The 2016 Nissan Altima is a great car in our opinion. With up to 270 horsepower in a 3.5L V6 engine, it’s fast, sporty, and sleek all in the same package.
Traditionally, Nissan has been a middle-of-the-road company in terms of what it offers consumers in it’s factory warranty. The 2016 Nissan Altima is no exception. In this article today, we’re going to break down what coverage your 2016 Nissan has, what it means for you, and discuss some of the ongoing issues with this make and model that may affect your car.
Plus, we even have something juicy for you at the end. So stay tuned.
Understanding Your Nissan Warranty
Just so we are on the same page, we’ll start by giving you some background info as well as some terms to be aware of as we work through the warranty here. Feel free to come back up to refer to these terms as needed.
Terms To Understand:
Basic Warranty: Also known as the manufacturer/factory/bumper-to-bumper warranty. Covers all the non-wear-and-tear systems of your car, including your engine, transmission, electrical, etc.
Corrosion Coverage: Also known as a rust/perforation warranty, this coverage protects your car against any premature rust or corrosion your body panels may suffer. It’s very rare that you will end up using this due to how body panels are coated these days.
Powertrain Coverage: Also known as a powertrain warranty, this coverage protects your car’s drivetrain. Your drivetrain includes your engine, transmission, and transfer case. In other words, this coverage protects the things that make your car go forward!
Federal Emission Performance: This warranty covers any repairs needed in case your car fails and emission or smog test, if applicable. Not all states test this. You can see if your state does here.
Federal Emission Defect: This warranty covers repairs of emission control or emission related parts which fail to function or function improperly because of a defect in materials or workmanship.
Federal Emission Long Term Defect: This is more or less the same thing as the above, but it’s broken out seperately because different parts are covered under this coverage. Federal law requires this to be 8 years/80,000 miles.
California Emission Performance: California has the strictest emissions control laws in the country. This coverage is the same as the federal emission performance warranty, only with more parts covered, for a longer period of time.
California Emission Defect: This coverage is the same as the federal emissions defect warranty, only with more parts covered.
California Emission Long Term Defect: This coverage is the same as the federal emissions long term warranty, only with more parts covered for a longer period of time.
Seat Belt Warranty: If your seatbelt fails to function, this warranty will come into effect. It is for 8 years and unlimited driven miles.
Breakdown Of The 2016 Nissan Altima Warranty

The basic warranty and powertrain coverage are the two types of warranty you are most likely to use. As we mentioned previously, both are fairly short.
For comparison purposes, the 2016 Hyundai Sonota basic warranty is 60 months / 60,000 miles and the powertrain coverage is 10 years / 100,000 miles.
When Does The Warranty Begin?
The 2016 Nissan Altima’s warranty period begins on the date that the vehicle is delivered to the first retail buyer or put into use, whichever is sooner.
That means for most of you reading this, the warranty period started as soon as the car rolled out of the dealership or began being used. Common non-retail uses include as a rental or fleet car.
What Does The 2016 Nissan Altima Basic Warranty Cover?
Your Nissan basic warranty is in effect for 3 years, or 36,000 miles, whichever is sooner. It covers all defects that your Altima may encounter with the exception of:
- Failure to operate the vehicle in accordance with the Owner’s Manual Misuse, such as using the vehicle to tow
- Failure of a component not covered by warranty Racing and competitive driving
- Theft, vandalism, fire, or flooding (including engine water ingestion)
- Accident, collision, being towed
- Repairs performed by anyone other than an authorized Nissan dealer
- Glass breakage, unless resulting from defects in material or workmanship
- Normal wear and tear, including dings, dents, chips, or scratches
- Damage caused by any automated or manually operated car wash or by using a pressure washer
- Alteration, tampering, or improper repair.
- Installation of non-Nissan approved accessories or components.
- Improper installation of any Nissan approved aftermarket accessory or component.
- A vehicle whose odometer mileage has been altered, or the odometer repaired or replaced and the actual vehicle mileage cannot be correctly and readily determined.
As with almost all warranties, it also does NOT cover routine matinance including:
- Worn brake pads, shoes, drums, and rotors
- Fluid changes, including oil
- Worn clutch discs
- Wheel Alignment
- Headlight Aiming
- Filter replacement
- Replacement Windshield Wiper Inserts
- Lubricants
- Cleaning and polishing
Again, all fairly standard coverage considering.
What Does The 2016 Nissan Altima Powertrain Warranty Cover?

Your 2016 Nissan Altima Powertrain Warranty is good for 6 years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes sooner.
ENGINE Cylinder heads and block and all internal parts, rocker covers and oil pan, valve train and front cover, timing chain and tensioner, oil pump, water pump and fuel pump, fuel injectors, intake and exhaust manifolds and supercharger, flywheel, seals, and gaskets.
TRANSMISSION AND TRANSAXLE Case and all internal parts, torque converter and converter housing, automatic transmission control module, transfer case and all internal parts, seals and gaskets, clutch cover and housing, A/T cooler, and electronic transmission controls.
DRIVETRAIN Drive shafts, final drive housing, and all internal parts, propeller shafts, universal joints, bearings, seals and gaskets.
All other parts that are not listed here are not covered under the powertrain warranty! All of the exceptions above apply, so make sure you drive your Altima with care.
What Does The 2016 Nissan Altima Emissions Warranty Cover?
The Federal Emissions Control Limited Warranties cover:
- Fuel Injection System
- Oxygen Sensors
- Mass Air Flow Sensor
- Intake Manifold
- Throttle Body
- Catalatic Converters
- Exhaust Manifolds
- Exhaust tube from the manifold to the catalytic converter
- Front exhaust tube with catalytic converter permanently attached
- Camshaft position sensors
- Crankshaft position sensor
- Spark plugs, ignition coil and wires
- Ignition control module
- Evaporative emission control system
- Fuel filler neck restrictor and check valve
- Fuel tank and filler cap
- Idle air control system
- Positive crankcase ventilation system
- Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) control system
- Pulsed-secondary air-injection system and valves
- Hoses, clamps, fittings, tubing, sealing gaskets or
- Devices and mounting hardware used in the above systems
- Vacuum and temperature-sensitive valves and
- Switches used in the above systems
- Electronic sensors and controls used in above systems
Anything else not listed is not covered.
What Else Is Covered Under My 2016 Nissan Altima Warranty?
There’s a whole hell of a lot of other things covered. We will highlight some of the big ones.
Tire Warranty: Depending on what type of tires you have, you may be covered under warranty if your tires blow out during normal use. Please see your dealer for more details.
CD/Radio/Amp/Bluetooth Control Unit: Up to 12 months from the time of installation (if installed after buying). Otherwise this falls under the basic warranty coverage.
Battery Warranty: Nissan will replace your car’s battery if it fails during normal use within the first 24 months. If after 24 months the battery fails, Nissan will provide a replacement battery at a reduced price charging only for the portion of the battery life actually used. This extends for up to 80 months.
Roadside Assistance: Roadside assistance is an added perk of the Nissan warranty. Roadside assistance includes 24/7 assistance should you break down, get a flat, get into an accident or collision, have your battery die, run out of gass, or get locked out. Call 1-800-647-7261 if you need to use the service and give them your VIN and location to get help. Roadside assistance is only active when your car is under the basic warranty.
Towing: Roadside assistance provides towing for the first 60 months / 60,000 miles, whichever comes sooner.
Travel Expense/Trip Interruption: If you experience a mechanical breakdown more than 100 miles from your primary residence, you may be eligible for meals, lodging, a rental car, and costs to be renuited with your vehicle after it’s been repaired.
I Need A Repair To My Altima – How Do I Make A Claim?

First things first, check to make sure your Altima is still under warranty. If it is, then follow the steps below.
- Find A Nissan Dealer near you by clicking this link (you can ONLY have your Altima serviced at a Nissan dealership).
- Before you go, make sure you have your service records on hand. Your claim may be denied without them.
- You should also be aware that you will have to grant the dealership access to your Altima’s internal data. Failure to do so will result in your claim being denied.
- The dealer will examine your car and let you know if your repair is covered under your warranty.
- If the repair is covered, the Nissan dealer will repair your car at no charge to you.
- The dealer will try to make the repairs with Nissan OEM parts, but Nissan reserves the right to use similar, non-OEM parts at their discretion.
Am I Still Under Warranty If I’m Not The First Owner?
Assuming you haven’t gone over the number of ownership years or miles, yes, your Nissan is still covered under the warranty schedule we have described below.
There are a few expections to this, according to Nissan:
This warranty is not transferable but is instead VOID if during the first six months after delivery to the original OWNER: (1) ownership of the vehicle is transferred from the original OWNER, and (2) the vehicle is registered outside of the United States.
In other words, if the original owner sells the car within the first 6 months or registers it outside the United States within the first 6 months, your warranty is still good.
The other is if your vehicle has a salvage/branded title:
This limited warranty does not apply to any vehicle, and is rendered VOID if the vehicle is (or ever has been) issued a “salvage” or similar title including, but not limited to junk, scrap, rebuilt, or flood titles under any state’s law; or has ever been determined to be a “total loss” or equivalent by any insurance company, such as by payment of a cash payment of claim in lieu of repairs because of a determination that the cost of repairs exceeded the actual cash value of the vehicle
What If I’m No Longer Under Warranty?
Nissan may still help you out, but it’s far from garunteed. See their statement below:
In our continuing effort to convey our commitment to service and customer satisfaction, Nissan may occasionally offer to pay or reimburse for part or all of the cost of making certain, specific repairs beyond or outside of the terms of the warranty for some specific vehicle models. (Some states refer to such programs as “adjustment” programs). In such circumstances, Nissan mails notices to all known registered owners of affected vehicles. You may additionally inquire of your authorized Nissan dealer or of Nissan directly for the applicability of such programs to your vehicle.
Generally speaking, most car manufacturers will only offer to do this if the know they’ve screwed something up. Hyundai is one example of a manufacturer that does this often, mostly due to transmission and engine issues.
After a bit of research, there was a class-action lawsuit not too long ago that paid out $1,000. according to topclassactions.com.
According to Top Class Actions:
Those who received settlement checks included all U.S. residents who are a current or former owner or lessee of the model year 2013 through 2016 Nissan Altima with a continuously variable transmission (also called a CVT).
Nissan agreed to settle claims that some Altima vehicles possessed a defect that caused their transmissions to fail. Allegedly, this occurred prematurely and caused a range of issues included shuddering, power surges, stalling, hesitations, and a range of unusual sounds.
A Vehicle Service Contract Pays For Major Repairs After Your Nissan Altima’s Warranty Expires
So here’s the good news: if your Nissan Altima warranty has expired, you can get coverage the mirrors what you had for less than $2/day. Take a look below at some of your options:

As you can see, all of our vehicle service contract plans cover major repairs to your car, much like your Nissan Warranty. You’ll also notice that our plans pay for things your Nissan Warranty does not, including free oil changes and tire rotations.
When your Altima does break down, if you have a vehicle service contract we take care of the repair bill for you. It’s just like your Altima warranty. You pay a deductible (between $100-$200) and we pay the rest.
For example, if your transmission fails and you are quoted $2,900 for a repair but you have a Supreme policy with us, you would only pay $100 dollars as a deductible and then we step in and pay the rest of the repair bill for you.
A vehicle service contract with Protect My Car can cover:
- Engine
- Transmission
- Transfer Case
- Drive Axle
- Front/Rear Suspension
- Air Conditioning and Heating (you do NOT want to be without these)
- Electrical
- …and so much more.
This is in addition to free oil changes and tire rotations, plus a free rental while your car is in the shop AND your hotel and meals paid for if you are away from your house.
Not to mention the free 24/7 roadside assistance that always has your back whether you get locked out or you break down on the side of the road.
Don’t wait for your car to break down or for your transmission to fail. Fill out the form below and click the “Get Quote” button to see how easy it is to start saving thousands on your car repairs, including your transmission.
Because even though it sucks that your Altima is no longer under warranty, you don’t have to drive without protection. You don’t have to pay out of pocket if you don’t want to. Just click the get quote button before your car breaks down and we’ll be there when you need us.