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#BS-2004-NISALT-73F4

2004 Nissan Altima

Based on reports from 334 owners and 5 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
334
Crashes
18
Fires
3
Recalls
5
TSBs
89
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 334 complaints, 18 crashes, 3 fires, and 5 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

crank shaft sensor is defective

19 complaints • Severity 7.8/10

$X,XXX
2

floorboard rust

4 complaints • Severity 9.5/10

$X,XXX
3

car is overheating

4 complaints • Severity 8.5/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the EngineHIGH

102 owners reported engine issues — failures commonly reported around 71K miles.

!Inspect the Structure:bodyMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

34
0–30K
63
30–60K
77
60–90K
54
90–120K
23
120–150K
16
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (77 reports) • Median: 71K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Engine (102 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Engine102 (31%)
Structure:body35 (10%)
Electrical26 (8%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine22 (7%)
Other11 (3%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission10 (3%)
Steering10 (3%)
Airbags7 (2%)

2004 Nissan Altima: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 31% of all reports filed for the 2004 Nissan Altima, with 102 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 71,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 71K-mile mark.

Structure:body Issues

Structure:body complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2004 Nissan Altima, with 35 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to structure:body-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2004 Nissan Altima, with 26 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2004 Nissan Altima, with 22 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

18
04
21
05
13
06
40
07
43
08
28
09
29
10
22
11
22
12
20
13
22
14
20
15
14
16
9
17
5
18
1
19
7
23

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2004 Nissan Altima. Recent trend: increasing.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (5 recalls)

06E023000May 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

CERTAIN ANZO COMBINATION HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS WHICH FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

06V242000Sep 2006

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

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.

07E054000Jul 2007

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

CERTAIN MAXZONE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES, DEPO BRAND, P/NOS. 315-1145L-AS AND 315-1145R-AS, SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. DURING PRODUCTION THE LAMP REFLECTOR SHAPE DEFORMED CHANGING THE SHAPE OF THE OPTIC SURFACE. THIS WILL CHANGE THE OPPOSITE POSITION OF LOW BEAM AND HIGH BEAM OPTICSAND CHANGE THE ANGLE OF INCIDENCE AND ILLUMATED LOCATION WHICH FAILS TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

07E063000Sep 2007

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

CERTAIN ANZO AFTERMARKET HEADLIGHTS, P/N 02-AZ-NA02-B-A, SOLD FOR USE ON 2002-2004 NISSAN ALTIMA VEHICLES. DURING PRODUCTION THE LAMP HOUSING SHAPE DEFORMED DISTORTING THE ASSEMBLY ANGLE OF THE REFLECTOR AND INFLUENCED THE AIMING POSITION. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

07E074000Dec 2007

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

CERTAIN EAGLE EYES HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES, P/NOS. DS517-B001L AND DS517-B001R, SOLD FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE OPTICEL SURFACE OF THE REFLECTOR IS CORRODED INHIBITING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE UPPER AND LOWER BEAMS WHICH FAILS TO CONFORM TO THE PHOTOMETRIC REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Nissan Altima is the 2013 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

2004 Nissan Altima vs. Class Average (Midsize Cars)

This vehicle

334

Class avg

266

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other midsize cars vehicles from 2004.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 334 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 5 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Nissan Altima Model Years

202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993
View all Nissan Altima years →

2004 Nissan Altima: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2004 Nissan Altima?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2004 Nissan Altima is related to the engine, with 102 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2004 Nissan Altima reliable?
The 2004 Nissan Altima has 334 complaints, 18 crash reports, and 3 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2004 Nissan Altima problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2004 Nissan Altima have any recalls?
Yes, the 2004 Nissan Altima has 5 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Nissan Altima problems start?
Based on 267 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 71,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 334 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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