The Nissan Altima is known for being a reliable and inexpensive option for families, commuters, and new drivers alike. They are practical, they don’t require a lot of expensive maintenance, and when things do occasionally go wrong, it is usually pretty affordable to fix. The Nissan Altima is far from the most expensive new car on the market today, but how far can you actually take it?

How many miles can the Nissan Altima last?

The Nissan has a long standing history of reliability, and the Altima is no exception. Looking over the past few decades of Altimas, you can easily find them on the used car market with incredibly high mileage, upwards of 200,000 miles or more and still in good, running condition.

Maintenance on the Nissan Altima is relatively simple, and as long services are completely regularly then your car will last hundreds of thousands of miles with of miles without ever needing any major repairs.

The only thing that doesn’t wear well on the Altima is the paint, which has been known to have failing in the clear coat that leads to spotting and peeling. This is common on the parts of the car that get the most UV exposure, like the hood and roof.

Of course, the only major costs due to repair are costs you will see with any car, typically brake pads, rotors and tires. Oil changes are of course required, but a service manual will tell you exactly how often these low-cost services are required.

Generations of reliability

The Altima is far from new to the Nissan lineup, first hitting production in 1992. That means it has decades of reliability and redesign to help increase the car’s long-term performance and overall lifespan.

You can see older generations of Nissan Altima still on the road today, even dating back to the original first and second generations. This speaks volumes for the car’s ability to last, because if you do find older generations on the market they are far from low mileage.

With newer generations of Altima offering hybrid options, it shows the Nissan can make not just the same reliable car over and over, but pushing forward with new design and newer technology to keep up with the ever-improving market.

Consumer Reports has also looked at previous generations of Nissan Altima, and we are happy to say they have consistently positive reviews, with good reliability ratings and high consumer satisfaction scores among all of the available model years.

With the Nissan Altima you can see that sometimes price doesn’t mean reliability, as you get just as much reliability from this affordable vehicle as you would one three times the price. With a history of reliability and longevity, you can feel confident in your purchase of a new or used Altima.