January 24, 1995 · 68 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Certain of the brake hoses for the right rear wheel were routed incorrectly so that contact is made with a suspension component. This causes abrasion to the hose and eventual leakage.
Risk
A leaking brake hose reduces braking capability, increases stopping distances and increases the risk of an accident.
Remedy
The right rear brake hose will be inspected to determine if it is routed correctly. Misrouted hoses will be inspected for damage, replaced if necessary, and correctly routed.

Recall number 95V008000 · Recall details

Questions about the Nissan Altima abs

Why does the abs come on in the Nissan Altima?

Owners who report it most often also describe cvt failure, check engine light and engine stalls while driving, and the codes they mention most are C1A26, C1A04 and B1057.

Which Nissan Altima years have aBS light or ABS activating problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2010 (15 complaints), 2009 (6 complaints) and 2014 (5 complaints).

How much does it cost to fix ABS light or ABS activating on the Nissan Altima?

Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $531 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.

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