Nissan Altima Reliability: Best and Worst Years

The Nissan Altima is a midsize sedan that Nissan has sold in the United States since the 1993 model year. It was built only in Smyrna, Tennessee, until 2004, when the plant in Canton, Mississippi, also began producing it. It has been offered with four-cylinder and V6 engines, a hybrid in one generation and a coupe for several years, and it added all-wheel drive in its sixth generation. This page lines up every Nissan Altima model year from 2010 to 2024 on one scale, so you can see which years drew unusual numbers of owner reports and which stayed quiet.

Why these years stand out

2013: most complaints. The 2013 Nissan Altima scored 721 complaints per 100,000 sold, 3.4 times the model average. Of its 2,314 complaints, 672 involve the engine or transmission, and the parts named most often are air bags (513), power train (499) and exterior lighting (419). NHTSA lists 12 recalls for this model year and 5 defect investigations.

2021, 2022 and 2023: fewest complaints. The 2021 drew 70 complaints, or 67 per 100,000 sold; The 2022 drew 31 complaints, or 22 per 100,000 sold; The 2023 drew 30 complaints, or 23 per 100,000 sold. These years have been on the road at least three years, which gives owners time to report problems, so a low count means something.

What Nissan Altima owners report most

Transmission complaints lead for the Nissan Altima, at 22% of all complaints for 2010-2024. Engine and transmission reports together make up 33%. One complaint can name more than one system, so the bars can add up to more than the total.

When problems are reported: mileage

4,404 Nissan Altima complaints list the odometer reading at the time of the problem. 42% were reported before 50,000 miles and 20% after 100,000. The reports are spread across the mileage range rather than bunched at one point.

Nissan Altima compared with other midsize cars

In 12 of 15 model years the Nissan Altima drew fewer complaints per 100,000 sold than the average midsize car we track for the same year. For 2024, the Nissan Altima scored 36 against a class average of 56. The class average only uses models with clean, published sales figures.

Nissan Altima generations

• 2005-2006
  Third generation

  2.5L four; 3.5L V6 · 5-speed and 6-speed manuals; 4-speed and 5-speed automatics

  The 2005 facelift brought a new grille, redesigned interior and the SE-R with a 6-speed manual.

• 2007-2012
  Fourth generation

  2.5L four; 3.5L V6; 2.5L four hybrid (2007-2011) · 6-speed manual; CVT

  A CVT replaced the conventional automatic, and a two-door coupe was added for 2008.

• 2013-2018
  Fifth generation

  2.5L four; 3.5L V6 · CVT

  The previous-generation coupe was sold alongside this sedan for 2013, its final year.

• 2019-2024
  Sixth generation

  2.5L four; 2.0L variable-compression turbo four · CVT

  The variable-compression turbo engine replaced the V6, and all-wheel drive became available with the 2.5L engine.

The Altima Hybrid used a system licensed from Toyota and was sold in only ten U.S. states. The manual transmission was dropped from dealer orders for most 2010 models. A refresh for the 2023 model year added new LED headlights and a redesigned front fascia.

Nissan Altima fuel economy

The 2026 Nissan Altima is rated at 28 to 30 MPG combined by the EPA, depending on the version. Every year and engine will be on its own MPG page.

Crash test stars

NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave the Nissan Altima these overall ratings (out of 5) for the model years it tested: 2011: 4, 2012: 4, 2013: 5, 2014: 5, 2015: 5, 2016: 5, 2017: 5, 2018: 5, 2019: 5, 2020: 5, 2021: 5, 2022: 5, 2023: 5, 2024: 5. Ratings can differ between body styles and drive types of the same year.

Questions