Nissan
Nissan Altima years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2014, 2015 and 2016. Best years: 2021, 2022 and 2023.
The 2014, 2015 and 2016 Nissan Altima draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2014 has 1,025 complaints (79 for each year on the road), 2015 has 951 complaints (79 for each year on the road) and 2016 has 553 complaints (50 for each year on the road), against a median of 26 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2015 is headlights (254 reports).
- 3,667complaints
- 22recall campaigns
- 9model years with a page
Newest report Sep 28, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2014
Most reported: headlights (277 reports, median 81,000 miles) and airbag (178 reports, median 33,000 miles).
2015
Most reported: headlights (254 reports, median 70,000 miles) and airbag (177 reports, median 32,000 miles).
2016
Most reported: transmission shudder (85 reports, median 70,000 miles) and airbag (70 reports, median 60,000 miles).
Best years
2021
Most reported: brake wear (21 reports) and phantom braking (10 reports).
2022
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2023
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2014 has the most complaints of any Nissan Altima year here: 1,025 of 3,667 (28%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Headlights leads in 2 of the 9 model years and has the most reports overall, 590. Pooled across the years, half of the 285 owners who gave a mileage for headlights were under about 80,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 7% of Nissan Altima complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2020, 23 of its 179 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- None of the 5 model years where owners report headlights has a recall on the same system.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2019 at 551 and have dropped every year since, to 264 in 2025. So far in 2026, 183 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: IFCAR, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Fifth generation (L33)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 avoid | 1,025 | 79 | 8 | Headlights too dim or fail (277) | 72,000 |
| 2015 avoid | 951 | 79 | 10 | Headlights too dim or fail (254) | 60,000 |
| 2016 avoid | 553 | 50 | 4 | Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard (85) | 60,750 |
| 2017 | 391 | 39 | 3 | Airbag warning light or recall (73) | 59,000 |
| 2018 | 225 | 25 | 2 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (49) | 40,000 |
Photo: Bull-Doser, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Sixth generation (L34)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 232 | 29 | 7 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (29) | 26,000 |
| 2020 | 179 | 26 | 6 | Forward collision warning goes off or the camera drops out (19) | 35,000 |
| 2021 best | 70 | 12 | 2 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (21) | 41,000 |
| 2024 | 41 | 14 | 1 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (9) | 20,000 |
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2022 (30), 2023 (29).
Year by year
2024 Nissan Altima
41 owner complaints, 14 for each year on the road (0.5 times the model median). 7 reports involved a crash and 6 people were hurt. 1 recall: 23V-882 on the steering system.
2021 Nissan Altima best
70 owner complaints, 12 for each year on the road (0.5 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (21 reports) and phantom braking (10 reports). 7 reports involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 23V-628 on the backup camera and 21V-138 on the steering system.
2020 Nissan Altima
179 owner complaints, 26 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: false collision warning (19 reports), brake wear (18 reports) and infotainment (15 reports). 16 reports involved a crash and 15 people were hurt. 6 recalls, including 25V-437 on the engine and 23V-628 on the backup camera.
2019 Nissan Altima
232 owner complaints, 29 for each year on the road (1.1 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (29 reports, median 9,000 miles), infotainment (24 reports) and phantom braking (21 reports, median 10,000 miles). 22 reports involved a crash and 11 people were hurt. 7 recalls, including 25V-437 on the engine and 23V-628 on the backup camera.
2018 Nissan Altima
225 owner complaints, 25 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (49 reports, median 34,455 miles), airbag (36 reports, median 36,000 miles) and phantom braking (17 reports, median 24,864 miles). 11 reports involved a crash and 6 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 20V-315 on the latches and locks and 19V-654 on the backup camera.
2017 Nissan Altima
391 owner complaints, 39 for each year on the road (1.5 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (73 reports, median 57,000 miles), transmission shudder (37 reports, median 71,000 miles) and stalling (35 reports, median 71,000 miles). 24 reports involved a crash and 23 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 20V-315 on the latches and locks and 18V-915 on the structure.
2016 Nissan Altima avoid
553 owner complaints, 50 for each year on the road (2.0 times the model median). Most reported: transmission shudder (85 reports, median 70,000 miles), airbag (70 reports, median 60,000 miles) and stalling (61 reports, median 66,689 miles). 28 reports involved a crash and 32 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 20V-315 on the latches and locks and 18V-915 on the structure.
2015 Nissan Altima avoid
951 owner complaints, 79 for each year on the road (3.1 times the model median). Most reported: headlights (254 reports, median 70,000 miles), airbag (177 reports, median 32,000 miles) and suspension (64 reports, median 73,000 miles). 46 reports involved a crash and 27 people were hurt. 10 recalls, including 20V-315 on the latches and locks and 18V-915 on the structure.
2014 Nissan Altima avoid
1,025 owner complaints, 79 for each year on the road (3.1 times the model median). Most reported: headlights (277 reports, median 81,000 miles), airbag (178 reports, median 33,000 miles) and suspension (129 reports, median 103,000 miles). 40 reports involved a crash and 47 people were hurt. 8 recalls, including 20V-315 on the latches and locks and 16V-911 on the airbags.
Recalls that cover several model years
If the primary hood latch is inadvertently released, there is an increased likelihood that the secondary hood latch may corrode over time.
Damage to the camera harness can cause distortion or loss of the rearview camera display image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
The door latch-lock cable may not have been routed properly in the rear door when the remedy was applied.
The rear door latch/lock cable on the vehicles may have been improperly routed. As a result, lowering a rear window may inadvertently cause that door to unlatch and open.
In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied.
The engine bearings may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine failure.
Compare the Altima with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- Altima vs Toyota Camry2014 to 2024
- Altima vs Honda Accord2014 to 2024
- Altima vs Hyundai Sonata2014 to 2024
Questions
What Nissan Altima years should you avoid?
The 2014, 2015 and 2016 Nissan Altima draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2014 has 1,025 complaints (79 for each year on the road), 2015 has 951 complaints (79 for each year on the road) and 2016 has 553 complaints (50 for each year on the road), against a median of 26 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2015 is headlights (254 reports).
What are the best years for the Nissan Altima?
The 2021, 2022 and 2023 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2021 has 70 (12 a year), 2022 has 30 (6 a year) and 2023 has 29 (7 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Nissan Altima?
Headlights, with 590 reports across the 9 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2014 and 2015.
How many recalls does the Nissan Altima have?
22 recall campaigns cover the Nissan Altima model years 2014 to 2024 on this site. The widest, 20V-315 on the latches and locks, covers 5 model years.
How many Nissan Altima complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
7% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2020 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for headlights on the Nissan Altima?
No. None of the 5 model years where owners report it has one on the same system.