Diagsheet

Midsize sedans · 9 model years, 2014 to 2024

Hyundai Sonata vs Nissan Altima: problems and reliability

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Altima looks better on 4 and the Sonata on 2, with 1 too close to call.

Hyundai Sonata

Hyundai Sonata

4,246 complaints · 27 recalls

Nissan Altima

Nissan Altima

3,666 complaints · 22 recalls

Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Sep 27, 2026

Counts are not adjusted for sales. The more cars of a model there are on the road, the more complaints it draws, so the raw totals above say a lot about sales. Everything below compares shares of each model's own complaints, the mileage problems start at, recalls per model year and each model's years against its own median.

Scorecard

Measure, 2014 to 2024SonataAltima
Complaints that report a crash3.4%5.5%
Complaints that report a fire3.5%1.0%
Complaints that report an injury2.1%3.4%
Median miles when problems are reported60,00060,000
Recall campaigns per model year3.02.4
Do-not-drive recalls20
NHTSA investigations96

The shaded side is lower (for miles, higher). Values within about a tenth of each other count as too close to call.

What owners complain about

The system Sonata owners complain about most is engine; for the Altima it is transmission and drivetrain. Complaints citing engine make up 50% of all Sonata complaints, against 10% on the Altima. The Altima leans the other way on airbags: 15% of its complaints, against 2.8% for the Sonata.

Hyundai SonataNissan Altima

Engine50%10%
Transmission and drivetrain9.4%21%
Exterior Lighting6.2%18%
Electrical14%9.5%
Airbags2.8%15%
Steering8.6%4.6%
Brakes5.0%5.2%
Fuel and propulsion7.0%3.0%
Speed control4.0%5.3%
Structure4.3%4.9%

Share of each model's complaints that cite each system, from NHTSA's own component codes. One complaint can cite several systems, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

The most reported problems

The most reported problem on the Sonata is engine failure (20% of its complaints). On the Altima it is headlights problems (16% of its complaints), against 3.5% on the Sonata.

ProblemSonataAltima
Engine stalls or loses power while driving18% 768most in 2015 · 70k mi7.1% 261most in 2014 · 71k mi
Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing20% 829most in 2015 · 84k mi0.4% 1666k mi
Headlights too dim or fail3.5% 149most in 2014 · 50k mi16% 590most in 2014 · 80k mi
Airbag warning light or recall2.7% 113most in 2014 · 60k mi15% 554most in 2014 · 38k mi
Check engine light or misfire14% 586most in 2015 · 81k mi2.6% 9781k mi
Burns oil or oil level rises11% 470most in 2017 · 62k mi0
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early5.1% 217most in 2015 · 39k mi5.4% 198most in 2018 · 35k mi
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard2.2% 93most in 2015 · 46k mi6.5% 240most in 2016 · 70k mi

Share of each model's own complaints, with the count beside it. "Most in" links to the symptom sheet for the model year with the most reports of it, and the mileage is the median from reports that gave one.

When problems start

Problems show up at about the same mileage on both. Half the Sonata complaints that give a mileage come before 60,000 miles, and half the Altima complaints before 60,000. 43% of Sonata reports and 40% of Altima reports come before 50,000 miles. Older model years have had longer to reach high mileage, so a window that runs to recent years pulls both medians down.

Hyundai SonataNissan Altima

Under 25k26%19%
25k to 50k16%21%
50k to 75k20%25%
75k to 100k16%18%
100k to 150k18%14%
Over 150k3.9%3.2%

Share of the complaints that state a mileage: 2,095 for the Sonata and 1,990 for the Altima.

Worst and best years

The 2015 Sonata draws 3.7 times the complaints of a typical Sonata year for its age. The 2015 Altima draws 3.1 times the complaints of a typical Altima year for its age.

Hyundai Sonata

Every Sonata model year

Nissan Altima

Every Altima model year

Hyundai SonataNissan Altima

Each model year against its own model's median. Sonata: 2014 2.2, 2015 3.7, 2016 2.6, 2017 3.0, 2018 1.6, 2019 0.8, 2020 1.0, 2021 0.9, 2022 0.7, 2023 0.9, 2024 0.6. Altima: 2014 3.1, 2015 3.1, 2016 2.0, 2017 1.5, 2018 1.0, 2019 1.1, 2020 1.0, 2021 0.5, 2022 0.2, 2023 0.3, 2024 0.5.2014 Sonata: 2.2 times its median2014 Altima: 3.1 times its median'142015 Sonata: 3.7 times its median2015 Altima: 3.1 times its median'152016 Sonata: 2.6 times its median2016 Altima: 2.0 times its median'162017 Sonata: 3.0 times its median2017 Altima: 1.5 times its median'172018 Sonata: 1.6 times its median2018 Altima: 1.0 times its median'182019 Sonata: 0.8 times its median2019 Altima: 1.1 times its median'192020 Sonata: 1.0 times its median2020 Altima: 1.0 times its median'202021 Sonata: 0.9 times its median2021 Altima: 0.5 times its median'212022 Sonata: 0.7 times its median2022 Altima: 0.2 times its median'222023 Sonata: 0.9 times its median2023 Altima: 0.3 times its median'232024 Sonata: 0.6 times its median2024 Altima: 0.5 times its median'241x

Each bar is that model year's complaints for each year on the road, divided by the same figure for a typical year of the same model (the dashed line). Measuring each model against itself takes the sales gap between the two out of the picture, so they can share a scale. Years too new to judge are left out.

Recalls and investigations

The Sonata draws more recalls: 3.0 campaigns per model year against 2.4 for the Altima. A recall counts once however many cars it covers, so this figure does not grow with sales the way complaint totals do.

Hyundai Sonata

27 recall campaigns and 9 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: fuel system (4), seat belts (3) and transmission and drivetrain (3).

  • Do not drive 14V-368 (service brakes, hydraulic), model years 2015
  • Do not drive 14V-325 (steering), model years 2015
  • 21V-749 (exterior lighting) covers 3 model years
  • 16V-726 (visibility) covers 2 model years

Investigations

  • EA25005: Dtn air bag inflator rupture (open)
  • DP22003: Loss of motive power (closed)
  • EA21003: Engine fires (closed, led to a recall)

Nissan Altima

22 recall campaigns and 6 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: latches/locks/linkages (4), airbags (3) and fuel system (3).

  • 20V-315 (latches/locks/linkages) covers 5 model years
  • 16V-244 (airbags) covers 3 model years

Investigations

  • PE23023: Complete loss of motive power due to engine failure (closed, led to a recall)
  • EA21002: Desiccated air bag inflator rupture (open)
  • EA19002: Rear suspension control arm failure (closed)

Whether a particular car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Crashes, fires and injuries

A larger share of Altima complaints report a crash: 5.5%, against 3.4% for the Sonata. Fire reports: 147 for the Sonata and 37 for the Altima. Complaints on file report 5 deaths in the Sonata and 3 in the Altima for these model years.

Hyundai SonataNissan Altima

Report a crash3.4%5.5%
Report a fire3.5%1.0%
Report someone hurt2.1%3.4%

Share of each model's complaints in which the owner reported it. These are owners' own accounts as filed with NHTSA, and one report on its own doesn't prove a defect.

Questions

Is the Hyundai Sonata or the Nissan Altima more reliable?

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Altima looks better on 4 and the Sonata on 2, with 1 too close to call. NHTSA complaint totals cannot settle it alone: the Sonata has 4,246 complaints and the Altima 3,666 for the 9 model years from 2014 to 2024 that both have on file, and those totals follow how many of each were sold.

Which has more recalls, the Sonata or the Altima?

The Sonata has 27 recall campaigns and the Altima 22 across the 9 model years from 2014 to 2024 that both have on file. The Sonata draws more recalls: 3.0 campaigns per model year against 2.4 for the Altima.

What are the most common problems on the Sonata and the Altima?

The most reported problem on the Sonata is engine failure (20% of its complaints). On the Altima it is headlights problems (16% of its complaints), against 3.5% on the Sonata.

More comparisons

Every comparison