Is the Nissan Altima more reliable than the Buick Regal?

Yes, the Altima has a clear edge. Owners file 1.6 complaints per 10,000 Altimas sold against 14.5 for the Regal, and its estimated annual repair cost is lower. Both models share a good standing and the same 12% chance of a major repair, so the gap is real but not huge.

Which has more recalls, the Altima or the Regal?

The Altima has more in total. Federal recall records show 20 across 9 model years for the Altima and 8 across 3 model years for the Regal. The Altima count covers many more years on the road, so check the specific VIN of any car you consider.

Which costs less to repair, the Altima or the Regal?

The Altima costs less. Independent repair-cost data shows $483 a year for the Altima and $563 for the Regal, roughly $400 apart over five years. The Regal makes fewer unscheduled shop visits, at 0.2 a year against 0.3.

What is the Regal's "Shift to Park" problem?

Some Regal owners see a false "Shift to Park" or "Place in Park" message with the shifter already in park. The car may then not shut off fully, so the battery drains and it may not restart. One dealer diagnosed a failed shifter unit and console at about 39,500 miles.

What are the most serious Altima complaints?

Air bags, steering, and fire stand out. Owners describe air bags that did not deploy in serious frontal crashes, tie rods separating during routine turns, and electrical fires that start under the steering wheel or in the dashboard. Air bags have the most crash-linked complaints, at 18.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Buick Regal vs Nissan Altima: Reliability Compared

Buick Regal

Good

More Reliable

Nissan Altima

Good

On reliability, the Nissan Altima comes out ahead of the Buick Regal, with far fewer owner complaints per car sold and a lower yearly repair cost. The Regal has fewer shop visits, but the Altima's lead holds. Its complaints do include more serious crash-linked problems.

How Do the Buick Regal and Nissan Altima Generations Compare?

Most Altimas you will weigh sit in the sixth generation (L34), which ran from the 2019 model year through 2023 and ended with the 2023 Refresh. That makes 2019 and 2020, the weakest years, early cars in that run. A 2018 Altima belongs to the fifth generation (L33), which had a 2016 facelift. For the Regal, the sixth generation began in 2018, and 2020 was its final production year under the data shown. The Regal data covers only 2018 to 2020, so every used Regal in this comparison comes from that one generation.

Verdict

The Nissan Altima is more reliable than the Buick Regal, scoring 79/100 vs 74/100.

The edge goes to the Altima, and it is a clear one. Owners file far fewer complaints per car sold, 1.6 per 10,000 against 14.5 for the Regal, and independent repair-cost data puts its yearly bills lower. The Regal does see fewer unscheduled shop visits, and the chance that a repair is major is the same for both. The Altima's weak spot is severity. Its complaints include fires, air bags that did not deploy, and tie rod failures. Treat the lead as real, but not as a free pass.

Key Differences

1Nissan Altima costs $80 less per year to repair
2Nissan Altima has 12.9 fewer complaints per 10k sold
3Buick Regal has 12 fewer total recalls

Category Scoreboard

2Buick Regal

—

3Nissan Altima

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair Risk

Buick Regal vs Nissan Altima: Which Is More Reliable?

Buick Regal vs Nissan Altima at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Buick Regal	Nissan Altima
Reliability Score	74/100	79/100
Years Tracked	3	9
Total Recalls	8	20
Complaints per 10k Sold	14.5	1.6
Annual Repair Cost	$563/yr	$483/yr
Repair Frequency	0.2/yr	0.3/yr
Major Repair Risk	12%	12%
Year Wins	2	1

What Are the Common Problems With the Buick Regal and Nissan Altima?

Severity separates these two. Altima owners report electrical fires, automatic emergency braking that stops the car with nothing ahead, air bags that stayed shut in serious frontal crashes, and tie rods that come apart during routine turns. Air bags (18), brakes (14), steering (9), and electrical (4) all carry crash-linked complaints. Regal complaints are milder: stop-start restarts that lag at red lights, a false "Shift to Park" message that can drain the battery, and a hard brake pedal. Only brakes (2) and one speed-control report, apparently the same incident, link to crashes. Air bags and steering are not among its main problem areas.

Buick Regal vs Nissan Altima common problem areas comparison
Component	Buick Regal	Nissan Altima
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	2.6Low	0.3Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	1.9Low	0.1Very Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	1.5Low	0.2Very Low
POWER TRAIN	1.5Low	0.1Very Low
SUSPENSION	0.7Very Low	—None
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.7Very Low	—None
AIR BAGS	—None	0.1Very Low
STEERING	—None	0.1Very Low
ENGINE	—None	0.1Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	—None	—None
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES	—None	—None
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	—None
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	—None
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)	—None	—None
SEATS	—None	—None
TIRES	—None	—None
SEAT BELTS	—None	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—None	—None
STRUCTURE	—None	—None
VISIBILITY	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Buick Regal or Nissan Altima?

Independent repair-cost data puts the Altima at $483 a year and the Regal at $563. That $80 gap adds up to about $400 over five years. The Regal does better on shop visits, at 0.2 unscheduled visits a year against 0.3 for the Altima. The chance that a repair is major is 12% for both. So the Altima costs less each year, while the Regal sends you to the shop slightly less often.

How Does Buick Regal vs Nissan Altima Reliability Compare by Year?

Buick Regal vs Nissan Altima year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Buick Regal	Nissan Altima	Edge
2020	75/1002R / 2C	71/1006R / 162C	Buick Regal
2019	73/1003R / 18C	72/1008R / 230C	Buick Regal
2018	74/1003R / 19C	76/1002R / 217C	Nissan Altima

Best years to cross-shop: The 2020 Buick Regal scored 75/100 and the 2018 Nissan Altima scored 76/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Buick Regal vs the Nissan Altima?

Pick the Altima if you want the lower yearly repair bill and a bigger pool of cars to choose from. Aim for 2023, which is a strong year and carries the 2023 Refresh. Skip 2019 and 2020, the weakest years. Before you buy, run the VIN through federal recall records, since some owners say a tie rod fastener recall did not cover their cars. Have a shop check the steering and test the automatic emergency braking on a drive. Pick the Regal if fewer unscheduled shop visits matter more to you than a repair bill that runs higher. Only 2018 to 2020 are in the data. The 2020 model is among the strongest and was the final production year, while 2019 is among the weakest. The 2018 year shows up on both lists, so inspect it closely. On any test drive, work the shifter, watch for a "Shift to Park" message, and note how the car restarts after stopping at a light. Also confirm any open recall work has parts available.

Buick Regal vs Nissan Altima: Common Questions

Is the Nissan Altima more reliable than the Buick Regal?: Yes, the Altima has a clear edge. Owners file 1.6 complaints per 10,000 Altimas sold against 14.5 for the Regal, and its estimated annual repair cost is lower. Both models share a good standing and the same 12% chance of a major repair, so the gap is real but not huge.
Which has more recalls, the Altima or the Regal?: The Altima has more in total. Federal recall records show 20 across 9 model years for the Altima and 8 across 3 model years for the Regal. The Altima count covers many more years on the road, so check the specific VIN of any car you consider.
Which costs less to repair, the Altima or the Regal?: The Altima costs less. Independent repair-cost data shows $483 a year for the Altima and $563 for the Regal, roughly $400 apart over five years. The Regal makes fewer unscheduled shop visits, at 0.2 a year against 0.3.
What is the Regal's "Shift to Park" problem?: Some Regal owners see a false "Shift to Park" or "Place in Park" message with the shifter already in park. The car may then not shut off fully, so the battery drains and it may not restart. One dealer diagnosed a failed shifter unit and console at about 39,500 miles.
What are the most serious Altima complaints?: Air bags, steering, and fire stand out. Owners describe air bags that did not deploy in serious frontal crashes, tie rods separating during routine turns, and electrical fires that start under the steering wheel or in the dashboard. Air bags have the most crash-linked complaints, at 18.

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How we score the Buick Regal and Nissan Altima

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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