Altima brake light switch issue

I had something similar happen with my Altima. Not sure the year, but it was definitely the brake light switch. Do you remember doing anything unusual with the brake pedal or messing around under the dash recently? Like kicking the area near the pedal? Sometimes even accidentally bumping it hard can cause a problem with the switch, similar to knocking a chess piece off the board.

You know, now that you mention it, I did drop my phone and fumbled around trying to grab it near the pedals. It's possible I might have bumped something. So, are you saying that even a small bump could mess up the switch? How sensitive are these things, really?

In my experience, yes, even a seemingly minor impact can do it. Think of it like a very delicate circuit. The switch can be quite sensitive; a slight misalignment can cause it to fail. Since the error is stored and the lights aren't working, the switch is the prime suspect, especially given your dropped-phone incident. A visit to the shop to confirm and possibly replace the switch would be wise. It sounds like user error to me.

Thanks! It turns out that it was exactly what you said - the brake light switch. I took it to a local shop, and they confirmed it had been knocked loose, probably when I was reaching for my phone. They just re-seated it, and everything is working perfectly now. They didn't even charge me anything! Appreciate the help!