"How reliable is the 2011 Nissan Altima?"

"Based on 317 NHTSA complaints, the 2011 Nissan Altima has a median complaint mileage of 72000 miles. The most common issue is Power Train."

"What are common problems with the 2011 Nissan Altima?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2011 Nissan Altima is Power Train, accounting for a significant portion of the 317 total complaints filed."

2011 Nissan Altima: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 317 complaints

317

Total Complaints

72,000mi

Median Mileage

Power Train

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

25,639 25th Percentile

72,000 Median Mileage

110,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Power Train

Unknown Or Other

Engine

Electrical System

Body

Air Bags

Suspension

Steering

Fuel/Propulsion System

Service Brakes

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"I HAVE A NEW 2011 NISSAN ALTIMA SL WHICH I PARKED IN MY CHURCH PARKING LOT AND WENT INTO CHURCH. AT THE END OF MASS, AS I WAS LEAVING THE CHURCH AND WALKING TOWARD THE PARKING LOT, I USED MY AUTOMATIC START...THE CAR STARTED AND WAS WARMING UP. AS I APPROACHED MY RUNNING CAR, I WALKED IN FRONT OF ..."

"I SET THE CLIMATE CONTROL TIMER FOR MY NISSAN LEAF TO TURN ON VIA THE COMPUTER THROUGH NISSAN'S CARWINGS APPLICATION. THIS IS TO PRE-COOL THE CAR BEFORE DRIVING. WHEN I WENT TO THE CAR, THE CAR WAS NOT COOL BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY THE CAR WAS DISABLED AND UNABLE TO BE STARTED AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO T..."

"TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THE OWNER'S MANUAL DISPLAYED A MESSAGE INFORMING HIM OF A CHIME ALERT THAT WOULD SOUND WHENEVER THE DRIVER SEAT BELT WAS NOT SECURELY FASTENED. WITH THE SEAT BELT UNFASTENED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE CHIME ALERT DID NOT SOUND. THE VEH..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Power Train 67 complaints

25th: 80,000 mi Median: 100,200 mi 75th: 123,000 mi

Unknown Or Other 40 complaints

25th: 28,500 mi Median: 60,000 mi 75th: 87,000 mi

Engine 35 complaints

25th: 10,440 mi Median: 86,069 mi 75th: 120,800 mi

Electrical System 30 complaints

25th: 7,720 mi Median: 35,000 mi 75th: 43,663 mi

Body 25 complaints

25th: 25,000 mi Median: 50,000 mi 75th: 78,500 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

FL: 42 CA: 39 TX: 27 VA: 18 GA: 17 NC: 15 PA: 14 LA: 14 NY: 12 NJ: 11

Who Files Complaints?

1.3%

Original Owners

98.7%

Second+ Owners

Nissan Altima — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1993	150	122,000	Frontal	25
1994	120	126,000	Frontal	37
1995	216	110,500	Frontal	49
1996	117	83,075	Frontal	27
1997	141	120,000	Air Bags	40
1998	141	120,000	Frontal	20
1999	110	88,500	Frontal	29
2000	199	84,000	Engine And Engine Cooling	34
2001	201	69,500	Engine And Engine Cooling	29
2002	1321	87,000	Engine And Engine Cooling	41
2003	1099	86,300	Engine And Engine Cooling	61
2004	334	71,000	Engine And Engine Cooling	18
2005	1358	85,000	Body	71
2006	1043	90,000	Body	58
2007	597	65,000	Suspension	39
2008	1373	71,000	Structure	73
2009	2149	78,000	Steering	55
2010	538	51,603	Unknown Or Other	40
2012	575	75,000	Power Train	39
2013	2970	62,000	Air Bags	104
2014	1376	62,500	Exterior Lighting	74
2015	1188	51,000	Exterior Lighting	61
2016	778	57,692	Power Train	43
2017	498	55,000	Power Train	32
2018	314	36,000	Unknown Or Other	16
2019	326	14,000	Electrical System	40
2020	266	21,171	Electrical System	27
2021	96	41,000	Electrical System	11
2022	50	-	Unknown Or Other	8
2023	33	5,300	Electrical System	8
2024	55	-	Unknown Or Other	13

Active Recalls (1)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Suspension

Campaign 11V371000 | 19/07/2011

IF THE BOLT COMES OUT COMPLETELY, THE DRIVER MAY EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING THE DIRECTION OF THE VEHICLE WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

NISSAN WILL REPLACE THE TRANSVERSE LINK BOLTS AND NUTS AND TIGHTEN THEM TO THE PROPER TORQUE SPECIFICATION FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 8, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.

Extend Your Transmission Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Change transmission fluid at manufacturer intervals — not 'lifetime' fluid
Come to a full stop before shifting from reverse to drive
Don't ride the brakes on hills — use a lower gear
Check transmission fluid level and color monthly — dark fluid needs changing
Address slipping, hard shifts, or delayed engagement immediately

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Vehicle Rankings

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28