2026 Nissan Altima Safety Rating
Midsize cars Β· Current IIHS listing Β· IIHS data updated 2026-09-04
The 2026 Nissan Altima scores 39.1/100, ranking #4 of 4 current midsize cars and #137 of 137 vehicles overall with complete IIHS records. It does not hold a current IIHS award.
Results below Good: Moderate overlap front (updated test) rated Marginal, Side (updated test) rated Poor, Headlights rated Acceptable. Rear-passenger restraints in the updated moderate-overlap test: Poor; rear-passenger head protection: Good.
IIHS crash-test results
Detailed results by test (54 entries)
IIHS publishes these under the test they belong to, so the same label can appear more than once. Rear restraints and kinematics, rear head protection, structure and safety cage, and front restraints are the four that count toward the score (25%).
Small overlap front
Moderate overlap front: updated test
Side: updated test
Headlights
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0
Front crash prevention: pedestrian
Seat belt reminders
Child seat anchors
Opens on iihs.org in a new tab
How the score is built
Full formula, weights, and missing-data rules β
NHTSA 5-star rating
2026 NISSAN ALTIMA 4 DR N/A FWD
NHTSA stars are shown for reference and carry no weight in the score. NHTSA source. Why the two programs disagree β
Real-world context
| Measure | Result | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Class driver death rate | 60 per million registered vehicle-years | Midsize cars as a class, adjusted for driver age and sex (Farmer, 2023); all vehicles average 38. Class context only. |
| Nissan Altima (2019-20) driver death rate | 113 (95% CI 75β151) | Earlier model years of this nameplate; class average for that study 58.1. Reflects who bought and drove those cars as well as the car. |
Compared with other midsize cars
Closest-scoring current midsize cars with complete IIHS records, plus the class leader. See every midsize car ranked β
| Vehicle | Class rank | IIHS award | Rear restraints | Starts at | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Honda Accord | #1 of 4 | TSP | $28,395 | 94.4 | |
| 2026 Toyota Camry | #2 of 4 | TSP+ | $29,100 | 89.9 | |
| 2026 Hyundai Sonata | #3 of 4 | TSP+ | $27,450 | 89.4 | |
| 2026 Nissan Altima (this page) | #4 of 4 | β | $27,580 | 39.1 |
Our analysis
The 2026 Nissan Altima belongs to the Midsize cars class. This class has an above-average driver death rate compared with the national average of 38 deaths per million registered vehicle-years, which usually reflects lighter weight and smaller size in multi-vehicle crashes. The class figure is adjusted for driver age and sex, which removes a large part of the selection effect in raw death rates. It is still a class average, not a measurement of this model.
The Nissan Altima has no IIHS Top Safety Pick award for 2026. That can mean a result below the award threshold in one test, or tests IIHS has not completed. Absence of an award is not evidence that the vehicle is unsafe.
Across the 6 IIHS rating categories reported, the Nissan Altima earned 3 Good ratings. Results below Good deserve attention, especially the updated frontal and side tests that IIHS toughened in 2022 and 2023. Our updated crash test analysis explains what changed.
This analysis is produced independently; we have no affiliation with Nissan or any manufacturer. Read the full methodology or learn more about us.
Safety recalls for the 2026 Nissan Altima
NHTSA does not yet list this model year in its recall database. That usually means the vehicle is too new to appear, not that it has been cleared.
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Questions about the 2026 Nissan Altima
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Shopping for a family? Compare three-row vehicles and rear-seat evidence. Buying used? See real driver death rates by model.