If you’ve looked at the Nissan Altima, you might be wondering how expensive it’ll be to maintain. We’ve looked at several major publications to see how it scores for reliability. And, we’ve researched how much it’ll really cost to own.
Nissan Altimas have a slightly higher than average annual maintenance cost compared to other vehicles in its class at approximately $500 per year, according to RepairPal. However, it was also rated as the ninth most reliable out of 32 cars, making it an extremely reliable option.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the average maintenance costs and frequency for the Nissan Altima.
Is It Expensive to Maintain a Nissan Altima?
The average yearly cost to maintain a Nissan Altima should be around $500. That’s a little above average compared to similar vehicles. If you’re looking for an inexpensive car, the Nissan Altima might cost you a little more in the long run.
However, that’s $152 less than the overall average for all vehicles! So, there are certainly some that are more expensive to own.
The Nissan Altima has to visit a repair shop about 0.3 times a year. That’s less frequent than average. Across all cars, you’ve got to visit a repair shop about 0.4 times per year.
Each time you visit the repair shop, the Nissan Altima has a 13% chance of needing serious repairs.
It seems that you won’t have to get repairs as often with a Nissan Altima. But, when you do, they’ll be a little more expensive than average.
The Nissan Altima shouldn’t give you too many issues as long as you’re maintaining it well!
Nissan Altima Average Maintenance Costs
Nissan recommends servicing your Altima at specific intervals. Doing this should make it last longer without any issues. How much should you expect to spend on recommended maintenance, though?
The more you’re driving, the more you’re going to spend on maintenance. Driving less often could help you to save on overall maintenance costs.
Overall, it should cost about $500 each year to maintain your Altima.
There haven’t been a ton of issues with the Nissan Altima. So, you shouldn’t have a bunch of unexpected maintenance problems.
Check to see if there have been any recalls issued for your model year. If there have been, take your Nissan to the nearest dealership. They’ll perform the repairs at no cost.
There has been a recall issued for the crankshaft on several model years. That may cause the engine to stall once it’s warmed up. It seems to impact people once they’ve driven more than 140,000 miles on average.
There has been another recall issued for the catalytic converter. This also affects people once they’ve gone about 140,000 miles. Repairing it is crucial. Otherwise, catalytic material could enter the engine. That would cause a lot of internal damage, too.
Nissan Altima Maintenance Schedule
Every 3,000 miles, you’ve got to check the oil. And, you should have a multi-point inspection. This shouldn’t cost you anything as long as you’ve got a warranty.
Every 6,000 miles, you should rotate the tires. That’s going to cost you somewhere between $36 to $48. You should also take a look at the brake pads and suspension system.
Every 10,000 miles, take a look at the fluid levels. That includes your brake fluid and transmission fluid. Also, realign the tires. All this should run you somewhere between $280 and $340.
Every 15,000 miles, change the key battery and in-cabin air filters. That should cost around $60 to $70.
Every 20,000 miles, check the brake system and exhaust. You should also inspect the steering gage and axle linkage. This should cost around $200 to $250.
Every 25,000 miles, check the brake and transmission fluid again. You could also have a multi-point inspection done. This should cost around $150 to $200.
Every 40,000 miles, you should replace the engine mounting insulator. That should cost around $200 to $250.
Every 60,000 miles, you should replace the spark plugs. This is going to cost about $190 per plug.
Each model year has its own recommended maintenance schedule. The above schedule pertains to the most recent model years. Look inside your owner’s manual to check whether it’s applicable to you.
Are Nissan Altimas Hard to Maintain?
Nissan Altimas aren’t too difficult to maintain. They’re more reliable than most other vehicles in the same class. So, they shouldn’t cause you too much of a headache.
Always replace the oil once you’ve gone 7,000 miles. Running on old oil causes a lot of damage to the engine. It becomes a lot more viscous. And, it won’t lubricate the mechanics as well as it should. Replacing the oil frequently could help to prevent other damage.
Rotate the tires regularly, too. Tires don’t wear evenly. So, you’ve got to move them around. Otherwise, you’ll notice parts of them are wearing faster than others. Then, you’ll have to replace some of them faster than the rest.
Make sure you’re inspecting the Nissan Altima frequently as well. Frequent inspections could help you discover underlying issues before they become a problem. Inspections tend to cost much less than a repair, too. So, it’ll probably save you some money.
Nissan Altima Cost of Ownership
Nissan Altimas are relatively reliable vehicles. They outperformed the majority of vehicles in the same class according to RepairPal. There haven’t been too many issues with them, either.
Edmunds says it will cost you around $33,000 over the course of ownership. That’s including the cost to purchase one of them. Plus, it looks at how much you’ll spend on maintenance as well. It even includes the cost of insurance and fuel.
So, you shouldn’t have to worry about the Nissan Altima bleeding you dry. They’ve got a generous warranty. And, Nissan repairs all the recalls without charging you anything.
Get your mechanic to check if there are any recalls for your model year. If so, get the repairs done. It’ll prolong the lifespan of your vehicle.
