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Nissan Altima 2019–2025

6th generation (L34)

NHTSA data through 12 August 2026901 complaints, 174 with mileageMethod

On this generation, 44% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 7 times higher than during the rest of the car's life.

10%

700

25%

3,000

Median

14,500

75%

43,000

90%

80,000

Tallest bin: 100 complaints between 0 and 20,000 miles. Based on 174 complaints that record mileage. Bin width 20,000 miles.

What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.

What fails, and when

Each bar spans the middle half of reports for that system; the tick marks the median.

1. Electrical system21,000median 21,000 miles, middle half 6,000 to 66,000
2. Forward collision avoidance16,000median 16,000 miles, middle half 8,000 to 38,000
3. Problems owners could not categorise5,000median 5,000 miles, middle half 600 to 9,000
4. Engine43,000median 43,000 miles, middle half 11,000 to 62,000
5. Brakes7,500median 7,298 miles, middle half 2,500 to 16,000
6. Visibility/wiper830median 830 miles, middle half 300 to 7,000

Which systems, and when

Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 14,500 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.

The electrical system accounts for 15.8% of complaints (142 reports, 23 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 21,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 6,000 and 65,515 miles.

Forward collision avoidance accounts for 15.0% of complaints (135 reports, 15 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 16,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 7,800 and 38,500 miles.

Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 13.1% of complaints (118 reports, 13 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 5,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 600 and 9,000 miles.

The engine accounts for 11.5% of complaints (104 reports, 15 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 43,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 10,976 and 61,500 miles.

The brakes account for 8.4% of complaints (76 reports, 26 of them with a mileage figure), and they fail early — a median of 7,298 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 2,500 and 16,000 miles.

Visibility/wiper accounts for 3.2% of complaints (29 reports, 10 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 830 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 300 and 7,000 miles.

Differences between model years

Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2019 model year drew the most — 354 complaints — while 2023 drew the fewest at 39. The median year sits at 91.

That makes 2019 an outlier: roughly 3.9 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.

Recalls and what they cover

NHTSA records 12 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.

The campaigns cluster around the steering (2), the reversing camera and sensors (2), the tyres (2). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.

Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.

Reported severity

Of the 901 complaints filed against this generation, 119 reported a crash; 24 reported a fire; 73 reported an injury; 1 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 13.2% of the total.

These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.

What this means if you are buying one

For a buyer, an early-failure pattern is comparatively good news on a used example: 44% of the reported failures occur in the first 12,000 miles, which on a car of this age means they have already happened or they were never going to. Service history matters more than mileage here.

On inspection, the electrical system and forward collision avoidance are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Forward collision avoidance in particular shows a median failure mileage of 16,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.

None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.

Documented problems

By model year

Recalls (12)

What owners reported

I became aware of the automatic windshield washer problem when i tried to clear off dust and grime from our new 2019 Nissan Altima while driving on the highway. When i activated the washers to clean the windshield, the washer fluid barely splashed onto the bottom of the windshield. I had to repeatedly activate the…

2019 · 225 miles · Visibility/wiper

I just received a notice by going to consumer reports that vehicle was recalled? Never received anything. Also, car is newly leased and has an oil change sticker that says: change oil by 5/29/19 ? What , this dealer here has also been reported for consumer protection act here in melbourne fl. Nissan of melbourne.…

2019 · 280 miles · Engine

While driving or stationary of the vehicle. When spraying water on the windshield from the windshield washer sprayers, it only sprays on the bottom of the windshield and does not cover the entire windshield. You have to continuously spray water so the wipers can spread the water on the windshield. But doing this does…

2019 · 300 miles · Visibility/wiper

Adaptive cruise control and automatic braking are disabled due to "front radar blocked". This is a brand new vehicle i have had for about two weeks (less than 1,000 miles). After doing some internet research, this appears to be a known issue with Nissan vehicles since 2018. I believe my vehicle was manufactured in…

2019 · 700 miles · Brakes

Built from 174 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page

Other generations

• Altima 1993–1997
• Altima 1998–2001
• Altima 2002–2006
• Altima 2007–2012
• Altima 2013–2018