Nissan Altima 2019–2025

6th generation (L34) · L34 · 901 complaints, 174 with mileage

When failures happen

What fails, and when

By model year

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

Recalls (12)

What owners reported

Other generations

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