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Executive Vehicle Verdict

The 2020 Nissan Altima is associated with 178 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 6 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database.

The most frequently reported component area is Electrical System, accounting for 18 reports (10% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 5 certified vehicle configurations spanning 2.5l 4-cyl and 2l 4-cyl configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 29 to 32 MPG combined.

Official Federal Record Profile
  • • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 178 consumer reports filed
  • • Safety Recall Campaigns: 6 official campaigns
  • • Primary Defect Domain: Electrical System (18 / 10%)
  • • Field Incident Signals: 16 crash / 7 fire / 10 injury reports
  • • NCAP Crash Safety: 5 / 5 Stars Overall Laboratory Score
  • • EPA Certified Range: 29–32 MPG across 5 powertrain trims
Directly compiled from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA NCAP, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2020 Nissan Altima?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Altima 2.5L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) 28 MPG 39 MPG 32 MPG — $1,900 / yr
Altima SR/Platinum 2.5L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) 27 MPG 37 MPG 31 MPG — $2,000 / yr
Altima AWD 2.5L 4-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) 26 MPG 35 MPG 30 MPG — $2,050 / yr
Altima AWD SR/Platinum 2.5L 4-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) 26 MPG 34 MPG 29 MPG — $2,100 / yr
Altima SR/Platinum 2L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) 25 MPG 34 MPG 29 MPG — $2,100 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2020 Nissan Altima?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
4 DR FWD 9.2%
4 DR AWD 9.2%
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Standard and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Optional in official NHTSA records for tested 2020 Nissan Altima models.
View complete 2020 Nissan Altima crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2020 Nissan Altima?

Summary of 178 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
178
Crash Reports
16
Fire Reports
7
Complaints w/ Injury
10
Total Injuries
15

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Electrical System 18 complaints
Engine 16 complaints
Powertrain 8 complaints
Visibility & Wipers 6 complaints
Forward Collision Avoidance 5 complaints (1 crash)

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2020 Nissan Altima problems & component breakdown (78 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2020 Nissan Altima?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #25V437000 Active Recall
Affected Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL

Defect Summary: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Rogue, 2019-2020 Altima, 2019-2022 Infiniti QX50, and 2022 Infiniti QX55 vehicles equipped with 3-cylinder 1.5L or 4-cylinder 2.0L variable compression turbo (VC-Turbo) engines. The engine bearings may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine failure.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the engine control module (ECM) software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed April 8, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261 or Infiniti's customer service at 1-800-662-6200. Nissan's numbers for this recall are R25A8/A9 and R25B1/B2.
NHTSA Campaign #23V628000 Active Recall
Affected Component: BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

Defect Summary: 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 Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Free Manufacturer Remedy: 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. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23C3.
NHTSA Campaign #21V169000 Active Recall
Affected Component: TIRES

Defect Summary: 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.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: 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 number for this recall is PC798.
View all 2020 Nissan Altima recalls & campaign history (6 campaigns) →
Search Intelligence

Quick Answers: Key Questions Drivers Ask About the 2020 Nissan Altima

Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2020 Nissan Altima

How many safety recalls does the 2020 Nissan Altima have?

The 2020 Nissan Altima is associated with 6 official NHTSA safety recall campaigns in AutoUtility's current federal records.

If your individual vehicle is affected by an open safety recall, NHTSA advises owners to contact an authorized franchised dealership for the recall remedy at no charge. Because recall campaigns apply to specific production runs and equipment batches, vehicle owners should verify their 17-digit VIN at NHTSA.gov.

View all 6 recall campaigns & remedy details →
Source: NHTSA Safety Recalls Database (49 U.S.C. 30118)

What are the most common problems reported for the 2020 Nissan Altima?

NHTSA records list 178 consumer defect complaints for the 2020 Nissan Altima. The most frequently referenced vehicle system is Electrical System, appearing in 18 filings (10% of submissions).

Consumer complaints represent unverified owner submissions filed under federal reporting guidelines and describe reported component behavior rather than audited failure rates.

Explore full 2020 Nissan Altima defect complaint breakdown →
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

What is the NHTSA safety rating for the 2020 Nissan Altima?

Under the NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), the 2020 Nissan Altima earned an Overall Safety Rating of 5 out of 5 stars across 2 tested configuration(s).

Laboratory evaluations include a 35 mph frontal barrier crash, side barrier and pole impact tests, and static rollover resistance assessments.

View detailed crash test laboratory breakdown →
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP)

What fuel economy (MPG) does the 2020 Nissan Altima get?

Official EPA laboratory estimates for the 2020 Nissan Altima range from 29 to 32 MPG combined (55% city / 45% highway weighted) depending on engine, transmission, and drivetrain configuration.

Using AutoUtility's standardized operating cost model (15,000 miles/year, $3.50/gal gas, $0.16/kWh electricity), annual energy expenditures range across certified configurations based on official EPA laboratory test baselines.

Compare MPG ratings across all certified trims →
Source: EPA FuelEconomy.gov Certified Database
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.