Nissan Altima (L34) 2019-2024 Owners Manual: Driving safety precautions

Your NISSAN is designed for both normal and off-road use. However, avoid driving in deep water or mud as your NISSAN is mainly designed for leisure use, unlike a conventional off-road vehicle.

Remember that 2-Wheel Drive (2WD) models are less capable than All-Wheel Drive (AWD) models for rough road driving and extrication when stuck in deep snow or mud, or the like.

Please observe the following precautions:

WARNING

• Spinning the front wheels on slippery surfaces may cause the AWD warning message to display and the AWD system to automatically switch from the AWD to the 2WD mode. This could reduce the traction. Be especially careful when towing a trailer (AWD models).
• Drive carefully when off the road and avoid dangerous areas. Every person who drives or rides in this vehicle should be seated with their seat belt fastened. This will keep you and your passengers in position when driving over rough terrain.
• Do not drive across steep slopes. Instead drive either straight up or straight down the slopes. Off-road vehicles can tip over sideways much more easily than they can forward or backward.
• Many hills are too steep for any vehicle.

  If you drive up them, you may stall. If you drive down them, you may not be able to control your speed. If you drive across them, you may roll over.

• Do not shift gears while driving on downhill grades as this could cause loss of control of the vehicle.
• Stay alert when driving to the top of a hill. At the top there could be a drop off or other hazard that could cause an accident.
• If your engine stalls or you cannot make it to the top of a steep hill, never attempt to turn around. Your vehicle could tip or roll over. Always back straight down in R (Reverse) gear and apply brakes to control your speed.
• Heavy braking going down a hill could cause your brakes to overheat and fade, resulting in loss of control and an accident. Apply brakes lightly and use a low gear to control your speed.
• Unsecured cargo can be thrown around when driving over rough terrain.

  Properly secure all cargo so it will not be thrown forward and cause injury to you or your passengers.

• Exceeding the roof rack capacity can raise the center of gravity excessively and affect the handling and stability of the vehicle.
• Secure heavy loads in the cargo area as far forward and as low as possible.

  Do not equip the vehicle with tires larger than specified in this manual.

  This could cause your vehicle to roll over.

• Do not grip the inside or spokes of the steering wheel when driving offroad.

  The steering wheel could move suddenly and injure your hands. Instead drive with your fingers and thumbs on the outside of the rim.

• Before operating the vehicle, ensure that the driver and all passengers have their seat belts fastened.
• Always drive with the floor mats in place as the floor may become hot.
• Lower your speed when encountering strong crosswinds. With a higher center of gravity, your NISSAN is more affected by strong side winds. Slower speeds ensure better vehicle control.
• Do not drive beyond the performance capability of the tires, even with AWD engaged.
• For AWD equipped vehicles, do not attempt to raise two wheels off the ground and shift the transmission to any drive or reverse position with the engine running. Doing so may result in drive train damage or unexpected vehicle movement which could result in serious vehicle damage or personal injury.
• Do not attempt to test an AWD equipped vehicle on a 2-wheel dynamometer (such as the dynamometers used by some states for emissions testing) or similar equipment even if the other two wheels are raised off the ground. Make sure you inform test facility personnel that your vehicle is equipped with AWD before it is placed on a dynamometer.

  Using the wrong test equipment may result in drivetrain damage or unexpected vehicle movement which could result in serious vehicle damage or personal injury.

• When a wheel is off the ground due to an unlevel surface, do not spin the wheel excessively.
• Accelerating quickly, sharp steering maneuvers or sudden braking may cause loss of control.
• If at all possible, avoid sharp turning maneuvers, particularly at high speeds. Your NISSAN vehicle has a higher center of gravity than a passenger car. The vehicle is not designed for cornering at the same speeds as passenger cars.
• Failure to operate this vehicle correctly could result in loss of control and/or a rollover accident.
• Always use tires of the same type, size, brand, construction (bias, biasbelted, or radial), and tread pattern on all four wheels. Install tire chains on the front wheels when driving on slippery roads and drive carefully.
• Be sure to check the brakes immediately after driving in mud or water.

  For additional information, see "Brake precautions".

• Avoid parking your vehicle on steep hills. If you get out of the vehicle and it rolls forward, backward or sideways, you could be injured.
• Whenever you drive off-road through sand, mud or water as deep as the wheel hub, more frequent maintenance may be required. For additional information, see "Maintenance under severe operating conditions".