Nissan Altima Reliability
Quick answer
The Nissan Altima has 1.56 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold across the 2015–2022 model years. In CarWhere's ranking of 18 sedans by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold (2015–2022, serious complaints weighted double and adjusted for vehicle age), the Altima places 6th: a lower complaint rate than most. Across model years 2008–2026, owners filed 9,862 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the transmission and air bags, and NHTSA lists 39 recall campaigns. CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2008, 2009 and 2013–2016 as years to avoid and rates 2011 and 2021–2023 as better years. Model years 2024–2026 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
By CarWhere Research · Last reviewed 2026-11-10 · Source: NHTSA
1.56
Complaints per 1,000 sold (2015–2022)
9,862
NHTSA owner complaints (2008–2026)
39
Recall campaigns
6
Years to avoid
Most-reported Nissan Altima problems
NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2008–2026, by the component owners named, filed 2007–2026. A complaint can name more than one component. The last three columns count complaints that report a crash, a fire or an injury.
| Component | Complaints | Share | Crash | Fire | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain / transmission | 1,777 | 18% | 39 | 4 | 22 |
| Air bags | 1,488 | 15% | 191 | 5 | 144 |
| Electrical system | 1,277 | 13% | 34 | 32 | 20 |
| Steering | 1,254 | 13% | 38 | 2 | 18 |
| Exterior lighting | 1,120 | 11% | 26 | 0 | 4 |
| Engine | 881 | 9% | 24 | 37 | 10 |
| Body structure | 815 | 8% | 43 | 11 | 23 |
| Suspension | 645 | 7% | 18 | 0 | 7 |
Of all 9,862 complaints, 443 (4%) report a crash, 88 (1%) a fire and 266 (3%) an injury.
For 2020-and-newer models (356 complaints), the most-reported areas are the electrical system (90), automatic emergency braking (68), the engine (61), the brakes (54).
Nissan Altima complaints by model year
Where problems concentrate. Year flags come from CarWhere's years-to-avoid analysis, which compares each Altima model year with the model's other years. The full year-by-year verdicts are on the years-to-avoid page.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 1,047 | 4 | Body structure | Avoid |
| 2009 | 1,601 | 4 | Steering | Avoid |
| 2010 | 393 | 3 | Electrical system | — |
| 2011 | 246 | 1 | Powertrain / transmission | Better year |
| 2012 | 426 | 4 | Powertrain / transmission | — |
| 2013 | 2,315 | 12 | Air bags | Avoid |
| 2014 | 1,113 | 8 | Exterior lighting | Avoid |
| 2015 | 956 | 10 | Exterior lighting | Avoid |
| 2016 | 555 | 4 | Powertrain / transmission | Avoid |
| 2017 | 394 | 3 | Powertrain / transmission | — |
| 2018 | 226 | 2 | Service brakes | — |
| 2019 | 234 | 7 | Electrical system | — |
| 2020 | 183 | 6 | Electrical system | — |
| 2021 | 71 | 2 | Electrical system | Better year |
| 2022 | 20 | 0 | Forward collision avoidance | Better year |
| 2023 | 30 | 0 | Electrical system | Better year |
| 2024(new) | 44 | 1 | Service brakes | — |
| 2025(new) | 7 | 2 | Service brakes | — |
| 2026(new) | 1 | 0 | Electrical system | — |
Raw counts are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, and older years have had longer to collect complaints. Years marked "new" have had less than three years on the road. — = not flagged either way.
Nissan Altima recalls
NHTSA lists 39 recall campaigns across Nissan Altima model years 2008–2026. The ones below cover the most model years. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Model years | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20V315000May 28, 2020 | 2013–2018 | Latches, locks & linkages — hood / latch | 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. |
| 16V244000Apr 26, 2016 | 2013–2016 | Air bags — sensor / occupant classification | 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… |
| 23V628000Sep 8, 2023 | 2019–2021 | Backup camera / back-over prevention — sensing system / camera | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Altima and 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. Damage to the camera harness can cause distortion or loss of the rearview camera display image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply… |
| 18V915000Dec 19, 2018 | 2015–2017 | Body structure — emergency / escape/egress/exit | 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.… |
| 17V040000Jan 18, 2017 | 2015–2017 | Latches, locks & linkages — doors / latch | 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… |
Best and worst Altima years
- Years to avoid: 2008, 2009 and 2013–2016.
- Better years: 2011 and 2021–2023.
- 2024–2026: too new to judge fully; complaint counts are still building.
Nissan Altima years to avoid: the verdict for every model year →
What to inspect on a used Nissan Altima
Based on the components owners report most. None of these replaces an independent pre-purchase inspection.
- Electrical: test every light, window, lock, the infotainment screen and the charging system; scan for stored fault codes.
- Driver aids: ask about false automatic-braking events and check for warning messages on the dash.
- Engine: cold-start it yourself, listen for ticking or knocking, check for oil leaks and oil consumption, and ask for oil-change records.
- Brakes: check pedal feel, pulling and grinding, and look at rotor and pad wear; ask when the brake fluid was last changed.
- Recalls: check the VIN for open recalls; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any Nissan Altima can be better or worse than the model's record. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
Nissan Altima reliability FAQ
Is the Nissan Altima reliable?
The Nissan Altima has 1.56 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold across the 2015–2022 model years. In CarWhere's ranking of 18 sedans by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold (2015–2022, serious complaints weighted double and adjusted for vehicle age), the Altima places 6th: a lower complaint rate than most. Across model years 2008–2026, owners filed 9,862 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the transmission and air bags, and NHTSA lists 39 recall campaigns. CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2008, 2009 and 2013–2016 as years to avoid and rates 2011 and 2021–2023 as better years. Model years 2024–2026 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
What are the most common Nissan Altima problems?
In NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2008–2026, the most-reported areas are the transmission (1,777), air bags (1,488), the electrical system (1,277) and steering (1,254). For 2020-and-newer models, the most-reported areas are the electrical system, automatic emergency braking and the engine. One complaint can name more than one component, and complaints are unverified owner reports.
What years of the Nissan Altima should you avoid?
CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2008, 2009 and 2013–2016 as years to avoid and rates 2011 and 2021–2023 as better years. Each model year is compared only with other Altima years: complaints are adjusted for time on the road, and serious ones (engine, transmission, brakes, steering, fuel system, or a reported crash, fire or injury) count double, with a smaller adjustment for recall campaigns.
How long does a Nissan Altima last?
In CarWhere's lifespan study, 1.5% of 37,435 used Altima listings in the US had passed 200,000 miles and 7.6% had passed 150,000. Among those 10+ years old, 7.4% are past 200,000 miles. Maintenance history matters more than the model average for any one car.
How many recalls does the Nissan Altima have?
NHTSA lists 39 recall campaigns covering Nissan Altima model years 2008–2026. The one covering the most model years is 20V315000 (latches, locks & linkages, 2013–2018). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How do I check a specific used Nissan Altima?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
How we measure Altima reliability
- Complaints are every NHTSA owner complaint filed for the Nissan Altima, model years 2008–2026, across all the body-style and trim names NHTSA files them under, de-duplicated by complaint number. They are unverified owner reports.
- Complaints per 1,000 sold divides the 2,639 complaints for the 2015–2022 model years by 1,695,823 vehicles sold in the US in those calendar years (published sales figures), times 1,000.
- The sedans ranking uses the same complaints and sales, weights serious complaints double and adjusts for vehicle age, then compares 18 models. See the full ranking.
- Year flags compare each Altima model year only with other Altima years, so they say which years to prefer, not how the Altima compares with other models.
- This is federal complaint and recall data, not a survey and not comparable to Consumer Reports or J.D. Power ratings. It does not estimate repair costs.
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints and NHTSA recall campaigns (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-11-10; published U.S. sales figures; CarWhere years-to-avoid analysis.
More Nissan Altima research
Nissan Altima reliability by model year: