Fewer Within ±30% year on yearNHTSA has received 179 owner complaints about the 2020 Nissan Altima, or 26.4 per year on the road — fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.65, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 83 model-year 2020 vehicles we track, it ranks #45 of 83 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Nissan models its rate is 7% lower; against other Midsize sedans it is 30% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2020-01-19 and 2026-08-27. Median delay from incident to filing: 11 days.
179Complaints
26.4Complaints per year on the road
0.65Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
6Recalls
12.8%Share involving a crash or fire
31Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2019) drew 29.9 complaints per year, more than this one. The following model year (2021) drew 12.1 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2020 model collected 40 complaints, 29% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Engine (22.9% of complaints), followed by Electrical (20.7%) and Unspecified or other (11.2%). 23 reports (12.8%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 15 injuries and 1 death.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 45 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was years three to five (38% of incidents). In the last 12 months 31 new complaints were filed, versus 32 in the 12 months before — down 3%.
NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls for this model year. 2 NHTSA investigations cover this model year; the most recent is “Complete loss of motive power due to engine failure” (preliminary evaluation, opened 2023-12-13, closed 2025-07-18).
Safety recalls (6)
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL Campaign 25V437000 · 2025-06-27
Summary: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Rogue, 2019-2020 Altima, 2019-2022 Infiniti QX50, and 2022 Infiniti QX55 vehicles equipped with 3-cylinder 1.5L or 4-cylinder 2.0L variable compression turbo (VC-Turbo) engines. The engine bearings may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine failure.
Risk: Engine failure increases the risk of a crash. A bearing failure may cause a breach in the engine block, allowing hot oil to be discharged, increasing the risk of an engine fire.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the engine control module (ECM) software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed April 8, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261 or Infiniti's customer service at 1-800-662-6200. Nissan's numbers for this recall are R25A8/A9 and R25B1/B2.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA Campaign 23V628000 · 2023-09-08
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."
Risk: A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
TIRES Campaign 21V169000 · 2021-03-11
Summary: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Altima and 2018-2021 Titan vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production.
Risk: Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall, resulting in sudden air loss or belt edge separation which could lead to tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC798.
STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY Campaign 21V138000 · 2021-03-04
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.
Risk: A detached tie rod ball joint can cause a loss of steering control, and increase the risk of a crash.
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.
TIRES Campaign 20V685000 · 2020-11-05
Summary: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Altima S grade vehicles equipped with Continental ProContact TX tires, size 215/60 R16 H, with TIN date code 3320 and Mold ID S-419149. The tires may have been over cured.
Risk: Over cured tires can result in a sidewall break causing a sudden loss of air or the tread separating from the tire. Both conditions increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle's tires to see if they are affected, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 10, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-8677669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC765.
VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR Campaign 20V570000 · 2020-09-22
Summary: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Altima, Maxima and Leaf vehicles. The rear window glass may not remain properly secured to the vehicle.
Risk: Rear window glass that separates from the vehicle can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the back window glass, free of charge. The recall began November 4, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC752.
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