Vehicle make

NISSAN

94,648 NHTSA complaints and 314 safety recalls across 60 models — every figure pulled straight from federal records.

Complaints
94,648
Recalls
314
Models
60

How does NISSAN compare?

NISSANTOYOTAAll makes

Average NHTSA crash rating(higher is safer)Behind TOYOTA
NISSAN4.48 ★
TOYOTA4.69 ★
All makes4.67 ★
Complaints per model(lower is better)Behind TOYOTA
NISSAN1,577
TOYOTA1,382
All makes500
Recalls per model(lower is better)Behind TOYOTA
NISSAN5.2
TOYOTA3.7
All makes3.4

NISSAN models by complaint volume

Top nameplates, all model-years combined

complaints

What this shows Within NISSAN's lineup, the ALTIMA carries the most NHTSA complaints. High-volume nameplates accumulate more filings simply because more of them are on the road — drill into a model for its per-year and per-component breakdown.

Source NHTSA consumer complaint database As of 2026

NISSAN is registered with NHTSA as a vehicle manufacturer and carries 94,648 consumer safety complaints across 60 nameplates in the Office of Defects Investigation public database. The brand has been the subject of 314 safety recalls and is currently tied to 54 active or historical federal investigations, of which 5 remain open and under review. Every one of those figures is pulled directly from NHTSA's published datasets — not from owner forums, manufacturer marketing, or third-party reliability surveys — so the numbers you see reflect the same data federal regulators use when they decide whether to escalate a preliminary evaluation into an engineering analysis or a formal defect order.

Model-level volume varies widely inside any automaker's portfolio: best-sellers accumulate complaints simply because more vehicles are on the road, while limited-run trims and discontinued nameplates often carry disproportionately high complaint rates per unit sold. Inside NISSAN's lineup, the single highest complaint count sits with the ALTIMA (20,032 filings, model years 1993–2025), followed by PATHFINDER and ROGUE. Use the table below to compare nameplate-by-nameplate counts, then drill into a specific model to see which components dominate and which model years concentrate the crash, fire, and fatality reports.

Active NHTSA investigations involving NISSAN are the most forward-looking signal on this page — they precede recalls and typically focus on a specific component family or model-year cohort. Recall status, by contrast, is backward-looking: it tells you what the manufacturer has already been compelled to remedy, not what they are being asked to remedy next. Together, complaints, investigations, and recalls form the three-layer early-warning system federal safety regulators have relied on since the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966.

Which NISSAN models get the most complaints?

ModelComplaints
ALTIMA20,032
PATHFINDER10,109
ROGUE9,588
MAXIMA8,834
SENTRA8,126
MURANO7,404
VERSA4,435
FRONTIER4,423
TITAN4,412
XTERRA4,189
QUEST2,913
ARMADA2,472
LEAF1,293
350Z815
KICKS777
JUKE641
ROGUE SPORT511
370Z499
D21466
VERSA NOTE395
300ZX386
CUBE294
240SX238
STANZA212
200SX209
ALTIMA HYBRID166
CREW130
NISSAN114
NV20092
ARIYA78
PICKUP66
NV350052
NV47
GT-R42
NV250023
PULSAR22
NX17
CREW CAB17
VAN16
PATHFINDER HYBRID16
NISSAN TRUCK12
7209
PICK UP XE9
AXXESS7
280Z7
DATSUN6
XE VAN4
GXE VAN4
KING CAB4
2102
2002
TRUCK2
Z2
NL1
STANDARD E1
SERENA1
ALTRA1
NV200 TAXI1
MURANO HYBRID1
TITAN XD1

NHTSA Investigations 5 Open

View all 54 investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints has NISSAN received?
NISSAN has received 94,648 NHTSA complaints across 60 models and 314 safety recalls.
Is NISSAN reliable?
NISSAN has 94,648 total NHTSA complaints across all models. Compare complaint counts per model and model year to identify which NISSAN vehicles have the fewest reported issues.
How do I check for NISSAN recalls?
Browse NISSAN models on PlainCars to see recall history by model and year, or visit NHTSA.gov and enter your VIN for official recall status. All recall data on PlainCars comes directly from NHTSA.
Where does NISSAN complaint data come from?
All complaint and recall data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are filed by vehicle owners and NHTSA publishes them publicly.
What do NISSAN complaints cover?
NHTSA complaints include consumer-reported issues with brakes, engines, airbags, steering, electrical systems, and other safety-related components. Each complaint may note crashes, fires, injuries, or deaths associated with the defect.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Top NISSAN Models

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.