Head-to-head reliability
Nissan Altima vs FORD F 150
How the Nissan Altima and FORD F 150 compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records
Nissan Altima averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. Nissan Altima has 1,175 complaints and 22 recalls on record; FORD F 150 has 27,559 complaints and 141 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.
| Category | Nissan Altima | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 1,175 Better | 27,559 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 22 Better | 141 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 96 Better | 762 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 117.5 Better | 2755.9 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 73 Better | 714 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 1 Better | 10 |
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.
Nissan Altima
- 01UNKNOWN OR OTHER235
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM205
- 03POWER TRAIN192
- 04ENGINE156
- 05SERVICE BRAKES148
“I was driving to work. As I was doing so multiple lights came on my dashboard and it started dinging. At the same time my car immediately shot left so hard into the concrete median barrier at 70 mph. It all happened so fast I was not able to see what lights c…”
“Rear view camera visibility is not clear and brightness at night makes it difficult to see at night. I made appointment with Nissan dealer to check camera. Dealer agreed that camera was not clear and much to bright at night. Dealer said they checked with othe…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN9,972
- 02ENGINE4,861
- 03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3,475
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER3,212
- 05STRUCTURE1,486
“When I am parking the truck, I press and hold the brake pedal, While the truck shifter in in "Drive", I press the start/stop button to shut truck down, the shifter gets stuck in "drive" and doesn't automatically shift in to park. The truck locks down and will…”
“My truck is a 2025 Ford F150 STX with 5,900 miles on it. This truck was purchased new at River City Ford in Lavalette, WV The component in questions seems to be involved with the turbos and more specifically the wastegate that attached to the turbos. Also, ye…”
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.
Nissan Altima — 22 recalls
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…
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.…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Altima and 2018-2021 Titan vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production.
The risk: Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall, resulting in sudden air loss or belt edge separation which could lead to tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's nu…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Nissan Altima vehicles. The tie rod ball joint fastener was not tightened properly, which could result in the tie rod ball joint detaching from the steering knuckle.
The risk: A detached tie rod ball joint can cause a loss of steering control, and increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the left and right-side tie rod ball joint fasteners, or install new fasteners as necessary, free of charge. The began March 31, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-…
FORD F 150 — 141 recalls
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 F-150, 2022-2026 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, Maverick, 2024-2026 Ranger, 2023-2026 F-600 SD, 2022-2027 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, and 2026 E-Transit vehicles. When towing a trailer, the integrated trailer module (ITRM) may los…
The risk: Trailer lights or brakes that do not function can reduce the driver’s ability to control the trailer and decrease the trailers visibility to other road users, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: The integrated trailer module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 25, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, 2024 Expedition and 2024 Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine. The engines may have a misaligned engine cup plug, which can result in a rapid oil leak.
The risk: A rapid oil leak can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the engine cup plug alignment, and replace the plug if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 23, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for th…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, Bronco, 2024 Ranger, 2025 Mustang, Explorer, and Aviator vehicles. The transmission valve body may have been machined incorrectly, which can cause reverse gear failure, or unexpected forward movement in reverse or neutral gear.
The risk: Unexpected vehicle movement increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the transmission main control valve body, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 11, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S19.
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, Expedition, and 2024 Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines. The engine may have a misaligned engine cup plug, which can result in a rapid oil leak.
The risk: A rapid oil leak can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the engine cup plug alignment, and replace the plug if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this…
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.
| Year | Nissan Altima | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | 9 |
| 2025 | 6 | 320 |
| 2024 | 40 | 600 |
| 2023 | 29 | 1448 |
| 2022 | 20 | 3292 |
| 2021 | 69 | 4939 |
| 2020 | 176 | 2530 |
| 2019 | 225 | 5718 |
| 2018 | 223 | 5505 |
| 2017 | 387 | 3198 |
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 Nissan Altima or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Nissan Altima vs FORD F 150
- Nissan Altima total complaints
- 1,175
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 27,559
- Nissan Altima total recalls
- 22
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 141
- Nissan Altima avg complaints/year
- 117.5
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 2755.9
- More reliable overall
- Nissan Altima
- Nissan Altima top complaint area
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN