2008 Nissan Altima Structure
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
MY 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE DASHBOARD IS MELTING. IT STARTED WITH A SMALL SPOT ON THE DASH, I THOUGHT IT WAS MOISTURE FROM THE AIR CONDITIONER. A FEW DAYS LATER THE SPOT WAS GETTING LARGER. I FELT IT AND IT FELT LIKE STICKY CLEAR GLUE. NOW IT'S GETTING LARGER ALMOST ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE DASH. I TOOK IT TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND THE GUY SAID HE HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS. HE TOLD ME THE ONLY THING HE CAN DO IS ORDER ANOTHER ONE FOR ME AND THAT'S OVER $2,000.00. I FEEL THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR ANOTHER DASHBOARD, WHEN IT'S A DEFECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND IT NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS PRODUCT.. *TR
I'VE SEEN A GROWING COMPLAINT ABOUT MELTING DASHBOARD ON THE 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA . I JUST WANTED TO FORMALLY FILE A COMPLAINT AND IT HAS BECOMING A NUISANCE WHEN I'M DRIVING AND THE SUN IS ON THE DASHBOARD. IT CREATED A GLARE AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS CRACKING CAUSING THE SUN TO GLARE FROM THE DASHBOARD TO THE FRONT WINDSHIELD, WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT TO SEE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING HOWEVER IT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000.
THE DASHBOARD ON MY 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE HAS A STICKY TAR LIKE SUBSTANCE SPREADING OVER MY DASHBOARD. THIS LIMITS VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING, DRIVING IN THE SUN IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE TRAFFIC LIGHTS, STREET SIGNS, AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU ARE TRYING TO SEE OUT OF THE FRONT WINDOW. I LOVE MY CAR BUT IT IS DANGEROUS! IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO CLEAN OR COVER UP . ANYTHING THAT TOUCHES IT GETS TAR LIKE STUFF ON IT THAT WON'T COME OFF.WHEN PUTTING ON AND TAKING OFF THE SUN SHIELD YOU MUST BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO TOUCH ANYTHING WITH THE SUN SHADE OR YOU WILL HAVE TAR IN THE INTERIOR OF YOUR CAR AND YOUR CLOTHES. *TR
THE DASH HAS BEGUN MELTING AND THE MATTE FINISH HAS BECOME VERY SHINY AND CAST AN EXTREME GLARE ON THE FRONT WINDSHIELD MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE IN SUNNY CONDITIONS. *TR
I AM IN FLORIDA AND CAR DASHBOARD HAS BEEN MADE WITH CHEAP MATERIAL WHICH STARTED TO MELT AFTER JUST A FEW YEARS ON PURCHASE. IN 2011 I DID CALL NISSAN BUT NO ONE REPLIED MY CALL. I KEPT ON THINKING THAT MAY BE THERE IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE DONE BUT AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON MY ISSUE, I NOTICED THAT INTERNET IS FULL OF THIS COMPLAIN ABOUT NISSAN ALTIMA 2008 DASHBOARD BEING MELTING, CRACKING AND STICKY WHEN YOU TOUCH IT. THE GLARE FROM DASHBOARD IS SO MUCH THAT IT GETS HARD TO DRIVE IN SUNNY WEATHER. I HAVE STOPPED TO DRIVE MY CAR AND THE DAY I RUN INTO AN ACCIDENT DUE TO GLARE, I WILL CALL MY LAWYER RIGHT AWAY. THE CAR HAS 66K MILES ON IT, AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE ON ANY OTHER CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED. *TR
MY 2008 ALTIMA ALSO HAS A MELTING DASH. I'VE CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND NISSAN DIRECTLY AND THEY BOTH TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO HELP ME BECAUSE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. ARE THEY NOT CONCERNED AT ALL THAT THE GLARE FROM THE SHINE IS BLINDING AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT? IT'S A POOR QUALITY ISSUE THEY SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR BEFORE SOMEONE IS HURT OR KILLED. *TR
MY DASHBOARD IS ENTIRELY MELTED! YOU CAN'T EVEN PUT YOUR FINGER ON IT OR ELSE IT WOULD MAKE A PERMANENT INDENTION. FROM THE DASHBOARD MELTING IT CREATES A GLARE THAT REFLECTS OFF THE WINDSHIELD MAKING IT DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. *TR
MY NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE INTERIOR DASHBOARD IS MELTING. IT IS VERY VERY SHINY, AND VERY STICKY ALL ACROSS THE AREAS ADJACENT TO THE WINDSHIELD AREA. THE GLARE IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THROUGH. IN FLORIDA THAT IS MUCH OF THE DAYLIGHT HOURS WHEN THE SUN IS THE MOST INTENSE.IT IS VERY UNSIGHTLY AS WELL. THIS BEGAN IN OCTOBER 2013. IT HAS PROGRESSIVELY BECOME WORSE. THIS CAR WAS GARAGE KEPT A LARGE PART OF THE TIME I HAVE OWNED IT. THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING APPLIED TO THE DASH. I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD HAD A STICKY RESIDUE ON IT AND FELT AS IF IT WAS MELTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,000.
MY DASHBOARD ON MY CAR IS MELTING AND I DON'T THINK ANYTHING NECESSARILY HAPPENED TO CAUSE IT - I JUST NOTICED IT WAS STICKY AT FIRST. IT'S NOW TO THE POINT WHERE WHEN THE SUN HITS IT I HAVE TO ADJUST MY LINE OF SIGHT AROUND THE GLARE FROM IT. I WAS TOLD TO REPORT THIS HERE. *TR
AROUND JUNE 1, 2012, I NOTICED A FEW SPOTS THAT LOOKED SHINY ON MY DASHBOARD IN THE MIDDLE SECTION ABOVE THE AIR VENTS. I DID NOT THINK MUCH OF IT AT FIRST. HOWEVER, IT GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE, LITTLE BY LITTLE. BY JUNE, 2013 IT STARTED TO PROJECT A GLARE ON THE FRONT WINDOW WHEN THE SUN HIT IT . LIVING IN FLORIDA, IT CAN BE BLINDING AT TIMES. MY HUSBAND NOTICED THAT IT WAS STICKY TO THE TOUCH. IN MAY 2013, I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH HODGKIN'S LYMPHOMA AND NEEDED TO TAKE OFF WORK FOR CHEMO AND RADIATION. I CALLED FERMAN NISSAN IN OCT.TO INQUIRE IF ANY OTHER OWNERS WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE SERVICE PERSON I SPOKE WITH DISMISSED ME AND SAID IT WOULD BE OVER 1000 TO REPLACE AND I WAS PROBABLY RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. I SAID I WAS CONCERNED IF TOXIC FUMES COULD BE RELEASED WHEN THE DASH IS HEATED, AND HE SAID NO AND TOOK NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. IN FEB. WHEN I WAS FINISHED WITH MY TREATMENTS, I BEGAN INQUIRING WITH NISSAN CORPORATE. I AM WORRIED THAT THE DASH COULD BE TOXIC FOR ME, WHEN THE DASH HEAT UP, NOT TO MENTION THE DANGEROUS GLARE. I WAS TOLD TO GET A QUOTE FROM THE DEALER, WHICH I DID ON FEBRUARY, 11, 2014. IT SAID "DASH LOOKS LIKE IT'S MELTING." ESTIMATE 1619.46 PLUS TAX AND SUPPLIES TO REPLACE DASH. WHEN I FAXED NISSAN CORPORATE, THEY STILL DID NOTHING AFTER MAKING ME GET THE QUOTE. I WAS SO FRUSTRATED . THEN ACTION NEWS 10 DID A SEGMENT ON THE MELTING DASH PROBLEM AND EXPOSED THE FACT THAT THE ISSUE IS VERY COMMON. PLEASE ASSIST ME WITH THIS SITUATION, AS I AM WORRIED TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE CAR THIS WAY IN THE HOT FLORIDA SUN. *TR
THE DASHBOARD IS BASICALLY MELTING. IT BEGINS AS JUST STICKY, HOWEVER IT IS REALLY SLOWLY MELTING AND BREAKING DOWN. IT CREATES A BAD GLARE WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING AND IT'S REALLY A SAFETY ISSUE. IT SHOULD BE REPLACED BY NISSAN. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEAT FROM THE SUN MELTED THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,000.
TL * THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD HAD BECOME STICKY AND WAS DETERIORATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 51,000.
DASHBOARD MELTING. WINDSHIELD COVERED WITH HUGE REFLECTING GLARE IMPAIRING VISION. AIRBAGS MAY NOT OPERATE FROM WITHIN STICKY MOLTEN SUBSTANCE THE DASHBOARD IS COVERED WITH. (2008 ALTIMA COUPE 2.5). *TR
MELTING DASHBOARD. *TR
THE DASH APPEARS TO BE MELTING. THIS APPEARS TO BE A PRETTY WIDE SPREAD ISSUE AS EVIDENT IN SEVERAL NISSAN ONLINE FORUMS. MY DASH HAS BECOME SOFT, STICKY AND SHINY IN SEVERAL VERY LARGE SPOTS. IF THIS WERE JUST A COSMETIC ISSUE, I WOULDN'T BE POSTING HERE. THIS IS BECOMING A SAFETY ISSUE. THE DASH CREATES A GLARE ON THE WINDSHIELD THAT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THROUGH WITHOUT THE USE OF POLARIZED SUNGLASSES. AT A MINIMUM, I JUST WANT TO FIND SOMETHING THAT WILL REMOVE OR REDUCE THE GLARE BY DULLING THE SHINY SPOTS. *TR
MY DASHBOARD HAS BEEN MELTING FOR YEARS NOW. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST DUE TO THE SUN AND LACK OF CLEANING IT, BUT READING ONLINE IT IS BECAUSE OF THE DEFECTIVE MATERIAL NISSAN CHOSE TO MAKE THE DASHBOARD OUT OF. I CAN BARELY SEE THE ROAD AT TIMES WHEN THE SUN IS SHINING BRIGHT. *TR
DASHBOARD IS MELTING!!!!! IT IS MAKING THE DASHBOARD VERY SHINY AND IT IS SO HARD TO SEE FROM THE GLARE! I HAVE HAD SEVERAL "ALMOST ACCIDENTS" FROM NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE. CLEARLY THIS IS A DEFAULT IN THE MATERIAL OF THE DASH. I SEE SEVERAL OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM! THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED FROM THIS STUPID DEFAULT! *TR
THE DASHBOARD IS MELTING AND AS A RESULT ITS PUTTING A GLARE ON MY WINDSHIELD WHICH AT TIMES MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE. *TR
THE DASHBOARD IS MELTING AND CAUSING A VERY NASTY SHINE!!!! IT'S HARD TO DRIVE WHEN THE SUN IS OUT. *TR
MY DASHBOARD IS STICKY AND APPEARS TO BE MELTING AWAY. THIS SHINY SURFACE CAUSES AN AWFUL GLARED REFLECTION ON THE WINDSHIELD. ALSO, IT CAUSES THE CAR TO APPEAR OLD AND EVERYTHING STICKS TO IT INCLUDING PAPERS AND INSECTS. IT'S PRETTY GROSS! *TR
MY WHOLE DASHBOARD IS MELTING. I HAVE A GLARE FROM THIS THAT OBSTRUCTS MY VIEW AT ALL TIMES OF THE DAY. *JS
MY NISSAN ALTIMA DASHBOARD IS MELTING IN THE SUN AND HEAT HERE AND I HAVE TINTED WINDOWS AND USE A SUNSHADE. THIS IS BECOMING A SAFETY CONCERN. *JS
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Quick Summary
The 2008 Nissan Altima has 206 Structure complaints on file. 2 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.