Nissan Altima Problems by Year

We compared every Nissan Altima model year from 1995–2025 using 15,253 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, 53 recalls and federal defect investigations. The years to avoid are 2013, 2014, 2015, 2009 and 2002, which drew far more complaints than other Altima years at the same age. The best years are 2022, 2025 and 2023.

31model years
15,253complaints
53recalls
2013, 2014worst years
2022, 2025best years

Complaints by model year

’95’96’97’98’99’00’01’02’03’04’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’2518092108123871601591.0k8832761.1k8244711.0k1.5k3812424262.3k1.1k955554392226233160703130417
Owner complaints per model year, Nissan Altima. Colour = our verdict for that year (red: avoid, orange: caution, green: better than average, blue: too new).
YearComplaintsvs. typical*RecallsTop problemVerdict
20257−76%2AirbagGood
202441−23%1Collision AvoidanceAverage
202330−67%—ElectricalGood
202231−77%—Collision AvoidanceGood
202170−62%2Collision AvoidanceGood
2020160−33%6ElectricalAverage
2019233−26%7ElectricalAverage
2018226−37%2BrakeAverage
2017392typical3TransmissionAverage
20165541.4×4TransmissionAverage
20159552.3×10HeadlightAvoid
20141,1142.7×8HeadlightAvoid
20132,3135.6×12AirbagAvoid
2012426typical4TransmissionAverage
2011242−49%1TransmissionGood
2010381−25%3ElectricalAverage
20091,5473.5×4SteeringAvoid
20081,0302.1×4BodyAvoid
2007471typical3SuspensionAverage
20068241.4×3EngineCaution
20051,0911.8×1EngineCaution
2004276−46%1EngineGood
20038831.7×4EngineCaution
20021,0472.1×5EngineAvoid
2001159−66%1EngineGood
2000160−66%1EngineGood
199987−80%—BrakeGood
1998123−71%—Fuel SystemGood
1997108−74%1AirbagGood
199692−77%—AirbagGood
1995180−58%3AirbagGood

* Complaints compared with the median Altima year at the same age, so new and old years are judged fairly. How this works.

Most common Nissan Altima problems

Latest Nissan Altima recalls

Air bags › Critical fasteners

NHTSA recall 26V-526 · Aug 12, 2026 · 149 vehicles

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Altima vehicles. The front passenger air bag and front passenger knee air bag may have been installed with incorrect mounting fasteners, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the air bag mounting fasteners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 30, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669.

Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch

NHTSA recall 26V-023 · Jan 20, 2026 · 26,432 vehicles

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Altima, Sentra, 2025-2026 Frontier, and 2026 Kicks vehicles. The door strikers may have been improperly welded and break, allowing the door to open while moving.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the door strikers, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261.

Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Hard parts internal/mechanical

NHTSA recall 25V-437 · Jun 27, 2025 · 443,899 vehicles

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Rogue, 2019-2020 Altima, 2019-2022 Infiniti QX50, and 2022 Infiniti QX55 vehicles equipped with 3-cylinder 1.5L or 4-cylinder 2.0L variable compression turbo (VC-Turbo) engines. The engine bearings may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine failure.

Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the engine control module (ECM) software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed April 8, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261 or Infiniti's customer service at…

Steering › Rack and pinion

NHTSA recall 23V-882 · Dec 21, 2023 · 5 vehicles

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2024 Altima vehicles. The bolts connecting the electronic power steering unit to the steering rack may loosen, resulting in a loss of steering control or steering lock-up.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the steering gear assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 9, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.

Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera

NHTSA recall 23V-628 · Sep 8, 2023 · 153,376 vehicles

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.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and harness for damage and replace them as necessary. If no damage is found, the dealer will apply protective tape and reroute the rearview camera harness.

All 53 Nissan Altima recalls by year →

Frequently asked questions

What years of the Nissan Altima should you avoid?

2013, 2014, 2015, 2009, 2002 and 2008 — these years have the most complaints relative to other Altima years at the same age, led by air bags problems in the 2013.

What is the best year for the Nissan Altima?

2022 has the fewest complaints compared with other Altima years at the same age, followed by 2025 and 2023. Newer years can look better simply because fewer complaints have come in yet, so we compare like with like.

What are the most common Nissan Altima problems?

Across all years, owners report the most problems with the engine & cooling (3,318), transmission & drivetrain (2,187) and air bags (1,895). Engine complaints peak in the 2002 model year.

How many recalls has the Nissan Altima had?

53 recalls across 1995–2025. The model year with the most is 2013. See all Nissan Altima recalls by year.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.