Nissan Altima Best and Worst Years

Counting owner complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2018 Nissan Altima drew the most (110; most-reported area: brakes) and the 2022 the fewest (12).

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Sep 27, 2026

Every model year since 2016 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 32 mpg combined, arrived in 2019.

Best and worst years, by owner complaints

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2018 Altima Most reported: brakes	110	225	2
2016 Altima Most reported: powertrain	94	553	4
2019 Altima Most reported: electrical system	77	232	7
2017 Altima Most reported: powertrain	70	391	3
2020 Altima Most reported: electrical system	56	179	6
2021 Altima Most reported: forward collision avoidance	22	70	2
2023 Altima Most reported: electrical system	22	29	0
2022 Altima Most reported: forward collision avoidance	12	30	0

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints
2026 MPG · Recalls and problems	30 mpg Gas	0	0
2025 MPG · Recalls and problems	31 mpg Gas	2	7
2024 MPG · Recalls and problems	31 mpg Gas	1	41
2023 MPG · Recalls and problems	31 mpg Gas	0	29
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	32 mpg Gas	0	30
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	32 mpg Gas	2	70
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	32 mpg Gas	6	179
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	32 mpg Gas	7	232
2018 MPG · Recalls and problems	31 mpg Gas	2	225
2017 MPG · Recalls and problems	31 mpg Gas	3	391
2016 MPG · Recalls and problems	31 mpg Gas	4	553

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2018: 225 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, Nissan Altima
Model year	Complaints
2016	553
2017	391
2018	225
2019	232
2020	179
2021	70
2022	30
2023	29
2024	41
2025	7
2026	0

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 30 to 32 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); highest in 2019.

2026: gas 30 mpg

Show as a table

Nissan Altima best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version
2016	31
2017	31
2018	31
2019	32
2020	32
2021	32
2022	32
2023	31
2024	31
2025	31
2026	30

Comparisons

Nissan Altima vs Toyota CamryMPG, fuel cost, recalls and crash tests

Questions

Which Nissan Altima years have the most problems?

Counting owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, the 2018 (110) drew the most, then the 2016 (94). Most-reported area for the 2018: brakes.

Which Nissan Altima years have the fewest problems?

The 2022 (12) drew the fewest complaints in its first three years. The 2024, 2025, and 2026 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road.

Which Nissan Altima years should you avoid?

Complaint counts can't tell you whether a particular car is sound, but they show where owners reported the most trouble: the 2018, against 63 complaints in a typical Nissan Altima year. Whatever the year, check the car's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy. Safety recall repairs are free at Nissan dealers.

Which Nissan Altima years have the most recalls?

The 2019 has the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (7), then the 2020 (6). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. No recall for 2016 to 2026 models tells owners not to drive the car or to park it outside.

What are the most common Nissan Altima problems?

Of the 1,757 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2016 to 2026 models, the areas named most are powertrain (24%), electrical system (14%), and engine (14%). One complaint can name more than one area. The recalls and problems page for each year breaks this down further.

Which Nissan Altima year has the best MPG?

The best EPA fuel economy is 32 mpg combined, first reached by the 2019 gas version.

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Sep 27, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 26, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.