Nissan Altima vs Toyota Camry: which is more reliable?
The Toyota Camry is ahead of the Nissan Altima on the federal record, 73/100 against 68/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
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)
Toyota Camry
- 14 model years scored
- 3,930 owner complaints on record
- about 31 complaints per year on the road
- 40 recall campaigns, 22 safety-critical
- best year 2014 (93/100) · worst 2018 (27/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Altima against Camry
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 | Altima | Camry | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 86 BUY | — | — |
| 2024 | 86 BUY | 83 BUY | +3 |
| 2023 | 93 BUY | 85 BUY | +8 |
| 2022 | 95 BUY | 89 BUY | +6 |
| 2021 | 88 BUY | 75 BUY | +13 |
| 2020 | 76 BUY | 56 CAUTION | +20 |
| 2019 | 68 CAUTION | 37 AVOID | +31 |
| 2018 | 83 BUY | 27 AVOID | +56 |
| 2017 | 69 CAUTION | 87 BUY | -18 |
| 2016 | 55 CAUTION | 86 BUY | -31 |
| 2015 | 27 AVOID | 81 BUY | -54 |
| 2014 | 29 AVOID | 93 BUY | -64 |
| 2013 | 23 AVOID | 82 BUY | -59 |
| 2012 | 73 BUY | 55 CAUTION | +18 |
| 2011 | 91 BUY | 59 CAUTION | +32 |
What owners actually complain about
Nissan Altima
- Power Train — 1,484 complaints
- Air Bags — 1,159 complaints
- Exterior Lighting — 1,053 complaints
Toyota Camry
- Power Train — 622 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 609 complaints
- Air Bags — 390 complaints
Both nameplates have Power Train as their largest complaint group, so the choice between them is about how often, not about what.
Years to avoid on each
Nissan Altima — avoid: 2013, 2014, 2015.
Toyota Camry — avoid: 2018, 2019.
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 Nissan Altima prices at about $28,100 and a Toyota Camry at about $25,800 — the Toyota Camry is roughly $2,300 less, and they return 31.0 against 26.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Nissan Altima or the Toyota Camry more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Toyota Camry scores 73/100 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 Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry years should I avoid?
Nissan Altima: 2013, 2014, 2015. Toyota Camry: 2018, 2019. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Nissan Altima and the Toyota Camry?
The largest complaint group on the Nissan Altima is Power Train (1,484 complaints); on the Toyota Camry it is Power Train (622).
Is the Nissan Altima or the Toyota Camry cheaper to own?
A recent used Nissan Altima prices at about $28,100 and a Toyota Camry at about $25,800, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.