NHTSA has received 179 owner complaints about the 2020 Nissan Altima, or 26.8 per year on the road — fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.64, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 82 model-year 2020 vehicles we track, it ranks #44 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Nissan models its rate is 8% lower; against other Midsize sedans it is 33% 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
26.8Complaints per year on the road
0.64Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
6Recalls
12.8%Share involving a crash or fire
35Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2019) drew 29.8 complaints per year, more than this one. The following model year (2021) drew 12.2 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2020 model collected 40 complaints, 30% 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 Interior & equipment (11.2%). Within Engine reports, owners most often mention “engine”, “malfunction power”, “power reduced”, “cooling” and “jerk”. 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 35 new complaints were filed, versus 29 in the 12 months before — a steady pace.
NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls for this model year. 63% of the complaints fall in component areas that a recall addresses. 2 NHTSA defect investigations cover this model year; the most recent is “Complete loss of motive power due to engine failure” (opened 2023-12-13, closed 2025-07-18).
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles0.64
vs. other Nissan models0.92
vs. other 2020 models0.71
vs. other Midsize sedans0.67
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (40)0.7
The CVT issue remains with this car even though I have complained. The car will randomly de accelerate and randomly accelerate which has cause minor fender bender. The car continue to studer and jerk and continues to show since of transmission issues.
Engine · 2026-05-04 · ODI 11735472 · Crash
My vehicle was in a car accident and during the impact my seat belt came undone
I leased and then bought a new 2020 Altima in 11/19 with 4 Continental tires. On 8/27/26 I saw a hole and fissures in the sidewall of the right-rear tire (Continental Pro Contact TX 215 / 55 R 17.
Wheels, tires & suspension · 2026-08-27 · ODI 11760116
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Engine Malfunction" was displayed. Additionally, the vehicle experienced excessive coolant consumption and the engine overheated.
Engine · 2026-08-13 · ODI 11756811
I currently own a 2020 Nissan Altima with 49,186 miles and I am reporting a recurring power door lock failure. This vehicle was inspected at the Nissan of Cumming location this morning to confirm the issue.
Electrical · 2026-07-30 · ODI 11753776
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Complete loss of motive power due to engine failureClosed
PE23023 · ENGINE · Opened 2023-12-13 · Closed 2025-07-18 · Campaign 25V437 · Model years: 2019, 2020, 2021
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 Altima; and MY 2019-2021 Infiniti QX50 vehicles. At that time, ODI had received 6 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ) and multiple early warning reports, with consumers reporting e…
Hertz/Vehicles Rented with Open RecallsOpen
AQ22003 · LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH · Opened 2022-12-16 · Model years: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
NHTSA is opening this audit query to investigate whether The Hertz Corporation (Hertz) has complied with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Safety Act). The Safety Act requires, among other things, that a rental company shall not rent a vehicle subject to a safety recall unless the recall remedy has been performed. 49 U.S.C. § 30120(i).NHTSA is in receipt of in…
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints were filed for the 2020 Nissan Altima?
179 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Nissan Altima, or about 26.8 per year on the road.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2020 Nissan Altima?
The most common category is Engine, accounting for 22.9% of complaints.
Does the 2020 Nissan Altima have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 6 safety recall(s) for this model year. 2 NHTSA defect investigations cover this model year; the most recent is “Complete loss of motive power due to engine failure” (opened 2023-12-13, closed 2025-07-18).
Is the 2020 Nissan Altima still generating complaints?
In the last 12 months 35 new complaints were filed, versus 29 in the 12 months before — a steady pace.
How does the 2020 Nissan Altima compare with similar vehicles?
NHTSA has received 179 owner complaints about the 2020 Nissan Altima, or 26.8 per year on the road — fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.64, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 82 model-year 2020 vehicles we track, it ranks #44 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Nissan models its rate is 8% lower; against other Midsize sedans it is 33% lower.