Which is cheaper to maintain, the Nissan Altima or the Nissan Altima?

Based on 5-year routine maintenance labor at a $150/hr indie shop rate, the Nissan Altima is cheaper to maintain — about $5,614 less over 60,000 miles. Parts cost is not included.

What's the labor difference between the 2.5L I4 (PR25DD, 188 hp) and the 2.0L Turbo I4 VC-Turbo?

Across 28 common maintenance jobs, hours vary by drivetrain and engine layout. See the side-by-side table on this page for each job's labor hours and estimated cost.

Are there any active recalls on the Nissan Altima or Nissan Altima?

The Nissan Altima has 1 open NHTSA recall. The Nissan Altima has 0 open recalls. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer.

2025 Nissan Altima vs 2022 Nissan Altima — Labor Times, Costs & Recalls

Specifications

Year

2025

2022

Engine

2.5L I4 (PR25DD, 188 hp)

2.0L Turbo I4 VC-Turbo

Drivetrain

FWD

Transmission

cvt

Fuel

gas

Powertrain

Engine output, acceleration, top speed, handling, braking — and Nürburgring if either car ran one.

Horsepower

—hp

248hp

Torque

—lb-ft

280lb-ft

0–60 mph

—

6.1s

Quarter Mile

—

14.5s @ 98 mph

Top Speed

—

130 mph

Skidpad

—

60–0 Braking

—

70–0 Braking

—

MPG · City

—

MPG · Highway

—

MPG · Combined

—

Curb Weight

—

3,471 lb

Performance specs synthesized from manufacturer figures and instrumented magazine tests (Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Road & Track). MPG from EPA fueleconomy.gov. Numbers flagged as "low confidence" by AI generation are conservative estimates from related platforms.

Cost of Ownership

★ WINNER

5-Year Maintenance

$19,114

0.32 $/mi

5-Year Maintenance

$24,728

0.41 $/mi

🏆

ADVANTAGENissan Altima — Saves you $5,614 over 5 years (29% less in routine maintenance labor)

Routine maintenance only. Cost = labor hours × $150/hr × estimated 5-yr frequency. Parts cost not included.

Maintenance Breakdown

Hours per common service. Lower is faster (and cheaper) at the shop.

VC-Turbo Engine Bottom-End Failure (2.0T)

— hrs

— hrs$2,800 / 5yr

Oil & filter change

0.5 hrs$1,380 / 5yr

Piston Ring Wear (2.0T VC-Turbo)

— hrs

— hrs$1,750 / 5yr

Tire rotation

0.5 hrs$600 / 5yr

Front brake pads

1.4 hrs$580 / 5yr

Rear brake pads

1.4 hrs$560 / 5yr

Differential fluid

1.2 hrs$440 / 5yr

CVT Transmission Oil Cooler Failure

— hrs

— hrs$650 / 5yr

Wiper blades

0.3 hrs$300 / 5yr

Brake fluid flush

0.9 hrs$300 / 5yr

12V battery

0.5 hrs$275 / 5yr

Fuel filter

0.6 hrs$240 / 5yr

Head Gasket Seepage (2.0T VC-Turbo)

— hrs

— hrs$450 / 5yr

Spark plugs

0.9 hrs$215 / 5yr

Cabin air filter

0.3 hrs$210 / 5yr

Water pump

2.9 hrs$194 / 5yr

Coolant flush

0.9 hrs$185 / 5yr

Intake manifold gasket

3.5 hrs$185 / 5yr

Oil pan gasket

4.0 hrs$163 / 5yr

Engine air filter

0.3 hrs$150 / 5yr

Serpentine belt

0.7 hrs$140 / 5yr

Alternator

1.7 hrs$139 / 5yr

Valve cover gasket

1.7 hrs$126 / 5yr

Fuel Filter Clogging (Turbo Models)

— hrs

— hrs$236 / 5yr

Transmission Mount Deterioration

— hrs

— hrs$228 / 5yr

PCV valve

0.5 hrs$95 / 5yr

Starter motor

1.7 hrs$91 / 5yr

Thermostat

0.9 hrs$61 / 5yr

Active Recalls

Open NHTSA Recalls

1 open

★ WINNER

Open NHTSA Recalls

CLEAR

🏆

ADVANTAGENissan Altima — 1 fewer open recall from the NHTSA

Fluid Capacities

Nissan Altima

ac_refrigerant · R-1234yf

brake0.80 qt · FMVSS 116 DOT 3

coolant8.20 qt · Nissan L255N

engine_oil5.10 qt · API SP

power_steering · none — electric power steering

transmission_auto8.60 qt · NS-3

washer1.30 qt · windshield washer fluid

Nissan Altima

ac_refrigerant · R-1234yf

brake0.80 qt · FMVSS 116 DOT 3

coolant8.50 qt · Nissan L250 Type B

engine_oil5.40 qt · API SP / ILSAC GF-6A

power_steering · none — electric power steering

transmission_auto8.60 qt · Nissan NS-3

washer1.30 qt · windshield washer fluid

The Verdict

🏆

THE WINNER

2025 Nissan Altima

2.5L I4 (PR25DD, 188 hp)

Nissan Altima is cheaper to maintain (saves ~$5,614 over 5 years)
Nissan Altima has 1 fewer open NHTSA recall

Based on objective maintenance and recall data. Driving feel, looks, brand loyalty, and ownership experience are separate (and very valid) considerations.

Open the full dashboard for either truck

Labor times, torque specs, fluid capacities, DTC codes, repair procedures, recalls, common platform problems.

Nissan Altima

2.5L I4 (PR25DD, 188 hp)

View dashboard →

Nissan Altima

2.0L Turbo I4 VC-Turbo

View dashboard →