Is the Nissan Altima more reliable than the KIA Forte?

Yes, the Altima has a clear edge. It draws 1.6 complaints per 10,000 sold, while the Forte draws 3.2. Both are rated good. The Forte's engine failures and airbag non-deployment reports pull it down, while the Altima's safety reports are spread across electrical, brake, and steering systems.

Which has more recalls, the Altima or the Forte?

The Altima has more. Federal recall records show 20 recalls across its 9 model years, against 11 across 7 for the Forte. More recalls is not automatically worse, since fixes are free. Run the VIN of any car you consider to see which are still open.

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

The Forte costs less. Independent repair-cost data shows $451 a year for the Forte and $483 for the Altima, about $160 apart over five years. The Forte also has fewer shop visits and a lower chance that a repair is major, at 9% versus 12%.

What goes wrong with the KIA Forte engine?

Owners describe sudden failure. The car stalls at stops, loses power while merging, or knocks and grinds before quitting. Many say oil ran low between changes with no warning light until after the damage. Failures cluster between 67,000 and 90,000 miles. Some owners report warranty denials, especially second owners and those without oil-change receipts.

Are Altima brakes a safety concern?

Some owners report problems. Service brakes drew 62 complaints, and 14 are crash-linked. Many describe automatic emergency braking engaging with nothing ahead, sometimes stopping the car on the highway. One owner reports the brake pedal sinking to the floor at a stop light. Ask a dealer to check for open recalls and test the system.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Kia Forte vs Nissan Altima: Reliability Compared

Kia Forte

Good

More Reliable

Nissan Altima

Good

On reliability, the Nissan Altima beats the KIA Forte, with half the complaints per car sold. The Forte costs a little less to repair. The gap comes down to the Forte's sudden engine failures and a higher complaint rate, set against the Altima's higher recall count and slightly higher repair bills.

How Do the Kia Forte and Nissan Altima Generations Compare?

Most used Altima shoppers will land in the sixth generation, which covers 2019 to 2023 and received a refresh in 2023. The 2018 model year is the last of the fifth generation, which ran 2013 to 2018. The weakest Altima years, 2019 and 2020, are early in the sixth generation. On the Forte side, 2018 closes out the second generation, which was facelifted in 2017. The third generation began in 2019 and ran through 2024, with a facelift in 2021 sold as the 2022 model. Its weakest years, 2018 and 2019, sit on either side of the generation change. Its strongest year, 2024, is the newest and has had the least time to collect complaints.

Verdict

The Nissan Altima is more reliable than the Kia Forte, scoring 79/100 vs 72/100.

A clear edge goes to the Altima, and the deciding factor is the complaint rate. Its owners file about half as many complaints per car sold as Forte owners do. The Forte also has a pattern the Altima lacks: sudden engine failure, often between 67,000 and 90,000 miles, with some warranty claims denied. The Altima does cost a bit more to keep running, visits the shop more often, and has more recalls. Those are real marks against it. They do not outweigh the Forte's higher complaint rate and its engine failures.

Key Differences

1Kia Forte costs $32 less per year to repair
2Kia Forte has 9 fewer total recalls
3Nissan Altima scores 7 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

4Kia Forte

—

3Nissan Altima

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Kia Forte vs Nissan Altima: Which Is More Reliable?

Kia Forte vs Nissan Altima at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Kia Forte	Nissan Altima
Reliability Score	72/100	79/100
Years Tracked	7	9
Total Recalls	11	20
Complaints per 10k Sold	3.2	1.6
Annual Repair Cost	$451/yr	$483/yr
Repair Frequency	0.2/yr	0.3/yr
Major Repair Risk	9%	12%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2024 NHTSA	2026 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	1	6

What Are the Common Problems With the Kia Forte and Nissan Altima?

Safety-related reports are spread across five systems on the Altima. Electrical complaints include fires, some after the car was parked and shut off. Brake complaints describe automatic emergency braking stopping the car with nothing ahead, and 14 are crash-linked. Tie rods separating during turns is the steering pattern. Forte complaints center on the drivetrain. Transmissions skip gears, and engines fail without warning after oil runs low. Service brakes are not among its top problem areas. Both models have airbag reports, including non-deployment in crashes. The Forte's airbag area has the most crash-linked reports of any area on either car, at 22.

Kia Forte vs Nissan Altima common problem areas comparison
Component	Kia Forte	Nissan Altima
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.6Very Low	0.2Very Low
POWER TRAIN	0.6Very Low	0.1Very Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.4Very Low	0.3Very Low
ENGINE	0.5Very Low	0.1Very Low
STEERING	0.2Very Low	0.1Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.2Very Low	0.1Very Low
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	0.1Very Low	—None
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	0.1Very Low	—None
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	0.1Very Low	—None
SERVICE BRAKES	—None	0.1Very Low
LANE DEPARTURE	—None	—None
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	—None	—None
STRUCTURE	—None	—None
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES	—None	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	—None
TIRES	—None	—None
EQUIPMENT	—None	—None
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	—None
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)	—None	—None
SEATS	—None	—None
SEAT BELTS	—None	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—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: Kia Forte or Nissan Altima?

Cheaper upkeep goes to the Forte, but not by much. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $451 a year against $483 for the Altima. That gap is $32 a year, or $160 over five years. The Forte also makes fewer unscheduled shop visits, 0.2 a year against 0.3. When a repair is needed, 9% of Forte repairs are major, compared with 12% for the Altima. The Forte wins all three cost measures, though the margins are small.

How Does Kia Forte vs Nissan Altima Reliability Compare by Year?

Kia Forte vs Nissan Altima year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Kia Forte	Nissan Altima	Edge
2024	78/1000R / 20C	82/1001R / 31C	Nissan Altima
2023	68/1003R / 53C	84/1000R / 24C	Nissan Altima
2022	75/1001R / 22C	83/1000R / 20C	Nissan Altima
2021	72/1002R / 64C	79/1002R / 53C	Nissan Altima
2020	76/1000R / 63C	71/1006R / 162C	Kia Forte
2019	67/1002R / 140C	72/1008R / 230C	Nissan Altima
2018	66/1003R / 133C	76/1002R / 217C	Nissan Altima

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Kia Forte scored 78/100 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 Kia Forte vs the Nissan Altima?

Pick the Altima if you want the lower complaint rate and plan to keep the car for years. Target 2023, one of its strongest years, and be careful with 2019 and 2020, its weakest. Run the VIN for open recalls, since the Altima has 20 recalls across its model years. Test drive for hesitation from a stop, which owners report in the power train area. Pick the Forte if a slightly lower repair bill and fewer shop visits matter more to you, and you can verify the car's history. Look at 2020, one of its strongest years, and avoid 2018 and 2019. Ask for oil-change receipts, because owners without them report being denied warranty coverage after engine failure. Treat the newest model years with care. They have had less time to collect complaints, so a clean record there proves little. Ask whether the anti-theft software update was done.

Kia Forte vs Nissan Altima: Common Questions

Is the Nissan Altima more reliable than the KIA Forte?: Yes, the Altima has a clear edge. It draws 1.6 complaints per 10,000 sold, while the Forte draws 3.2. Both are rated good. The Forte's engine failures and airbag non-deployment reports pull it down, while the Altima's safety reports are spread across electrical, brake, and steering systems.
Which has more recalls, the Altima or the Forte?: The Altima has more. Federal recall records show 20 recalls across its 9 model years, against 11 across 7 for the Forte. More recalls is not automatically worse, since fixes are free. Run the VIN of any car you consider to see which are still open.
Which costs less to repair, the Altima or the Forte?: The Forte costs less. Independent repair-cost data shows $451 a year for the Forte and $483 for the Altima, about $160 apart over five years. The Forte also has fewer shop visits and a lower chance that a repair is major, at 9% versus 12%.
What goes wrong with the KIA Forte engine?: Owners describe sudden failure. The car stalls at stops, loses power while merging, or knocks and grinds before quitting. Many say oil ran low between changes with no warning light until after the damage. Failures cluster between 67,000 and 90,000 miles. Some owners report warranty denials, especially second owners and those without oil-change receipts.
Are Altima brakes a safety concern?: Some owners report problems. Service brakes drew 62 complaints, and 14 are crash-linked. Many describe automatic emergency braking engaging with nothing ahead, sometimes stopping the car on the highway. One owner reports the brake pedal sinking to the floor at a stop light. Ask a dealer to check for open recalls and test the system.

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More Nissan Altima comparisons

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How we score the Kia Forte 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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