2016 Nissan Altima · symptom sheet
Headlights too dim or fail
- 37owner reports
- 85,000median miles
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Aug 10, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
42 of the 553 complaints on this car are about the exterior lighting. 37 of those describe headlights.
Tick what matches of 37 reports
Headlights on other Altima years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024.
What this problem usually is
Headlight complaints fall into two camps. In one, a headlight goes out, often more than once, or fills with moisture behind the lens. In the other, the lights work exactly as built and the owner still can't see the road at night because the beam is too dim or too short. Owners in that second camp often report a dealer telling them it's normal.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the headlight assembly (26 reports) and the bulb (13 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the exterior lighting covers the 2016 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 80,000 and 98,000 miles, from the 9 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 5 service bulletins or notices for the 2016 Nissan Altima that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
Halogen Headlamp Warranty Extension REVISED September 27, 2022 Please discard earlier versions of this bulletin. The announcement from April 12, 2022 has been revised to include the following: ⢠The claims information section has been updated with parts ...
VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2013-2018 ALTIMA SEDAN; FRONT COMBINATION LAMPS (HEADLAMPS) INSPECTION Voluntary Service Campaign ID # PC861 is no longer active. ï· Repair orders opened after this bulletinâs published date are no longer eligible for reimbursement under Campaign ID # PC861. ï· Discard all previous versions of NTB22-024.
Halogen Headlamp Warranty Extension REVISED February 23, 2022 Please discard earlier versions of this bulletin. The announcement from January 25, 2022 has been revised to include the following: ⢠If a customer requests inspection due to a visibility ...
2013-2018 ALTIMA; FRONT COMBINATION LAMPS (HEADLAMPS) INSPECTION SERVICE INFORMATION Nissan is committed to providing the highest levels of product quality and customer satisfaction. Therefore, Nissan will provide a three-year extension of the manufacturerâs warranty (for a total of six years) covering headlamp dimming due to delamination.
1 more on the 2016 Nissan Altima page.
What owners wrote
“Head lights very dem and I have replaced with new and still can not see far with lights on”
Filed May 25, 2025
“Headlights staying dim to the point of not being able to see after dark even after replacing the headlights”
Filed Oct 4, 2024
“Head lights have become dim to the point of even with bright lights on itâs difficult to see. I read of a head lamp recall and contacted the dealer. I was informed there is a recall on the Altima head lights which did not include my vin number.”
Filed Jul 13, 2022
“I had just purchased this vehicle from Dans dealers auto sales about a week ago and was brought to my attention that the headlights are filled with condensation and a good amount of water that burnt out my left turn signal and could possibly end up burning out my other lights. This could cause an accident if I didn't find out sooner because I was unaware my left signal was out.”
Filed Apr 5, 2022
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 37 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found
Other problems on this car
- Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard 85 reports
- Airbag warning light or recall 70 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 61 reports
- Transmission fails or needs replacement 40 reports
- Doors, latches or locks fail 31 reports
- Loses power when accelerating 26 reports