Nissan Altima Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

The 2013 draws 24.44 complaints per run and the 2020 2.01, a 12.2-fold gap within the same model. Half of all complaints arrive by 5 years of age, so 79.7% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Power Train, with 1,966 complaints, typically at 5.1 years.

Nissan Altima years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Nissan Altima — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2025	1	7	7	too new
2024	1.58	41	26	too new
2023	1.12	29	26	too new
2022	1.36	19	14	too new
2021	1.79	68	38	too new
2020	2.01	173	86	yes
2019	2.25	227	101	yes
2018	15.71	220	14	yes
2017	11.21	381	34	yes
2016	13.02	534	41	yes
2015	17.42	906	52	yes
2014	19.72	1045	53	yes
2013	24.44	2126	87	yes
2012	6.4	384	60	yes
2011	4.98	209	42	yes
2010	5.22	313	60	yes
2009	13.38	1298	97	yes
2008	10.85	868	80	yes
2007	6.48	395	61	yes
2006	7.71	702	91	yes
2005	8.87	922	104	yes
2004	4.45	227	51	yes
2003	11.8	755	64	yes
2002	12.75	867	68	yes
2001	4.56	114	25	yes
2000	3.86	108	28	yes
1999	4.06	65	16	yes
1998	3.54	85	24	yes
1997	3.5	70	20	yes
1996	3.83	69	18	yes
1995	5.57	128	23	yes
1994	3.75	75	20	yes
1993	4.2	84	20	yes

ROWS 33·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Does the market discount it? In our listings a 2013 Altima asks a median $4,800, against $4,900 for a 2014, the next model year: about the same, so the price shows no discount for its complaint record.

Among the 14 Nissan Altima years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2013, 2014, 2015; the three worth hunting are 2020, 2019, 2010.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Nissan Altima — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	990	7.6%	covered
1 year	784	13.6%	covered
2 years	888	20.3%	covered
3 years	1261	30%	you pay
4 years	1413	40.8%	you pay
5 years	1398	51.4%	you pay
6 years	1698	64.4%	you pay
7 years	1445	75.4%	you pay
8 years	931	82.6%	you pay
9 years	689	87.8%	you pay
10 years	576	92.2%	you pay
11 years	376	95.1%	you pay
12 years	289	97.3%	you pay
13 years	188	98.7%	you pay
14 years	100	99.5%	you pay
15 years	65	100%	you pay

ROWS 16·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 20.3% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 79.7% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 36% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

What waits further out is Power Train at 5.1 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Nissan Altima — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Power Train	1966	5.1 yrs	49	9
Air Bags	1714	4.5 yrs	366	10
Engine And Engine Cooling	1632	4.7 yrs	20	53
Electrical System	1517	5.1 yrs	45	58
Structure	1464	7.1 yrs	46	13
Unknown Or Other	1383	6.3 yrs	57	25
Engine	1333	7.1 yrs	35	53
Exterior Lighting	1158	5.4 yrs	25	2

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the Altima's vehicle class. Per production run, the Toyota Camry draws 5.65, the Honda Accord 4.02 and the Dodge Challenger 3.27, against 9.29 for the Altima. That is the most complaints of the group.

FIG.05·Nissan Altima — rivals in the same class
Same class as the Altima	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Toyota Camry	20,039	161	1983–2026
Honda Accord	24,369	415	1981–2026
Dodge Challenger	1,696	77	1981–2026
Toyota Prius	12,873	109	2001–2026
Hyundai Elantra	9,090	117	1992–2026
Tesla Model 3	4,207	142	2017–2026

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

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Everything on the Nissan Altima

Recalls148 campaigns Fuel economy34 mpg best Common problems15,679 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build DimensionsSize, weight, generations Cargo space18 cu ft Used prices8,680 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Insurance costEstimated per year Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car1993–2026

Frequently asked questions

Is the Nissan Altima reliable?

By complaints per production run it is worse than typical: 9.29 against 3.73 for the average car, and more than each of the 3 class rivals we compared.

Which Altima years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2013, 2014, 2015. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2020, 2019, 2010. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do Altima problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 5 years of age. The most reported system is Power Train, typically at 5.1 years, followed by Air Bags.

Will the warranty cover Altima problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and only 20.3% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 36% of the complaints here.

Is the Altima more reliable than the Toyota Camry?

No: 9.29 complaints per production run for the Altima against 5.65 for the Toyota Camry.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

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