Last updated: 2026-10-10
Hyundai Sonata vs Nissan Altima: Reliability Compared
Hyundai Sonata
Nissan Altima
Reliability favors the Nissan Altima over the Hyundai Sonata by a large gap. Owners file 1.6 complaints per 10,000 sold, against 3.7 for the Sonata. Recalls are even, but the Altima's rarer problems, such as air bag and steering failures, can be more severe.
How Do the Hyundai Sonata and Nissan Altima Generations Compare?
Verdict
The Nissan Altima is more reliable than the Hyundai Sonata, scoring 79/100 vs 68/100.
Reliability favors the Altima by a large gap. Owners filed 1.6 complaints per 10,000 sold, against 3.7 for the Sonata, so the Sonata runs into trouble more than twice as often. Recalls do not separate them, since each has 20 across nine model years. The gap is about how often things go wrong, not how bad the worst cases are. The Altima's worst reports, including air bags that did not deploy and tie rods that came apart, are serious and deserve a check before you buy.
Key Differences
- 1Nissan Altima scores 11 points higher in reliability
- 2Nissan Altima has 2.1 fewer complaints per 10k sold
Category Scoreboard
Hyundai Sonata vs Nissan Altima: Which Is More Reliable?
| Metric | Hyundai Sonata | Nissan Altima |
|---|---|---|
| Reliability Score | 68/100 | 79/100 |
| Years Tracked | 9 | 9 |
| Total Recalls | 20 | 20 |
| Complaints per 10k Sold | 3.7 | 1.6 |
| Safety RatingNHTSA overall | 2026 NHTSA | 2026 NHTSA |
| Frontal | ||
| Side | ||
| Rollover | ||
| Year Wins | 0 | 9 |
What Are the Common Problems With the Hyundai Sonata and Nissan Altima?
Frequency and severity pull in opposite directions here. Engine and fuel trouble dominate Sonata complaints: injectors fail, sometimes more than once, and the engine jerks, loses power or shuts off on the highway. Hybrids add dead 12-volt batteries and sudden loss of drive power. Altima complaints are rarer but scarier, including fires, automatic braking with nothing ahead, air bags that stayed shut in frontal crashes, and tie rods that separated mid-turn. Air bags, brakes and steering carry crash links on the Altima (18, 14 and 9) with no match among the Sonata's top areas, whose highest count is 7 in the power train.
| Component | Hyundai Sonata | Nissan Altima |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 0.8Very Low | 0.1Very Low |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 0.6Very Low | 0.3Very Low |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 0.4Very Low | 0.2Very Low |
| POWER TRAIN | 0.4Very Low | 0.1Very Low |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 0.2Very Low | —None |
| AIR BAGS | 0.1Very Low | 0.1Very Low |
| STEERING | 0.1Very Low | 0.1Very Low |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| STRUCTURE | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| FUEL SYSTEM | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| SERVICE BRAKES | —None | 0.1Very Low |
| SEATS | —None | —None |
| SEAT BELTS | —None | —None |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | —None | —None |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | —None | —None |
| BACK OVER PREVENTION | —None | —None |
| SUSPENSION | —None | —None |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | —None | —None |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | —None | —None |
| TIRES | —None | —None |
| VISIBILITY | —None | —None |
Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.
How Does Hyundai Sonata vs Nissan Altima Reliability Compare by Year?
| Year | Hyundai Sonata | Nissan Altima | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 75/1002R / 0C | 88/1000R / 0C | Nissan Altima |
| 2025 | 76/1000R / 16C | 78/1001R / 4C | Nissan Altima |
| 2024 | 73/1001R / 41C | 82/1001R / 31C | Nissan Altima |
| 2023 | 62/1002R / 87C | 84/1000R / 24C | Nissan Altima |
| 2022 | 65/1003R / 95C | 83/1000R / 20C | Nissan Altima |
| 2021 | 64/1004R / 151C | 79/1002R / 53C | Nissan Altima |
| 2020 | 62/1005R / 163C | 71/1006R / 162C | Nissan Altima |
| 2019 | 71/1000R / 144C | 72/1008R / 230C | Nissan Altima |
| 2018 | 61/1003R / 353C | 76/1002R / 217C | Nissan Altima |
Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Hyundai Sonata scored 73/100 and the 2023 Nissan Altima scored 84/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.
Who Should Buy the Hyundai Sonata vs the Nissan Altima?
Hyundai Sonata vs Nissan Altima: Common Questions
- Is the Nissan Altima more reliable than the Hyundai Sonata?
- Yes, by a large gap. Altima owners filed 1.6 complaints per 10,000 cars sold, while Sonata owners filed 3.7. The Sonata's problems are more frequent, mainly engine, injector and electrical faults. The Altima has fewer problems, but some of them, like air bag and steering failures, are more serious.
- Which has more recalls, the Altima or the Sonata?
- They are even. Federal recall records show 20 recalls for each across model years 2018 to 2026. Recall count does not decide this matchup. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before buying, since owner reports do not reliably show what was covered.
- What goes wrong most often on the Hyundai Sonata?
- Engine and fuel injector trouble leads the list. Owners describe jerking, power loss and shutoffs at highway speed, with injectors replaced more than once. Hybrid owners also report dead 12-volt batteries after the car sits a few days. Some cars lose drive power suddenly, and a restart often brings it back.
- Are there safety concerns with the Nissan Altima?
- Yes, a few. Owners report fires in the electrical system, automatic emergency braking that stops the car with nothing ahead, and air bags that did not deploy in serious frontal crashes. Some also report tie rods separating during turns. These reports are less common per car sold, but they are severe.
- Which Altima and Sonata years should I avoid?
- Skip the 2019 and 2020 Altima, its weakest years. On the Sonata, avoid 2018 and 2023. The 2025 and 2026 Sonata and 2026 Altima rank strongest, but they are the newest and have had little time to collect complaints, so judge each car on its own history.
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Decided between Hyundai Sonata and Nissan Altima? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.
How we score the Hyundai Sonata 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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