Long Term Reliability of Nissan Altima

Replying to: ncage1974 (Oct 23, 2007 6:44 am)

I have two Nissans. I have a '96 Nissan Pickup Truck. The only odd thing about it is that the paint on the wheel rims peeled off quite a while back. Other than that, the ONLY thing I've needed to do to the truck is replace the belts, which is quite normal. I have used and abused the truck for more than a decade, and it just keeps rolling.
 
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.

Replies to this message:
• jd10013 (Oct 27, 2007 3:50 pm)
  • bitpoh (Oct 27, 2007 4:48 pm)

Replying to: hiwayman (Oct 27, 2007 8:47 am)

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• bitpoh (Oct 27, 2007 4:48 pm)

Replying to: jd10013 (Oct 27, 2007 3:50 pm)

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• karsick (Nov 27, 2007 7:16 pm)

Replying to: autojava (Oct 31, 2007 3:57 pm)

Just a little testimony to Nissan...
 
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.

Replying to: bitpoh (Jun 05, 2007 6:48 am)

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• gooddeal2 (Dec 17, 2007 5:52 pm)
  • waltchan (Dec 18, 2007 11:26 am)
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Replying to: waltchan (Dec 17, 2007 10:04 am)

Toyota Camry and Honda Accord will continue to improve, but not Nissan Altima. Nissan is done, I think.
 
Did you know that Camry is not on the Consumer Reports recommended list anymore?

Replies to this message:
• waltchan (Dec 18, 2007 11:26 am)
  • jd10013 (Dec 18, 2007 4:07 pm)
    • dtownmil (Dec 28, 2007 11:36 am)
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Replying to: gooddeal2 (Dec 17, 2007 5:52 pm)

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• jd10013 (Dec 18, 2007 4:07 pm)
  • dtownmil (Dec 28, 2007 11:36 am)
• electricdesign (Jan 09, 2008 11:17 am)
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Replying to: waltchan (Dec 18, 2007 11:26 am)

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• dtownmil (Dec 28, 2007 11:36 am)