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Nissan Altima vs Nissan Sentra: which has fewer problems?

Nissan AltimaNissan Sentra

Photos: Mr.choppers (Wikimedia Commons)

Winner

Nissan Sentra

About 16% fewer owner complaints per car sold than the Nissan Altima, and fewer in 12 of 24 model years both were sold.

Head to head

Nissan Altima
Nissan Sentra
Lemon Index
100 = average, lower is better
70
59
Years with fewer complaints
2000–2024
11 of 24
12 of 24
Recalls
2000–2024
107
105
MPG
latest year
28–31
33–34
Crash test
best, latest year
★★★★★
★★★★★
Best year to buy
2022
2023

Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the government within 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average, lower is better. Green check = the better of the two on that line.

Year by year

Shorter bar = fewer complaints per car sold. Tap a year for its full report.

2000
Nissan Altima 45 Nissan Sentra 68
2001
Nissan Altima 43 Nissan Sentra 120
2002
Nissan Altima 123 Nissan Sentra 113
2003
Nissan Altima 116 Nissan Sentra 61
2004
Nissan Altima 36 Nissan Sentra 44
2005
Nissan Altima 123 Nissan Sentra 50
2006
Nissan Altima 108 Nissan Sentra 38
2007
Nissan Altima 52 Nissan Sentra 62
2008
Nissan Altima 65 Nissan Sentra 65
2010
Nissan Altima 33 Nissan Sentra 40
2011
Nissan Altima 17 Nissan Sentra 35
2012
Nissan Altima 34 Nissan Sentra 51
2013
Nissan Altima 194 Nissan Sentra 124
2014
Nissan Altima 90 Nissan Sentra 53
2015
Nissan Altima 86 Nissan Sentra 51
2016
Nissan Altima 66 Nissan Sentra 47
2017
Nissan Altima 52 Nissan Sentra 36
2018
Nissan Altima 63 Nissan Sentra 43
2019
Nissan Altima 50 Nissan Sentra 61
2020
Nissan Altima 51 Nissan Sentra 93
2021
Nissan Altima 30 Nissan Sentra 78
2022
Nissan Altima 16 Nissan Sentra 64
2023
Nissan Altima 19 Nissan Sentra 15
2024
Nissan Altima 40 Nissan Sentra 31

Every Nissan Altima year · Every Nissan Sentra year · How the index works