NHTSA vehicle safety data

2015 Nissan Altima Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

The 2015 Nissan Altima has 10 NHTSA recall campaigns and 956 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Nissan dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2015 Nissan Altima, plus NCAP crash-test ratings. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

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2015 Nissan Altima owner complaints

Owners have filed 956 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Nissan Altima, describing incidents dated March 10, 2014 to November 1, 2026.

Most-cited components

Exterior Lighting 270 complaints
Air Bags 177 complaints
Power Train 161 complaints
Unknown or Other 94 complaints
Engine 66 complaints
Structure 64 complaints

Of the 956 complaints on file, 46 report a crash and 5 a fire; across all 956 complaints, owners report 27 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11775042 · Filed November 2, 2026
Dear NHTSA, The rear control arm on my 2015 Nissan Altima broke after driving over a very small speed bump at ~10-15 MPH. Had this happened at highway speed, my family’s lives could have been at risk. A suspension component should not fail under such ordinary driving conditions. This incident has…
ODI #11770674 · Filed October 12, 2026
On Sunday 10/04/26, the hood unexpectedly flew open while I was driving. I am very lucky I was the only person on the road at the time this occurred as this blocked all of my visibility. I had to stop my vehicle with the hood completely blocking the windshield, I could barely get the hood back down…
ODI #11767543 · Filed September 28, 2026
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a used car dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 73,328, and the Carfax report provided by the Bank listed the mileage as 69,850…

Read all 956 complaints

Owner-reported

2015 Nissan Altima mileage at failure

540 of the 956 complaints on file for the 2015 Nissan Altima give the vehicle's mileage when the problem happened.

Mileage at failure by component, from owners' complaints to NHTSA
Component	Median	Middle half	Based on
Exterior Lighting	Median 80,000 miles	Middle half 50,000–115,000 miles	Based on 119 complaints
Structure	Median 60,000 miles	Middle half 35,000–75,000 miles	Based on 40 complaints

A component's median is its 50th percentile, and its middle half runs from its 25th to its 75th percentile.

Owners give the mileage themselves, often as a round number, and NHTSA doesn't check it. A complaint that names several components counts under each one, and mileages that can't be right, such as 999,999, or 50 miles on a five-year-old car, are left out.

These figures describe the complaints owners filed. They don't predict when a particular vehicle will have a problem, and vehicles that never had one aren't counted.

Most complaints NHTSA received since May 17, 2021 give no mileage. So that they aren't undercounted, each one received since then that gives a mileage also stands in for those that gave none, which can put a component's median above most of the mileages it is based on.

Mileage from NHTSA's complaints file of October 31, 2026. How these figures are worked out

NHTSA defect investigations

NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2015 Nissan Altima in 3 investigations. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

Engineering Analysis EA21-002: Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Open since September 17, 2021
Engineering Analysis EA19-002: Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure
Closed June 16, 2025
Preliminary Evaluation PE18-013: Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure
Closed August 21, 2019

Open and recently closed NHTSA defect investigations

Unintentional Release of Primary Hood Latch

NHTSA #20V315000 · Latches/Locks/Linkages — Hood — Latch · NHTSA notice

Reported May 28, 2020 · Nissan North America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 1,831,818 vehicles

Repair completion: 49.36% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Nissan campaign R20A7 · Owners notified June 30, 2021

Defect description

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2018 Nissan Altima vehicles. If the primary hood latch is inadvertently released, there is an increased likelihood that the secondary hood latch may corrode over time.

Safety consequence

Corrosion to the secondary latch may cause it to bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed. If the primary latch is inadvertently released again and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install a stronger release spring in the hood release lever, a warning label near the secondary hood latch, and an Owners Manual addendum card with instructions on how to lubricate and maintain the secondary hood latch mechanism, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: Recall 16V-029 remains open for any unremedied 2013-2015 Altimas and this recall applies to all vehicles covered by 16V-029 even if those repairs have already been performed.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Rear Door May Open When Window Is Lowered

NHTSA #18V915000 · Structure — Emergency — Escape/Egress/Exit · NHTSA notice

Reported December 19, 2018 · Nissan North America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 341,003 vehicles

Repair completion: 57.53% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified February 5, 2019 · Vehicles built September 17, 2015 – October 6, 2016 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Altima vehicles, previously remedied under recall number 17V-040. The door latch-lock cable may not have been routed properly in the rear door when the remedy was applied. As a result, the cable may interfere with the window regulator causing the rear passenger door to unlatch and inadvertently open without warning when the window is lowered.

Safety consequence

If the rear passenger door opens while the vehicle is moving, the rear passengers have an increased risk of injury.

Manufacturer remedy

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will secure the latch-lock cables in the correct position using the new remedy procedure, free of charge. The recall began February 5, 2019. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7669.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Rear Door may Open when Window is Lowered

NHTSA #17V040000 · Latches/Locks/Linkages — Doors — Latch · NHTSA notice

Reported January 18, 2017 · Nissan North America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 341,005 vehicles

Repair completion: 84.64% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified February 16, 2017 · Vehicles built September 17, 2015 – October 6, 2016 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Altima vehicles. The rear door latch/lock cable on the vehicles may have been improperly routed. As a result, lowering a rear window may inadvertently cause that door to unlatch and open.

Safety consequence

If the rear passenger doors inadvertently open while the vehicle is in motion, it may increase the risk of injury to the rear passengers.

Manufacturer remedy

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will correct the rear door latch/lock cable routing, free of charge. The recall began on February 16, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Air Bag May Not Deploy Due to Software Issue

NHTSA #16V911000 · Air Bags — Sensor — Occupant Classification · NHTSA notice

Reported December 19, 2016 · Nissan North America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 757 vehicles

Repair completion: 49.8% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified February 13, 2017 · Vehicles built January 3, 2013 – July 29, 2015 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima vehicles manufactured January 3, 2013, to July 29, 2013, 2015-2016 Rogue vehicles manufactured October 14, 2014, to August 12, 2016, and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured June 4, 2015, to August 19, 2015. An incorrect Occupant Classification System (OCS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may have been installed in the front passenger seat. The incorrect ECU and seat combination may misclassify the front passenger seat occupant.

Safety consequence

If the front passenger seat occupant is misclassified, the air bag may deploy incorrectly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Manufacturer remedy

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ECU and update the OCS software free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Passenger Air Bag may not Deploy due to OCS Error

NHTSA #16V244000 · Air Bags — Sensor — Occupant Classification · NHTSA notice

Reported April 26, 2016 · Nissan North America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 3,296,947 vehicles

Repair completion: 77.11% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified June 10, 2016 · Vehicles built March 6, 2012 – April 1, 2016 (per NHTSA) · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Defect description

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.

Safety consequence

If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.

Manufacturer remedy

Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Secondary Hood Latch may Bind and not Latch

NHTSA #16V029000 · Latches/Locks/Linkages — Hood — Latch · NHTSA notice

Reported January 22, 2016 · Nissan North America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 846,000 vehicles

Repair completion: 73.93% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified February 17, 2016 · Vehicles built March 6, 2012 – December 31, 2014 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Nissan Altima vehicles manufactured March 6, 2012, to December 31, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch may bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.

Safety consequence

If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Manufacturer remedy

These vehicles were previously included in recalls 14V-565 and 15V-116, however the previous remedy plan may not have been performed consistently to remove the safety risk. To correct this issue, Nissan will re-notify all affected owners and dealers will replace the hood latch with a new one, free of charge. The recall began on February 17, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 14V-565 and 15V-116.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Front Brake Caliper Mounting Bolts may be Loose

NHTSA #15V733000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Foundation Components — Disc — Caliper · NHTSA notice

Reported November 5, 2015 · Nissan North America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 119 vehicles

Repair completion: 88.24% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified December 14, 2015 · Vehicles built October 6, 2015 – October 7, 2015 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2015 Altima and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured October 6, 2015, to October 7, 2015. The affected vehicles have front brake calipers whose mounting bolts may not be properly tightened.

Safety consequence

If the bolts were not properly tightened, the caliper may detach and reduce braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will check the brake caliper mounting bolts, tightening them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 14, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Air Bag may not Detect Passenger in Seat

NHTSA #15V681000 · Air Bags — Frontal · NHTSA notice

Reported October 20, 2015 · Nissan North America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 919 vehicles

Repair completion: 68.44% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified November 30, 2015 · Vehicles built June 12, 2012 – August 26, 2014 (per NHTSA) · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Defect description

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima and Pathfinder vehicles, 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra vehicles, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles, 2014-2015 Infiniti QX60 vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles received an incorrect occupant classification system (OCS) control unit during a repair. These OCS control units may incorrectly classify the front passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.

Safety consequence

If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger air bag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.

Manufacturer remedy

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Fuel Sending Unit may Leak Fuel

NHTSA #15V486000 · Fuel System, Gasoline · NHTSA notice

Reported August 4, 2015 · Nissan North America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 46,846 vehicles

Repair completion: 84.53% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified September 28, 2015 · Vehicles built March 30, 2012 – August 18, 2015 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) notified the agency on July 31, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2016 Nissan Maxima vehicles manufactured February 10, 2015, to August 18, 2015. On October 14, 2015, Nissan expanded the recall to cover an additional 41,388 vehicles, including certain model year 2013-2015 Altima 3.5 vehicles equipped with a V6 engine manufactured March 30, 2012, to August 18, 2015 as well as the vehicles covered by the July 31, 2015 notification. In the affected vehicles, due to an improperly installed o-ring that may not have been seated correctly at the time of assembly, fuel may leak during a crash from the area where the fuel sending unit attaches to the fuel tank.

Safety consequence

If fuel leaks from between the fuel sending unit and the tank, it may increase the risk of a fire in the event of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install a retainer ring between the fuel tank and the fuel sending unit. The recall began on September 28, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Secondary Hood Latch may Bind and not Latch

NHTSA #15V116000 · Latches/Locks/Linkages — Hood — Latch · NHTSA notice

Reported February 27, 2015 · Nissan North America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 625,400 vehicles

Repair completion: 75.27% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified March 31, 2015 · Vehicles built March 1, 2013 – December 31, 2014 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Nissan Altima vehicles manufactured March 1, 2013, to December 31, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch may bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.

Safety consequence

If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will be instructed to modify the bend angle of the hood actuation lever to eliminate potential interference with the hood inner panel. In addition, dealers will clean and lubricate the latch joint as needed. If significant corrosion is observed, the latch assembly will be replaced. This repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 14V-565.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

2015 Nissan Altima 4 DR FWD

out of 5

Overall Safety Rating

Frontal Crash

Driver: 5, Passenger: 4

Side Crash

Driver: 3, Passenger: 5

Side Pole

Rollover

10% rollover risk

Safety Technology

Electronic Stability Control Lane Departure Warning (Optional)

3 investigations

956 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2015 Nissan Altima.

Structure

ODI #11775042

Incident: November 1, 2026 · Filed: November 2, 2026

Dear NHTSA, The rear control arm on my 2015 Nissan Altima broke after driving over a very small speed bump at ~10-15 MPH. Had this happened at highway speed, my family’s lives could have been at risk. A suspension component should not fail under such ordinary driving conditions. This incident has left me deeply concerned about the safety of my vehicle and the potential danger to other Nissan owners. Similar failures appear to have been reported online, yet I am unaware of a recall covering my vehicle. I urge NHTSA to investigate this issue and require a recall if warranted before someone is seriously injured. Please explain what action NHTSA has taken or plans to take. I can provide photographs and repair records. Thank you.

Unknown or Other

ODI #11770674

Incident: October 3, 2026 · Filed: October 12, 2026

On Sunday 10/04/26, the hood unexpectedly flew open while I was driving. I am very lucky I was the only person on the road at the time this occurred as this blocked all of my visibility. I had to stop my vehicle with the hood completely blocking the windshield, I could barely get the hood back down as it was bent, a bolt even broke off the front of the hood where the hood and body attach. The car isn’t safe to drive due to this . A subsequent inspection shows that the secondary latch was severely corroded and bound in the unlatched position, and the striker was rusted with paint flaking to bare metal. This matches the NHTSA defect description exactly: "secondary hood latch may bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed." My vehicle's history suggests that the early campaign remedy (clean/lube) was previously performed but has since failed and corroded again—the exact scenario that caused recall 20V315 to supersede the earlier campaign.

Electrical System

ODI #11767543

Incident: September 26, 2026 · Filed: September 28, 2026

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a used car dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 73,328, and the Carfax report provided by the Bank listed the mileage as 69,850 on August 19, 2022. However, while attempting to trade in the vehicle, the dealer discovered through Auto Check that the mileage was listed as 117,974 on May 24, 2022.

Exterior Lighting

ODI #11765361

Incident: September 17, 2026 · Filed: September 18, 2026

The headlights are so dim we cannot see safely at night, we have had everything professionally cleaned and installed new super bright bulbs, it has made zero difference. Does someone really have to die for this to be taken seriously? There was a huge lawsuit apparently but we never heard about it and missed the window!

Electrical System; Air Bags

ODI #11763563

Crash 1 injury

Incident: September 10, 2026 · Filed: September 11, 2026

My car was hit and airbags did not deploy from driver side. The front driver side of my car is totalled. Not sure what force of an impact is needed for airbags to deploy but if my driver side tire rod broke and tire came off is this not sufficient force. This 2015 Nissan Altima has had many recalls. The last one was my front driver side head lamp almost caught on fire but mechanic found everything burned and melted because of electrical issue which was a recall. With my luck the recall expired apparently because it happened after the fact when it was no longer covered. I called and basically I was told too late. Now my airbags did not deploy.

Air Bags

ODI #11763283

Incident: June 1, 2026 · Filed: September 10, 2026

A vehicle airbag light is staying on which indicates my airbags will not work this is a common problem in a 2015 Nissan Altima SL but it is not showing up as a recall on my certain vehicle. This recently started happening at 114,000 miles. When the light first came on it would go on and off at different times it would not be every single time I started the car but now it will not shut off

Wheels; Service Brakes

ODI #11763140

Incident: September 9, 2026 · Filed: September 9, 2026

Service brakes, hydraulic foundation components: disc: caliper The bolts on all 4 of my tires are constantly going loose and I have problems with my front brakes never lasting as long as they should and always burn out very fast.

Suspension

ODI #11761208

Incident: August 29, 2026 · Filed: September 1, 2026

The passenger side rear spring mount/Lower Control Arm separated at the weld and failed at highway speed. Control of the vehicle was momentarily lost and I was able to safely pull to the side of the highway to await a tow truck. Vehicle is not drivable. Mechanic confirmed it was an "Insufficient Weld" consistent with a safety bulletin that expired less than a year ago. Nissan corporate would not assist in getting this repaired, but stated I could pay to have it towed to them for a customer-paid diagnostic.

Suspension

ODI #11761086

Incident: August 24, 2026 · Filed: August 31, 2026

The rear lower control arms (lower links) on my 2015 Nissan Altima are actively cracked and broken at 91,359 miles. An authorized Nissan dealership inspected the vehicle and confirmed the severe structural failure on video, explicitly stating it is an immediate safety hazard. However, the manufacturer is refusing to repair this dangerous manufacturing defect under Campaign PC690 due to an expired calendar date, forcing an unstable, hazardous vehicle back onto public roads where I transport my children. Nissan chose not to notify owners of this defect by mail, and the dealership network actively delayed my scheduling for weeks. The vehicle is completely unsafe to operate.

Exterior Lighting

ODI #11757201

Incident: August 15, 2026 · Filed: August 15, 2026

The headlights are dangerously dim. There has been a class action lawsuit for these specific makes and models for the reflectors in the headlights being damaged over time, resulting in the entire headlight assemblies needing replaced.

Other Nissan Altima model years

Check your 2015 Nissan Altima VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Nissan Altima at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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