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 vs FORD F 150: The Altima has 1,188 complaints over 10 years (avg 118.8/yr) while the F-150 has 11,311 (avg 1,131.1/yr). Both have serious stalling and transmission issues, but the F-150's are more frequent. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Nissan Altima or FORD F 150 more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Nissan Altima
The Nissan Altima is a midsize sedan that, in ownership terms, shows a pattern of sudden electrical and powertrain failures that can affect drivability and safety. Owners report the car stalling at speed, dashboard warning lights flashing, and even the gear shifter detaching, which points to issues that could leave you stranded or in a dangerous situation. The high number of 'unknown or other' complaints suggests some problems are hard to diagnose, adding to the frustration of ownership.
FORD F 150
The Ford F-150 is a full-size pickup that, based on complaints, has significant transmission and electrical gremlins. Owners describe hard shifts, loss of power, and the truck shutting off while driving, which are serious concerns for a vehicle often used for work or towing. The sheer volume of complaints, over 11,000 in a decade, indicates that these issues are not rare, and the many recalls show that Ford has struggled to address them.
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 | 1,188 Better | 11,311 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 23 Better | 145 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 96 Better | 328 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 118.8 Better | 1131.1 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 73 Better | 287 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 1 | 1 |
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 OTHER237
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM206
- 03POWER TRAIN193
- 04ENGINE157
- 05SERVICE BRAKES148
Owners report the car suddenly stalling while driving, with all dashboard lights coming on, and sometimes the car dying in parking lots. This can happen at speed, like in cold weather, and may be intermittent, making it hard to predict.
There are reports of the gear shifter detaching from its housing, leaving the car stuck in Drive, and the engine revving high on startup with hard shifts into gear. These issues can affect your ability to control the vehicle.
The engine can stall without warning, even at highway speeds, and may fail to restart. Owners also describe the engine revving excessively on cold starts, which could indicate a sensor or idle control problem.
“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…”
“When I first start the car the engine revs and the tachometer or the RPM reader stays above 2 while reving for over a minute which is too long. The needle eventually goes to 1 but it seems like when I change gears to drive it "hits hard" then almost skids out…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,553
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,071
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,401
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,164
- 05ENGINE847
The most common issue is harsh and delayed shifting, especially between certain gears, and sometimes a complete loss of power where the truck shuts off and then jerks back on. This is often linked to the 10-speed automatic transmission.
Owners report warning messages for the front camera and pre-collision assist appearing every time they start the truck, and there are also reports of loud bangs from the transmission area that may be electrical or sensor-related.
There are reports of the engine stalling or losing power while driving, which can be dangerous in traffic. The engine may also have issues with starting or running smoothly, though specific details are less common.
“I started noticing hard and delayed shifts from 7th into 8th gear. My RPM's were not increasing when this happened, and then on a very crowded major road I lost all power, vehicle shut off and drifted, then started up and jerked again very hard. This failure…”
“I am reporting a safety-related transmission problem I experienced with my 2020 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 automatic transmission. While driving normally, the transmission shifts hard (ie: jerks, clunks) between 4-5 and 5-6 gears, and has on occasion…”
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 — 23 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 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…
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.
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.…
FORD F 150 — 145 recalls
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 trucks equipped with high series LED headlamps with Autolamp (On/Off) functionality. The Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) may remain activated instead of dimming to parking lamps when the Master Lighting Switch (MLS) is manually rotated from…
The risk: DRL that cannot dim may reduce the visibility of other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module, free of charge. The recall began March 10, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C03.
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2020 F-150 vehicles. The fastener securing the Power Distribution Box (PDB) 12V cable and Battery Monitoring System (BMS) eyelets to the positive battery terminal may loosen and affect the vehicle's systems such as instrument panel displays and br…
The risk: Inoperative vehicle systems or an engine stall can increase the risk of a crash. Reduced braking and steering efforts increases the risk of a crash. This condition could also create a resistive short, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the positive battery cable/BMS/PDB joint for excess sealant adhesive and remove any excessive adhesive, reassemble the joint, and retorque the fastener, as necessary, free of charge. The re…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causin…
The risk: When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also…
The risk: A seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's num…
Buyer analysis
Nissan Altima or FORD F 150: which should you buy?
The Nissan Altima has far fewer complaints per year (about 119) compared to the Ford F-150 (about 1,131), so on average, the Altima is less likely to have a reported issue. However, the Altima's issues are still serious, and the F-150's higher volume may reflect its larger sales and different usage, but the transmission problems are a major concern.
Key differences
- The Altima has a higher proportion of electrical and engine stalling complaints, while the F-150's biggest issue is transmission harshness and failure.
- The F-150 has over 9 times more complaints per year than the Altima, indicating a much higher rate of reported problems.
- Both vehicles have recalls, but the F-150 has 145 recalls versus 23 for the Altima, suggesting more widespread safety issues.
- The Altima's gear shifter detaching is a unique and alarming failure, while the F-150's loss of power and hard shifts are more common.
- Test drive at various speeds and watch for any dashboard warning lights or unexpected stalling, especially in cold weather.
- Check the gear shifter for any looseness or play, and ensure it firmly engages Park, Reverse, and Drive.
- Pay close attention to transmission behavior, especially shifts between 4th-5th and 7th-8th gears, for any harshness or delay.
- Look for warning messages on the dash like 'Front Camera Malfunction' or 'Pre-Collision Assist Not Available' that appear on startup.
Before you buy
- Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic familiar with these models.
- Check the vehicle's recall status and ensure all recalls have been performed.
- Review the maintenance history, especially for transmission fluid changes on the F-150.
- Take an extended test drive that includes highway speeds and stop-and-go traffic to feel for transmission issues.
- Ask for any warranty or service contract options to cover potential electrical or transmission repairs.
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 | 24 |
| 2025 | 6 | 329 |
| 2024 | 41 | 617 |
| 2023 | 29 | 1507 |
| 2022 | 20 | 3432 |
| 2021 | 69 | 5234 |
| 2020 | 179 | 33 |
| 2019 | 229 | 36 |
| 2018 | 225 | 56 |
| 2017 | 390 | 43 |
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
- 1,188
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,311
- Nissan Altima total recalls
- 23
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 145
- Nissan Altima avg complaints/year
- 118.8
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1131.1
- More reliable overall
- Nissan Altima
- Nissan Altima top complaint area
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN