Nissan Altima Engine Problems by Year

By CarWhere Research · Updated

Not unusually. Owners have filed 942 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2008–2025 Nissan Altima. For the Nissan Altima, that's 0.18 engine complaints per 1,000 sold across the 2015–2022 cohorts, below the 0.44 median of the 53 models we can rate. The worst years are 2013, 2009 and 2016.

Engine complaints

942

Filed with NHTSA, 2008–2025 models

Per 1,000 sold

0.18

2015–2022 cohorts

Share of all complaints

9.6%

of 9,768 complaints for this model

Engine recalls

1

NHTSA campaigns, all years

Nissan Altima engine complaints by model year

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA whose component list includes Engine and Engine Cooling, and per 1,000 vehicles sold where a published U.S. sales figure exists. Worst years are highlighted.

Nissan Altima engine complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year
Model yearEngine complaintsPer 1,000 soldShare of all complaintsCrash / fire / injuryEngine recallsEngine TSBs*
200878—7.4%11—24
2009WORST124—7.7%9—13
201059—15%9—16
201144—17.9%2—14
201272—17%4—10
2013WORST165—7.2%8—61
201480—7.2%6—58
2015660.27%4—67
2016WORST860.2815.8%3—62
2017400.1610.5%4—46
2018130.065.8%1—24
2019540.2624.2%025V43700026
2020380.2822.1%325V43700018
202170.0710.4%0—11
202250.0425%1—12
20236—21.4%1—0
20245—12.8%2—0
20250—0%0—0
  • Per 1,000 sold = complaints ÷ published U.S. calendar-year sales × 1,000. Calendar-year sales stand in for the model-year cohort. A dash means no published figure or fewer than 5,000 sold, too small to divide by.
  • Older model years have had more time on the road to collect complaints, so compare neighboring years, not 2010 against 2024.
  • Crash / fire / injury = complaints where the owner reported a crash, a fire or an injury.
  • *Technical service bulletins in the year's leading TSB categories that name the engine.

Common Nissan Altima engine problems owners describe

We searched the narratives of all 942 engine complaints for symptom keywords. One complaint can mention several, so the shares don't add up to 100%.

Stalling or shutting off while driving193 · 20.5%
Misfire or check-engine light155 · 16.5%
Smoke, burning smell or fire59 · 6.3%
Overheating or coolant loss53 · 5.6%
Loss of power or limp mode51 · 5.4%
Engine failure, seizure or replacement39 · 4.1%
Knocking, ticking or rattling25 · 2.7%
Oil consumption or oil leaks18 · 1.9%
Timing chain or belt3 · 0.3%

Nissan Altima years to avoid for the engine

2013 Nissan Altima

165 engine complaints (7.2% of the year's 2,303). Most often described: stalling or shutting off while driving.

2009 Nissan Altima

124 engine complaints (7.7% of the year's 1,601). Most often described: stalling or shutting off while driving.

2016 Nissan Altima

86 engine complaints (15.8% of the year's 544), 0.28 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: misfire or check-engine light.

Worst years are those with at least 10 engine complaints and at least 1.5 times the model's median year. For every year's overall verdict, including other systems, see the Nissan Altima years to avoid.

Nissan Altima engine recalls

NHTSA recall campaigns filed under Engine for any Nissan Altima model year. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check a specific car by VIN on NHTSA's site.

  • 25V437000 · 2025-06-27 · 2019–2020 models

    The engine bearings may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine failure.

Related research

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2013 Nissan Altima have engine problems?

Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 165 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2013 Nissan Altima, 7.2% of all 2,303 complaints for that year. The most common description is "stalling or shutting off while driving" (55 complaints). 8 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.

Does the 2009 Nissan Altima have engine problems?

Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 124 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2009 Nissan Altima, 7.7% of all 1,601 complaints for that year. The most common description is "stalling or shutting off while driving" (17 complaints). 9 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.

Does the 2016 Nissan Altima have engine problems?

Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 86 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2016 Nissan Altima, 15.8% of all 544 complaints for that year, or 0.28 per 1,000 sold. The most common description is "misfire or check-engine light" (19 complaints). 3 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.

Which Nissan Altima years have the most engine complaints?

2013 (165), 2009 (124) and 2016 (86), by owner complaints filed with NHTSA that name the engine. Raw counts favor older and higher-selling years, so compare the per-1,000-sold column too.

What are the most common Nissan Altima engine problems?

In the 942 engine complaints, owners most often describe stalling or shutting off while driving (20.5%), misfire or check-engine light (16.5%) and smoke, burning smell or fire (6.3%). One complaint can mention several symptoms.

Is this a engine failure rate?

No. These are complaints owners chose to file with NHTSA. Many failures are never reported, and one complaint is not a confirmed defect. Dividing by sales shows how often owners complain relative to how many were sold, which makes models of different sizes comparable.

How we count

Counts are unique owner complaints (by NHTSA ODI number) filed with NHTSA for each Nissan Altima model year, from NHTSA's public complaints data fetched July 2026 to November 2026. A complaint counts as a engine complaint when NHTSA's component list for it includes Engine and Engine Cooling.

Per 1,000 sold divides complaints by published U.S. calendar-year sales for that year. A year needs at least 5,000 sales to get a rate, and a model needs at least 3 such years for its overall rate. The comparison median covers every model with at least 50 engine complaints that clears those floors.

These are complaint rates, not failure rates. Owners report some problems more than others, and a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

Sources

  1. NHTSA complaints by vehicle (owner complaints API) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  2. NHTSA recalls by vehicle — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  3. Report a vehicle safety problem — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration