Long Term Reliability of Nissan Altima
Hi all,
A newbie here. I am in the market for a new car with the intention of keeping it for long term use (thinking at least 10 years). I am very interested in the Altima 2.5s CVT sedan, but wife is a little worried about long-term reliability of Nissan cars.
A little bit of history: A few years ago I bought a used Nissa Altima 1995. Really like how the car drove, but it was giving me a lot of maintenance issues. Ultimately the headgasket blew at around 120k miles and I sold the car.
Wife remembers that car well. Hence her doubt about me purchasing another Altima. The way she puts it to me: "I keep hearing/reading stories about Hondas running up to 300k mile just fine, but you don't hear the same about Nissans do you?"
So, any long-term Altima owners out there? How long have you had your Altima, and how reliable has it been? Would really appreciate any input you would have on the subject matter. TIA!
See Also: Nissan Maintenance and Repair
A newbie here. I am in the market for a new car with the intention of keeping it for long term use (thinking at least 10 years). I am very interested in the Altima 2.5s CVT sedan, but wife is a little worried about long-term reliability of Nissan cars.
A little bit of history: A few years ago I bought a used Nissa Altima 1995. Really like how the car drove, but it was giving me a lot of maintenance issues. Ultimately the headgasket blew at around 120k miles and I sold the car.
Wife remembers that car well. Hence her doubt about me purchasing another Altima. The way she puts it to me: "I keep hearing/reading stories about Hondas running up to 300k mile just fine, but you don't hear the same about Nissans do you?"
So, any long-term Altima owners out there? How long have you had your Altima, and how reliable has it been? Would really appreciate any input you would have on the subject matter. TIA!
See Also: Nissan Maintenance and Repair
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Having been so reliable, in 1998 I bought my second nissan. A 200sx se. It now has 145,000 miles on it, and is 9 years old. In that time, the only work that was ever done to it was
1. same day I bought it had to take it back to have a defective radiator cap replaced. the car still ran, but hot. the radiator cap wasn't properly pressurizing the system
2. was recalled in 2000 (i think) because of a possibly faulty seal on one the windshield wiper motor.
3. Replaced the front disc brakes at 79,000 miles, and 120,000 miles. the rear brakes are still original
And that its. One defective part, one recall, and two sets of brakes.
Its the reason I stuck with nissan and bought my altima.
Anyway, any complaints so far for your 2007 Altima?
Oh, and by the way, don't base reliability on used car experiences. some people abuse the hell out of their cars.
I am the happy owner of a 97 Altima, actually purchased new in July of 96. As of eleven years now, I can say that there have only been two instances that my Altima did not start. The first incident was because I accidently left the interior light on overnight, (my own fault). The last incident was the distributor failing at the 139,000 mile mark. I now have 167,000 miles logged on this car. It also has the original timing chain which is supposed to be good for 100,000 miles. How's that for long term reliability?
Actually, a month or so back, I traded it in for a 2003 Honda Accord V6. I had been a huge fan of the Accord and had always wanted it. However, when I kept it for 3 weeks and drove it for 1000+ miles, it was no fun and totally boring. Fortunately for me, the deal fell through and I was able to get my Nissan back..
This is just my opinion but I will tell you that I love driving the 1995 Altima more than the 2003 Accord V6. The Altima might not have the same power that the Accord does, but it definitely feels much sportier. I especially love its thick, leather wrapped meaty steering wheel. The leather on the Altima feels different and much better than the one on the Accord's steering..
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_20/b3883053.htm
You can not look at older vehicles and compare reliability because from 2000 to 2007 there were so many changes. I looked at reliability at both JD Power & Consumer Reports and, in general the Nissans aren't highly regarded. Even below domestics. Most people not in the know will think Nissan are very reliable because its a [non-permissible content removed] car.
Its a shame to because i REALLY liked the design and performance of the 3.5SE Altima. I don't know if i would ever get one though because of the worries about QA/long term reliability.
Oh and on a side note. I have an 03 ford F150 4x4 FX4 with the 5.4L. Other than a seat sqeak its been 100% reliable. A guy at work has a 05 Nissan Frontier NISMO with a 3.5L engine. He bought his car 2 years after mine and he has had more problems than me (fuel pump went out almost immediatly after he bought the truck). He bought his truck new. Also his truck is not nearly as big as mine yet his gas mileage is the same or worse than my truck and he has to put premium in his.
I've recently purchased a Nissan Altima Hybrid, so there's no long-term data to be had, there. It seems well made, and only minor bugs have made themselves known. Oddly enough, a rattle developed in the overhead soon after we bought the car. We took it in to the dealer, who found that my wife's sunglasses were rattling in the sunglasses holder
It's important when checking for long term reliability of a car to NOT get sucked in by anecdotal evidence. Anecdotal evidence is when you judge a car (or anything, for that matter) based upon a couple of stories, rather than a trend of hundreds of instances. If you have a neighbor who's Nissan is a lemon, that is not a reason to not buy Nissans, any more than the neighbor on the other side who has a Nissan that never needs gas, has gone to the moon and back without a hickup, and can levitate
A good place to go to see long-term reliability is Consumer Reports and organizations like that. While you may not be able to see evidence of your particular model if it's a new one, you can get a general sense of the stable of all the Nissans by looking at the reports. Those reports are gathered through questionnaires sent out to new car and not-so-new-car owners. They're usually pretty good.
Nissan's record of reliability has been somewhat spotty for some vehicles, and better for others. Nissan is paying attention, though, and I personally believe they are the hidden gem of brands. Their cars in the past few years have gotten significantly better across the board. They are fighting that legacy reputation, but the quality of their product is now very good.
1) about 56000 mileage (6 years old), I need to rebuild the auto trans with $3000.
2) alternator need to be changed with $200 at about 80000 mileage,
3) at about 90000 mileage (8 years), the intake gasket
need to be replaced (leak with code P0304) with $700.
Now it has been 110000 mileage.
We're looking to trade our Infiniti G20 (Nissan Primera to the rest of the world) for a new Altima.
The 1994 G20 has 249,000 miles, with NO engine issues ever (other than one fouled injector at 110k).
Never needed a CV joint or axle.
Still blows ice-cold A/C.
Interior w/black leather is immaculate.
Drives & steers tight & sharp.
No rattles or loose trim.
Pearl paint is still rich & deep.
Only issue now is a worn 5th gear synchro.
That G20 was my first Nissan product, and the reason I'm considering another.
According to Consumer Reports, the 1999 Nissan Altima is the most reliable Altima ever made in history. There's a high chance I think that Nissan will not make another reliable Altima again that will be better than the 1999. After 1999, Nissan Altima is getting more black dots. Toyota Camry and Honda Accord will continue to improve, but not Nissan Altima. Nissan is done, I think.
Did you know that Camry is not on the Consumer Reports recommended list anymore?
lol.
Looking at purchasing a Pathfinder or X-terra soon. Oh, wait...Nissan is done...Ha.
sure, they're some people how had engine problems with the altima. but the number of them compared to the over 1 million altima cars sold make it staticticaly meaningless.
Maybe there are a lot of people that are happy with Nissan, but some are not. I'm not sure how the numbers run, but when it happens to you, then it's a lot more personal. When you get screwed by Nissan, it does'nt make you want to go out and buy another Nissan.
I'm glad you guys are happy with your Nissans, and I hope they keep running well for you. But as for me, my next car will be a Toyota.
maybe you can speak to the bluetooth in the altima, i can't find a local dealer that has one in stock (looked around christmas so inventory may be down)
things my wife likes about this car
push button start---won't have to fumble for keys
bluetooth--won't have to fumbe for phone
performance--than 4cyl with cvt is just great in the city perfomers like her turbo volvo
looks (except for hood is "long" she has a volvo s40 now)
the steering is lighter than the volvo she likes a bit more "sport" resistance in the turning
trying to figure out if she can put the kids in the coupe WHICH IS SHARP
no car company is perfect, and they all make lemons and have their share of problems. I don't blame you a bit for not ever being willing to buy a nissan again. there are several makes of cars that I won't touch for the same reason.
You right, it does suck to get a :lemon: .
What I am saying is that this is probably one of, if not the nicest, cars I have owned and as I have heard from others, longevity will have the final say. I put 6500 miles on a car per year and it will take a long time to get to the 80,000 to 100,000 mile mark where most of the observed problems have been seen, if there will be any problems at all.
I am hopeful that all problems with the 2.5 L motor have been fixed or that if problems arise, the extended 7 year warranty I paid a lot for will work. I had more problems with my wifes 2006 Honda CR-V so this cannot be much worse. All I can do is hope that Nissan's engineering will do the job.
When id10013 says "no car company is perfect" he says all that has to be said.
My concerns about the longevity of the cars I buy is Great because I can not afford to buy new cars and trade them in every 3 or four years. I have only $12K to buy a car that I have to drive for six years, and I drive 15K miles per year. So with $12 K, I can buy an SUV that is about 5 years old with maybe 75K to 100K miles on it. Then I have to drive and maintain it for 6 years and another 90K miles, so it will have about 165K to 200K miles on it before I am ready to get another 5 year old SUV. So that period of miles between 75K and 200K MUST be reliable milage, hence I do a massive amount of research to be sure I get good reliable vehicles that will last a long time. During the time that I own the SUV, I do not want to have to pull the engine apart or pull out the transmission. I expect to do ONLY routine mantenance, such as engine oil and filter changes, air filters, transmission fluid flush and fluid changes, tires, etc.
By the way, I drive a 2000 Ford Explorer XLT V8 5L Automatic with 148K miles on it, bought in 2005 and will sell it in 2011. Reliablity is extremely good, gas milage sucks. My wife drives a 1997 Ford Explorer XLT V8 5L Automatic with 164K miles on it, bought in 2002 and we will sell it in 2 months. Reliablity is extremely good, gas milage sucks. Next car for my wife may be a 2004 Toyota Highlander, we are looking now.
Good Luck,
E.D. ISF
Also, looking for any feedback regarding dealings with eBay Motors. Thanks.
Thanks.
Just curious, since my daughter is looking at a new car purchase soon.
One other issue I learned within one week of having it was that the power windows had been calibrated incorrectly and they would move to a default position of partially open whenever I fully closed them. Problem solved the next day when I brought it in.
anyone else having issues with nissan gas caps.
the dealer is taking its time replacing the altima's cap.
thanks, rr70
It's my personal belief that the engine failures were with early versions of the engine and had been addressed before the 05 models came out. My engine does not burn any oil.
The car does have some wear issues on the inside. (Again, my car was used.) The glove box door has deep scratches in it and the "wood" trim has a soft clear coat and scratches very easily. Beyond that, nothing has fallen off, torn, or broken. I've had no electronic issues with the car either.
The car has 43k on it now and runs fine. I have had only one mechanical issue:
Parking overnight on an incline, the fuel apparently drained away from the engine, and it wouldn't start. After pumping the gas pedal while cranking it, the engine started. Afterwards, I dumped a bottle of fuel injector cleaner in the tank and since did the 30k maintenance on it. This may have been a fluke since I have not been able to repeat it, or the treatments to the fuel system fixed the problem.
I have also had to repeatedly align the car (three times since purchase 8/08). This may be the fault of the shop just as it might be with the car.
Hope this helps. Enjoy your Altima!
the thing to keep in mind with the oil problem is that; even though it it real, and has happened to a lot of people,
it still represents a very small percentage of altima's on the road. the altima is the best selling vehicle nissan has, or has ever had. It has sold well over a million units, and continues to be outsold by only the camry and accord.
I know thats of little consolation to those who have had the engine problems. but it does get blown out of proportion here. For every person here who's had an altima develop the dreaded "oil consumption" problem, there are thousands who haven't. and being as the problem didn't show up in every altima equipped with with QR25DE engine, it only stands to reason that it must require a fairly precise sequence of events to cause it. Probably involving driving habits, type of fuel, and whether or not the recall was performed, and performed properly. It's probably also notable that most of the people who have had the problem have had it on cars they've bough used.
It seems that most people that own 2002 on up Altimas, who have the excessive oil consumption problem or the bad cat problem, are people who bought them used and have milage above and beyond the warrenty. Though some cases have appeared during warrenty, most I have heard of are after the warrenty period, but still in a timeframe where you would expect an engine to last. So, how long do you think and engine should last? From my long experience, I think a well cared for engine should easily last over 200,000 miles. I drive all my cars to at least 160K to 200K miles, and they remain reliable and trouble free, with no major engine or transmission work, BUT you have to buy the RIGHT ones, do the right maintenance, and most of all do your extensive research before you buy the vehicle.
The problem starting with the 2002 Altima is that it had a NEW 4 cylinder engine, the QR25DE and had no history to research at the time. But as time has went by, it has now developed a history of unreliability for some of the owners. My personal opinion is that the fault is not in the engine itself, as I have torn down and worked on the engine, and it seems quite well built. It seems to me that the problem stems from 2 possible sources,
First, the computer programming may allow lean mixtures at inappropriate times, causing the exhaust to run too hot "under certain conditions" burning the catalytic converter top screen, thus allowing some inner cat material chemicals to break loose and get sucked back into the engine, damaging the inside of the engine.
Second, the precat itself fails because the top screen fails or burns and allows the precatalyst material to be released and get sucked back into the engine and producing excessive wear in the pistons, piston rings, and cylinder walls.
From what I can surmise, there are two ways that this problem could have been avoided.
First, the computer should have been programed properly. Those that are not should be "reflashed" to correct the computer programing.
Second, the Precatalyst should have been better made with a heavier duty top screen that would not burn out and allow the release of the catalyst material back into the engine.
Further comments;
Other manufacturers use the same precatalyst set up on their cars with no problem, Toyota and Honda as examples. That is because the computers are programed properly and the Precatylitic converters are well made to contain their chemicals.
E,D. in Sunny Florida
First, the computer should have been programed properly. Those that are not should be "reflashed" to correct the computer programing.
there was a recall issued to deal with the programming of the ECU. I'd be willing to bet that in the majority of cases involving the oil consumption problem that the recall either:
1. wasn't performed
2. wasn't performed properly
3. was performed after the cat was damaged.
any of those three would also explain why this problem only happens to some, and not all altima's with the QR25DE engine, and why it almost exclusively happens in cars bought used.
Should I expect the same problems with the '09 verstion? He said I should look at the 3.5 because it definitely would not have the same problem.
Helping my son make decisions. He will spend $12,000 to 15,000 on a used car. He really likes the Altima and can get a 2006 with mid-high 30,000 miles for about 12k. He can get a 2008 with mid 20,000 mileage for 15k+. These are all pretty entry level cars without upgrades.
I vote for the 2008 because it had warranty left on it and comes with lots of airbags and ABS. Some of the 2006's have ABS, but not side airbags. He is 19 and could care less about safety.
He will (without a doubt) be putting bigger rims on it, I've herad him mention 20's, 18's minimum. He WILL be putting in a sub, amp and head unit (wants some DVD thing). So there is no point in getting one with upgraded sound and steering wheel controls.
This stuff will void out parts of his warranty, right? Making the warranty on the '08 less of an issue.
Altima redesigned in 2007? Is that year one to stay away from? I had told him re-design years are usually bad. I have an 06 Murano that is great (really low miles though) and read horror stories on the early model years, that is why I am afraid of the 2007. SHould we be afraid of the '07? 2007 would give him a little warranty...I like the idea of him getting the "newer" design for value, but the '06 has a nice price! (most of the cars with good prices are fleet or rentals)
OR, he hasn't looked at the Accord. HOw does that compare safety wise, price wise?
safety wise, they're probably about the same. I would imagine the crash ratings are pretty near ientical. Price wise, you're going to pay more for the accord. The accord has the best resale value in the class, so if your buying used, its going to cost you more. and because of the exceptional resale of the accord, a 2008 is probably going to cost pretty close to what a 2009 would.
Check all those problems before you buy any altima 02-06.