SUBJECT: Improper Recall Remedy Denial – the federal safety agency Recall #25V437000 (Nissan R25A8/R25A9) Vehicle: 2020 Nissan Altima 2.0L VC-Turbo Mileage at Failure: 147,540 Incident Description: The vehicle experienced a sudden catastrophic engine failure resulting in a permanent no-start condition. The vehicle had been parked normally and completely failed to start the following morning. An independent certified mechanic inspected the vehicle and confirmed substantial metal shavings and bearing debris in the oil pan. The vehicle was towed to an authorized Nissan dealership service department for remedy under open the federal safety agency Campaign #25V437000. The dealership dropped the oil pan, re-confirmed the presence of metal bearing debris, and initially acknowledged this triggered an engine replacement under the recall. The claim was submitted to Nissan corporate warranty/Powertrain Call Center (PCC). Basis of Complaint (Recall Non-Compliance): Nissan North America and the dealership have officially declined the zero-cost recall remedy mandated by federal law, demanding nearly $10,000 for an engine replacement. Nissan claims the engine failed due to "loss of compression" rather than bearing breakdown. This claim is mechanically flawed: 1. In the KR20DDET VC-Turbo multi-link architecture, lower-link and crankshaft bearing degradation directly disrupts piston stroke geometry, scores cylinder walls, and causes severe loss of compression and eventual no-start. 2. The documented metal debris in the oil pan meets the exact diagnostic trigger in Nissan's recall bulletin for a full engine replacement. 3. Nissan has provided no diagnostic evidence showing an alternate source for the metal shavings in the pan. Nissan is evading its legal obligation under 49 U.S.C. § 30120 to remedy a known safety defect without charge. I request immediate ODI intervention regarding recall non-compliance.
Nissan Altima engine failure problems
341 of the 15,494 owner complaints about the Nissan Altima describe engine failure, most of them for the 2002 model year.
- owner complaints
- 341
- worst model year
- 2002
- typical repair cost reported
- $4,500
- typical mileage
- 85,000
By model year
Often reported together
Oil consumption 81Check engine light 73Stalling 41Overheating 27Steering lock-up 22Fire or smoke 16Misfire 13Won't start 11
Trouble codes mentioned
P0420 5P0335 2P2004 1P0304 1P0101 1
What owners say
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine seized. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was later towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with internal engine failure. The contact was informed that there was oil leaking onto the spark plugs. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The contact was awaiting a return call from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Altima. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer for a trade-in, and during the test drive, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who determined that the cam actuator and the bearings were falling apart. The mechanic informed the contact about the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there were metal shavings inside the oil and in the oil pan. The engine replacement fees were provided. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and advised that the mechanic was unable to force the dealer to repair the vehicle. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Engine Malfunction" was displayed. Additionally, the vehicle experienced excessive coolant consumption and the engine overheated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the thermostat was replaced; however, the failure recurred and worsened. The vehicle was returned to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a cooling system and head gasket failure. The dealer was contacted and provided with the diagnostic trouble codes, and the dealer recommended an engine replacement. The vehicle was not repaired and remained parked at the residence for two months. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Dealership found metal contamination in oil pan from engine. They diagnosed as car needing a new engine due to engine failure. The car only has 90,000 miles and it’s a 2021.
MY 2024 Nissan Altima, with approximately 13,000 miles stalled while driving in 10 degree Fahrenheit weather with snow on the road. My speed was around 45 MPH. The vehicle immediately stalled and all the lights on the dashboard went on. The warning flashed something about an engine error. The brakes seized up while in snowy weather and with cars very close behind me. Easily could have caused an accident and was a pretty scary event. The car is maintained well and have very low mileage and is taken care of well. I slowed down and then another error screen popped up saying to immediately take care for service. While I was attempted to slow down with brake pedal super hard to push; I attempted to put car in neutral with my hazard lights on by now. Car started again while I was coasting about 20 mph, with engine light showing. I immediately took it to the closest dealership to me for service and left it there. This is completely unacceptable behavior for a new car of this type and I never experience anything ever like this with my old 2012 Nissan Altima. This could have caused a very bad accident had I not been driving and my wife or something else not as calm as me were to be driving. I suggest investigating this because I have read about recalls for this type of thing on previous models of Nissans. Currently vehicle is parked at dealership for service on 1-24-2026.
I received a Recall # R25B1 for my Nissan Altima 2020. I visited my local Nissan Dealer in Chelmsford, MA, on December 30, 2025. They explained that they saw an issue and that I would need a new engine. There are 32,000 miles on this vehicle. They began the process but were then told by Nissan Corporate that it did not meet the requirements of the recall, and they would not be replacing it. I am in the process of heading on a long driving trip and am very concerned with how this was handled. Nissan Customer Relations explained it wasn't covered under warranty, which has nothing to do with a recall. I am very frustrated and disappointed in Nissan. The mechanics at Nissan in Chelmsford took photos and sent them to Nissan, and they still denied it. With the car only having 32000 miles on it, it was probably if anything at the beginning of the failure. Please advise on going forward.
Need a new engine / gasket confirmed by pep boys. Been at the dealership a lot more than usual lately and they kept telling me everything is fine with my vehicle
I am writing to request immediate assistance regarding the recall inspection for my 2020 Nissan Altima Platinum. Last week I received a letter notifying me of an open recall and instructing me to have my vehicle inspected. I brought my car to my local Nissan dealership on Saturday. During the inspection, I was told that metal debris was found in the engine and that the vehicle would need a full engine replacement. I was asked to leave the car at the dealership and was told I would receive a loaner vehicle on Monday. After waiting all day today for an update, I was informed that Nissan declined the engine replacement because the debris found did not “qualify” under the recall. I was told the dealership would clear the debris out of the engine and that I could pick up the car tomorrow. I am very concerned about this decision. Metal debris inside an engine—especially during an active recall related to engine failure—raises serious safety and reliability issues. Simply clearing out the debris does not address the root cause or provide confidence that the vehicle is safe to drive. This matter is urgent, as I must drive more than 1,000 miles soon to take my medically complex daughter to a children’s hospital. I need to trust that my vehicle is safe for long-distance travel. I am requesting a prompt review of my case and a second evaluation to determine whether an engine replacement or another appropriate remedy is necessary to ensure my vehicle’s safety.
My vehicle was taking to the dealership for an inspection for the nissan engine recall. During the inspection metal was found in my oil pan which the recall states they must repair or replace engine if any metal is found. I was told the engine would be replaced on 11/15/2025 but 2 days later 11/17/2025 I was contacted saying nissan denied my recall repair and to come back and pickup my vehicle. The recall states if any metal is found they must replace the engine but nissan refuse to fix the issue. The report they showed me Saturday stated oil was in my oil pan but now since they denied the recall the report was changed to nothing was found in oil pan. I notied the manager and after I mentioned that to the service manager they changed the report again stating metal was found.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling: engine: hard parts internal/mechanical
- What is wrong
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Rogue, 2019-2020 Altima, 2019-2022 Infiniti QX50, and 2022 Infiniti QX55 vehicles equipped with 3-cylinder 1.5L or 4-cylinder 2.0L variable compression turbo (VC-Turbo) engines. The engine bearings may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine failure.
- Risk
- Engine failure increases the risk of a crash. A bearing failure may cause a breach in the engine block, allowing hot oil to be discharged, increasing the risk of an engine fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the engine control module (ECM) software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed April 8, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800‑647‑7261 or Infiniti's customer service at 1‑800‑662‑6200. Nissan's numbers for this recall are R25A8/A9 and R25B1/B2.
Recall number 25V437000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5l engine, the crankshaft position sensor can overheat causing a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor.
- Risk
- If the interruption in the signal from the crankshaft position sensor is so brief that the electronic control module (ECM) logic does not have time to diagnose the condition, the engine may stop running without warning while the vehicle is driven at a low speed increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the ECM free of charge. Certain my 2006 altimas which have been previously remedied under recall campaign 06v223 (nissan r0606) are not included in this recall since the reprogramming for 06v223 also included this reprogramming. The recall began on december 31, 2007. Owners may contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 07V527000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- On certain vehicles, if a sufficiently hot object enters the air filter housing through the engine fresh air intake system and contacts the engine air filter, the flammability characteristics of the air filter material are such that the filter may ignite.
- Risk
- If the air filter material ignites, a fire may occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the air filter with a new one that has improved anti-flammability material characteristics. The recall began on july 3, 2007, and will continue through october 1, 2007. Owners may contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 07V267000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5l engine, the crank angle sensor is affected by temperature variations. Under certain driving conditions, these variations in temperature can be large enough to cause a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor.
- Risk
- If the interruption in the signal from the sensor is so brief that the electronic control module (ECM) logic does not have time to diagnose the condition, the engine may stop running without warning while the vehicle is driven at a low speed increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the ECM free of charge. The recall began on august 21, 2006. Owners may contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 06V242000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- Certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.5l engines may experience excessive engine oil consumption as a result of improper performance of the piston rings.
- Risk
- If the oil is not maintained at least at the minimum level, engine damage can occur and in extreme cases result in an engine fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the electronic control module (ECM or engine computer). Your vehicle will also be inspected to determine if it has been consuming engine oil at a higher than normal rate. In a small percentage of vehicles, engine replacement will be needed. On june 9, 2006, nissan notified owners of the possibility of excessive oil consumption and the importance of maintaining the oil at a proper level. Follow-up letter to owners advising them of the status of the recall was sent during august 2006. Followup letter to owners was sent on november 15, 2006. Owners may contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 06V223000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles, the circuit board for the crank position sensor or cam position sensor may have an improper solder joint due to solder deformation caused by heat stress accelerated by the existence of flux residue during the soldering process.
- Risk
- This could cause the "service engine soon" warning light to come on, create a no start condition, cause reduced engine power, or cause the engine to stop running without warning during vehicle operation, which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the crank position sensors. Camshaft position sensor(s), and in some cases, the variable timing control sensor(s). Vehicles involved in a previous recall campaign, 01v357, are also included in this new campaign. The replacement sensors used in that campaign are also affected. Owner notification began on december 22, 2003. Owners should contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261 or infiniti at 1‑800‑662‑6200.
Recall number 03V455000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
- What is wrong
- On certain vehicles equipped with the 2.5 liter engine, the exhaust pipe hanger pin may catch debris from the road that could be ignited by contact with the main catalyst. Also on 2002 altima and sentra vehicles, certain engine operating conditions may cause the pre-catalyst to overheat and damage the catalyst substrate.
- Risk
- Either of these two conditions could result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will remove the protruding portion of the exhaust pipe hanger pin. In addition to the corrective action, in order to reduce the risk of fire in the event of poor or improper maintenance that could result in oil spillage, heat shield(s) will be installed on the pre-catalyst and exhaust tube. Owner notification began on july 28, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261. Nissan recall nos. R3007, r3014, r3015, r3016, r3017. Also on 2002 altima and sentra vehicles, certain engine operating conditions may cause the pre-catalyst to overheat and damage the catalyst substrate. If substrate particles enter the combustion chamber, they could score the cylinder walls, resulting in increased oil consumption. If the engine oil level is not checked on a periodic basis and drops below the low level, and the driver continues to operate the vehicle ignoring noticeable engine noise, engine damage may occur which could result in a fire. The pre-catalyst will be tested to ensure it is working properly and replaced if necessary. If damage is found inside the pre-catalyst, it will be necessary to replace the engine.
Recall number 03V084000 · Recall details
Questions about the Nissan Altima engine failure
Which Nissan Altima years have engine failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2002 (148 complaints), 2003 (51 complaints) and 2006 (37 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix engine failure on the Nissan Altima?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $4,500 (median of 61 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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