I recently purchased a brand-new 2015 Nissan Altima SV, and as of the time of writing, neither the dealership nor an online database listed the headlight and fog light bulbs that the car used. We needed to disassemble the car to see what was inside the engine since we intended to replace the stock bulbs in the low beam headlights and the fog lights with LED or HID bulbs.
Here is what we discovered: Both the low beam and fog lights on this specific 2015 Nissan Altima SV were H11 bulbs. We ultimately chose two sets of the GTR Lighting H11 LED Headlight conversion kit, which can be obtained here. These don’t require any alteration to fit flawlessly in the stock headlight and fog light housings. All of them were plug and play. The lights were put in place, the wiring was zip-tied, and then they were turned on. All there was to it was that!
Here are images showing a contrast between the original LED bulbs and the new ones from GTR Lighting:
The completed lights are shown above, and as you can see from the images above, the LED headlight kits are twice as brilliant as the original lights.
In This Article...
Are the headlights on the Nissan Altima being recalled?
This class action complaint claims that halogen-headlamp-equipped 2013–2018 Nissan Altimas (the “Class Vehicles”) have a flaw that causes the internal reflecting surface of the headlamp to deteriorate, which causes the low beam headlights to fade.
Nissan North America, Inc. (“Nissan”) has consented to a class action Settlement despite vigorously disputing all charges of misconduct and culpability. All genuine Nissan replacement parts have been produced with a new design from December 2018.
It is only a synopsis on this page. For further information, click the sections above. To all current and previous owners and lessees of Class Vehicles, the Settlement offers the following sorts of relief:
(1) Headlamp replacement reimbursement before October 25, 2021: Prior to October 25, 2021, you may make a claim for compensation if you spent money replacing your headlamps because they were dimming. The reimbursement claim submission deadline is April 25, 2022. For further information about reimbursement, see the FAQs.
(2) 3-Year Extension of the Manufacturer’s Warranty Covering Headlamp Dimming Due to Delamination: Nissan will offer a 3-year extension of the manufacturer’s warranty covering headlamp dimming due to delamination, for a total of 6 years of coverage, starting on the Settlement’s Effective Date, which is anticipated to be on or after January 20, 2022. The same conditions that apply to the normal warranty also apply to this transferrable warranty. Bring your Class Vehicle to a Nissan Authorized Dealer during the extended warranty term to receive replacement headlamps.
(3) The choice to get an immediate replacement from a licensed Nissan dealer and receive payment: You can pay out-of-pocket for replacement headlamps from an Authorized Nissan Dealer and submit a claim for reimbursement if you are currently inside the 6-year extended warranty period and do not wish to wait until the Effective Date of the settlement. The deadline for reimbursement claims is April 25, 2022.
(4) One-Time Replacement for Class Vehicles That Are or Will Be Outside the Extended Warranty as of the Effective Date: If your Class Vehicle will not be covered by the extended warranty on January 20, 2022, you will be eligible to receive a single set of headlamps as soon as the settlement is finalized.
Class members who are not covered by the 6-year extended warranty will receive a special postcard notice from the claims administrator when the Settlement becomes effective. Members of the class are thus notified that they have 65 days to submit a form requesting free replacements. After that, a six-month opportunity will open up for you to get free replacement headlamps from a Nissan dealer. Keep a look out for the postcard notice anytime after January 20, 2022, as this is time-sensitive.
Why are the headlights on my Nissan Altima dim?
The low-beam headlights on 2013–2018 Nissan Altima vehicles are allegedly too dim for owners to drive at night, according to a class action lawsuit.
The Nissan Altimas’ halogen headlights feature reflecting parts that are supposedly flawed. Headlights lose their brightness when the reflective surface ages. When this occurs, police may stop moving vehicles to check the headlights.
Nissan is accused of being aware of the headlight issues since at least 2013, but failed to alert customers. Nissan doesn’t provide free replacement parts; instead, customers must pay up to $1,200 for costs associated with the headlamp assemblies.
The reflector cup inside the assembly supposedly cannot survive the heat produced by the halogen light bulbs and loses its capacity to reflect, which is why customers claim that changing the headlight bulbs does not solve the issue.
The projector cup’s reflecting coating burns off, leaving behind burned material that eventually covers the headlights’ lens and weakens the beam.
The reflector cup cannot be changed or the haze removed since the headlight assembly is sealed. The seals do not adequately guard against moisture, which can harm the cups.
How long does the headlight assembly replacement process take?
- Any fasteners and retaining clips you’ve taken off should go in a container or jar. Otherwise, they’d be too simple to lose.
- Mark the location of the wiring removal with masking tape and a felt-tip pen to ensure that it is reinstalled accurately.
- Kneeling or working beneath the car can be made more comfortable by using an old throw rug, a rubber mat, or a sizable piece of clean cardboard to lie on.
- When connections are made, keep an eye out for a loud click.
- Pick a spot with sufficient lighting in your garage or a tidy portion of your driveway to work on your car. Be calm and give yourself plenty of time (at least two hours) to change a headlight. It can be straightforward, but it also might turn out to be trickier than you anticipated.
We anticipate that your headlight replacement efforts will succeed if you follow these advice. We also hope that you don’t need to replace as many bulbs as this guy:
A headlight assembly should be replaced when necessary.
The following are some indicators that it’s time to replace your headlight bulbs:
- Dim bulb: Headlight bulbs eventually lose their luster and get progressively dimmer.
- Weak light beam: Your headlights should produce a strong light beam that illuminates the entire road ahead of you.
Is AutoZone going to replace my headlight?
AutoZone can assist you in replacing a burned-out headlight bulb, but only if you bought the replacement bulb from their store and only if the procedure doesn’t involve disassembling the car.
While knowledgeable AutoZone staff members can assist you with a straightforward replacement, the store is not a substitute for a qualified mechanic. To execute a service, they won’t take apart or remove any of your car’s components.
Not all AutoZones will change your headlight for you, to add to that. You shouldn’t rely on your neighborhood AutoZone to assist you service your automobile because different locations may have different policies. Of course, you can always show up and inquire, but for your own protection, you should definitely have a scheduled mechanic appointment.
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Can you swap a headlight out on your own?
For instructions on how to replace the headlight in your specific car and which headlight bulb to buy, consult your owner’s handbook.
Step 4. Unscrew the old headlight
Zullo warns that every car is unique. “He claims that while you can reach the bulb with some autos, you can’t with others. Sometimes you have to remove the inner fender to reach behind it because the battery or air filter housing is in the way.
However, changing the halogen bulb is all that is required if you can get the headlight open. This entails carefully unlocking the bulb after examining how it is secured. Zullo cautions that if the clips that are being used here are broken, the entire headlight would need to be replaced. “According to him, you must first examine how it is connected, softly disassemble it, and then carefully reassemble it without touching the bulb’s glass.
Step 5. Screw in the new headlight bulb
Without touching the bulb’s glass, carefully screw in the new bulb. If you do, the oil and grime on your hands could cause the bulb to burst once it heats up. Your car’s hood should be closed. Your headlights ought to work perfectly again after installing the new bulb, allowing you to enjoy driving your automobile day or night.
Most of the time, changing a headlight is simple and doesn’t need sending your car to the shop. See what other do-it-yourself auto maintenance tasks are available.
Is Nissan Altima the subject of a class action lawsuit?
A class action complaint against Nissan claims that the continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) in the 2017–2018 Nissan Altima and Sentra models are defective and that this leads to acceleration issues such as juddering, shaking, clunking, and jerking.
According to the class action lawsuit, cooler issues that make the gearboxes prone to overheating are to blame for the CVT transmission failures. The CVT transmission omits a radiator in favor of a tiny cooler, which is said to be ineffective in controlling the temperature of the transmission fluid. The fluid keeps the belts, pulleys, valves, and other transmission parts lubricated. However, if the transmission fluid is not adequately cooled, the transmission will overheat and have performance issues.
In April 2017, the main plaintiff in the lawsuit bought a brand-new 2017 Nissan Altima. The owner of a Nissan Altima claims that when accelerating uphill, her car lost power. The owner claimed that as she tried to speed, she felt the brakes apply even while she was pressing the accelerator.
The complainant brought her Nissan Altima to the dealership in September 2020 and mentioned these acceleration issues. The lawsuit claims that despite the technician reprograming the transmission control module, the transmission issues persisted.
When the Nissan Altima allegedly crashed against another car in January 2021, the delayed acceleration problem allegedly reappeared.
The plaintiff brought her Nissan Altima to the dealership, which, allegedly, failed to address the gearbox issues despite having the car for 33 days and assuming the fault was with the brakes.
Nissan is accused in the Nissan CVT transmission lawsuit of being aware of the issues with CVT transmissions at least since 2013. Customers who request transmission replacements allegedly receive a CVT transmission that is also flawed.
However, unless they are active duty military personnel, we are unable to assist those who live outside of California or who bought their car outside of California. We will also be unable to direct them to a lemon legal firm in their state. Visit our California Lemon Law Guide for more information to find out more about the California Lemon Law and your legal rights.