2007 Nissan Altima SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
BRAKE LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY TURNS ON AND OFF. BRAKES WEAR AND TEAR FASTER THAN ANY OTHER CAR EVERY OWN. *TR
MASTER CYLINDER IS LEAKING. REQUIRES TOPPING OFF TO MAX LINE EVERY 2-4 WEEKS OR ~200 MILES. NO PRESSURE LOSS YET (BRAKE FLUID HAS NOT DROPPED BELOW MINIMUM YET). VEHICLE HAD ~27,XXX AT TIME OF INCIDENT, AND CURRENTLY ONLY HAS ~28,000 SINCE. *TR
WAS ADVISED AT THE DEALER THAT THERE WAS A LEAKAGE AND THAT I COULD LOSE MY BRAKES IF I DIDN'T CHANGE THE MASTER CYLINDER, THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED, AND I NOTICED A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE BRAKES AFTER THIS PROBLEM GETTING REPAIRED. *TR
PROBLEM: MASTER CYLINDER LEAKING INTO THE BRAKE BOOSTER. I WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE IT DISCOVERED DURING A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE APPOINTMENT PRIOR TO ANY BRAKE PROBLEMS ON THE ROAD. WHEN I GOT HOME, I DID AN INTERNET SEARCH TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY INFORMATION ON THIS ISSUE. IN DOING SO, I DISCOVERED THAT THE NHTSA HAD RECEIVED SEVERAL COMPLAINTS AND WAS INVESTIGATING IT. ALSO, THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL OF 2007 NISSAN SENTRAS DUE TO THE SAME COMPONENT. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AS WELL AS A COSTLY REPAIR JOB SO PLEASE ADD MY COMPLAINT TO YOUR FILE. THANKS. *TT
SINCE I HAVE GOTTEN MY 2007 NISSAN ALTIMA, THERE HAS BEEN VARIOUS ISSUES/PROBLEMS WITH IT. ONE OF MY COMPLAINTS HAS BEEN THE BRAKES. I WAS TOLD BY MY DEALERSHIP THAT THE SQUEAKY SCREECHING NOISE IS NORMAL FOR ALL NISSAN'S WHICH I THOUGHT WAS A BUNCH OF CRAP. THROUGH THE YEARS, NO MATTER IF REPLACING BRAKE PADS TO CALIBERS I SHOULD NOT HAVE THE SQUEAKING STILL. *TR
ON JUNE 8, 2009 TOOK VEHICLE INTO NISSAN NORTH FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, BUT ALSO REQUESTED THE BRAKES TO BE CHECKED BECAUSE THEY HAD JUST RECENTLY BEGAN TO GRIND. WITH THIS SERVICE, NISSAN NOTED A COMPLETE BRAKE INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED AND NOTHING WAS FOUND TO BE WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. BEFORE I GOT HOME, THE BRAKES BEGAN GRINDING AGAIN SO TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK INTO NISSAN NORTH ON JUNE 9, 2009. ALTHOUGH, JUST THE DAY BEFORE WE'D BEEN TOLD NOTHING WAS FOUND WRONG WITH THE BRAKES THEY CHARGED US $100.00 TO MACHINE THE FRONT ROTORS. ON JULY 8, 2009 TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK INTO NISSAN NORTH BECAUSE THE BRAKES WERE NOW GRINDING MUCH WORSE THAN INITIALLY. NISSAN SAID THEY COULD LUBRICATE PADS, BUT NOT MUCH ELSE. ON MARCH 19, 2010 TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK INTO NISSAN AND THEY REPLACED THE FRONT PADS AND TURNED THE ROTORS AS WELL AS REPLACED THE REAR BRAKES AND TURNED THE DRUMS AND ROTORS AT A COST OF $400.00 TO US. BRAKES HAVE SQUEAKED OFF AND ON, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT RAINS AND NISSAN SAYS THIS HAPPENS SOMETIMES? JUNE 2011 THE BRAKE LIGHT BEGAN COMING ON WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED, AND HAS CONTINUED TO DO SO INTERMITTENTLY.
BRAKE BOOSTER WAS LEAKING INTO THE MASTER CYLINDER CAUSING REDUCED BRAKING EFFICIENCY AND POOR BRAKE OPERATION. BRAKES WERE ALSO CATCHING WHEN RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL FROM USE. LOW BRAKE FLUID LEVELS IN THE RESERVOIR WERE OBSERVED ALONG WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT DUE TO LOW FLUID LEVELS. WHEN FLUID WAS TOPPED OFF, THE ILLUMINATION LIGHT TURNED OFF, BUT BRAKE CATCHING PROBLEMS CONTINUED. DEALER REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER AND BRAKE BOOSTER AND THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED. DEALER STATED THAT THE LEAK BETWEEN THE TWO COMPONENTS WAS THE ISSUE. I WAS CHARGED APPROXIMATELY $800 FOR THE REPAIR. *TR
THE "BRAKE" LIGHT ON MY 2007 ALTIMA HAD BEEN COMING ON BRIEFLY THEN GOING OFF AGAIN FOR EXTENDED PERIODS FOR ABOUT THREE OR FOUR MONTHS. I HAD THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR A TRANSMISSION ISSUE AT 40,000 MILES AND MENTIONED THE "BRAKE" LIGHT ISSUE AS AN ASIDE. DEALER THEN INSPECTED AND SAID THERE WAS AN INTERNAL LEAK INSIDE OF THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AND THAT IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $460.00 I AGREED TO THE REPLACEMENT BECAUSE DEALER SAID THAT BRAKE FAILURE COULD OCCUR IF NOT REPLACED. MY RESEARCH INDICATED THAT OTHERS WERE HAVING A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH THE FAULTY BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL. *TR
BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. ADDED BRAKE FLUID AND LIGHT WENT OFF. BRAKES BECAME INCREASINGLY MUSHY AND SOMETIMES IT APPEARED THAT BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK AT ALL AS BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALMOST TO THE FLOOR. FREQUENTLY HAD TO PUMP BRAKES WELL BEFORE INTERSECTION TO MAKE SURE I WAS ABLE TO STOP. TOOK TO DEALER AND SPENT $625.08 TO REPLACE MASTER CYLINDER. IT APPEARS THAT NISSAN HAS KNOWN OF THE DEFECT FOR SOME TIME AND ISN'T CONCERNED. *TR
ON SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2011 I HAD TO HAVE MY MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED DUE TO LEAKING. THIS WAS IDENTIFIED AT THE MCCARTHY NISSAN DEALERSHIP IN OLATHE, KS AND REPLACED AT THE SAME LOCATION ON THE SAME DATE. *TR APPROXIMATELY THREE MONTHS AGO, NOTICED THAT MY EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT WOULD INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATE WHILE DRIVING. THIS WAS NOTICEABLE DURING ACCELERATION AND THE LIGHT WOULD GO OFF AFTER I LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR OR STARTED TO BRAKE. I HAD THE DEALERSHIP LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE WHEN I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE. AFTER THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED I NOTICED THAT THE BRAKING WAS MUCH SMOOTHER AND MORE EFFICIENT. I HAVE KEPT MY VEHICLE WELL MAINTAINED SINCE OWNING THIS. BOUGHT THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND HAVE BEEN THE ONLY OWNER. *TR
I HAVE A 2007 NISSAN ALTIMA WITH ONLY 23,000 MILES. THE BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON FREQUENTLY. SOMETIMES IT GOES BACK OFF QUICKLY, AND OTHER TIMES IT STAYS ON FOR A WHILE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER NEEDS REPLACING, BUT IS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY OR RECALL. IT SEEMS LIKE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE HANDLED WITH A RECALL FROM NISSAN, THEY HAVE ALREADY DONE SO FOR THE SENTRA. *TR
MY BRAKE LIGHT HAS BEEN GOING ON AND OFF FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW ON MY 2007 NISSAN ALTIMA. I HAVE THE CAR 3 YEARS NOW AND THE DEALERSHIP ADDRESSED THE ISSUE BY RESETTING THE ALARM AND TOPPING OFF THE BRAKE FLUID. NOW, THEY TELL ME THAT I NEED TO PAY $560 TO REPLACE THE MASTER CYLINDER BRAKE AND IF I DON'T IT WILL FAIL AND I COULD BE INVOLVED IN A FATAL CRASH DEPENDING ON WHERE I AM AT WHEN IT HAPPENS. OF COURSE MY CAR IS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. I SEE MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS AND THE NISSAN SENTRA WAS RECALLED. WHY NOT THE NISSAN ALTIMA. IT'S ALMOST LIKE THEY ARE GAMBLING WITH OUR LIVES AND TAKING CARE OF THE SITUATION ONLY AFTER THE WARRANTY HAS RUN OUT. TOYOTA APPARENTLY WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH A BRAKE ISSUE!! *TR
THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH SYSTEM IS FAILING ON THE NISSAN ALTIMA. HYBRIDS AND 2.5S THE RESULT IS THAT YOU DRIVE THE CAR WITHOUT KNOWING THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM BECAUSE ISSUED NTB10-139 REQUIRING REPLACMENT OF SWTICH AND HARNESS SUB ASSEMBLY. *TR
MY BRAKE LIGHT ON THE CONSOLE STAYS ON FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME AND THEN TURNS OFF. I WENT TO NISSAN AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AND WITH THE PART AND LABOR IT WAS ABOUT $450! MY CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY BUT AS I DO MY RESEARCH ONLINE I FIND THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO OTHER NISSAN OWNERS NOT ONLY 2007 ALTIMAS. THERE IS ALREADY A RECALL FOR THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDERS FOR SENTRAS. WHY NOT FOR ALTIMAS? IT IS CLEAR THAT THERE IS A ISSUE AND THERE IS HISTORICAL DATA TO PROVE IT. WHY DO I HAVE PAY $450 OUT OF MY POCKET WHEN IT IS A KNOW ISSUE THAT NISSAN IS AWARE OF? DO THEY WANT TO WAIT TILL THERE ARE A LOT OF ACCIDENTS BEFORE THEY DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT? PLEASE INVESTIGATE ON OUR BEHALF SO THAT NISSAN WILL REMEDY THE SITUATION AND START A RECALL. *TR
1. "BRAKE" LIGHT CAME ON INSTRUMENT PANEL. 2. LIGHT FIRST CAME ON ABOUT ONE MONTH AGO AND HAS GONE ON AND OFF SINCE THEN. BRAKES WILL SOMETIMES LURCH AND ALMOST FEEL LIKE I HAVE NO BRAKES. I HAVE HAD NO WRECKS YET BUT HAVE HAD SOME CLOSE CALLS SINCE IT FEELS LIKE I CANNOT STOP AT FIRST. 3. THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THE MASTER SOLENOID OR MASTER CYLINDER IS LEAKING AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR ALMOST $500 AND THAT THIS HAS BEEN PRETTY COMMON ON ALTIMAS WITH VARIOUS MILEAGE. NUMEROUS OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM THAT I HAVE SEEN ON THE INTERNET. *TR
"BRAKE" LIGHT ON DASH COMES ON AND GOES BACK OFF OCCASIONALLY. THROUGH RESEARCH OF OTHER ALTIMA OWNERS ONLINE, FOUND A COMMON ISSUE OF A LEAKING MASTER CYLINDER. THERE IS A RECALL FOR 2.0L SENTRAS WITH A LEAKING MASTER CYLINDER, BUT NOTHING FOR THE 2007 ALTIMA, FOR A PROBLEM WHICH IS COMMON TO MANY PEOPLE, OFTEN AROUND OR AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD HAS EXPIRED. *TR
TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHEN APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BREAK PEDAL SHE WOULD HEAR AN ABNORMAL GRINDING NOISE. SHE TOOK HER VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE A TECHNICIAN STATED THAT SHE NEEDED TO REPLACE HER FRONT BREAK CALIPERS AT AN EXPENSE OF $1000.00. SHE HAS NOT HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. SHE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS WAITING FOR A RESPONSE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WERE 49,000.
WHILE TRAVELING APPROX 50MPH APPROACHING A CURVE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND CAR WOULD NOT STOP. DRIVER NOTICED TRAFFIC SLOWING AND REACTED BY SHIFTING CAR TO NEUTRAL AND SLOWLY APPLYING PARKING BRAKE. DOING SUCH CAUSED CAR TO FISHTAIL AND SLIDE (AS ROADS WERE WET) AND CAUSED A COLLISION. DRIVER HAS COMPLAINED SINCE 2007 TO DEALERSHIP REGARDING BRAKES AND TOLD EACH TIME (4 COMPLAINTS) THAT NOTHING IS WRONG WITH BRAKES. BRAKES WERE "REPLACED" 6 MONTHS AGO BY DEALERSHIP (CUSTOMER PAID) HOWEVER BRAKE ISSUES STILL REMAINED. SUCH NEGLIGENCE HAS RESULTED IN A CAR ACCIDENT AND THOUSANDS IN PROPERTY DAMAGE. *TR
BRAKES SQUEAKING. *TR
I HAVE A 2007 NISSAN ALTIMA. SINCE 7500 MILES, MY BRAKES SQUEAK WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS PRESSED. I HAVE HAD MY CAR IN NUMEROUS TIMES AT THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY BRAKES. THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY HEAR THE SQUEAK BUT DO NOT CONSIDER IT A DEFECT. I COMPLAINED TO NISSAN USA AND WAS TOLD THAT WHEN THEY CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP THAT CHECKED THE BRAKES, THEY WERE TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOT A PROBLEM AND THEY WERE NEVER ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE NOISE THAT I WAS HEARING WHEN I STOPPED. I TOLD WAS TOLD VIA EMAIL THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT NISSAN NORTH AMERICA COULD DO TO HELP ME. THIS IS VERY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT WHEN IT WAS TIME FOR A BRAKE JOB, THE NEW PADS SHOULD NOT SQUEAK. THE SERVICE TECH TOLD ME THAT THE 2008 ALTIMA'S DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. *TR
WE BOUGHT A 2007 ALTIMA (USED) WHICH STILL HAD ALL ORIGINAL MANUFACTURE PARTS ON IT. THE SECOND DAY THAT WE HAD IT THE BRAKES STARTED SQUEALING. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY HAD IT FROM 7AM UNTIL I FINALLY GOT IT BACK AT 11PM WHICH SEEMED WEIRD AND UPSET ME VERY MUCH. THEY TOLD ME THAT ALL THEY NEEDED TO DO WAS CLEAN THE PADS AND FOR EXTRA HELP THEY SPRAYED SOME STUFF ON THEM TO KEEP IT FROM SQUEALING. THE NEXT DAY STARTED SQUEALING AGAIN, SO I TOOK IT BACK AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY JUST FOUND OUT THAT NISSAN'S CORPORATE TECH'S WERE TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT CAUSED ALL OF THE ALTIMA'S TO HAVE THIS ISSUE. THEN THEY WANTED TO PUT NEW PAD ON FOR ME TO SEE IF IT WOULD HELP. I AGREED AND TO BRING IT IN THE NEXT DAY AND I WENT HOME AND MARKED THE PADS MYSELF AND WHEN I TOOK IT IN I ASKED TO SEE THE OLD PADS WHEN THEY WERE FINISHED. WHEN I WENT IN AND THEY SHOWED ME THE PADS THEY WERE NOT THE ONES I MARKED AND THEY INSISTED THAT THEY WERE AND THE ISSUE WAS FIXED. AND THEY SAID THERE WILL PROBABLY BE A FIX OR A RECALL BY NEXT YEAR AND TO JUST DEAL WITH IT IF IT STARTED SQUEALING AGAIN WHICH STARTED AS I WAS STILL IN THE DEALERS PARKING LOT. PLEASE HELP. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHEN APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD GRINDING SOUND. AFTER AN INSPECTION, THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE BRAKE ROTORS UNDER WARRANTY. THE FOLLOWING DAY, SHE HEARD THE NOISE AGAIN AND THE DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS NORMAL. TWO MONTHS LATER, WHILE DRIVING IN RAINY WEATHER, THE CONTACT WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. ANOTHER DEALER STATED THAT THE PREVIOUS DEALER DID NOT REPLACE THE BRAKE SYSTEM, ONLY THE BRAKE PADS. THE SECOND DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE. THE CONTACT FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, NUMBER OF CYLINDERS, SPEED, AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,900 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 20,000.
PURCHASED CAR NOV "06; @ 90 DAYS SERVICE, I ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE BRAKES. ONE MONTH LATER, I ASKED THEM AGAIN TO CHECK THE BRAKES. UPON LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP. I WAS ABLE TO GET IT BACK TO DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD LATER THAT DAY, THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED. *JB
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL STUCK TO THE FLOOR WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED. THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES AND A CRASH OCCURRED. THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED; HOWEVER, THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE WET. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHERE IT CURRENTLY REMAINS. THE VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE ANTILOCK BRAKES. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 7,000.
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Quick Summary
The 2007 Nissan Altima has 49 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC complaints on file. 3 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.