Diagsheet

Midsize sedans · 9 model years, 2014 to 2024

Nissan Altima vs Toyota Camry: problems and reliability

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Altima looks better on 3 and the Camry on 2, with 2 too close to call.

Nissan Altima

Nissan Altima

3,666 complaints · 22 recalls

Toyota Camry

Toyota Camry

2,628 complaints · 21 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 2024AltimaCamry
Complaints that report a crash5.5%9.9%
Complaints that report a fire1.0%0.8%
Complaints that report an injury3.4%5.9%
Median miles when problems are reported60,00036,000
Recall campaigns per model year2.42.3
Do-not-drive recalls00
NHTSA investigations60

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, and it is the same for the Camry. Complaints citing exterior lighting make up 18% of all Altima complaints, against 1.2% on the Camry. The Camry leans the other way on brakes: 11% of its complaints, against 5.2% for the Altima.

Nissan AltimaToyota Camry

Transmission and drivetrain21%21%
Airbags15%11%
Engine10%15%
Electrical9.5%11%
Exterior Lighting18%1.2%
Brakes5.2%11%
Steering4.6%9.4%
Speed control5.3%8.4%
Fuel and propulsion3.0%8.8%
Structure4.9%3.9%

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 Altima is headlights problems (16% of its complaints). On the Camry it is brake wear (13% of its complaints), against 5.4% on the Altima.

ProblemAltimaCamry
Airbag warning light or recall15% 554most in 2014 · 38k mi11% 291most in 2021 · 45k mi
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early5.4% 198most in 2018 · 35k mi13% 346most in 2018 · 33k mi
Headlights too dim or fail16% 590most in 2014 · 80k mi0
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard6.5% 240most in 2016 · 70k mi9.4% 248most in 2018 · 56k mi
Engine stalls or loses power while driving7.1% 261most in 2014 · 71k mi7.6% 201most in 2018 · 40k mi
Suspension noise, struts or alignment6.4% 234most in 2014 · 95k mi1.8% 4756k mi
Transmission fails or needs replacement4.1% 152most in 2014 · 70k mi3.2% 83most in 2018 · 90k mi
Check engine light or misfire2.6% 9781k mi3.8% 101most in 2018 · 47k 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

Camry owners report problems earlier. Half the Camry complaints that give a mileage come before 36,000 miles; for the Altima the halfway point is 60,000. 40% of Altima reports and 61% of Camry 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 AltimaToyota Camry

Under 25k19%40%
25k to 50k21%21%
50k to 75k25%15%
75k to 100k18%10%
100k to 150k14%10%
Over 150k3.2%3.7%

Share of the complaints that state a mileage: 1,990 for the Altima and 1,325 for the Camry.

Worst and best years

The 2015 Altima draws 3.1 times the complaints of a typical Altima year for its age. The 2018 Camry draws 3.7 times the complaints of a typical Camry year for its age.

Nissan Altima

Every Altima model year

Toyota Camry

Every Camry model year

Nissan AltimaToyota Camry

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. Camry: 2014 1.4, 2015 1.0, 2016 0.7, 2017 0.7, 2018 3.7, 2019 2.2, 2020 1.7, 2021 1.2, 2022 0.5, 2023 0.7, 2024 0.7.2014 Altima: 3.1 times its median2014 Camry: 1.4 times its median'142015 Altima: 3.1 times its median2015 Camry: 1.0 times its median'152016 Altima: 2.0 times its median2016 Camry: 0.7 times its median'162017 Altima: 1.5 times its median2017 Camry: 0.7 times its median'172018 Altima: 1.0 times its median2018 Camry: 3.7 times its median'182019 Altima: 1.1 times its median2019 Camry: 2.2 times its median'192020 Altima: 1.0 times its median2020 Camry: 1.7 times its median'202021 Altima: 0.5 times its median2021 Camry: 1.2 times its median'212022 Altima: 0.2 times its median2022 Camry: 0.5 times its median'222023 Altima: 0.3 times its median2023 Camry: 0.7 times its median'232024 Altima: 0.5 times its median2024 Camry: 0.7 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 two draw recalls at about the same rate: 2.4 campaigns per model year for the Altima and 2.3 for the Camry. 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)

Toyota Camry

21 recall campaigns and 0 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: fuel system (5), airbags (4) and equipment (3).

  • 19V-503 (equipment) covers 3 model years
  • 20V-682 (fuel system) covers 3 model years

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

Crashes, fires and injuries

A larger share of Camry complaints report a crash: 9.9%, against 5.5% for the Altima. Fire reports: 37 for the Altima and 22 for the Camry. Complaints on file report 3 deaths in the Altima and 3 in the Camry for these model years.

Nissan AltimaToyota Camry

Report a crash5.5%9.9%
Report a fire1.0%0.8%
Report someone hurt3.4%5.9%

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 Toyota Camry more reliable?

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Altima looks better on 3 and the Camry on 2, with 2 too close to call. NHTSA complaint totals cannot settle it alone: the Altima has 3,666 complaints and the Camry 2,628 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 Camry?

The Altima has 22 recall campaigns and the Camry 21 across the 9 model years from 2014 to 2024 that both have on file. The two draw recalls at about the same rate: 2.4 campaigns per model year for the Altima and 2.3 for the Camry.

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

The most reported problem on the Altima is headlights problems (16% of its complaints). On the Camry it is brake wear (13% of its complaints), against 5.4% on the Altima.

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