Buyer Research

2020 Nissan Altima — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $14,000–$19,000. There are 3 high-severity known issues you need to know before handing over a check.

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Kestrel Take

Second year of the sixth-generation Altima, and for once the CVT is not the headline — POWER TRAIN is 17 of 179 complaints. The record is spread across three things instead: door lock actuators failing one after another (with six fire reports in the electrical cluster we cannot explain away), an engine that throws 'Engine Malfunction — Reduced Power' and, on the 2.0L VC-Turbo, a 2025 bearing-defect recall whose real remedy may be a new engine, and an automatic emergency braking system that stops the car on an empty highway. Six recalls in total, one of them a loose tie rod that can detach. At $14,000–$19,000 this is a roomy, efficient sedan worth considering — with the 2.5L over the VC-Turbo unless the recall is closed and the engine has been inspected, and only after every recall shows done and the car has been driven past overpasses and parked trucks without braking on its own.

What we checked

Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 179 owner complaints for the 2020 Nissan Altima, and 6 recall campaigns.

A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. The largest single group is electrics and electronics at 25%. That is notable without being overwhelming — worth checking, not worth panicking about.

6 recall campaigns cover this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.

Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.

Known Issues for the 2020 Nissan Altima

Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.

VC-Turbo engine bearings can fail and put a hole in the block (recall 25V437)High — wallet impact

Recall 25V437, announced in 2025, covers 2019–2020 Altimas with the 2.0L variable compression turbo engine (SR VC-Turbo and Platinum VC-Turbo trims; the standard 2.5L is not included): the engine bearings may have manufacturing defects that lead to bearing failure, a breached block and hot oil on a hot exhaust. The published remedy is an ECM software reprogram that listens for bearing noise, but owners in the record report dealers finding debris in the oil pan at the recall inspection and being told the car needs a new engine — and then waiting on Nissan for parts. Other owners report 'Engine Malfunction' with coolant loss and overheating. If you are looking at a VC-Turbo: confirm the recall is closed, ask for the dealer's inspection findings in writing, and listen for a knock or rattle at idle when warm. If the seller cannot show the inspection, price in the possibility of a long-block.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed; $8,000–$12,000 for a VC-Turbo engine if the inspection finds debris — around 73% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (41); 6 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Automatic emergency braking stops the car for nothing; ABS pump failures light the whole dashHigh — wallet impact

29 complaints with four crashes. The pattern owners describe is a 'Front Crash Warning Malfunction' light followed by the car braking hard on an open road — under an overpass, past a parked truck, or for no reason anyone could find — sometimes once a week, sometimes six shop visits without a fix. A second group is different: the ABS light comes on, then the front and rear emergency braking lights follow, and the diagnosis is a failed ABS actuator, a four-figure dealer part. On the test drive, take the car on a highway with overpasses and a road with parked trucks and watch for the warning; check that no ABS or brake warning lights are lit at start-up, because a lit ABS light disables the emergency braking too.

Repair cost (estimate): $200–$600 for a radar sensor realignment; $1,500–$3,000 for an ABS actuator

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the driver-assist and automatic braking systems (29), the brakes (18).

Door lock actuators fail one after another, plus six fire reports and a touchy radio knobMedium

The largest cluster, 45 complaints, and the word that recurs is 'door': lock actuators that stop responding to the fob and the switch, then need several pulls of the handle to open manually, with one owner losing three passenger-side actuators in a row before 50,000 miles. Each one is a $200–$400 job. The cluster also carries six fire reports — more than any other on this year — without a single cause we can name from what owners wrote; some describe the car losing power with no warning light. Take that seriously enough to have a shop look at the underhood wiring and the battery cables. Also in here: a radio volume knob that jumps to full and lane-keeping that fights the steering. Test every lock from the fob, the switch and the handle.

Repair cost (estimate): $200–$400 per door lock actuator

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under electrics and electronics (45).

Tie rod fastener not tightened — ball joint can detach from the knuckle (recall 21V138)High — wallet impact

Recall 21V138 covers 2020–2021 Altimas: the tie rod ball joint fastener was not properly tightened at the factory, and a tie rod that detaches from the steering knuckle takes that wheel's steering with it. The remedy is free — dealers tighten or replace the fasteners on both sides. The 20 STEERING complaints on this year include three crashes and reports of clunks and wandering. Pull the VIN on NHTSA's lookup; if this campaign shows open, do not drive the car far until it is done. With the car parked, rock the steering wheel a few degrees each way and listen for a click from the front wheels.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed; $200–$500 for an outer tie rod end and alignment if one has been damaged

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under steering (20); 6 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Rear window can come unglued; over-cured Continental tires; rear camera harness (three more recalls)Medium

Three smaller recalls to check off. 20V570: the rear window glass may not stay bonded to the body and dealers replace it. 20V685 and 21V169: Continental tires from specific production runs were over-cured and can split a sidewall or throw a tread — by now most of these tires will have been replaced through wear, but check the date codes if the car still wears Continentals. 23V628: the rearview camera harness chafes and the image distorts or drops out; dealers inspect, tape and replace as needed. None of these costs you anything if the seller has done them, and the camera one is easy to test — put the car in reverse and watch for flicker or a black screen.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under glass, wipers and mirrors (11); 6 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

CVT judder and 'reduced power' messages on the 2.5LMedium

Only 17 POWER TRAIN complaints — far fewer than the Altimas before it — but the ones there describe the familiar Nissan CVT: a judder at low speed, a delay pulling away, and an intermittent 'Engine Malfunction Reduced Power' message that clears on restart and leaves no code at the dealer. This year's CVT is the newer unit and the 2.5L is a fresh direct-injection engine, so the record is short partly because the cars are young. Keep the fluid changed — Nissan NS-3, every 30,000 miles is the cautious interval — and drive it warm before you decide.

Repair cost (estimate): $200–$300 for a fluid service; $3,500–$5,000 if the CVT needs replacing — about 30% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the transmission and drivetrain (17).

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗'Front Crash Warning Malfunction' or any ABS light showing at start-up
✗VC-Turbo engine with a rattle or knock at warm idle, or coolant level below the mark
✗Door locks that ignore the fob or need two pulls of the handle
✗Recall 21V138 (tie rod) or 25V437 (engine) showing open on the VIN
✗Rear camera image that flickers or goes black in reverse

Good Signs

✓All six recalls closed on the NHTSA VIN lookup, with the 25V437 inspection results in writing
✓The 2.5L engine rather than the VC-Turbo, which sidesteps the bearing recall entirely
✓A highway test drive past overpasses and parked trucks with no phantom braking
✓CVT fluid changed with NS-3 and a receipt, even once
✓Every door lock cycling from the fob, the switch and the handle