Nissan Altima vs Toyota Camry
Head-to-head reliability comparison from 43,431real NHTSA consumer complaints. Year-by-year breakdown, shared problems, crash & fire rates.
Which is more reliable, Nissan Altima or Toyota Camry?
Verdict from 43,431 NHTSA complaints
Nissan Altima wins this comparison overall. Nissan Altima comes out ahead on 3 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 168% lower complaint rate. The Toyota Camry edges ahead on complaints per 10k sold.
Head-to-Head Metrics
Lower is better on every metric. Bar length = relative magnitude. ✓ = winner.
Toyota Camry wins by 40%
Nissan Altima wins by 168%
Nissan Altima wins by 50%
Nissan Altima wins by 17%
NHTSA Crash Test Ratings
Official NCAP star ratings — government crash test data. Most recent rated model year.
Nissan Altima
2025 model yearToyota Camry
2025 model yearSource: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Lower star = higher injury risk in that crash type.
Complaint Rate per 10K Sold — Year by Year
Lower line = fewer complaints relative to vehicles sold that year. Crossovers reveal which model improved (or got worse) over generations.
Most Reported Problems
Top component complaints for each model. Identical bar lengths = both have the same recurring issue.
Year-by-Year Head-to-Head
Complaints per 10,000 sold that year; lower is better. Click either model column to see that year's full breakdown.
| Year | Nissan Altima | Toyota Camry | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 53.3 | 21.0 | Camry |
| 2006 | 44.9 | 8.7 | Camry |
| 2007 | 21.0 | 77.6 | Altima |
| 2008 | 50.6 | 26.1 | Camry |
| 2009 | 105.6 | 45.1 | Camry |
| 2010 | 23.5 | 23.3 | tie |
| 2011 | 11.8 | 25.4 | Altima |
| 2012 | 17.1 | 19.9 | Altima |
| 2013 | 92.8 | 9.2 | Camry |
| 2014 | 41.2 | 14.8 | Camry |
| 2015 | 35.8 | 8.3 | Camry |
| 2016 | 25.3 | 6.3 | Camry |
| 2017 | 19.5 | 5.2 | Camry |
| 2018 | 15.1 | 30.5 | Altima |
| 2019 | 16.0 | 15.5 | tie |
| 2020 | 19.3 | 12.3 | Camry |
| 2021 | 9.4 | 6.0 | Camry |
| 2022 | 3.6 | 2.6 | Camry |
| 2023 | 2.8 | 2.6 | Camry |
| 2024 | 5.0 | 2.1 | Camry |
| 2025 | 1.0 | 5.2 | Altima |
Frequently Asked Questions
Nissan Altima vs Toyota Camry — the most common buyer questions, answered from NHTSA data.
Which is more reliable, the Nissan Altima or the Toyota Camry?
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Nissan Altima wins this comparison overall. Nissan Altima comes out ahead on 3 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 168% lower complaint rate. The Toyota Camry edges ahead on complaints per 10k sold. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation via VinItel.
Should I buy a Nissan Altima or a Toyota Camry?
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On reliability data alone, the Nissan Altima is the safer bet — but the actual condition of the specific car matters far more than the model average. Check the VIN of any vehicle you're considering for accident history, title issues, and odometer rollbacks.
What problems do the Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry share?
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Top complaints for the Nissan Altima: Transmission / Drivetrain, Airbags, Electrical Faults. Top complaints for the Toyota Camry: Unintended Acceleration, Engine Problems, Airbags. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
Which has fewer NHTSA complaints, the Nissan Altima or the Toyota Camry?
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Across all model years, the Nissan Altima has 20,099 NHTSA complaints and the Toyota Camry has 23,332. Normalized for sales volume (complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold), the Toyota Camry has the lower complaint rate. Raw counts can mislead — a 2× more popular model will naturally collect 2× more complaints. Detailed normalized comparison: vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/compare/nissan/altima/vs/toyota/camry
Which is safer in a crash, the Nissan Altima or the Toyota Camry?
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Crash-involvement rate from NHTSA complaints: Nissan Altima 6.2% vs Toyota Camry 16.6% — the Nissan Altima has the lower crash rate. NHTSA NCAP star ratings (frontal, side, rollover) for both models are also shown on the comparison page. Note: the per-VIN history matters more than the model average — a salvage-title car of any model carries higher crash exposure than the median.
Does the Nissan Altima or the Toyota Camry have more fires?
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Fire-involvement rate based on NHTSA complaints: Nissan Altima 1.60% vs Toyota Camry 2.40%. The Nissan Altima has the lower reported fire rate. Fire complaints are a relatively rare but important safety signal — they often correlate with electrical-system or fuel-system defects. Check specific recall campaigns at vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/nissan/altima and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/toyota/camry
What years of the Nissan Altima are worse than the Toyota Camry?
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The comparison page renders a year-by-year head-to-head table — for each model year (where both models have data), it shows complaint count or per-10K rate side by side and marks which model fares better that year. Buyers cross-shopping a specific model year should always check the year-level VinItel pages: vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/nissan/altima/{year} and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/toyota/camry/{year}.
Where does this Nissan Altima vs Toyota Camry comparison data come from?
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All complaint, crash, fire, and fatality data comes from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) consumer-complaint database — the same source insurance regulators and the federal government use. NCAP star ratings come from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. Sales-volume normalization (per 10K sold) uses US annual vehicle sales. Data refreshes every 6 hours. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
Related Reliability Comparisons
Other head-to-head matchups buyers cross-shopping the Altima or Camry also look at:
Comparison data refreshed 2026-11-04 from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.·Source: NHTSA ODI
A model average can't see the car you're buying.
Even the Nissan Altima has cars with hidden accidents, salvage titles, and odometer rollbacks. Check the VIN before you buy — full report $8.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Deep-dive into either model: