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VinCanary

Reliability report · 2022 Nissan Altima · Updated July 2026 · ~$1,950/yr fuel · what it costs to keep →

The quietest Altima year in our data — no drivetrain pattern, mostly driver-assist annoyances.

The 2022 is the calmest Altima in our set: 20 federal complaints, with no CVT (continuously variable transmission) cluster and no engine-bearing recall (that campaign stops at 2020). The complaint file is dominated by driver-assist false-braking and scattered electronics — a battery/BCM no-start, a caliper, a windshield — rather than any single expensive failure pattern.

Calm doesn't mean flawless: automatic emergency braking activating on its own is the recurring complaint, and it's a real safety annoyance. But it has a known dealer fix, and nothing here points to the drivetrain grenades of the gen-5 cars. Verify the recall picture by VIN (see the note below) and this is a straightforward used sedan.

Evidence: 20 NHTSA complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 7 mechanic & forum sources

Canary status

Calm

What that means: Just 20 federal complaints — the lowest of any Altima year we track — and no transmission or engine-bearing cluster. The 2022 sits past the 2019–2020 engine-bearing recall, and its loudest theme is false-braking, an annoyance with a known dealer fix. This is the year the data finally matches Nissan's 'settled' reputation.

CalmChirpingSquawkingFainted

20

Federal complaints

0

Recalls (see note)

Federal crash tests

5-star scale
Overall
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover

Tested variant: 2022 Nissan Altima 4DR FWD (NHTSA VehicleId 16804)

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) →

Known issues

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

Automatic emergency braking false activation

moderate

The clearest pattern in the small 2022 file is the automatic emergency braking (AEB — the system that brakes for an obstacle) triggering with nothing ahead. Owners report the car braking hard on open road ('almost rear-ended,' 'minor whiplash') and the AEB warning light coming on shortly after startup. Dealers frequently can't reproduce it. Enough Nissan owners reported this across models that a class-action lawsuit was filed; the practical dealer fix is a healthy battery, clean radar and camera sensors, and a software or ECM (engine control module) update. Test the ADAS suite on the drive and note any false-braking history — and don't underestimate a fresh 12V battery's role in these systems.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2022 Nissan Altima · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (6th-gen Altima)

Electrical and no-start reportsmoderate

A cluster of the file is electrical: cars that won't start and need a jump, a BCM (body control module) flagged as needing replacement, blown interior fuses, and intermittent shut-offs while driving. These are scattered individual reports rather than a proven fleet defect at this volume, but a healthy battery and charging system are worth confirming — gen-6 electronics are sensitive to a weak 12V battery. If a 2022 shows repeated dead batteries, chase the charging system and modules rather than just swapping batteries.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2022 Nissan Altima · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (6th-gen Altima)

Left front coil-spring service campaign (very small)minor

Nissan ran a Voluntary Service Campaign (PC933, with a related new-inventory action PC891) to replace the left front coil spring on a very small number of specific 2022 Altimas — roughly 10 to 18 vehicles identified by production issue, which could produce a suspension noise or a change in ride height. This is a service campaign, not an NHTSA safety recall, and it applies only to those specific VINs. If you hear a front suspension noise, ask the dealer to check campaign PC933 eligibility by VIN.

Sources: NHTSA manufacturer communications (PC933 coil-spring service campaign; recall reconciliation)

One-off glass and brake reportsminor

The remainder of the file is low-frequency and varied: a spontaneously cracking windshield, a rear caliper needing replacement after a brake service, a tire sidewall bubble, and isolated door-latch trouble. None forms a pattern at 20 complaints. Inspect the glass, test the brakes, and check the door latches, but treat these as ordinary used-car checks rather than model red flags.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2022 Nissan Altima

Since purchasing my car brand new, my car will unpredictably brake.
7 mechanic & owner sources

Safety recalls

A verified zero — not an unchecked one. Here’s what that means.

No NHTSA safety recalls — verified July 10, 2026

Checked against NHTSA’s recall database on July 10, 2026. Any manufacturer Special Coverage programs for this year are listed under the issues above, not here.

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 — 2022 Altima

Three 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 44803 (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 19% less often than the average vehicle. One less thing to price into coverage.

Source: HLDI — HLDI whole vehicle theft losses, 2022–24 models, published May 2025 (report WT-24). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Nissan Altima.
Other series: Nissan Altima 4WD 49, where 100 = average.

81 vs 100

19% below average

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. 01Test the AEB/ADAS suite thoroughly for false-braking — it's the one recurring complaint on this year, and confirm the 12V battery is fresh.
  2. 02Confirm the charging system and battery are healthy; repeated no-starts on a 2022 point to the charging system or a module, not just a battery.
  3. 03If you hear a front suspension noise, ask the dealer to check the small left-front-coil-spring campaign (PC933) by VIN.
  4. 04Do the ordinary used-car checks: windshield, brakes, tires, and door latches — the file's remaining reports are one-offs.
  5. 05Because the recall lookup was inconclusive in our pull (see data confidence), run the VIN yourself on NHTSA's site to confirm no open safety recall before buying.

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