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2016 vs. 2017 Nissan Altima: What Changed

EPA lists the same engines, transmissions and drive types for the 2016 and the 2017 Nissan Altima. Check the individual trims for equipment and production changes these records do not cover.

Three campaigns cover both years. One campaign (air bags) covers the 2016 and not the 2017.

Fewer campaigns do not establish better reliability. Confirm each car's coverage and repair status by VIN.

The campaigns that separate them

Imported NHTSA recall campaigns that name one of these two model years but not the other, with their component labels. Campaigns covering both years are left out of this list.

Only the 2016

  • 16V244000 air bags

Only the 2017

No campaign names this year that does not also name the other.

A campaign may cover only part of a model year's production. Use the campaign number to ask an authorized dealer whether the car's VIN is included and what work remains. Our recall tool finds model-year campaigns; this guide explains the vehicle-specific check.

Side by side

2016 2017
Engines listed 2.5L 4-cyl, 3.5L V6 2.5L 4-cyl, 3.5L V6
Drive types Front-Wheel Drive Front-Wheel Drive
Fuel types Regular Gasoline Regular Gasoline
Combined MPG 26–31 26–31
Recall campaigns 4 3
Complaints on file 553 390
Investigations 3 3
Complaint totals reflect different time on the road, sales and reporting. They cannot rank these years for reliability. The categories below identify symptoms to read about, not failure odds. How reporting time affects the comparison.

What owners reported, by system

2016

Drivetrain 232 (42%)
Other 123 (22%)
Airbag 62 (11%)

2017

Drivetrain 131 (34%)
Other 98 (25%)
Airbag 69 (18%)

Full reports

Open each year's report to read the recall, investigation, manufacturer communication and EPA variant records on file:

2016 Altima full report 2017 Altima full report Every Altima year compared

Sources and methodology