NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 71 owner complaints for the 2021 Nissan Altima.
Recalled components: backover prevention and rearview camera and steering. Most-described problem: door lock or latch problems (8 complaints, 11%). Most-reported area: electrical system (22 complaints, 31%).
One of the best Altima years by owner complaints
The 2021 drew 22 owner complaints in its first three years, against 63 for a typical Altima year since 2016. No open NHTSA investigation names it, and it has no recall telling owners not to drive or to park outside.
Years to avoid: 2013 to 2015; best years: 2021, 2022, and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
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 requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
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. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23C3.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Altima and 2020-2021 Sentra 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.
Risk: A detached tie rod ball joint can cause a loss of steering control, and increase the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
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 contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7769. Nissan's number for this recall is PC795.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Nissan Altima vehicles.
NHTSA listing: ALTIMA. Nissan campaign PC795.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA has opened 1 investigation that names the 2021 Nissan Altima, not counting audit queries; it is closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
Complete loss of motive power due to engine failure
Preliminary evaluation PE23023Closed Jul 18, 2025 (opened Dec 13, 2023)
On December 13, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23-023 to investigate allegations of engine failures leading to loss of motive power in model year (MY) 2021-2023 Nissan Rogue; MY 2019-2021 Nissan… NHTSA's full summary
NHTSA listing: ALTIMA. Components: Engine and cooling; Engine.
A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA's first step, to gather information and decide whether to look further. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.
What owners report
Owners have filed 71 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Altima. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Door lock or latch problems8 · 11%
Loss of power or limp mode5 · 7%
Phantom braking or false collision alerts5 · 7%
Driver-assist errors or blocked-sensor messages3 · 4%
Suspension parts (struts, ball joints, control arms)3 · 4%
Most named: automatic emergency braking (18); warnings (7)
Brakes21 · 30%
Engine7 · 10%
Steering7 · 10%
Suspension5 · 7%
Backover prevention and rearview camera4 · 6%
Most named: warnings (3)
Unknown or other12 · 17%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Nissan Altima recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2021 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2013 Altima drew the most (556) and the 2021 drew 22.
Owner complaints
2021: 71 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Nissan Altima
Model year
Complaints
2010
393
2011
246
2012
426
2013
2,315
2014
1,114
2015
956
2016
555
2017
395
2018
226
2019
235
2020
183
2021
71
2022
32
2023
30
2024
44
2025
7
2026
1
Safety recalls
2021: 2 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Nissan Altima
Model year
Recalls
2010
3
2011
1
2012
4
2013
12
2014
8
2015
10
2016
4
2017
3
2018
2
2019
7
2020
6
2021
2
2022
0
2023
0
2024
1
2025
2
2026
0
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 71 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Nissan Altima, the problems described most are door lock or latch problems (8), loss of power or limp mode (5), and phantom braking or false collision alerts (5). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2021 Nissan Altima safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2021 Nissan Altima earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2021 Nissan Altima?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no open investigations for the 2021 Nissan Altima, not counting audit queries. It lists one closed investigation, which closed on Jul 18, 2025.
How do I check if my Altima has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Nissan dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: ALTIMA.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.