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2010 Nissan Altima: engine and transmission complaints

ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
36%
114 of 315 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

36% of relevant owner complaints on the 2010 Nissan Altima are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.

Better than 60% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 65 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 30%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
114
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
380
this model year
Fires reported
9
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
3
25 crashes · 37 injuries

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM74 · 19%
POWER TRAIN73 · 19%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER70 · 18%
AIR BAGS61 · 16%
ENGINE50 · 13%
SUSPENSION31 · 8%

The years either side

2010
36%
114 of 380
2011
49%
109 of 245
2012
57%
206 of 425
2013
46%
640 of 2,309
2014
45%
278 of 1,113
2015
42%
219 of 951
2016
65%
293 of 553
2017
55%
167 of 390
2018
21%
37 of 225
2019
32%
69 of 231
2020
33%
56 of 179
2021
14%
9 of 69
2022
too few complaints
2023
25%
7 of 29

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

Cleaner alternatives

Same car, a better year

Other midsize sedans with no elevated signal in 2010

The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.

What owners reported

ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM05/11/2015CRASH4 INJURED
TRAVELING EAST ON I-20 IN ARLINGTJON TEXAS OUR CAR BEGAN LOSING POWER AND COASTED TO A STOP. WE WERE POWERLESS TO MOVE AND COULD NOT GET OFF THE FREEWAY. WE WERE HIT FROM BEHIND AND AS REPORTED OUR CAR WENT AIRBORNE. THE TRUCK THAT HIT US ALSO HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE AND FLIPPED ONTO ITS TOP. IN ALL 4 PEOPLE WENT TO HO…
ENGINE06/03/2019FIRE2 INJURED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2010 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SHOULDER AND EXIT THE VEHICLE WHILE THE VEHICLE BURNED TO THE GROUND. THE FLAMES CAME FROM DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. SMOKE FIRST SHOWED AND THE …
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING06/15/20101 INJURED
MY BRAND NEW NISSAN ALTIMA A/C STOP WORKING JUST FOR NOT REASON AFTER DRIVING IT FOR LIKE 20 MINUTES BUT I THOUGHT WAS ALRIGHT THE OUT OF NOWHERE THE ENGINE START TO OVERHEAT ALL THE WAY TO THE H, MY CAR IS AN BRAND NEW ALTIMA 2.5 S 4 CYLINDERS AND I JUST BOUGHT IT ON MAY 12TH, IN KAILUA KONA HAWAII (WWW.KONAAUTO.COM),…

Three of 114 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (3)

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM(GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM)
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN NUVI MODEL 750 NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THE BATTERIES CONTAINED IN THE AFFECTED GPS UNITS CAN OVERHEAT.
SUSPENSION
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 ALTIMA AND MAXIMA PASSENGER CARS. THE UPPER FRONT STRUT INSULATORS MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED OUT OF SPECIFICATION R…
STRUCTURE
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 ALTIMA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 7, 2010 THROUGH APRIL 13, 2010. SOME OF THE FRONT SIDE MEMBER ASSEMBLY COMPONENTS MAY…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2010 Nissan Altima

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.