Nissan Altima Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy
Every Nissan Altima model year from 1993 to 2025, benchmarked against each other with 20,225 federal complaints, 64 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.
Avoid: 2009, 2013. These years top the Altima's complaint rankings by volume and severity.
Safer bets: 1993–2001, 2004, 2011, 2018–2022 — the quietest years with at least four years on the road.
The trouble strip
One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.
The defining problem
Engine tops the Nissan Altima file with 3,480 complaints, concentrated in the 2002–2005 model years, most often reported around 74,000 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.
Every year, ranked
| Year | Verdict | Complaints | Recalls | Top problem | Trouble index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Few reports | 10 | 1 | — | 1 |
| 2024 | Too early to call | 62 | 1 | Driver assistance | 4 |
| 2023 | Typical | 39 | 0 | Electrical | 2 |
| 2022 | Better year | 55 | 0 | Driver assistance | 3 |
| 2021 | Better year | 120 | 2 | Driver assistance | 6 |
| 2020 | Better year | 261 | 6 | Electrical | 11 |
| 2019 | Better year | 354 | 7 | Driver assistance | 15 |
| 2018 | Better year | 321 | 2 | Other | 11 |
| 2017 | Typical | 518 | 3 | Transmission & drivetrain | 21 |
| 2016 | Typical | 788 | 4 | Transmission & drivetrain | 29 |
| 2015 | Below average | 1,201 | 10 | Electrical | 43 |
| 2014 | Below average | 1,396 | 8 | Electrical | 52 |
| 2013 | Avoid | 2,980 | 12 | Electrical | 100 |
| 2012 | Typical | 578 | 4 | Transmission & drivetrain | 22 |
| 2011 | Better year | 320 | 1 | Transmission & drivetrain | 12 |
| 2010 | Typical | 541 | 3 | Electrical | 22 |
| 2009 | Avoid | 2,150 | 4 | Steering | 69 |
| 2008 | Below average | 1,376 | 4 | Body & structure | 50 |
| 2007 | Typical | 598 | 3 | Suspension | 24 |
| 2006 | Below average | 1,043 | 4 | Engine | 40 |
| 2005 | Below average | 1,364 | 2 | Engine | 52 |
| 2004 | Better year | 334 | 5 | Engine | 12 |
| 2003 | Below average | 1,099 | 10 | Engine | 40 |
| 2002 | Below average | 1,321 | 12 | Engine | 48 |
| 2001 | Better year | 202 | 2 | Engine | 10 |
| 2000 | Better year | 199 | 2 | Engine | 11 |
| 1999 | Better year | 110 | 4 | Brakes & stability | 7 |
| 1998 | Better year | 141 | 4 | Fuel system | 7 |
| 1997 | Better year | 141 | 3 | Airbags | 10 |
| 1996 | Better year | 117 | 2 | Airbags | 7 |
| 1995 | Better year | 216 | 5 | Airbags | 14 |
| 1994 | Better year | 120 | 4 | Airbags | 9 |
| 1993 | Better year | 150 | 3 | Speed control | 8 |
Questions buyers ask
What Nissan Altima years should I avoid?
Federal complaint records point to 2009, 2013 as the Nissan Altima years to avoid — they drew the highest volume of serious complaints relative to the model's other years.
What is the most common Nissan Altima problem?
Engine tops the Nissan Altima file with 3,480 complaints, concentrated in the 2002–2005 model years, most often reported around 74,000 miles.
What are the best Nissan Altima years to buy used?
The quietest Nissan Altima years in federal records are 1993–2001, 2004, 2011, 2018–2022 — each with at least four years on the road and well-below-average complaint volume for this model.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Counts cover the Nissan Altima only, scored against this model's own worst year — not against other models. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.