2005 Nissan altima tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 2005 Nissan Altima, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
| Tire size | Rim size | PCD (bolt pattern) | Offset | Load index | Speed rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 225/45R18 OEM | R18 | 5x114.3 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 215/60R16 OEM | 6.5x16 | 5x114.3 | 40mm | 94 | T |
| 215/55R17 | 7x17 | 5x114.3 | 45mm | 93 | V |
| 215/60R16 OEM | R16 | 5x114.3 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 215/55R17 OEM | R17 | 5x114.3 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
2005 Nissan altima wheel bolt pattern & specs
| Bolt pattern (PCD) | 5x114.3 |
|---|---|
| Wheel thread / lug size | M12x1.25 |
| Center bore | 66.1 mm |
| Source | bolt-pattern.com |
Best by use case
Four tires, four jobs
Best all-season
Bridgestone
Turanza QuietTrack
all-season touring, UTQG 800, 80,000-mi warranty
Best budget
Goodyear
Assurance MaxLife
Lowest cost per mile in this size; UTQG 820
Best quiet
Bridgestone
Turanza QuietTrack
68 dB cabin noise (EU label); quietest in this size
Best winter
Bridgestone
Blizzak WS90
Dedicated winter (premium compound); ice/snow grip
See the best tires for the Nissan Altima, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Nissan Altima →
Plus-size and winter-downsize options for every Nissan Altima factory size →
Compatible alternative sizes for 225/45R18
Sizes within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter safe-fit tolerance. Each row links to the size's own page.
| Alternative size | %Δ OD | Category | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
195/65R16 |
0.03% | alternative | Safe |
215/35R20 |
-0.18% | plus 2 | Safe |
255/30R20 |
0.20% | plus 2 | Safe |
255/35R19 |
0.21% | plus 1 | Safe |
255/40R18 |
0.23% | wider | Safe |
For the full list of alternatives with comfort/handling impact, see 225/45R18 upsize options. To check an arbitrary size pair, use the tire compatibility calculator.
Check a different size against this vehicle
Type any tire size below; we'll compute its overall-diameter delta against the OEM 225/45R18 and verdict using the ETRTO ±3% rule.
Common upgrade paths
- Plus-1: 255/35R19; one rim size up, 0.21% OD change. Sharper steering, mild ride penalty, modest cost premium.
- Plus-2: 215/35R20; two rim sizes up, -0.18% OD change. Noticeable ride penalty, higher pothole risk, meaningful tire-cost premium.
Use the plus-size calculator to evaluate any rim step against the OEM size.
How to choose tires for the 2005 nissan altima
The 2005 Nissan Altima ships from the factory on 225/45R18 tires mounted on R18 wheels. 3 approved fitments are documented for this model year, allowing some flexibility between performance, comfort, and winter compounds. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the Nissan Altima comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard), and UTQG treadwear (higher means longer life, lower usually means stickier rubber). Owners replacing factory tires with the same compound class, for example all-season for all-season, generally see no change in ride characteristics or fuel economy. Switching categories (performance summer to all-season touring, for example) is where the trade-offs show up at the contact patch.
For 2005 Nissan Altima owners considering a plus-size upgrade, the safer option is a Plus-1 step (one rim size up with a 10-point aspect drop and ~10 mm of additional section width). Plus-2 is technically viable on this chassis if the alternative-sizes table lists a Plus-2 candidate within tolerance, but expect a meaningful ride-harshness penalty and a tire-cost premium of 30–60% per tire relative to the OEM fitment. For winter use the recommended pattern is one width step down (e.g. from a 235 to a 225) with the aspect ratio bumped up to preserve overall diameter; narrower tires apply higher contact pressure per square inch on snow, which translates directly into shorter braking distances. The plus-size calculator evaluates any specific rim step against this OEM size.
Before purchasing, verify the tire size on the driver-door placard of your specific 2005 Nissan Altima, since trim levels and option packages can shift the original fitment from what is documented here. The placard reading is the authoritative source per FMVSS 110, and dealers will reference the placard rather than aftermarket catalogs when validating warranty claims.
NHTSA-reported issues for 2005 nissan altima
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (15) · Tread / Belt (3) · Sidewall (2) · Spare Tire (1)
Reported across: 2005 – 2005 (1 year)
What owners described
Blowout or sudden deflation is the most common description, in 18% of these reports. Percentages are shares of the 141 reports covering every model year of the Nissan Altima that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 18% | 20% | 0.9× |
| Sidewall failure | 16% | 15% | 1.1× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 9% | 9% | 1.0× |
| Loss of control, rollover or collision | 6% | 8% | 0.8× |
| Pressure-monitoring (TPMS) fault | 5% | 2% | 2.1× |
| Tread or belt separation | 3% | 13% | 0.2× |
Mileage at failure
68 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 22,500 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 3,100 and 80,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Nissan Altima. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, ONE OF THE TIRES FLATTENED. THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO PROPERLY ACCELERATE. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION AND TRANSMISSION AXLE ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE TRANSMISSION FLUID PAN WAS CRACKED. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURES RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,150.
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE DEFLATED AND THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE VALVE STEM WAS REPLACED. ADDITIONALLY, THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V393000 (TIRES). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
I ALMOST HAD A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT ON 1-22-15. I WAS GOING ABOUT 50 MPH WHEN THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE COMPLETELY DISENGAGED FROM THE TIRE RIM. ALL THAT WAS LEFT ON THE RIM WAS A TWO INCH REMNANT OF THE TIRE. I WILL E-MAIL YOU A PICTURE OF THE TIRE AND I ASSURE YOU THAT YOU NEVER SAW ANYTHING LIKE THIS. THE TIRE ONLY HAD 12034 MILES ON IT. THE TIRE WAS A MICHELIN ENERGY GREEN X. TIRE SIZE P215/55R17 WHICH WAS MADE IN CANADA. DOT B33F00RX0813. IT IS A MIRACLE I DID NOT GET INTO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I WAS SO UNNERVED I WENT TO THE NEAREST TIRE SHOP AND PURCHASED FOUR NEW GOODYEAR TIRES THAT COST ME $642.00. I CALLED MICHELIN'S CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPT. AND THEY SAID SORRY BUT THEY WILL NOT GIVE ME A DIME-AS EXPECTED. CHECK OUT A SITE CONSUMER AFFAIRS THAT HAS NO FEWER THAT 257 COMPLAINTS ABOUT MICHELIN TIRES.
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN ALTIMA EQUIPPED WITH SUMITOMO TOURING LST TIRES, TIRE SIZE: 215/60R16, AND UNKNOWN DOT NUMBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE PASSENGER FRONT TIRE STARTED VIBRATING UNCONTROLLABLY. UPON INSPECTING THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE TIRE WAS BULGED AND THEN EXPLODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000.
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
What size tires fit a 2005 Nissan Altima?
What is the bolt pattern of a 2005 Nissan Altima?
Can I run a different tire size on my 2005 Nissan Altima?
Where can I buy tires for my 2005 Nissan Altima?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 2005 Nissan Altima?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 2005 Nissan Altima?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 2005 Nissan Altima?
For broader tire questions; replacement timing, UTQG, EV-specific tires, winter swaps; see the tire FAQ.
Sources for this page
- Vehicle owner's manual tire & wheel placard; door-jamb placard on the Nissan Altima is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 2005 Nissan Altima.
- ETRTO 2024 Standards Manual §2.3; overall-diameter math used for the alternative-size verdicts above.
- Tire & Rim Association 2025 Yearbook; load-index to maximum-load reference.
Last verified 2026-10-07.