- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 6
- on record
- MPG
- 32
- combined
Fatalities reported
Owner complaints to NHTSA include 1 report involving a death. Read the complaint record closely.
Vehicle Summary
2020 Nissan Altima
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 6
- Owner complaints
- 175
- Complaints citing a crash
- 16
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
6 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
6 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 21V138000high
Steering issue
STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY
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.
Consequence
A detached tie rod ball joint can cause a loss of steering control, and increase the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 21V169000high
Tire/wheel issue
TIRES
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.
Consequence
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 20V570000high
Visibility issue
VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
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.
Consequence
Rear window glass that separates from the vehicle can increase the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 20V685000high
Tire/wheel issue
TIRES
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.
Consequence
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 23V628000high
Rear-visibility system issue
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
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."
Consequence
A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 25V437000high
Engine issue
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL
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.
Consequence
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2020 Nissan Altima.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 4 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 4 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 5 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 9.2%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
What the ratings mean
NHTSA gives the 2020 Nissan Altima 5 out of 5 stars overall, level with the 5-star median for the 16 comparable 2020 vehicles NHTSA rated in this class.
NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.
NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 9.2% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2020 Nissan Altima, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
28
City
39
Hwy
32
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $1,900
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 278 g/mi
How this compares
At 32 MPG combined, the 2020 Nissan Altima ranks 4th of 21 midsize cars EPA rated for 2020 — 5 MPG better than the 27 MPG median for that group.
That places it in the upper third of its class. Fuel cost is unlikely to be the deciding factor against its direct rivals.
EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $1,900, $400 less than the $2,300 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $9,500, a $2,000 difference against a class-median vehicle.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 278 grams per mile — about 4.2 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
175 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 175
- Total
- 16
- Crashes
- 7
- Fires
- 15
- Injuries
Most reported components
- ENGINE49
- OTHER32
- ELECTRICAL29
- BRAKES18
- STEERING12
Serious Concerns
175 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 1 report involves a death. 15 reports involve injuries. 16 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2020 Nissan Altima, newest first.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation PE23023
Complete loss of motive power due to engine failure
- Recall
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.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation PE23023
Complete loss of motive power due to engine failure
- Recall
A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation AQ22003
Hertz/Vehicles Rented with Open Recalls
- Recall
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.
- Recall
A detached tie rod ball joint can cause a loss of steering control, and increase the risk of a crash.
- Recall
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.
- Recall
Rear window glass that separates from the vehicle can increase the risk of a crash.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- Sedan
- Drive type
- FWD
- Engine
- 2.5L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Regular Gasoline
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Seats
- 5
Fuel economy
28
City
39
Hwy
32
Comb
- Annual cost
- $1,900
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Compare with
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation PE23023
Complete loss of motive power due to engine failure
- Recall
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.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation PE23023
Complete loss of motive power due to engine failure
- Recall
A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation AQ22003
Hertz/Vehicles Rented with Open Recalls


