Ford Fusion vs Nissan Altima: which is more reliable?
The Ford Fusion and the Nissan Altima are level on the federal record — 68/100 against 68/100 across the years we score. Which one to buy is decided by the model year, not the badge.
The record, side by side
Ford Fusion
- 10 model years scored
- 13,609 owner complaints on record
- about 99 complaints per year on the road
- 75 recall campaigns, 43 safety-critical
- best year 2020 (83/100) · worst 2016 (47/100)
Nissan Altima
- 15 model years scored
- 6,792 owner complaints on record
- about 46 complaints per year on the road
- 62 recall campaigns, 28 safety-critical
- best year 2022 (95/100) · worst 2013 (23/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Fusion against Altima
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
| Year | Fusion | Altima | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | 86 BUY | — |
| 2024 | — | 86 BUY | — |
| 2023 | — | 93 BUY | — |
| 2022 | — | 95 BUY | — |
| 2021 | — | 88 BUY | — |
| 2020 | 83 BUY | 76 BUY | +7 |
| 2019 | 82 BUY | 68 CAUTION | +14 |
| 2018 | 83 BUY | 83 BUY | +0 |
| 2017 | 73 BUY | 69 CAUTION | +4 |
| 2016 | 47 AVOID | 55 CAUTION | -8 |
| 2015 | 64 CAUTION | 27 AVOID | +37 |
| 2014 | 60 CAUTION | 29 AVOID | +31 |
| 2013 | 55 CAUTION | 23 AVOID | +32 |
| 2012 | 49 AVOID | 73 BUY | -24 |
| 2011 | 47 AVOID | 91 BUY | -44 |
What owners actually complain about
Ford Fusion
- Steering — 4,073 complaints
- Engine — 2,426 complaints
- Power Train — 2,020 complaints
Nissan Altima
- Power Train — 1,484 complaints
- Air Bags — 1,159 complaints
- Exterior Lighting — 1,053 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Fusion's complaints concentrate in Steering, the Altima's in Power Train. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Ford Fusion — avoid: 2011, 2012, 2016.
Nissan Altima — avoid: 2013, 2014, 2015.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Ford Fusion prices at about $18,400 and a Nissan Altima at about $28,100 — the Ford Fusion is roughly $9,700 less, and they return 23.0 against 31.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Ford Fusion or the Nissan Altima more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Ford Fusion scores 68/100 against the Nissan Altima's 68/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Ford Fusion and Nissan Altima years should I avoid?
Ford Fusion: 2011, 2012, 2016. Nissan Altima: 2013, 2014, 2015. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Ford Fusion and the Nissan Altima?
The largest complaint group on the Ford Fusion is Steering (4,073 complaints); on the Nissan Altima it is Power Train (1,484).
Is the Ford Fusion or the Nissan Altima cheaper to own?
A recent used Ford Fusion prices at about $18,400 and a Nissan Altima at about $28,100, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.