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2020 Nissan Altima

Verified August 31, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

Compare
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

6 recalls
175 complaints
32 MPG combined
5/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

Confirm all 6 recalls were repaired — a dealer checks by VIN, free
Read the 16 complaints reporting a crash
Review the 175 owner complaints on record
Get a pre-purchase inspection
Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

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 We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.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.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

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.

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 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.

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 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.

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 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.

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 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.

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 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.

    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.

    Full campaign record

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.

NHTSA crash tests

2020 Nissan Altima Frontal crash crash test
Frontal crash Video
2020 Nissan Altima Side crash crash test
Side crash Video
2020 Nissan Altima Side pole crash test
Side pole Video

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

engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)49
miscellaneous issues32
electrical issues (battery, wiring, infotainment)29

Safety timeline

Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2020 Nissan Altima, newest first.

  1. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation PE23023

    Complete loss of motive power due to engine failure

  2. Recall

    Recall 25V437000

    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.

  3. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation PE23023

    Complete loss of motive power due to engine failure

  4. Recall

    Recall 23V628000

    A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

  5. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation AQ22003

    Hertz/Vehicles Rented with Open Recalls

  6. Recall

    Recall 21V169000

    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.

  7. Recall

    Recall 21V138000

    A detached tie rod ball joint can cause a loss of steering control, and increase the risk of a crash.

  8. Recall

    Recall 20V685000

    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.

  9. Recall

    Recall 20V570000

    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

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation PE23023

    Complete loss of motive power due to engine failure

  2. Recall

    Recall 25V437000

    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.

  3. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation PE23023

    Complete loss of motive power due to engine failure

  4. Recall

    Recall 23V628000

    A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

  5. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation AQ22003

    Hertz/Vehicles Rented with Open Recalls