Reliable Auto DB

2021 Nissan Altima reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 70 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Nissan Altima over 6 years — 7 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Altima years here — under the median of the other years, which is 25. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Camera and Tie rod.

2012 Nissan Altima
Photo by Elise240SX, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

70

Per year

7

Recalls

2

Years on the road

6

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Forward collision avoidance (22 of 70), then Electrical system (21) and Service brakes (18). Those filings include 7 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 4 that report an injury.

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 Altima has 179 complaints, 19 per year, and the 2022 has 20 complaints, 4 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2021 Nissan Altima. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2023-09-08 · NHTSA campaign 23V628000
Summary 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 requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy 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.
Recall steering, linkages, tie rod 2021-03-04 · NHTSA campaign 21V138000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.

Complaints by component (70 total)

Forward collision avoidance
22
Electrical system
21
Service brakes
18
Steering
7
Engine
6
Suspension
5
Back-over prevention
4
Hydraulic brakes
3
Latches, locks, and linkages
3
Powertrain
3
Seat belts
3
Seats
3
Air bags
2
Visibility
2
Engine and engine cooling
1
Structure
1
Tires
1
Show 9 more Show less
Crash-flagged

7

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

4

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

2202162022142023122024192025172026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while pulling out of a parking lot, the contact shifted into drive(D) and then to reverse(R) to exit the parking lot, and while driving 3 MPH, the brake…"
    Hydraulic brakes · filed 2026-09-10
  • "Got the car from kingdom Chevy on 66 and western on February 2024 used at 62.000. I took the car back twice because the screen in the car kept cutting off fading on and fading off. Secondly, the Bluetooth plug would not…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-07-23
  • "When I make a turn, I hear a clicking noise and also when I come to a complete stop, I can a sound that sounds like a grunting noise. I had new brakes, rotors and brand new tires put on in 2025. I think my ball joints…"
    Steering, Suspension, Service brakes · filed 2026-07-10
  • "My car is supposed to have an automatic braking system/collision detection. Two cars in front of me slammed on their brakes and the car in front of me slammed on his brake, and I didn't have enough time to react. I…"
    Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-07-08
  • "Door lock actuators have failed completely on 2 doors, and intermittently on 1 door of a 2021 Nissan Altima. They do not respond to either the key fob or door button. There are no warnings or indicators associated with…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-07-07

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2021 Nissan Altima 4 DR AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2021 Nissan Altima 4 DR FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Altima 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 28 39 32 MPG $2050
Altima all-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) All-wheel drive 26 35 29 MPG $2250
Altima all-wheel drive SR/Platinum 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) All-wheel drive 25 34 29 MPG $2250
Altima SR 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 27 37 31 MPG $2100
Altima SR/Platinum 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 25 34 29 MPG $2250
Altima SV/SL 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 27 37 31 MPG $2100

Specs and fitment

6th generation (L34), 2019–present
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-20 (2.0L VC-Turbo and 2.5L engines)
Tire size 215/60R16 (S) to 235/40R19 (upper trims)

Known issues for this generation

Safety recall 21V-169 covers certain 2019-2020 Altimas among Titan vehicles equipped with Continental tires that may have been cured too long in production; over-cured tires can develop a sidewall break with sudden air loss or belt-edge separation and tread/belt loss; dealers inspect and replace tires as needed. Safety recall 19V-316 covers certain 2019 FWD Altima 2.5L vehicles whose fuel-pump lock ring may not be fully engaged and can leak fuel (FMVSS 301); dealers inspect and tighten or replace the pump. Safety recall 23V-628 covers certain 2019-2021 Altimas whose rearview-camera harness can be damaged so the display distorts or blanks (FMVSS 111); dealers inspect and replace or protect and reroute the harness.

Compare

Previous year 2020 Nissan Altima Next year 2022 Nissan Altima See every Nissan Altima model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Nissan Altima reliable?

Owners have filed 70 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Nissan Altima over 6 years — 7 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Altima years here — under the median of the other years, which is 25. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Camera and Tie rod.

What are common problems with a 2021 Nissan Altima?

The complaints owners file most often name Forward collision avoidance (22 of 70), then Electrical system (21) and Service brakes (18). Those filings include 7 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 4 that report an injury.

Is the 2021 Nissan Altima more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 Altima has 179 complaints, 19 per year, and the 2022 has 20 complaints, 4 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

Has the 2021 Nissan Altima been recalled?

The 2021 Nissan Altima has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2021 Nissan Altima?

Owners have filed 70 complaints about the 2021 Nissan Altima with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Nissan Altima get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Nissan Altima is 30.2 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Altima take?

0W-20 (2.5L); 5W-30 (3.5L V6)

What does Nissan service campaign PC490 cover on the Nissan Altima?

Nissan ran voluntary service campaign PC490 on certain 2013-2016 Altima (L33) vehicles to reprogram CVT software after hydraulic pressure could drop and allow belt slip (MIL P0776 and poor acceleration); Nissan states that campaign is not a safety recall.

What generation is the 2014 Nissan Altima?

5th generation (L33) (2013-2018).