Skip to main content
VinCanary

Reliability report · 2023 Nissan Altima · Updated July 2026 · ~$2,000/yr fuel · what it costs to keep →

Nearly as quiet as 2022, but a thin thread of engine and stalling reports keeps it from fully calm.

The 2023 is a quiet late-model year — 28 federal complaints, no CVT (continuously variable transmission) cluster, and outside the 2019–2020 engine-bearing recall. Most of the file is ordinary: backup-camera white-screen faults, alternators, false-braking. But a thin, real thread runs through it — an engine fire with a 'power reduced' warning, a high-pressure fuel pump that unseated from the cylinder head, and several cars that stall mid-drive.

At this volume none of that is a proven pattern, and none is covered by an Altima recall. It keeps the 2023 a notch above fully calm: a good used sedan, but one where you drive it warm, watch for any stall or reduced-power warning, and confirm the recall picture by VIN yourself (see the note below).

Evidence: 28 NHTSA complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 7 mechanic & forum sources

Canary status

Chirping

What that means: 28 federal complaints — very low — but a handful describe genuine engine trouble: an under-hood fire, a high-pressure fuel pump working loose, and repeated stalling. None falls under an Altima recall, so these are worth a close look rather than a shrug. Otherwise it's a settled, late-model gen-6 car.

CalmChirpingSquawkingFainted

28

Federal complaints

0

Recalls (see note)

Federal crash tests

5-star scale
Overall
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover

Tested variant: 2023 Nissan Altima 4 DR FWD (NHTSA VehicleId 18389)

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) →

Known issues

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

Engine: fire, fuel-pump seating, and stalling reports

major

The most serious thread in the small 2023 file is the engine. One owner reported an 'engine malfunction — power reduced' warning followed by smoke and a small under-hood fire at highway speed. Another reported the engine-mounted high-pressure fuel pump working loose because its mounting threads failed, letting oil out near the top of the engine and causing a sudden power loss — a dealer confirmed it and a goodwill claim was denied. Several other owners report the car stalling mid-drive with no warning. Importantly, the 2023 Altima is NOT in the 25V437 VC-Turbo engine-bearing recall (that covers 2019–2020), so these are not recall-covered. At 28 total complaints this is not a proven fleet defect — but it's enough to warrant a careful cold-and-warm drive and a scan for stored codes.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2023 Nissan Altima

Backup-camera and electrical faultsmoderate

The largest cluster by count is electrical. Multiple owners report the backup camera going bright white or blank in reverse — sometimes from new, sometimes intermittently, and often not reproducible for the dealer. Others report a failed alternator with no warning light, a BCM (body control module) failure that stranded the car, and no-start/electrical-shutdown episodes. Unlike the 2019–2021 cars, the 2023 is not covered by the camera-harness recall (23V628 stops at 2021), so a white-screen camera here is an owner-pays diagnosis. Test the camera in several lighting conditions and confirm the charging system is healthy.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2023 Nissan Altima

Automatic emergency braking false activationmoderate

As across the gen-6 Altima, automatic emergency braking (AEB — the obstacle-braking system) draws complaints for activating with nothing ahead, and for the AEB warning light coming on with no reproducible fault. One 2023 owner attributes a shoulder injury to an AEB jolt during a low-speed collision. Nissan's dealer fix for false-braking is a healthy battery plus clean radar and camera sensors and a software update. Test the ADAS suite on the drive and note any false-braking or malfunction-light history.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2023 Nissan Altima · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (6th-gen Altima)

Assorted low-frequency reportsminor

The remainder is scattered: a spontaneously shattering rear windshield, distorted or overly bright driver/passenger glass, a seat frame that came loose, a rear seat belt found not bolted to the frame from the factory, spongy brakes, and a loud audio 'bang' through the speakers. None forms a pattern at 28 complaints. Do the ordinary used-car checks — glass, seats, belts, brakes — and treat these as individual quality escapes rather than model red flags.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2023 Nissan Altima

Smoke started pouring out of the hood… the car was unable to start.
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 — 2023 Altima

Two sourced numbers. No fake total.

Fuel

31 MPG combined (27 city / 38 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 45944 (Altima).
Other builds EPA lists: AWD, 2.5L 29 MPG · FWD, 2.0L turbo 29 MPG.

$2,000/yr

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

Theft

Stolen about 19% less often than the average vehicle. One less thing to price into coverage.

Source: HLDI — the insurance industry’s loss-data institute — 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?

Get the printable pre-purchase checklist and an alert if this year’s recall sheet changes.

Form not loading? Open it directly →

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.

Form not loading? Open it directly →

Before you buy

Print this
  1. 01Drive it both cold and warm and watch for any 'power reduced' or engine-malfunction warning, stalling, or oil smell — the file's engine reports aren't recall-covered on a 2023.
  2. 02Test the backup camera in several lighting conditions; a white-screen fault here is not covered by the 2019–2021 camera recall.
  3. 03Confirm the charging system and 12V battery are healthy; the file includes alternator and BCM failures with no warning.
  4. 04Test the AEB/ADAS suite for false-braking and note any malfunction-light history.
  5. 05Do the ordinary used-car checks: glass, seat mounts, seat belts, and brakes — the remaining reports are one-offs.
  6. 06Because 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.

Own one already?

The canary watches your VIN — new recalls and the mileage where known issues start.

Watch my VIN — free

vincanary.com/nissan/altima/2023