How safe is the Nissan Altima?
Drivers of the 2021–2023 Nissan Altima died at a rate of 105 per million registered vehicle years, 138% higher than the average of 37 for all vehicles. That makes it one of the riskiest vehicles on the road for its driver: it ranks 124th of 129 vehicles, safer than 4% of them, whether they're small cars, SUVs, pickups or minivans.
Where the Nissan Altima sits among all 129 vehicles
Nissan Altima (bar is the 95% range)Every other ranked vehicleDashed line: average of 37
The rate is based on plenty of data, so this ranking is reliable.
Vehicles ranked near the Nissan Altima
These are the vehicles just above and below it on the all-class ranking. Notice they aren't all the same type: the ranking compares every vehicle against every other one. Ranks use each rate after adjusting for how much data is behind it, so a rate of 0 from a few vehicles can rank below a slightly higher rate from many. Why.
| Rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 121 | Nissan KicksCar · Small | 86 | 5 |
| 122 | Hyundai Venue 2WDSUV · Small | 113 | 5 |
| 123 | Kia K5Car · Midsize | 94 | 5 |
| 124 | Nissan AltimaCar · Midsize | 105 | 4 |
| 125 | Dodge Charger Hemi 2WDCar · Large | 127 | 3 |
| 126 | Kia RioCar · Mini | 170 | 2 |
| 127 | Dodge Challenger 2WDCar · Large | 125 | 2 |
How it compares with other cars
Among the 23 cars ranked, the Nissan Altima is 18th. The safest cars are below. See all cars.
| Cars rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honda Civic hatchbackCar · Small | 28 | 36 |
| 2 | Subaru LegacyCar · Midsize | 37 | 27 |
| 3 | Toyota Corolla hybrid 2WDCar · Small | 51 | 21 |
| 4 | Subaru WRXCar · Small | 51 | 20 |
| 5 | Toyota Camry hybridCar · Midsize | 51 | 20 |
| 18 | Nissan AltimaCar · Midsize | 105 | 4 |
Earlier models
In the earlier IIHS study of 2019–2020 models, the Nissan Altima had a driver death rate of 113 (range 75–151) and ranked 124th of 127. The newer rate is lower.
Common questions
Is the Nissan Altima a safe vehicle?
By real-world driver deaths, the Nissan Altima is one of the riskiest vehicles on the road for its driver. Its driver death rate of 105 per million registered vehicle years is 138% higher than the average, and it ranks 124th of 129 vehicles across all classes.
How does the Nissan Altima compare with other cars?
It ranks 18th of 23 cars. The safest is the Honda Civic hatchback, with a rate of 28.
Why is this different from the Nissan Altima's crash-test rating?
Crash-test stars only compare vehicles of similar size and weight, so a 5-star small car and a 5-star SUV aren't equally safe. This ranking uses real-world driver death rates, which can be compared across every class.
* Driver deaths per million registered vehicle years. A registered vehicle year is one vehicle registered for one year.