Shoppers who care about long-term dependability increasingly look past glossy ads and straight to data, and few sources carry more weight than Consumer Reports. For the Nissan Altima, that means its reputation now rests less on old anecdotes and more on detailed owner surveys, road tests, and predicted reliability scores. The result is a nuanced picture that separates older problem years from newer models that have quietly improved.
How Consumer Reports Measures Altima Reliability
Consumer Reports bases its reliability verdicts on large-scale owner surveys that track specific trouble spots, then blends those findings with its own road testing and safety evaluations. Instead of a single gut-feel grade, the Altima receives a predicted reliability score that reflects how often owners report issues with the engine, transmission, in-car electronics, body hardware, and other systems over time. That score is then compared with other midsize sedans to show whether the Altima is holding up better or worse than its peers, and it feeds into an overall rating that also factors in performance, comfort, and crash-test results from agencies such as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as documented in recent model overviews.
Because the methodology is consistent across brands, the Altima’s reliability record can be stacked directly against rivals like the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, and Subaru Legacy. Consumer Reports tracks problem rates by model year, which means a 2015 Altima is not judged by the same yardstick as a 2023 version that benefits from updated hardware and software. The publication’s latest Top Picks and annual brand reliability rankings show how Nissan as a whole compares with competitors, and those brand-level trends help explain why some Altima generations fare better than others in long-term ownership surveys.
Altima’s Reliability Track Record by Model Year
The Altima’s reliability story is not a straight line, and Consumer Reports data highlights clear peaks and valleys across different generations. Earlier model years that relied heavily on Nissan’s continuously variable transmission (CVT) technology, particularly in the 2013 to 2015 range, drew elevated complaint rates for transmission shuddering, hesitation, and premature failure, which pulled down their predicted reliability scores in the publication’s reliability tables. Those issues, combined with reports of noisy cabins and aging infotainment systems, meant several older Altimas landed below the segment average, even when their fuel economy and ride comfort remained competitive.
More recent model years, especially after the full redesign that arrived for the 2019 model year, show a different pattern. Consumer Reports’ latest Altima ratings indicate that newer cars have seen fewer major drivetrain complaints, and owner surveys point to incremental improvements in build quality and in-car electronics. While the Altima still does not consistently match the highest-scoring sedans in the class, the data suggests that the most troublesome years are now in the rearview mirror, and later models have moved closer to the middle of the pack or slightly above it in predicted reliability, depending on the specific year and powertrain configuration.
How the Altima Stacks Up Against Rival Sedans
In the midsize segment, reliability is often the deciding factor for buyers who plan to keep a car beyond its warranty, and Consumer Reports’ comparative charts make clear where the Altima stands. Longtime benchmarks like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord typically post higher predicted reliability scores, with fewer serious engine or transmission issues reported in recent owner surveys, as reflected in the latest Camry and Accord breakdowns. The Hyundai Sonata and Subaru Legacy often land in a similar or slightly better range than the Altima, depending on the model year, helped by strong powertrain records and improving electronics performance in Consumer Reports’ Sonata and Legacy evaluations.
That does not mean the Altima is an outlier for problems, but it does suggest that shoppers who rank reliability above all else may find more consistent track records elsewhere. Consumer Reports’ brand-level reliability rankings show Nissan sitting behind Toyota, Honda, and Subaru, which helps explain why the Altima rarely tops the charts even when individual model years perform respectably. At the same time, the Altima often undercuts some rivals on price and can deliver strong fuel economy, so for buyers willing to accept a slightly more mixed reliability history in exchange for value, the trade-off may still be attractive according to Consumer Reports’ Top Picks methodology.
Key Problem Areas: CVT, Electronics, and Everyday Wear
When Consumer Reports owners flag issues with the Altima, the same themes tend to recur, and the CVT sits near the top of that list. Earlier generations in particular generated complaints about transmission judder, delayed engagement, and in some cases costly repairs outside the standard warranty window, patterns that show up in the publication’s detailed problem charts. While Nissan has updated its CVT hardware and software over time, and newer Altimas see fewer severe transmission incidents in recent surveys, the legacy of those issues still weighs on the model’s long-term reputation and helps explain why some years receive only average predicted reliability scores.
Beyond the drivetrain, Consumer Reports data points to in-car electronics and minor hardware as recurring trouble spots. Owners of certain model years report glitches with infotainment systems, backup cameras, and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as premature wear in items like interior trim and door seals, which are captured under categories such as “in-car electronics” and “body hardware” in the organization’s reliability guide. These issues are often more annoying than catastrophic, but they can still affect owner satisfaction scores and contribute to lower overall ratings, especially when combined with the CVT’s checkered history in some older Altimas.
Owner Satisfaction, Safety, and Whether the Altima Is Worth It
Reliability is only one piece of the ownership puzzle, and Consumer Reports also tracks how happy Altima drivers are with their cars over time. Owner satisfaction scores, which measure whether people would buy the same vehicle again, show that many Altima buyers appreciate the sedan’s comfortable ride, straightforward controls, and fuel efficiency, particularly in newer models that benefit from updated interiors and driver-assistance features. At the same time, satisfaction tends to dip in years where reliability problems are more common, a pattern visible in the publication’s combined reliability and satisfaction tables, suggesting that even a pleasant daily drive cannot fully offset concerns about potential repair bills.
Safety performance adds another dimension to the value equation. Recent Altimas have earned strong crash-test scores from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, with many trims offering advanced driver-assistance systems such as automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping support, as detailed in Consumer Reports’ latest Altima overview. For buyers weighing whether the car is “reliable enough,” the data suggests a split verdict: older CVT-heavy years carry more risk and may be best approached with caution or an extended warranty, while newer models show improved reliability, solid safety credentials, and competitive comfort that can make the Altima a reasonable choice for shoppers who prioritize value and are aware of its mixed past.
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