"How reliable is the 2020 Nissan Altima?"

"Based on 266 NHTSA complaints, the 2020 Nissan Altima has a median complaint mileage of 21171 miles. The most common issue is Electrical System."

"What are common problems with the 2020 Nissan Altima?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2020 Nissan Altima is Electrical System, accounting for a significant portion of the 266 total complaints filed."

2020 Nissan Altima: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 266 complaints

266

Total Complaints

21,171mi

Median Mileage

Electrical System

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

5,000 25th Percentile

21,171 Median Mileage

60,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Electrical System

Unknown Or Other

Engine

Steering

Warnings

Service Brakes

Power Train

Automatic Emergency Braking

Visibility/Wiper

Air Bags

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"I JUST PURCHASE THIS VEHICLE THROUGH NISSAN TWO MONTHS AGO AND IT ONLY HAS 2000 MILES ON IT. SINCE I HAD THE CAR MY CAR MAKES LIKE A CLICKING POPPING NOISE WHEN I TURN MY WHEEL WHILE HITTING BUMPS. SO I LOOKED AT REVIEWS AND PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT IT WITH THE 2019 NISSAN ALTIMA AND THERE HAPPE..."

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.

Electrical System 35 complaints

25th: 5,875 mi Median: 16,215 mi 75th: 18,076 mi

Unknown Or Other 33 complaints

25th: 523 mi Median: 900 mi 75th: 2,150 mi

Engine 32 complaints

25th: 12,738 mi Median: 60,000 mi 75th: 90,500 mi

Steering 19 complaints

25th: 24,529 mi Median: 42,789 mi 75th: 62,144 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 35 TX: 30 FL: 27 GA: 15 NY: 14 NC: 14 IL: 13 TN: 11 PA: 10 MS: 8

Who Files Complaints?

1.5%

Original Owners

98.5%

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
2011	317	72,000	Power Train	18
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
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 (6)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Tie Rod Assembly

Campaign 21V138000 | 04/03/2021

A detached tie rod ball joint can cause a loss of steering control, and increase the risk of a crash.

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the left and right-side tie rod ball joint fasteners, or install new fasteners as necessary, free of charge. The began March 31, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7769. Nissan's number for this recall is PC795.

Tires

Campaign 21V169000 | 11/03/2021

Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall, resulting in sudden air loss or belt edge separation which could lead to tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC798.

Glass, Side/Rear

Campaign 20V570000 | 22/09/2020

Rear window glass that separates from the vehicle can increase the risk of a crash.

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the back window glass, free of charge. The recall began November 4, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC752.

Tires

Campaign 20V685000 | 05/11/2020

Over cured tires can result in a sidewall break causing a sudden loss of air or the tread separating from the tire. Both conditions increase the risk of a crash.

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle's tires to see if they are affected, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 10, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-8677669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC765.

Camera

Campaign 23V628000 | 08/09/2023

A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and harness for damage and replace them as necessary. If no damage is found, the dealer will apply protective tape and reroute the rearview camera harness. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Octob

Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical

Campaign 25V437000 | 27/06/2025

Engine failure increases the risk of a crash. A bearing failure may cause a breach in the engine block, allowing hot oil to be discharged, increasing the risk of an engine fire.

Dealers will reprogram the engine control module (ECM) software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed February 2, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261 or Infiniti's customer service at 1-800-662-6200. Nissan's numbers for this recall are R25A8/A9 and R25B1/B2.

Maintain Your Electrical System

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Clean battery terminals annually with baking soda and water
Replace the battery every 3-5 years before it leaves you stranded
Don't leave accessories running with the engine off
Check for corroded ground connections if you have intermittent electrical issues
Replace dim headlights promptly — they're a safety issue and a wiring symptom

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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