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Nissan · vehicle model

Nissan Altima

20,032 NHTSA complaints and 112 safety recalls across model years 1993–2025.

Complaints
20,032
Recalls
112
Model years
33

The verdict

The Nissan Altima pairs above-average complaint volume with 112 recalls (heavily recalled).

1st pctile
complaint volume, US models
112
recall campaigns
Follow this model's NHTSA record changes

Nissan Altima vs. all tracked models

Total NHTSA ODI complaints across models with substantive safety data

20,032 Higher than most more complaints than 99% of 3,088 models

tracked vehicle models, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more models. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · August 2026

The Nissan Altima appears in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database with 20,032 consumer safety complaints and 112 recall campaigns across 33 model years (1993–2025). That averages roughly 607 complaints per model year. Report counts can differ between model years for many reasons; this dataset does not establish the cause of a difference.

Complaint volume on a nameplate alone is not a reliability verdict: a long-running bestseller can accumulate more filings than a low-volume niche model because more vehicles are on the road. The table below shows report counts and published NHTSA crash-test ratings side by side for each model year. The filing-year histogram shows the timing of submitted reports, not a causal trend.

NHTSA has 5 investigation files tied to this model. Investigation records, complaint reports, and recall campaigns each provide different context. Use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and the underlying notices to research a specific vehicle; PlainCars does not infer a vehicle-risk or pricing conclusion from these records.

Complaints by Year

Year Complaints
2025 6
2024 50
2023 33
2022 50
2021 92
2020 263
2019 323
2018 314
2017 497
2016 773
2015 1182
2014 1377
2013 2969
2012 575
2011 316
2010 539
2009 2150
2008 1375
2007 595
2006 1043
2005 1360
2004 334
2003 1099
2002 1321
2001 202
2000 199
1999 110
1998 141
1997 141
1996 117
1995 216
1994 120
1993 150

Complaint Filing Trend

NHTSA complaint volume by year filed (not model year).

Filings moved from 6,321 in 2017-2021 to 2,498 in 2022-2026, a fall of 60.5% . That is the 36th percentile of change across the 763 nameplates with enough filings in both windows to compare, where 0 is the steepest fall and 100 the steepest rise.

Filing volume, not a reliability verdict: counts also move with how many vehicles are on the road, how old they are, and whether a recall drew attention. Computed from this portal's NHTSA filing-year records over the same two windows the trend rankings use.

56
’95
67
’96
64
’97
74
’98
134
’99
172
’00
147
’01
184
’02
212
’03
251
’04
259
’05
382
’06
462
’07
589
’08
517
’09
585
’10
562
’11
670
’12
1169
’13
1373
’14
1657
’15
1627
’16
1144
’17
1169
’18
1755
’19
1301
’20
952
’21
752
’22
667
’23
519
’24
507
’25
53
’26

Year filed (bar labels show the complaint count).

View all trending models →

Compare Nissan Altima to Similar Vehicles

Nissan Altima vs Honda CR-V → Nissan Altima vs Honda Civic → Nissan Altima vs Jeep Cherokee → Nissan Altima vs Ford Windstar →

NHTSA Investigations

PE07026 Preliminary Evaluation Closed 2007-05-22

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE
RQ06001 Recall Query Closed 2006-02-22

ENGINE STALL - CRANK POSITION SENSOR
PE02078 Preliminary Evaluation Closed 2002-10-18

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
EA02020 Engineering Analysis Closed 2002-08-29

DRIVER'S AIR BAG SYSTEM FAILURE
EA01015 Engineering Analysis Closed 2001-08-09

PASSENGER AIR BAG-RELATED FACIAL/EYE INJ

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable is the Nissan Altima?▼
The Nissan Altima has received 20,032 NHTSA complaints spanning model years 1993 to 2025, with 112 recalls. That averages about 607 complaints per model year.
What years of Nissan Altima are available?▼
PlainCars has complaint and recall data for the Nissan Altima from 1993 to 2025 (33 model years). Select any year to see component-level complaint breakdowns and safety ratings.
Does the Nissan Altima have safety ratings?▼
NHTSA safety ratings (NCAP 5-star program) are available for many Nissan Altima model years from 2011 onward. Select a specific year to see front crash, side crash, and rollover ratings where available.
What are the most common Nissan Altima complaints?▼
NHTSA complaints for the Nissan Altima are categorized by component, common areas include engine, transmission, electrical system, airbags, and brakes. Select a model year for a detailed component-by-component breakdown.
How do I check if my Nissan Altima has been recalled?▼
Visit the year-specific page on PlainCars to see all recalls for your model year, or enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov for official recall status and available remedies.
Data sources

Data vintage: August 2026. 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.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. Nissan Altima totals are aggregated from the linked NHTSA model-year rows; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.