2021 Nissan Altima Problems, Recalls & Reliability
120 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2021 Nissan Altima, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 6/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Driver assistance leads the reports.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2021 Nissan Altima has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2021 sits among all Altima years
What owners report
“Driving down the street a truck in front of the lady in front of me. It was a green light he decided to stop. She stopped I put I started to stop my brakes would not stop the car nor did the emergency front collision brakes work I could not stop the car.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Altima
Recalls (2)
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Altima and 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. 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…
Fix: 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.…
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Nissan Altima vehicles. The tie rod ball joint fastener was not tightened properly, which could result in the tie rod ball joint detaching from the steering knuckle.
Fix: 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…
Federal defect investigations
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2021 Nissan Altima reliable?
The 2021 Nissan Altima drew 120 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 6/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2021 Nissan Altima problems?
The top reported problems for the 2021 Nissan Altima are driver assistance (30 complaints), electrical (21), and brakes & stability (20).
Does the 2021 Nissan Altima have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2021 Nissan Altima. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
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.