FREE VEHICLE RESEARCH
2020 Nissan Altima
The 2020 Nissan Altima has 6 NHTSA safety recalls on file, 172 owner complaints, and gets about 32 mpg combined. Here's the full free record from NHTSA and the EPA.
SPECS
2020 Nissan Altima at a glance
- Engine
- 4-cyl 2.5L
- Cylinders
- 4
- Displacement
- 2.5 L
- Drivetrain
- Front-Wheel Drive
- Transmission
- Automatic (variable gear ratios)
- Body
- Midsize Cars
- Fuel
- Regular
Source: EPA / NHTSA vPIC, as of July 13, 2026.
SAFETY RECALLS · NHTSA
6 openSteering
04/03/2021
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.
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.
Tires
11/03/2021
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.
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.
Visibility
22/09/2020
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.
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.
Tires
05/11/2020
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.
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.
Back Over Prevention
08/09/2023
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."
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.
Engine And Engine Cooling
27/06/2025
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.
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.
NHTSA has opened one or more investigations covering this model. Recalls can follow an investigation, so check NHTSA for the latest before you buy.
Open safety recalls are free to fix at any franchised dealer. What recalls mean → Source: NHTSA recalls, as of July 13, 2026. Recalls can be issued any time, confirm by VIN at nhtsa.gov before you buy.
OWNER COMPLAINTS · NHTSA
172 filed- 36
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact became aware that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was an independent dealer sale. At the time of the purchase, the vehicle mileage was 8
- 23
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The CVT issue remains with this car even though I have complained. The car will randomly de accelerate and randomly accelerate which has cause minor fender bender. The car continue to studer and jerk and continues to show since of transmiss
- 20
STEERING
See attached document for complaint.
- 16
POWER TRAIN
This issue involves a documented and recurring safety-related defect that was reported multiple times while my vehicle was still covered under Nissan’s factory warranty related to the airbag system. My 2020 Nissan Altima currently has appr
- 16
ENGINE
The car stalls and began to jerk then shuts down the crash symbols comes on and goes off.
- 8
SERVICE BRAKES
I was leaving for work, backing out of the driveway, and the brakes just locked up out of no where. I’ve done this multiple times and the brakes have never done this. I tried pulling up and trying again, turning the car off and back on, and
Problems owners reported to the government, useful for spotting patterns, not proof any one car has them. What complaints mean → Source: NHTSA complaints, as of July 13, 2026. Owner-submitted reports, not verified diagnoses.
CRASH-TEST RATINGS · NHTSA NCAP
- Overall
- ★★★★★
- Frontal
- ★★★★☆
- Side
- ★★★★★
- Rollover
- ★★★★★
Government crash tests of this model; not every trim or year is tested. Source: NHTSA NCAP, as of July 13, 2026.
FUEL & RUNNING COST · U.S. EPA
- Combined
- 32 mpg
- City / Hwy
- 28 / 39
- Est. fuel / yr
- $1,950
- CO₂ / mi
- 278 g
EPA lab estimates; real mpg varies by how you drive. Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov, as of July 13, 2026. Annual cost assumes 15,000 mi/yr at EPA's reference price.
All figures above come from free U.S. government sources: NHTSA (recalls, complaints, investigations, crash tests) and the EPA (fuel economy and specs). We don't show market price, insurance cost, or proprietary reliability scores, because there's no free, reliable public source for them. For a verdict on a specific listing, with a fair-offer number and what to ask the seller, that's the VINly app.
BEFORE YOU BUY
What to check on this car
Confirm the recalls were fixed
This model has 6 open NHTSA recalls (including the steering). Recall repairs are free at the dealer, so ask the seller for proof the remedy was performed, or verify by VIN at nhtsa.gov before you buy.
Have a mechanic check the electrical system
Owners report problems with the electrical system more than anything else on this model. Call it out specifically during a pre-purchase inspection.
Watch for a pending investigation
NHTSA has an open investigation covering this model. A recall can follow an investigation, so check nhtsa.gov for the latest before you commit.
-
Test-drive the basics
Cold start, full-lock steering both ways, firm brakes with no pulsing, smooth shifts, and every electronic feature. Warning lights should come on at key-on, then go out.
-
Check the title and the VIN
Confirm the title status in hand matches the listing, and that the VIN matches across the dash, door jamb, and title. VINly does not show ownership or accident history, for that, run a paid report like Carfax.
-
Ask the seller the right questions
Why they are selling, any service records, accident or panel-repaint history, how many owners, and whether any open recalls were completed.
See the full used-car inspection checklist. None of this replaces a hands-on inspection by a mechanic.
Quick answers
What is recalled on the 2020 Nissan Altima? +
NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls for the 2020 Nissan Altima, including the steering. See the full list above, and confirm by VIN at nhtsa.gov.
What gas mileage does the 2020 Nissan Altima get? +
The EPA rates the 2020 Nissan Altima at 32 mpg combined (28 city / 39 highway), about $1,950 a year in fuel.
How safe is the 2020 Nissan Altima? +
NHTSA's NCAP program gives the 2020 Nissan Altima 5 out of 5 stars overall, with 5 stars for rollover resistance.
What do owners complain about on the 2020 Nissan Altima? +
Owners have filed 172 complaints with NHTSA for the 2020 Nissan Altima, including 16 involving a crash. The most-reported area is electrical system.
MORE NISSAN RESEARCH
FREE IN THE APP
Comparing a few cars? Save the 2020 Nissan Altima and line it up against the others in the app.
No account. Saving and comparing cars is free; the per-listing report is $3.99.
THE FULL BUYER'S REPORT · $3.99
Found a 2020 Nissan Altima for sale?
The research above is free. The app takes a screenshot of one real listing and returns a verdict, a fair-offer number, the red flags specific to that car, a walk-away floor, and a message you can send the seller, word for word.