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Reliability report · 2021 Nissan Altima · Updated July 2026 · ~$1,950/yr fuel · what it costs to keep →

The year the Altima settles down — out of the engine-bearing recall, with only two minor campaigns to check.

The 2021 Altima's complaint count falls to 67, roughly a third of the 2019's, and the mix is now ordinary: scattered electronics, engine, and AEB reports rather than a dominant failure. Crucially, the 2021 is out of the 25V437 VC-Turbo engine-bearing recall population (that campaign stops at 2020), so the year's most serious open item is gone.

What's left is light: a steering tie-rod recall carried over from 2020, and the backup-camera-harness recall. Both are free dealer fixes. A 2021 with those two campaigns confirmed complete is a genuinely settled version of this car — verify the recalls and drive it like any used sedan.

Evidence: 67 NHTSA complaints · 2 recall campaigns · 7 mechanic & forum sources

Canary status

Chirping

What that means: 67 federal complaints — a steep drop — and the 2021 sits outside the VC-Turbo engine-bearing recall that shadows the 2019–2020 cars. Two recalls remain, both quick free fixes. This is where the gen-6 Altima becomes an ordinary used car rather than a redesign-year gamble.

CalmChirpingSquawkingFainted

67

Federal complaints

2

Recalls

Federal crash tests

5-star scale
Overall
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover

Tested variant: 2021 Nissan Altima 4 DR FWD (NHTSA VehicleId 15525)

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) →

Known issues

Ranked by the cost of ignoring them. Every claim carries its source.

Tie-rod ball-joint recall (21V138)

major

Recall 21V138 covers 2020–2021 Altimas whose tie-rod ball-joint fastener may not have been tightened properly; the ball joint could detach from the steering knuckle and cause a loss of steering control. The free remedy tightens or replaces the left and right fasteners. It's the most serious open item on the 2021 — a steering-safety fix — so confirm it's closed by VIN and note any looseness or clunk in the steering on the test drive.

Recall remedy

$0

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2021 Nissan Altima · NHTSA recalls and manufacturer communications (tie-rod and camera-harness recalls; 25V437 scope)

Backup-camera harness recall (23V628)moderate

Recall 23V628 (2019–2021 Altima) covers camera-harness damage that can distort or lose the rear image — a rear-visibility standard violation. Dealers inspect and replace the camera or harness, or re-route and tape it, free. Mechanics tie the striping and white-screen complaints to trunk-lid harness wiring that bends and breaks. Test the camera in several lighting conditions and run the VIN.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2021 Nissan Altima · NHTSA recalls and manufacturer communications (tie-rod and camera-harness recalls; 25V437 scope) · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (6th-gen Altima)

$0

Recall remedy

What you no longer worry aboutminor

For clarity, the 2021 is outside the population for the 25V437 VC-Turbo engine-bearing recall (2019–2020) — the fire-risk engine campaign that shadows the launch-year cars does not apply here, because the 2021 Altima moved away from the 2.0L VC-Turbo. It's also past the two 2019 fuel-system recalls, the 2019 brake-switch recall, and the rear-glass recall. What remains is the ordinary gen-6 checklist: AEB false-braking (a healthy battery plus clean sensors and a software update is the dealer fix) and the same Jatco CVT (a continuously variable transmission) that appears across the generation but generates far fewer complaints here than on the gen-5 cars.

Sources: NHTSA recalls and manufacturer communications (tie-rod and camera-harness recalls; 25V437 scope) · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (6th-gen Altima)

AEB false-braking and electronicsminor

The small 2021 complaint file skews toward electronics and driver-assist: automatic emergency braking (AEB — the obstacle-braking system) activating with nothing ahead, backup-camera oddities, and occasional battery/BCM (body control module) gremlins. These are annoyance-grade at 2021 volumes. The AEB fix path is a healthy battery, clean radar sensors, and a software or ECM (engine control module) update. Test the ADAS suite and confirm the battery is fresh before reading too much into an electronic warning.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2021 Nissan Altima · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (6th-gen Altima)

The dividing line is the recall list: after 2020, the fire-risk engine campaign no longer applies.
7 mechanic & owner sources

Open recalls

Free fixes at any Nissan dealer. Run the VIN — “completed” isn’t always completed.

  1. 21V138Tie-rod ball-joint fastener may be loose; the ball joint can detach from the steering knuckle and cause loss of steering. Free tighten/replace (2020–2021 Altima).open
  2. 23V628Backup-camera harness damage can distort or lose the rear image. Free inspect/replace or re-route and tape (2019–2021 Altima, 2020–2021 Sentra).open

What it costs to keep

The purchase price is what you negotiate. These are the numbers you live with afterward — each one sourced, none of them blended into a fake total.

The ownership picture — 2021 Altima

Four sourced numbers. No fake total.

Fuel

32 MPG combined (28 city / 39 highway) for the FWD, 2.5L on the EPA federal fuel-economy test.

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (EPA) — EPA’s federal fuel-economy test, recomputed with current gas prices. EPA record 43390 (Altima).
Other builds EPA lists: AWD, 2.5L 29 MPG · FWD, 2.0L turbo 29 MPG.

$1,950/yr

at $4.15/gal · 15,000 mi/yr · 55/45 city/hwy · pulled Jul 12, 2026

Crash losses

Insurers lose about 45% more on this vehicle than on the average car. Higher collision losses tend to show up in what you pay for coverage.

Source: HLDI — the insurance industry’s loss-data institute — HLDI collision losses, 2020–22 models, published April 2023 (report R-23). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Nissan Altima.
Other series: Nissan Altima 4WD 130, where 100 = average.

145 vs 100

45% above average

Theft

Stolen about 29% more often than the average vehicle. Worth pricing comprehensive coverage before you buy, not after.

Source: HLDI — HLDI whole vehicle theft losses, 2020–22 models, published April 2023 (report WT-22). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Nissan Altima.
Other series: Nissan Altima 4WD 67, where 100 = average.

129 vs 100

29% above average

Repair risk

What this specific year is known to need. Pulled from the issues above — the repairs owners actually report, at the costs they report them. Averages from other sites blend every year together; these are this year’s own numbers.

Source: this report — 01 Known issues.

Recall remedy$0
Recall remedy$0
Why there’s no single “cost to own” number: sites that promise one are guessing at your insurance quote, your annual miles, and your luck. These are the numbers we can actually source — and each one carries its receipt.

Shopping this year?

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Have a specific one in your sights?

The VIN is on the listing. We’ll check this exact car — build, open recalls, and whether the “completed” repairs stayed fixed.

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Before you buy

Print this
  1. 01Run the VIN and confirm the tie-rod recall (21V138) shows completed — it's the most serious open item; check for steering looseness or clunk.
  2. 02Test the backup camera in several lighting conditions and confirm 23V628 (harness) is closed.
  3. 03Confirm the car is genuinely a 2021 — it sits outside the 2019–2020 VC-Turbo engine-bearing recall, a real advantage over the launch-year cars.
  4. 04Test the AEB/ADAS suite for false-braking and confirm the 12V battery is healthy before trusting any electronic warning.
  5. 05Drive the CVT through stop-and-go and a highway pull; gen-6 CVT complaints are far lower here, but a documented fluid service is still a plus.

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