2021 Nissan Altima Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Altima years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 27th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 70 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Nissan Altima. That ranks 27th out of 32 Altima model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is forward collision avoidance (22 complaints, 31%), typically at around 17,000 miles. Complaints mention 7 crashes, 1 fire, 4 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 70owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 7complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2021 Nissan Altima problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 22 | 31% | 17,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 21 | 30% | 17,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 18 | 26% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 12 | 17% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 7 | 10% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 6 | 9% | 51,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 5 | 7% | 34,500 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 4 | 6% | 49,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 4% | 2,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 3 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 4% | 141,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 4% | 41,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 4% | 44,794 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 3% | 41,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 1% | 118,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 1% | 2,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | 6,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2021 Nissan Altima recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
Problem: 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."
Risk: A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Steering:linkages:tie rod assembly
Problem: 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.
Risk: A detached tie rod ball joint can cause a loss of steering control, and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Hertz/Vehicles Rented with Open Recalls (AQ22003) — opened Dec 16, 2022, still open.
- Complete loss of motive power due to engine failure (PE23023) — opened Dec 13, 2023, closed Jul 18, 2025, led to recall 25V437.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while pulling out of a parking lot, the contact shifted into drive(D) and then to reverse(R) to exit the parking lot, and while driving 3 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact…
Got the car from kingdom Chevy on 66 and western on February 2024 used at 62.000. I took the car back twice because the screen in the car kept cutting off fading on and fading off. Secondly, the Bluetooth plug would not work. I did not have the car a month. They kept telling me that nothing was…
When I make a turn, I hear a clicking noise and also when I come to a complete stop, I can a sound that sounds like a grunting noise. I had new brakes, rotors and brand new tires put on in 2025. I think my ball joints and tie rod is defective. I have a triple AAA membership and I just renewed it in…
My car is supposed to have an automatic braking system/collision detection. Two cars in front of me slammed on their brakes and the car in front of me slammed on his brake, and I didn't have enough time to react. I totalled my car, but my car is supposed to have a safety feature that automatically…
Door lock actuators have failed completely on 2 doors, and intermittently on 1 door of a 2021 Nissan Altima. They do not respond to either the key fob or door button. There are no warnings or indicators associated with this component so it is unknown when the failures first occurred, but it was…
Other Nissan Altima years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Altima | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 Altima | 7 | 2 |
| 2024 Altima | 41 | 1 |
| 2023 Altima | 30 | 0 |
| 2022 Altima | 31 | 0 |
| 2021 | 70 | 2 |
| 2020 Altima | 158 | 6 |
| 2019 Altima | 233 | 7 |
| 2018 Altima | 226 | 2 |
| 2017 Altima | 391 | 3 |
| 2016 Altima | 554 | 4 |
| 2015 Altima | 955 | 10 |
| 2014 Altima | 1,114 | 8 |
| 2013 Altima | 2,313 | 12 |
| 2012 Altima | 426 | 4 |
| 2011 Altima | 241 | 1 |
| 2010 Altima | 381 | 3 |
| 2009 Altima | 1,547 | 4 |
| 2008 Altima | 1,030 | 4 |
| 2007 Altima | 471 | 3 |
| 2006 Altima | 824 | 3 |
| 2005 Altima | 1,091 | 1 |
| 2004 Altima | 276 | 1 |
| 2003 Altima | 883 | 4 |
| 2002 Altima | 1,047 | 5 |
| 2001 Altima | 159 | 1 |
| 2000 Altima | 160 | 1 |
| 1999 Altima | 87 | 0 |
| 1998 Altima | 123 | 0 |
| 1997 Altima | 108 | 1 |
| 1996 Altima | 92 | 0 |
| 1995 Altima | 180 | 3 |
See all Nissan Altima problems by year, every Nissan model, or the Nissan VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Nissan Altima?
Owners most often report forward collision avoidance, electrical system, service brakes problems. The top one, forward collision avoidance, accounts for 22 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Nissan Altima?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2021 Nissan Altima a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Altima model years, the 2021 has far fewer complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.