Are Nissans Reliable? Nissan Reliability by Model
Nissan reliability varies significantly by model year. Among the 6 Nissan models analyzed, the Murano has the fewest flagged years at 3, while the Pathfinder has the most at 8. The sharpest single-year spike belongs to the Pathfinder, whose worst year logged up to 6.7× its own median complaint rate. Because complaint totals are not adjusted for vehicle sales, this analysis identifies strong and weak years within each model — it does not rank Nissan models against one another.
Analysis by CarWhere Research · Updated August 28, 2026 · Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of July 2026 · How we rate model years · Download the dataset (CSV)
25,998 NHTSA complaints
model years flagged on federal data
every model carries at least one
Nissan problem areas by service-bulletin volume
The vehicle systems drawing the most federal service-bulletin (TSB) filings across the 6 Nissan models we analyze — a volume signal of where the manufacturer issues the most fix guidance. These are TSB counts by NHTSA component category, not owner-complaint counts.
Nissan reliability by model
| Model | Complaints | Years to avoid | Best years | Worst year vs. its avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nissan Altima | 9,677 | 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 | 2011, 2021, 2022 and 2023 | 5.6× |
| Nissan Rogue | 6,994 | 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2023 | 2020 | 6× |
| Nissan Pathfinder | 3,079 | 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2022, 2023 and 2024 | 2011, 2012 and 2020 | 6.7× |
| Nissan Titan | 924 | 2008, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021 | 2011 and 2012 | 3.8× |
| Nissan Murano | 1,892 | 2009, 2010 and 2015 | 2018, 2019 and 2021 | 6.1× |
| Nissan Sentra | 3,432 | 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 | 2009, 2012 and 2023 | 3.4× |
Counts are raw federal filings (NHTSA owner complaints), not adjusted for sales volume. A model year is flagged when its severity-weighted complaint rate is among the highest within that model's own history — never a comparison against other brands. Follow any model for its full year-by-year verdict. Full methodology.
Where Nissan owners report the most trouble
Nissan Pathfinder: 8 model years flagged to avoid (2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2022, 2023 and 2024) — the worst logged up to 6.7× the model's own median severity-weighted complaint rate. See the year-by-year verdict →
Nissan Murano: 3 model years flagged to avoid (2009, 2010 and 2015) — the worst logged up to 6.1× the model's own median severity-weighted complaint rate. See the year-by-year verdict →
Nissan Rogue: 5 model years flagged to avoid (2016, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2023) — the worst logged up to 6× the model's own median severity-weighted complaint rate. See the year-by-year verdict →
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FAQ
Are Nissans reliable?
Nissan reliability varies sharply by model year, not by badge. Among the 6 most-documented Nissan models, 6 carry at least one model year we flag to avoid on NHTSA complaint and recall data — the Murano has the fewest flagged years (3) and the Pathfinder the most (8). These are raw federal complaint counts, not adjusted for how many vehicles Nissan sold, so they can't be read as a single cross-brand reliability score — use the per-model, per-year verdicts below.
Which Nissan model years should I avoid?
The Nissan models carrying the most flagged years are the Pathfinder (8 flagged years: 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2022, 2023 and 2024); the Altima (6 flagged years: 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016); the Rogue (5 flagged years: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2023). A flag means that model year's severity-weighted complaint rate is among the highest within that model's own history — it is not a comparison against other models or brands. See each model's page for the full year-by-year verdict.
Which Nissan models have the fewest flagged years?
Among Nissan models with enough federal complaint history to rate, the Murano carries the fewest flagged years (3). That is not a cross-model reliability ranking — complaint counts are not sales-adjusted — and a thin record is never counted as a clean one: model years with too little data rate "insufficient" instead.
How do I check a specific Nissan before buying?
Start with the free Nissan window sticker lookup at carwhere.com/window-sticker/nissan to confirm the exact trim and factory options, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report for that VIN — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for the exact model year plus a market price check from verified buyers. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — the public NHTSA owner-complaints data and safety recall campaigns — across the 6 most-documented Nissan models and every model year on record for each. Retrieved July 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered, so they cannot be read as a single cross-brand reliability ranking; each model year's verdict compares it only against the rest of that model's own history. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Suggested citation
CarWhere Research. "Nissan Reliability by Model & Year: NHTSA Complaint and Recall Analysis." Based on 25,998 NHTSA owner complaints across 6 Nissan models, model years 2008–2025. Updated August 28, 2026. https://www.carwhere.com/research/reliability/nissan
This dataset is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with attribution to CarWhere Research and a link to this page.
Download the dataset (CSV) — per-model complaint totals, flagged years and verdict counts for every brand we cover (version 2026-08-28).