2010 Nissan Altima Problems, Recalls & Reliability

541 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2010 Nissan Altima, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 22/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 44,709 miles.

541Complaints
22/100Trouble index
3Recalls
55,600Typical trouble mileage

Typical

Where 2010 sits among all Altima years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Electrical 81 complaints (15%) · typically ~44,709 miles
“All four of door locks failed, will not lock or unlock plus 1 window failed, will not lower.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Altima
Other 80 complaints (15%) · typically ~70,000 miles
“Dashboard is melting and cracking. Glare makes it hard to see out of the windshield.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Altima
Transmission & drivetrain 73 complaints (13%) · typically ~54,964 miles
“My car hesitates to pull out until over 20 mph i have the cvt transmission which is throwing a code i bought this car from a car lot!”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Altima
Airbags 61 complaints (11%) · typically ~51,000 miles
“Sensor in the front passenger seat is out making the airbag light blink in the cluster panel. I was told by the Nissan dealership that I would need a whole new seat and that would cost over $1000.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Altima
Engine 54 complaints (10%) · typically ~68,000 miles
“The catalytic converter is clogged causing car to not have any power.it happened coming off the fwy .”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Altima
Brakes & stability 32 complaints (6%) · typically ~48,000 miles
“The incident happened the week of 02/08/18 my wife noticed some light vdc slip abs lights all came on them while on highway all of the brakes locked and she could not accelerate car.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Altima

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 376 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 55,600 miles. Half of those reports fall between 28,000 and 100,125 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (3)

EQUIPMENT 10V401000 2010

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN NUVI MODEL 750 NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THE BATTERIES CONTAINED IN THE AFFECTED GPS UNITS CAN OVERHEAT.

Fix: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND THE REPAIRS WILL BE PERFORMED BY GARMIN TECHNICIANS BY REPLACING THE BATTERY AND INSERTING A SPACER ON TOP OF THE BATTERY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON…

STRUCTURE 10V193000 2010

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 ALTIMA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 7, 2010 THROUGH APRIL 13, 2010. SOME OF THE FRONT SIDE MEMBER ASSEMBLY COMPONENTS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN WELDED TO SPECIFICATION DUE TO A TOOL MAINTENANCE ERROR.

Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND IF NECESSARY REPAIR FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 13, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.

SUSPENSION 09V358000 2009

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 ALTIMA AND MAXIMA PASSENGER CARS. THE UPPER FRONT STRUT INSULATORS MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED OUT OF SPECIFICATION RESULTING IN A POTENTIAL FOR THE STRUT INSULATOR TO CRACK.

Fix: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE FRONT STRUT INSULATORS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN OCTOBER 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-NISSAN1…

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2010peak 91 in 20142026

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2010 Nissan Altima reliable?

The 2010 Nissan Altima drew 541 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 22/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).

What are the most common 2010 Nissan Altima problems?

The top reported problems for the 2010 Nissan Altima are electrical (81 complaints), other (80), and transmission & drivetrain (73).

At what mileage do 2010 Nissan Altima problems show up?

Owners most often report 2010 Nissan Altima problems around 55,600 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 28,000 and 100,125 miles.

Does the 2010 Nissan Altima have recalls?

3 recall campaigns apply to the 2010 Nissan Altima. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

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Data updated 2026-08-12 from NHTSA's public records

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. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.