ResearchVehicle GuidesNissanAltima

Nissan Altima Reliability by Year

Every Altima model year from 2004 to 2025, scored on reported failures weighted against how many were sold — and ranked against every other Mid-Size Passenger Car of the same year.

The short answer

Best model year
2025
#1 of 18 that year
Year to avoid
2009
#43 of 52 that year
Latest scored
2025
#1 of 18

Across 22 scored model years the Altima needs fixing less often than its class, and repairs cost about what you would expect. The spread between years is what matters: 2025 is its strongest, 2009 its weakest.

Every model year, scored

Longer bar is better. Rank is against every Mid-Size Passenger Car sold that same model year.

YearRelative standingClass rankPctl
2004#19 /5868th
2005#43 /5624th
2006#37 /5635th
2007#18 /5669th
2008#24 /5356th
2009#43 /5218thAvoid
2010#16 /4667th
2011#15 /4870th
2012#12 /4374th
2013#41 /5018th
2014#21 /4857th
2015#23 /5055th
2016#27 /4743th
2017#16 /5069th
2018#4 /4393th
2019#14 /4772th
2020#17 /3857th
2021#7 /3381th
2022#6 /2982th
2023#1 /29100th
2024#3 /2491th
2025#1 /18100thBest year

The line held a middling position through 2016, then moved to strong from 2017 on. This 2025 car falls in a strong stretch.

What tends to break

All 12 systems, measured against the class average for each model year.

Every Altima model year is scored across 12 separate systems — engine, transmission, brakes, electrical, steering and suspension, structure, interior, and five more. Each system is compared against how often that same system fails on the average Mid-Size Passenger Car of the same year, so a common failure is judged against how common it is everywhere else.

Across the last three model years (2023–2025), no single system stands out. All measured systems draw issue reports less often than the same systems on the average Mid-Size Passenger Car of their year — a cleaner sheet than most of this class manages.

🔒 System-by-system breakdown
All 12 systems scored for the Altima year you are looking at — which ones fail more often than the class, by how much, and on how many reports.
Start 7-Day Free Trial

How it compares to the class

All 18 Mid-Size Passenger Cars from 2025, plotted by how often they need fixes and what those fixes cost.

🔒 The whole class, plotted
Where the Altima lands against every other 2025 Mid-Size Passenger Car — and which rivals beat it.
Start 7-Day Free Trial

Common questions

What is the best year for a used Nissan Altima?

2025 is the strongest Altima model year on record, ranking #1 of 18 Mid-Size Passenger Cars that year.

Which Nissan Altima years should I avoid?

2009 is the weakest year in the model's history, ranking #43 of 52.

Is the latest Altima reliable?

The 2025 Altima ranks #1 of 18 Mid-Size Passenger Cars — the upper quarter of its class.

Where does this data come from?

Failure reports filed with NHTSA — submitted by vehicle owners and repair shops alike — weighted against US sales volumes so a high-volume model is not penalised for selling well, then benchmarked within segment and model year.

See the full picture for your Altima

All 12 systems scored, the whole class plotted, and a downloadable Full Model Report for any year — 6,000+ vehicles in the dashboard.

Start 7-Day Free Trial
How this was built. Scores derive from failure reports filed with NHTSA — submitted by vehicle owners and repair shops alike — weighted against US sales volumes and benchmarked within segment and model year. We measure two separate things: Fix Frequency — how often a vehicle needs fixing — and Fix Severity — how costly those fixes are. These figures describe a model line, not the specific vehicle in front of you; trim, mileage and service history still decide an individual car.