Nissan Altima VIN Check — Free Recall & Complaint Lookup

Quick answer

The most-reported Altima run is 1N4AL3AP3DC (2013 builds) with 111 complaints, 11.9× the typical run. Power train problems make up 16% of reports; 2013 is the worst model year at 24.4 complaints per run; NHTSA lists 65 recall campaigns for Altima model years 1993–2025.

Which build runs owners report most

A production run is the first 11 characters of the VIN: plant, model year, body and engine. The Nissan Altima has 1,455 of them on record. The five runs at the top of this table hold 4% of every Altima complaint on file.

FIG.01·Nissan Altima — complaints by production run
Production run (VIN 1–11)	Year	Complaints	Involved a crash	Fire
1N4AL3AP3DC••••••	2013	111	3	1
1N4AL3AP1DC••••••	2013	101	5	1
1N4AL21E59N••••••	2009	101	3	—
1N4AL3AP5DC••••••	2013	100	—	—
1N4AL3AP8DC••••••	2013	100	2	1
1N4AL3AP9DC••••••	2013	100	1	1
1N4AL3AP7DC••••••	2013	98	4	—
1N4AL21E79N••••••	2009	96	2	1
1N4AL3AP4DC••••••	2013	95	8	—
1N4AL3APXDC••••••	2013	94	2	1
1N4AL3AP2DN••••••	2013	90	4	—
1N4AL21EX9N••••••	2009	89	—	—

ROWS 12·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records, grouped by VIN prefix

Each of the other 1,443 Altima runs has 89 complaints or fewer. ForCar has checked 426 Altima VINs so far, most often 2025, 2015, 2020 builds; 7 of them belong to one of the 12 runs above.

Which model years to check twice

Complaints per production run, so a year that simply sold more does not top the list. On the Nissan Altima the gap between build years is 13.6×: a 2013 car draws 24.4 complaints per run, a 2021 one 1.8.

FIG.02·Nissan Altima — complaint rate by model year
Year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Crashes
2025	1	7	7	2
2024	1.6	41	26	7
2023	1.1	29	26	4
2022	1.4	19	14	4
2021	1.8	68	38	7
2020	2	173	86	15
2019	2.2	227	101	21
2018	15.7	220	14	10
2017	11.2	381	34	23
2016	13	534	41	28
2015	17.4	906	52	40
2014	19.7	1045	53	44
2013	24.4	2126	87	59
2012	6.4	384	60	20
2011	5	209	42	10
2010	5.2	313	60	18
2009	13.4	1298	97	31
2008	10.9	868	80	48
2007	6.5	395	61	22
2006	7.7	702	91	37

ROWS 20·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

Heaviest year here is 2013 at 24.4 complaints per run; lightest is 2025 at 1. The 2025 line is still collecting reports, so it reads low.

What to inspect on this car

One system accounts for 16% of everything Nissan Altima owners report: Power Train, 1,966 of 13,514 complaints. Start the pre-purchase inspection there.

FIG.03·Nissan Altima — most-reported systems
System	Complaints	Involved a crash	Fire
Power Train	1966	49	9
Air Bags	1714	366	10
Engine And Engine Cooling	1632	20	53
Electrical System	1517	45	58
Structure	1464	46	13
Unknown Or Other	1383	57	25
Engine	1333	35	53
Exterior Lighting	1158	25	2

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

Recalls to check against your VIN

NHTSA has 65 recall campaigns on the Nissan Altima; the 6 below cover build years 1993 to 2018. These are for the model and year; whether one is still open on a given car, only that VIN can tell.

FIG.04·Nissan Altima — recall campaigns
Campaign	Component	Model years
06E026000	Exterior Lighting	1993–1999
10E002000	Suspension	1993–1999
20V315000	Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch	2013–2018
07E074000	Exterior Lighting:headlights	2000–2004
16V244000	Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification	2013–2016
09E012000	Exterior Lighting	1998–2003

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA recall campaigns

The Altima against its rivals

The Altima draws 9.3 complaints per production run; the Toyota Camry 5.7, the Honda Accord 4 and the Hyundai Elantra 6. That is the highest rate of the 4.

FIG.05·Nissan Altima VIN check vs rivals
Model	Complaints	Runs	Per run	Involved a crash
Nissan Altima	13,514	1,455	9.3	5.3%
Toyota Camry	15,758	2,788	5.7	15.3%
Honda Accord	20,581	5,117	4	7.8%
Hyundai Elantra	7,813	1,304	6	9.4%

ROWS 4·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

How serious were they

Of the 13,514 reports on the Nissan Altima, 5.3% involved a crash against 5.8% across all vehicles, below the norm.

FIG.06·Nissan Altima — complaint severity
Outcome	Nissan Altima	All vehicles
Complaints filed	13,514	1,115,966
Involved a crash	716 (5.3%)	64,194 (5.8%)
Involved a fire	187 (1.4%)	26,974 (2.4%)
Injuries reported	620	58,013
Deaths reported	13	2,728

ROWS 5·SOURCE NHTSA complaint records

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How this check works

The file behind this page holds 1,115,966 complaints filed with NHTSA between 1981 and 2026, across 298,921 production runs. The Nissan Altima share of that is 13,514 complaints over 1,455 runs, 1.2% of everything on record.

Everything on the Nissan Altima

Recalls148 campaigns Fuel economy34 mpg best Reliability4.5/5 Common problems15,657 complaints DimensionsSize, weight, generations Cargo space18 cu ft Used prices8,610 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

How do I check a Nissan Altima VIN for free?

Enter the 17 characters above. ForCar matches the first eleven, the production run, against 13,514 NHTSA complaints from 1,455 Altima runs and 65 recall campaigns. No account, no card.

Which Altima production run has the most complaints?

1N4AL3AP3DC, a 2013 build, with 111 complaints, 3 of them after a crash. The typical Altima run has 9.3.

Which Altima years have the most complaints?

Per production run, 2013 is heaviest at 24.4 complaints per run and 2025 lightest at 1.

Does the Altima get more complaints than the Toyota Camry?

Yes: 9.3 complaints per production run for the Altima against 5.7 for the Toyota Camry.

How many Altima complaints involve a crash?

5.3% of 13,514 reports, against 5.8% across all vehicles; 187 involved a fire.

Complaint and recall records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Per-run rates computed by ForCar. Federal data covers safety only — title, odometer and insurance history are not included. Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

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