Nissan Altima vs Saab 9-5
Owner complaints, worst years and recall history side by side, from official NHTSA data. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.
Nissan Altima
- Total complaints
- 15,444
- Avg per model year
- 468
- Recall campaigns (all years)
- 49
- Most complained year
- 2013 (2,307)
Top problems: Power Train, Air Bags, Engine and Engine Cooling
Saab 9-5
- Total complaints
- 445
- Avg per model year
- 46
- Recall campaigns (all years)
- 8
- Most complained year
- 1999 (118)
Top problems: Electrical System, Engine and Engine Cooling, Air Bags
Complaints by model year
| Year | Nissan Altima | Saab 9-5 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 241 | 9 | ||
| 2008 | 1,028 | 20 | ||
| 2007 | 471 | 17 | ||
| 2006 | 824 | 23 | ||
| 2005 | 1,091 | 11 | ||
| 2004 | 276 | 19 | ||
| 2003 | 883 | 47 | ||
| 2002 | 1,047 | 53 | ||
| 2001 | 159 | 82 | ||
| 2000 | 160 | 102 | ||
| 1999 | 87 | 118 |
Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports per model year. A model that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — compare the shape across years, not just the raw totals, and read the year pages for what actually fails.