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Nissan Altima Problems by Year

Which Nissan Altima years have the most owner complaints, what goes wrong, and how many recalls each year has.

Nissan Altima, 2019 to 2024 model years
Photo: Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0

Owners have filed 6,558 complaints with NHTSA about the Nissan Altima from 2012 to 2024. Across every year, the most reported problem areas are the transmission and drivetrain, the lights, wipers and visibility and the air bags. The years with the most complaints are 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Years to avoid

The most complaints compared with other Altima years.

Safer bets

Clearly fewer complaints than a typical Altima year. Years from 2022 on are too new to rate.

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Complaints by year

Tap a year to see its most reported problems, its recalls and what to check before you buy. Newer years have had less time on the road, so they always look better here. Red marks the worst years, orange years worse than most, and green the better ones.

Every year at a glance

YearVs. other yearsComplaintsRecallsMost reported
2012 AltimaAbout average4264Transmission and drivetrain
2013 AltimaAmong the worst years2,31512Air bags
2014 AltimaAmong the worst years1,1148Lights, wipers and visibility
2015 AltimaAmong the worst years95610Lights, wipers and visibility
2016 AltimaWorse than most years5554Transmission and drivetrain
2017 AltimaAbout average3943Transmission and drivetrain
2018 AltimaOne of the better years2262Brakes and stability control
2019 AltimaOne of the better years2347Electrical system
2020 AltimaOne of the better years1626Electrical system
2021 AltimaOne of the better years712Driver assist systems
2022 AltimaToo new to judge310Driver assist systems
2023 AltimaToo new to judge300Electrical system
2024 AltimaToo new to judge441Driver assist systems

Nissan Altima questions

What are the worst Nissan Altima years?

Compared with its other years, the Altima years with the most owner complaints to NHTSA are 2013, 2014 and 2015. The most reported problem area across all years is the transmission and drivetrain.

What are the best Nissan Altima years?

The Altima years with clearly fewer complaints than a typical year are 2018, 2020 and 2021. Years from 2022 on are too new to rate fairly, since complaints keep coming in as cars age.

What are the most common Nissan Altima problems?

Across 2012 to 2024, owners report problems with the transmission and drivetrain, the lights, wipers and visibility and the air bags most often. Each model year has its own pattern, so check the year you are looking at.

How many recalls does the Nissan Altima have?

NHTSA lists 59 recalls across the 2012 to 2024 Altima, counted per model year. A recall can cover several years.

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Where these numbers come from. Complaints are reports that owners filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), counted from NHTSA’s complaint database as of November 5, 2026. Owners do not have to prove a problem to file one, so a complaint is a report, not a confirmed defect. Models that sell in big numbers get more complaints, and newer model years have had less time on the road, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Recalls come from NHTSA’s recall database and cover every vehicle of that model year, not one particular car. Quotes are trimmed, and anything that looks like a VIN is hidden.