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2020 vs. 2021 Nissan Altima: What Changed

EPA lists the same engines, transmissions and drive types for the 2020 and the 2021 Nissan Altima. Check the individual trims for equipment and production changes these records do not cover.

Two campaigns cover both years. Four campaigns (engine and engine cooling, tires and visibility) cover the 2020 and not the 2021.

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 2020

  • 20V570000 visibility
  • 20V685000 tires
  • 21V169000 tires
  • 25V437000 engine and engine cooling

Only the 2021

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

2020 2021
Engines listed 2.0L 4-cyl, 2.5L 4-cyl 2.0L 4-cyl, 2.5L 4-cyl
Drive types Front-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive Front-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive
Fuel types Regular Gasoline Regular Gasoline
Combined MPG 29–32 29–32
Recall campaigns 6 2
Complaints on file 179 69
Investigations 2 2
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

2020

Other 49 (27%)
Electrical 40 (22%)
Engine 26 (15%)

2021

Electrical 18 (26%)
Other 17 (25%)
Brakes 15 (22%)

Full reports

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

2020 Altima full report 2021 Altima full report Every Altima year compared

Sources and methodology