P0171 on a 2017 Nissan Altima

P0171 means the engine computer is adding more fuel than normal on bank 1 because it sees too much air or not enough fuel.

Not your vehicle? See general P0171 info.

Most common causes on the 2017 Nissan Altima

Ranked from 384 NHTSA owner complaints filed for this vehicle.

Sort by:

1
Failing Oxygen (O2) Sensor or Air/Fuel Ratio Sensor
Medium severity
A degraded upstream O2 sensor can falsely report a lean condition, triggering the code. Diagnostics will show skewed or slow-responding sensor voltage.
Reported in 2 NHTSA complaints
2
Vacuum Leak (Intake Manifold, PCV, or Vacuum Hoses)
Medium severity
A common cause of a lean condition (P0171) is unmetered air entering the engine. Look for cracked hoses, a loose intake manifold, or a faulty PCV valve.
Common cause
3
Faulty Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor
Medium severity
A dirty or failing MAF sensor will under-report the amount of air entering the engine, causing the ECM to provide too little fuel. Cleaning or replacing the sensor usually resolves this.
Common cause
4
Low Fuel Pressure (Failing Fuel Pump or Clogged Filter)
High severity
If the engine isn't receiving enough fuel due to a weak pump or restriction, it will run lean. Fuel pressure testing will confirm if it is below specification.
Common cause
5
Clogged or Faulty Fuel Injectors
Medium severity
Restricted fuel injectors will not spray enough fuel into the cylinders, leading to a lean mixture. Injector balance testing or cleaning can confirm and fix this.
Common cause
6
Exhaust Leak Before the Upstream O2 Sensor
Medium severity
An exhaust leak allows outside oxygen to enter the exhaust stream, which the O2 sensor reads as a lean condition. Look for soot marks or listen for ticking noises near the exhaust manifold.
Common cause

These causes are aggregated from NHTSA owner complaints and general repair knowledge — this is not a diagnosis. P0171 on your car still needs shop confirmation before any repair.

Common symptoms

Check engine light
Rough idle
Hesitation
Surging idle
Poor fuel economy

What to check before replacing parts

Review short- and long-term fuel trims on bank 1

Look for: High positive trims (commonly worse at idle, improving with RPM) mean the computer is adding fuel to compensate for excess air or insufficient fuel — that pattern is this code's fingerprint.

Smoke-test the intake

Look for: Smoke escaping (or a hiss you can hear) at intake boots, gaskets, or vacuum hose connections confirms unmetered air is entering after the MAF sensor, which is the most common cause of a lean code.

Inspect the PCV hoses and valve

Look for: A cracked, split, or disconnected PCV hose, or a PCV valve stuck open, draws in extra unmetered air the same way a vacuum leak does.

Clean and test the MAF sensor

Look for: Visible dirt or oil film on the sensor element, or a grams/second reading that doesn't track expected airflow for RPM, means the MAF is under-reporting air and causing the computer to under-fuel.

Verify fuel pressure

Look for: Pressure below spec (weak pump, clogged filter, failing regulator) starves the engine of fuel and produces the same lean trim pattern as a vacuum leak — rule it out before chasing leaks.

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Matching symptoms

Car Runs Rough