2010 Nissan Altima

Typical pattern

6.7% of complaints about the 2010 Nissan Altima came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2010 vehicle — around the middle of the 203 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 6.2 yr in service. The most-reported system is electrical system (74 complaints), typically at 5.2 yr or about 46,760 miles.

Complaints: 538
Median age at failure: 6.2 yr
Median mileage: 52,000 n=391
Crash / fire / tow: 11.2% of reports
Safety recalls: 3

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Electrical system

74 reports · 46,760 mi

5.2 yr

8.1%

Power train

72 reports · 56,800 mi

5.2 yr

9.7%

Other

69 reports · 70,000 mi

9.4 yr

4.3%

Air bags

61 reports · 50,000 mi

6.4 yr

23%

Engine

50 reports · 73,000 mi

6.7 yr

14%

Suspension

30 reports · 77,134 mi

6.9 yr

10%

Structure

30 reports · 62,000 mi

7.3 yr

13.3%

Service brakes

27 reports · 49,675 mi

5.2 yr

Visibility / wipers

22 reports · 50,000 mi

7.3 yr

Steering

20 reports · 64,000 mi

5.3 yr

10%

Speed control

20 reports · 96,667 mi

7.0 yr

15%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

10V401000 2010-09-10

Equipment:electrical:navigational system(global positioning system)

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN NUVI MODEL 750 NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THE BATTERIES CONTAINED IN THE AFFECTED GPS UNITS CAN OVERHEAT.

OVERHEATED BATTERIES COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

10V193000 2010-05-07

Structure

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 ALTIMA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 7, 2010 THROUGH APRIL 13, 2010. SOME OF THE FRONT SIDE MEMBER ASSEMBLY COMPONENTS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN WELDED TO SPECIFICATION DUE TO A TOOL MAINTENANCE ERROR.

IF SEVERAL STRUCTURAL WELDS ARE OUT OF SPECIFICATION ON A SINGLE VEHICLE, IT MAY HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE VEHICLE CRASH PERFORMANCE.

09V358000 2009-09-16

Suspension

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 ALTIMA AND MAXIMA PASSENGER CARS. THE UPPER FRONT STRUT INSULATORS MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED OUT OF SPECIFICATION RESULTING IN A POTENTIAL FOR THE STRUT INSULATOR TO CRACK.

IF THE STRUT INSULATOR IS CRACKED, THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR THE STRUT ROD TO COME OUT OF ITS MOUNTING POSITION, WHICH COULD AFFECT VEHICLE STABILITY AND INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

In owners’ own words

Steering 3,000 mi 8 mo in service

2010 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5SL HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING VIBRATION THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL, ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND DRIVERS SEAT WHEN DRIVING ON HIGHWAYS ABOVE 60MPH. I HAD THE TIRES REBALANCED, ROTATED AND AN INDEPENDENT SHOP WHEEL ALIGNMENT TO NO AVAIL. THE TIRES ARE SHOWING A CHOPPY OR FEATHERING WEAR PATTERN. THIS VIBRATION BEGAN SOON AFTER PURCHASE AFTER THE BREAK IN PERIOD. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS UNDER 8,000 MILES ON IT. THE DEALER CLAIMS THAT THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE CONDITION EVEN THOUGH IT IS CONSTANTLY FELT. *TR

Steering 39,590 mi 3.1 yr in service

WENT OUT TO START VEHICLE ,NO START...TOWED TO DEALER ,DENIED UNDER WARRANTY,MADE ME PAY FOR REPLACEMENT..DEALER TOWED TO A NISSAN DEALER TO PERFORM INSTALL OF STEERING LOCK ASSAY. AND MISC HARDWARE. *TR

Steering 64,000 mi 4.9 yr in service

THIS ISSUE FORCE ME TO SPEND 1600 FOR A NEW STEERING COLUMN BECAUSE I CAR WOULD NOT STARTED. *TR

Suspension mileage not reported 4.6 yr in service

I STARTED TO HEAR A RATTLING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD OF MY CAR. IT WAS FOUND TO BE THAT THE ALTERNATOR/CLUTCH WAS ABOUT TO GO OUT. I COULD ALSO HEAR IT WHEN DRIVING AND PRESSING MY FOOT ON THE GAS. THE RATTLING NOISE WAS PRESENT WHEN I WAS IN PARK OR REVERSE. *TR

Other Altima model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.