Head-to-head reliability

Honda Accord vs Nissan Altima

How the Honda Accord and Nissan Altima compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.

Honda Accord4,173 complaints · 35 recalls
Nissan Altima1,184 complaints · 23 recalls Fewer issues per year

Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records

Which should you buy?

Nissan Altima averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. Honda Accord has 4,173 complaints and 35 recalls on record; Nissan Altima has 1,184 complaints and 23 recalls. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.

The numbers

Side-by-side NHTSA record

Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.

CategoryHonda AccordNissan Altima
Total complaintsAll model years combined4,1731,184 Better
Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns3523 Better
Crash reportsCrash-related complaints14696 Better
Complaints per yearAveraged across model years417.3118.4 Better
Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints13573 Better
Reported deathsTied to owner complaints31 Better

Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.

What actually goes wrong

The problems owners report

The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.

Honda Accord

  1. 01ENGINE940
  2. 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM812
  3. 03FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE784
  4. 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER677
  5. 05FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM567
In owners' words — ENGINE

2021 Honda Accord EX-L, 1.5T turbocharged engine. Within 8 months of purchase at approximately 21,900 miles, I experienced three separate incidents of sudden complete engine power loss at highway speeds. During each incident the vehicle would not exceed 2,000…

I am filing a complaint regarding the premature head gasket failure on my 2021 Honda Accord, which failed on May 28, 2026, with only 89,000 miles on the vehicle. A head gasket is a critical engine component that should last well beyond 89,000 miles under norm…

Nissan Altima

  1. 01UNKNOWN OR OTHER238
  2. 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM206
  3. 03POWER TRAIN193
  4. 04ENGINE157
  5. 05SERVICE BRAKES148
In owners' words — UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Recently purchased a NISSAN Altima 2024. Found the backup/camera safety component as well as front and side cameras extremely cloudy whether its in the day or night. Not to mention during inclement weather it gets worse. It is to the point I cannot see clearl…

Recently purchased a new 2024 Nissan Altima SL in December 2023. Found the backup camera safety component display to have a poor-quality, low resolution, distorted image. Guidelines are not sharp and objects in the backup path are obscured and practically inv…

Official recalls

Safety recalls on record

Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.

Honda Accord — 35 recalls

Seat Belts — Rear/Other — Retractor
#21V900000

The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021 Accord Sedan, Accord Hybrid, CR-V, Ridgeline, 2022 Insight and CR-V Hybrid vehicles. The automatic locking retractor on the second-row center seat belt assembly may deactivate improperly, which can result in an unsecured child restraint sys…

The risk: An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.

The fix: Dealers will replace the second-row center seat belt assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2022. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.

Air Bags — Sensor — Occupant Classification — Front Passenger
#24V064000Jan 2024

The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura R…

The risk: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.

The fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls ar…

Fuel System, Gasoline — Delivery — Fuel Pump
#23V858000

The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV,…

The risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansi…

Air Bags — Sensor — Occupant Classification — Front Passenger
#26V332000

The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022…

The risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.

The fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH,…

Nissan Altima — 23 recalls

Latches/Locks/Linkages — Doors — Latch
#26V023000

The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Altima, Sentra, 2025-2026 Frontier, and 2026 Kicks vehicles. The door strikers may have been improperly welded and break, allowing the door to open while moving. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Mot…

The risk: A door that opens unexpectedly while the vehicle is in motion increases the risk of injury or a crash.

The fix: Dealers will replace the door strikers, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PD185 and PMA61. Vehicle Iden…

Air Bags — Critical Fasteners
#26V526000

The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Altima vehicles. The front passenger air bag and front passenger knee air bag may have been installed with incorrect mounting fasteners, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended.

The risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.

The fix: Dealers will replace the air bag mounting fasteners, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 25, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan’s customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall i…

Steering — Rack And Pinion
#23V882000

The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2024 Altima vehicles. The bolts connecting the electronic power steering unit to the steering rack may loosen, resulting in a loss of steering control or steering lock-up.

The risk: A loss of steering control or steering lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will replace the steering gear assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 9, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC997.

Back Over Prevention — Sensing System — Camera
#23V628000Aug 2023

The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Altima and 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. Damage to the camera harness can cause distortion or loss of the rearview camera display image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stand…

The risk: A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and harness for damage and replace them as necessary. If no damage is found, the dealer will apply protective tape and reroute the rearview camera harness. Repairs will be performed free of charge.…

Year by year

Which model years to avoid

Complaints per model year for both vehicles — lower is better. The spikes are the years to scrutinize.

YearHonda AccordNissan Altima
202650
2025986
2024041
202322429
202223120
202122169
2020349178
2019667227
20181846224
2017532390
Years to scrutinize: the 2018 Honda Accord drew the most complaints (1,846); the 2017 Nissan Altima drew the most (390). Inspect these model years especially closely.

Check the actual car

Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.

Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific Honda Accord or Nissan Altima in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.

Go deeper

Full reliability reports

Honda Accord vs Nissan Altima — comparison facts
Comparison
Honda Accord vs Nissan Altima
Honda Accord total complaints
4,173
Nissan Altima total complaints
1,184
Honda Accord total recalls
35
Nissan Altima total recalls
23
Honda Accord avg complaints/year
417.3
Nissan Altima avg complaints/year
118.4
More reliable overall
Nissan Altima
Honda Accord top complaint area
ENGINE
Nissan Altima top complaint area
UNKNOWN OR OTHER