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Sedans Nissan Altima Long Term Reliability of Nissan Altima
55 messages, Last post on Aug 11, 2009 at 2:21 PM
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| We purchased a new Altima in 1994 and drove it for 13 years and 137,000 miles. We had to replace the speedometer, radiator, and distributor in that time (I've since learned that the original distributor could have been fixed easily and much more cheaply than the $250 + labor that I paid but that is hindsight). The car was still running and driving perfectly when it was involved in a minor collision (some front damage and set off the air bags, $1500 to replace). We donated it to Goodwill and they auctioned it for $700 even with the damage. | |
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I have had 2 Altimas in the past. The first one, a 1996 model was absolutely trouble free. It got involved in an accident this year but I loved it so much, that I ended up buying a 1995 Altima SE. This one however, had its share of issues. But the main (only) reason for those issues was the extremely poor way in which the owner had handled the vehicle. I had to get some work done on it, but having been a Nissan owner in the past, I knew it was worth it. It now drives like a dream. Its got 135000 miles on it, no isses at all. Actually, a month or so back, I traded it in for a 2003 Honda Accord V6. I had been a huge fan of the Accord and had always wanted it. However, when I kept it for 3 weeks and drove it for 1000+ miles, it was no fun and totally boring. Fortunately for me, the deal fell through and I was able to get my Nissan back.. This is just my opinion but I will tell you that I love driving the 1995 Altima more than the 2003 Accord V6. The Altima might not have the same power that the Accord does, but it definitely feels much sportier. I especially love its thick, leather wrapped meaty steering wheel. The leather on the Altima feels different and much better than the one on the Accord's steering.. |
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Replying to: bitpoh (Jun 05, 2007 6:48 am) http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_20/b3883053.htm You can not look at older vehicles and compare reliability because from 2000 to 2007 there were so many changes. I looked at reliability at both JD Power & Consumer Reports and, in general the Nissans aren't highly regarded. Even below domestics. Most people not in the know will think Nissan are very reliable because its a Jap car. Its a shame to because i REALLY liked the design and performance of the 3.5SE Altima. I don't know if i would ever get one though because of the worries about QA/long term reliability. Oh and on a side note. I have an 03 ford F150 4x4 FX4 with the 5.4L. Other than a seat sqeak its been 100% reliable. A guy at work has a 05 Nissan Frontier NISMO with a 3.5L engine. He bought his car 2 years after mine and he has had more problems than me (fuel pump went out almost immediatly after he bought the truck). He bought his truck new. Also his truck is not nearly as big as mine yet his gas mileage is the same or worse than my truck and he has to put premium in his.
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Replying to: ncage1974 (Oct 23, 2007 6:44 am) I've recently purchased a Nissan Altima Hybrid, so there's no long-term data to be had, there. It seems well made, and only minor bugs have made themselves known. Oddly enough, a rattle developed in the overhead soon after we bought the car. We took it in to the dealer, who found that my wife's sunglasses were rattling in the sunglasses holder  It's important when checking for long term reliability of a car to NOT get sucked in by anecdotal evidence. Anecdotal evidence is when you judge a car (or anything, for that matter) based upon a couple of stories, rather than a trend of hundreds of instances. If you have a neighbor who's Nissan is a lemon, that is not a reason to not buy Nissans, any more than the neighbor on the other side who has a Nissan that never needs gas, has gone to the moon and back without a hickup, and can levitate  . A good place to go to see long-term reliability is Consumer Reports and organizations like that. While you may not be able to see evidence of your particular model if it's a new one, you can get a general sense of the stable of all the Nissans by looking at the reports. Those reports are gathered through questionnaires sent out to new car and not-so-new-car owners. They're usually pretty good. Nissan's record of reliability has been somewhat spotty for some vehicles, and better for others. Nissan is paying attention, though, and I personally believe they are the hidden gem of brands. Their cars in the past few years have gotten significantly better across the board. They are fighting that legacy reputation, but the quality of their product is now very good.
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Replying to: hiwayman (Oct 27, 2007 8:47 am)
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Replying to: jd10013 (Oct 27, 2007 3:50 pm) |
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Mine has several problem: 1) about 56000 mileage (6 years old), I need to rebuild the auto trans with $3000. 2) alternator need to be changed with $200 at about 80000 mileage, 3) at about 90000 mileage (8 years), the intake gasket need to be replaced (leak with code P0304) with $700. Now it has been 110000 mileage.
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Replying to: autojava (Oct 31, 2007 3:57 pm) We're looking to trade our Infiniti G20 (Nissan Primera to the rest of the world) for a new Altima. The 1994 G20 has 249,000 miles, with NO engine issues ever (other than one fouled injector at 110k). Never needed a CV joint or axle. Still blows ice-cold A/C. Interior w/black leather is immaculate. Drives & steers tight & sharp. No rattles or loose trim. Pearl paint is still rich & deep. Only issue now is a worn 5th gear synchro. That G20 was my first Nissan product, and the reason I'm considering another. 
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Replying to: bitpoh (Jun 05, 2007 6:48 am) |
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Nissan has already changed its image since 2002 and is now more concerned with performance, style, and looks. Nissan is no longer interested in high reliability like they did in the 80s and would rather get only average reliability ratings instead. According to Consumer Reports, the 1999 Nissan Altima is the most reliable Altima ever made in history. There's a high chance I think that Nissan will not make another reliable Altima again that will be better than the 1999. After 1999, Nissan Altima is getting more black dots. Toyota Camry and Honda Accord will continue to improve, but not Nissan Altima. Nissan is done, I think.
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