Fuel Economy
29–32MPG
Gas & Hybrid options available
NHTSA Complaints
69
6 crash reports • 4 reporting injuries
Safety Recalls
2
2 official NHTSA recalls
NCAP Safety Rating
Not Rated / Pending

EPA Fuel Economy & Powertrain Specifications

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by powertrain configuration

Powertrain Group Engine / Drivetrain City MPG Hwy MPG Combined MPG Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Standard 2.5L 4-Cyl Regular
Automatic (variable gear ratios) • Front-Wheel Drive
 25–28 34–39 29–32 MPG $1,900–$2,100 / yr

NHTSA NCAP Crash Test & Safety Ratings

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

NHTSA 5-Star NCAP laboratory crash evaluations are not currently on file for the 2021 Nissan Altima.

Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Not Specified and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Not Specified in official NHTSA records for tested 2021 Nissan Altima models.
View complete 2021 Nissan Altima crash test & safety breakdown →

Reported Problems & Owner Complaints Summary (69)

Summary of 69 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
69
Crash Reports
6
Fire Reports
1
Complaints w/ Injury
4
Total Injuries
4

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 10 complaints (3 crashes)
Electrical System 9 complaints
Forward Collision Avoidance 5 complaints
Engine 4 complaints
STEERING,SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES 3 complaints

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2021 Nissan Altima problems & component breakdown (36 categories) →

Official Safety Recalls (2)

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #23V628000 Active Recall
Affected Component: BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

Defect Summary: 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."

Free Manufacturer 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.
NHTSA Campaign #21V138000 Active Recall
Affected Component: STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY

Defect Summary: 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.

Free Manufacturer 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.
View all 2021 Nissan Altima recalls & campaign history (2 campaigns) →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.