If you’ve looked at the Nissan Altima, you might be curious about how much it will cost to keep up. We looked at a number of major publications to see how reliable it is. We’ve also looked into how much it will really cost to own.

RepairPal says that Nissan Altimas have slightly higher than average maintenance costs compared to other cars in their class, at about $500 per year. But out of 32 cars, it was rated as the ninth most reliable. This makes it a very reliable choice.

So, let’s look at how much the average Nissan Altima maintenance costs and how often it needs to be done.

Is It Expensive to Maintain a Nissan Altima?

On average, it should cost about $500 a year to take care of a Nissan Altima. Compared to other cars, that’s a little above average. If you want a cheap car, the Nissan Altima might end up costing you a little more over time.

But that’s $152 less than the average cost of all cars. So, yes, some are more expensive to own than others.

About three times a year, the Nissan Altima needs to go to a repair shop. That happens less often than most. About 0.4 times a year, you have to take all cars to a repair shop.

Every time you take your Nissan Altima to the shop for repairs, there is a 13% chance that it will need major work.

With a Nissan Altima, it seems like you won’t have to fix it as often. But when you do, they will cost a bit more than usual.

As long as you take good care of your Nissan Altima, it shouldn’t give you too many problems.

Nissan Altima Average Maintenance Costs

Nissan says that your Altima should be serviced at certain times. If you do this, it should last longer without any trouble. How much should you expect to pay for the maintenance that is suggested, though?

The more you drive, the more you will have to pay for repairs. If you drive less, you could save money on maintenance costs as a whole.

In total, it should cost about $500 a year to keep your Altima in good shape.

The Nissan Altima hasn’t had a lot of problems. So, you shouldn’t have a lot of maintenance problems that come up out of the blue.

Check to see if your model year has been the subject of any recalls. If so, take your Nissan to the dealer closest to you. They will do the repairs for free.

Several model years’ crankshafts have been called back for repair. When the engine is hot, that could make it stop working. People seem to notice it once they’ve driven an average of more than 140,000 miles.

The catalytic converter has been called back for a second time. People also start to feel this way after about 140,000 miles. It’s important to fix it. If not, material that helps the engine run could get into the engine. That would also hurt a lot on the inside.

Nissan Altima Maintenance Schedule

You have to check the oil every 3,000 miles. And you should check it in more than one place. As long as you have a warranty, this shouldn’t cost you anything.

Tires should be turned every 6,000 miles. That will cost you between $36 and $48, give or take. You should also check the brake pads and the way the car sits on the ground.

Every 10,000 miles, check how much fluid is in the car. This includes the fluid in your brakes and your transmission. Also, straighten out the tyres. The total cost should be between $280 and $340.

Change the key battery and cabin air filters every 15,000 miles. That should cost somewhere between $60 and $70.

Check the brakes and exhaust every 20,000 miles. The steering gauge and axle linkage should also be checked. The price should be between $200 and $250.

Check the brake and transmission fluids again every 25,000 miles. A multi-point inspection could also be done. The price should be between $150 and $200.

The engine mount insulator should be changed every 40,000 miles. The price should be between $200 and $250.

The spark plugs should be changed every 60,000 miles. It will cost about $190 per plug to do this.

There is a different maintenance schedule for each model year. The schedule above is for the latest model years. Check your owner’s manual to see if it applies to your situation.

Are Nissan Altimas Hard to Maintain?

Nissan Altimas aren’t hard to take care of. Most other cars in the same class are less reliable than these. So, you shouldn’t have too much trouble with them.

After 7,000 miles, you should always change the oil. The engine gets a lot of damage from running on old oil. It gets thicker and thicker. And it won’t keep the moving parts as smooth as it should. Changing the oil often could help keep damage from happening in other ways.

Rotate the tyres every so often. Tires don’t wear down equally. So you’ll have to move them. If you don’t, you’ll see that some parts wear out faster than others. Then you’ll have to replace some of them faster than the others.

Make sure you check on the Nissan Altima often, too. If you do regular inspections, you might be able to find problems before they become a problem. Most of the time, inspections cost much less than repairs. So, it’s likely to save you money.

Nissan Altima Cost of Ownership

Nissan Altimas are cars that are mostly reliable. RepairPal says that they did better than most other cars in the same class. Also, there haven’t been many problems with them.

Edmunds says the total cost of ownership will be about $33,000. That includes how much it would cost to buy one of them. Also, it figures out how much you’ll spend on repairs and maintenance. It even includes insurance and gas costs.

So, you shouldn’t worry that the Nissan Altima will drain your bank account. They come with a good warranty. And Nissan will fix any problems that are caused by recalls for free.

Have your mechanic check to see if your model year has any recalls. If so, you should fix it. It will keep your car running longer.