Diagsheet

Midsize sedans · 9 model years, 2014 to 2024

Nissan Altima vs Honda Accord: problems and reliability

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Accord looks better on 5 and the Altima on 1, with 1 too close to call.

Nissan Altima

Nissan Altima

3,666 complaints · 22 recalls

Honda Accord

Honda Accord

5,951 complaints · 16 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 2024AltimaAccord
Complaints that report a crash5.5%4.2%
Complaints that report a fire1.0%0.7%
Complaints that report an injury3.4%2.7%
Median miles when problems are reported60,00042,000
Recall campaigns per model year2.41.8
Do-not-drive recalls00
NHTSA investigations65

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 Altima owners complain about most is transmission and drivetrain; for the Accord it is electrical. Complaints citing transmission and drivetrain make up 21% of all Altima complaints, against 6.3% on the Accord. The Accord leans the other way on electrical: 25% of its complaints, against 9.5% for the Altima.

Nissan AltimaHonda Accord

Electrical9.5%25%
Engine10%21%
Transmission and drivetrain21%6.3%
Exterior Lighting18%3.5%
Airbags15%4.0%
Collision avoidance3.5%13%
Brakes5.2%11%
Fuel and propulsion3.0%11%
Steering4.6%7.3%
Speed control5.3%4.5%

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 Altima is headlights problems (16% of its complaints). On the Accord it is brake wear (11% of its complaints), against 5.4% on the Altima.

ProblemAltimaAccord
Airbag warning light or recall15% 554most in 2014 · 38k mi3.9% 234most in 2018 · 42k mi
Engine stalls or loses power while driving7.1% 261most in 2014 · 71k mi11% 641most in 2018 · 66k mi
Headlights too dim or fail16% 590most in 2014 · 80k mi1.6% 95most in 2016 · 38k mi
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early5.4% 198most in 2018 · 35k mi11% 682most in 2018 · 22k mi
Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails2.7% 9831k mi9.2% 545most in 2016 · 36k mi
Check engine light or misfire2.6% 9781k mi8.5% 504most in 2018 · 85k mi
Brakes on its own (automatic emergency braking)1.6% 6024k mi7.5% 446most in 2018 · 18k mi
Engine overheats or leaks coolant0.3% 108.4% 497most in 2018 · 94k 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

Accord owners report problems earlier. Half the Accord complaints that give a mileage come before 42,000 miles; for the Altima the halfway point is 60,000. 40% of Altima reports and 56% of Accord 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.

Nissan AltimaHonda Accord

Under 25k19%33%
25k to 50k21%23%
50k to 75k25%19%
75k to 100k18%11%
100k to 150k14%10%
Over 150k3.2%3.3%

Share of the complaints that state a mileage: 1,990 for the Altima and 2,707 for the Accord.

Worst and best years

The 2015 Altima draws 3.1 times the complaints of a typical Altima year for its age. The 2018 Accord draws 4.0 times the complaints of a typical Accord year for its age.

Nissan Altima

Every Altima model year

Honda Accord

Every Accord model year

Nissan AltimaHonda Accord

Each model year against its own model's median. 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. Accord: 2014 1.4, 2015 1.0, 2016 1.1, 2017 1.0, 2018 4.0, 2019 1.7, 2020 1.0, 2021 0.7, 2022 1.0, 2023 0.4, 2024 0.9.2014 Altima: 3.1 times its median2014 Accord: 1.4 times its median'142015 Altima: 3.1 times its median2015 Accord: 1.0 times its median'152016 Altima: 2.0 times its median2016 Accord: 1.1 times its median'162017 Altima: 1.5 times its median2017 Accord: 1.0 times its median'172018 Altima: 1.0 times its median2018 Accord: 4.0 times its median'182019 Altima: 1.1 times its median2019 Accord: 1.7 times its median'192020 Altima: 1.0 times its median2020 Accord: 1.0 times its median'202021 Altima: 0.5 times its median2021 Accord: 0.7 times its median'212022 Altima: 0.2 times its median2022 Accord: 1.0 times its median'222023 Altima: 0.3 times its median2023 Accord: 0.4 times its median'232024 Altima: 0.5 times its median2024 Accord: 0.9 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 Altima draws more recalls: 2.4 campaigns per model year against 1.8 for the Accord. A recall counts once however many cars it covers, so this figure does not grow with sales the way complaint totals do.

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)

Honda Accord

16 recall campaigns and 5 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: fuel system (4), seat belts (3) and electrical (2).

  • 23V-858 (fuel system) covers 8 model years
  • 26V-332 (airbags) covers 6 model years

Investigations

  • EA24002: Inadvertent automatic emergency braking (open)
  • RQ24006: Front seat belt assemblies may be missing the rivet that secures the quick connector and wire plate (closed)
  • PE22003: Inadvertent automatic emergency braking (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 4.2% for the Accord. Fire reports: 37 for the Altima and 41 for the Accord. Complaints on file report 3 deaths in the Altima and 3 in the Accord for these model years.

Nissan AltimaHonda Accord

Report a crash5.5%4.2%
Report a fire1.0%0.7%
Report someone hurt3.4%2.7%

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 Nissan Altima or the Honda Accord more reliable?

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Accord looks better on 5 and the Altima on 1, with 1 too close to call. NHTSA complaint totals cannot settle it alone: the Altima has 3,666 complaints and the Accord 5,951 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 Altima or the Accord?

The Altima has 22 recall campaigns and the Accord 16 across the 9 model years from 2014 to 2024 that both have on file. The Altima draws more recalls: 2.4 campaigns per model year against 1.8 for the Accord.

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

The most reported problem on the Altima is headlights problems (16% of its complaints). On the Accord it is brake wear (11% of its complaints), against 5.4% on the Altima.

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