Nissan Altima Hood Latch Problems Result in Recall of 1.8 Million Vehicles

More than 1.8 million Nissan Altima vehicles have been recalled due to a risk that the hood may open unexpectedly while the vehicle is in motion.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the Nissan Altima hood latch recall on June 3, following at least 16 reported injuries and accidents that occurred after the hood opened unexpectedly, blocking the drivers view of the roadway.

The recalled vehicles are equipped with two latches that lock down the hood. Nissan North America says the problem was caused by a poorly painted secondary hood latch that could flake and expose bare metal, allowing for corrosion to occur.

In the event of the secondary latch corroding, the rusted components may prohibit the latch from fully engaging, causing it to bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed. Officials are warning that if the primary latch is not fully engaged, or inadvertently releases, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving.

The recall is an expansion of several prior recalls involving Nissan Altima hood latches. In 2014 and 2015 Nissan issued recalls 14V-565 and 15V-116 involving 846,000 model year 2013 through 2015 Nissan Altima vehicles, in which they offered a remedy where dealers adjusted the levers or added lubricant to the latch assembly.

However, after receiving additional consumer complaints from those who received the remedy, Nissan issued a third recall in 2016 superseding the previous two, after determining the previous remedy plan may not have been performed consistently to address the safety risk. The 2016 recall ordered dealers to replace the hood latch with a new one, free of charge.

The fourth, and most recent recall of the series was issued this month, expanding the recall to include Nissan Altima vehicles from model year 2016 through 2018, and includes any model from the previous recalls that had not received a hood latch replacement.

In total, the recall encompasses an estimated 1,831,818 million model year 2013 through 2018 Altima vehicles manufactured by Nissan North America Inc., and distributed throughout the United States to licensed dealers.

At this time, Nissan indicates a remedy for the recall is still under development and expects the recall to begin on June 22, 2020. Notice of the recall will be sent to all customers with instructions on how to engage the primary hood latch each time before driving until the vehicles can be fixed.

Customers with additional questions or concerns regarding safety procedures in the interim may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 and reference the recall campaign number 16V-029 for any unremedied 2013 through 2015 Altimas, as well as the newly recalled 2016 through 2018 models.