Which years should I avoid for the Nissan Altima and Hyundai Elantra?

For the Altima, NHTSA data points to 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014 and 2015 as Avoid years. For the Elantra, the Avoid years are 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2020.

Which model has more complaints overall?

The Altima has 12,123 total complaints across 21 model years (577 per year on average), compared to 6,792 for the Elantra (323 per year on average). NHTSA does not publish sales data, so these totals are not adjusted for how many of each were sold.

Which has more recall campaigns?

The Altima has 43 recall campaigns total versus 38 for the Elantra.

Which gets better gas mileage?

The Elantra averages 29.7 mpg combined across its model years, better than the Altima's 27 mpg average.

What are the top problem areas for each model?

The Altima's top complaint area is Electrical System at 21% (2,540 complaints), followed by Engine at 18%. The Elantra's top area is Engine at 28% (1,930 complaints), followed by Electrical System at 17%.

Nissan Altima vs Hyundai Elantra: Which Years to Avoid

Nissan Altima owners should avoid 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014 and 2015; Hyundai Elantra owners should avoid 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2020. The Altima logs 12,123 total NHTSA complaints (577 per model year) across 43 recalls, versus 6,792 for the Elantra (323 per model year) across 38 recalls. Elantra averages better fuel economy at 29.7 mpg combined versus 27 mpg for the Altima.

Head to head

Nissan Altima

Model years: 2005–2025 (21)
NHTSA complaints: 12,123
Per model year: 577
Recall campaigns: 43
Years to avoid: 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015
Best years: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Top problem area: Electrical System
Avg. EPA combined MPG: 27.0
Avg. NHTSA overall rating: 4.9 ★

Hyundai Elantra

Model years: 2005–2025 (21)
NHTSA complaints: 6,792
Per model year: 323
Recall campaigns: 38
Years to avoid: 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2020
Best years: 2022, 2024, 2025
Top problem area: Engine
Avg. EPA combined MPG: 29.7
Avg. NHTSA overall rating: 4.7 ★

Year by year

Complaint Index is relative within each model (0 = that model’s best year, 100 = its worst). Complaints and recalls are raw counts.

Year	Altima				Elantra
Year	Verdict	Complaints	Recalls	MPG	Verdict	Complaints	Recalls	MPG
2005	Avoid	1,091	1	21	Good	137	4	25
2006	Caution	824	3	21	Good	155	1	24
2007	Good	471	3	24	Good	267	6	27.5
2008	Avoid	1,028	4	24	Caution	314	7	27.5
2009	Avoid	1,547	4	24	Caution	253	4	27.5
2010	Caution	380	3	23	Avoid	379	3	29
2011	Good	241	1	24.5	Caution	432	5	32
2012	Caution	426	4	24.5	Avoid	652	4	32
2013	Avoid	2,312	12	26	Avoid	1,313	4	32
2014	Avoid	1,114	8	28	Avoid	382	2	29
2015	Avoid	953	10	28.5	Caution	262	3	28
2016	Caution	553	4	30	Caution	292	2	30
2017	Caution	391	3	30	Avoid	767	4	30.5
2018	Good	225	2	30	Good	282	0	30.5
2019	Good	232	7	30	Good	250	1	30.5
2020	Good	158	6	30	Avoid	250	3	34
2021	Best	70	2	30	Good	130	6	33
2022	Best	30	0	30.5	Best	101	5	29.5
2023	Best	29	0	29.5	Caution	98	2	31
2024	Best	41	1	29.5	Best	54	1	31
2025	Best	7	2	30	Best	22	0	31

Complaint Index by year

Frequently asked questions

Which years should I avoid for the Nissan Altima and Hyundai Elantra?: For the Altima, NHTSA data points to 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014 and 2015 as Avoid years. For the Elantra, the Avoid years are 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2020.
Which model has more complaints overall?: The Altima has 12,123 total complaints across 21 model years (577 per year on average), compared to 6,792 for the Elantra (323 per year on average). NHTSA does not publish sales data, so these totals are not adjusted for how many of each were sold.
Which has more recall campaigns?: The Altima has 43 recall campaigns total versus 38 for the Elantra.
Which gets better gas mileage?: The Elantra averages 29.7 mpg combined across its model years, better than the Altima's 27 mpg average.
What are the top problem areas for each model?: The Altima's top complaint area is Electrical System at 21% (2,540 complaints), followed by Engine at 18%. The Elantra's top area is Engine at 28% (1,930 complaints), followed by Electrical System at 17%.