Nissan Altima extended warranty: cost, coverage and plans
Why an extended warranty could make sense
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Nissan Altimas are known to have average reliability, meaning an extended warranty might be worthwhile for long-term ownership or high-mileage driving.
We’ll break down what a Nissan Altima warranty covers, how much it costs, what your options are and whether a warranty is worth it in the long run.
All new Nissan Altimas come with a three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty from the factory.
Jump to insightQuotes we received for an extended auto warranty on a 2021 Altima ranged from $1,053.72 to $1,072.23 a year. That’s more expensive than the average cost of an extended warranty.
Jump to insightNissan has average reliability compared with other vehicles.
Jump to insightGetting an extended warranty on an Altima gives you peace of mind and protection against repair bills once the factory warranty expires.
Jump to insightNissan Altima extended warranty coverage
An extended auto warranty is an optional, paid extension of the factory warranty your Altima comes with. For context, Nissan Altimas come with the following warranties from the factory:
- A three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty
- A five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty
Factory warranties follow the vehicle, not the owner. So if you buy a 2-year-old car with 20,000 miles on it, you still have one year or 16,000 miles worth of factory bumper-to-bumper warranty remaining.
For an extended warranty on your Nissan Altima, you have two options:
- Buy the official Nissan extended warranty, called Nissan Security+Plus.
- Buy a plan from a third-party extended warranty company, which allows you to take your car to any ASE-certified mechanic for repairs.
Whether you get a third-party plan or a warranty from a dealer, a plan that offers comprehensive, exclusionary protection (often called bumper-to-bumper or Platinum) will provide the most value. These plans cover almost all the parts on your vehicle. Less comprehensive plans (e.g., Gold, Silver, powertrain) may be cheaper, but they also cover fewer parts per dollar.
A ConsumerAffairs investigation found most drivers couldn't afford to cover a $1,000 repair bill with cash, and 13% had no way to pay a bill that large, even with credit.
Auto warranties only pay for repairs and replacements of specifically covered parts that fail from normal wear and tear, not from damage or accidents. Repairs generally aren’t covered under warranty if you don’t properly maintain the vehicle or you make aftermarket modifications.
In general, here are the differences between what a bumper-to-bumper warranty and a powertrain warranty cover:
| Warranty type | Typically covered | Not covered |
|---|---|---|
| Bumper-to-bumper | ||
| Powertrain | Parts that create power and deliver it to the wheels | Parts not related to the engine, transmission or drive axle |
Note that some extended auto warranty plans fall somewhere between bumper-to-bumper and powertrain coverage.
» LEARN: What to know about manufacturers’ extended warranties
How much does a Nissan Altima extended warranty cost?
We were quoted $1,072.23 a year from olive for three years of bumper-to-bumper coverage for a 2021 Nissan Altima registered in Austin, Texas, with 40,000 miles. From Endurance, the quote for similar coverage was $1,053.72 annually for 30 months of coverage for the same vehicle with the same mileage. Both quotes assumed a $100 deductible. Note that both of these are third-party extended auto warranty companies.
The “official” Nissan extended warranty is called Nissan Security+Plus, and it may cost less than a third-party option. Be sure to get a quote from your local Nissan dealer to compare your options.
In general, quotes for extended auto warranties vary based on coverage, vehicle, deductible, location and other factors. A 2022 Altima with zero miles typically has cheaper extended warranty options than a 2020 model with 50,000 miles, for example.
For context, the average cost of an extended warranty is around $1,000 per year of coverage. The quotes we collected for our hypothetical 2021 Nissan Altima were more expensive by comparison.
Compare quotes from multiple providers to be sure that you're getting a good deal on an extended warranty.
Bumper-to-bumper plans cover around 90% of your car's parts. Lesser plans may only cover 20%, and powertrain plans cover even less (though the most expensive repairs are usually covered under powertrain plans). You might pay more for a comprehensive plan, but that comes with a lot more peace of mind.
Remember that some extended warranty plans, particularly those from manufacturers, start from the date that the original owner purchased the car. In such a case, if you're getting a "seven-year/100,000-mile" warranty and the factory warranty is three-year/36,000 miles, you're really paying for four years or 64,000 miles (whichever comes first) of additional coverage.
Is a Nissan Altima extended warranty worth it?
Yes, a Nissan Altima extended warranty is worth it. In general, an extended auto warranty is worth it if any of the following are true:
- Your vehicle has a bad reputation for reliability.
- The warranty costs less than you expect to spend on repairs.
- A big repair bill could hurt you financially.
- You don’t mind paying for peace of mind.
Nissan as a brand has average reliability, with J.D. Power ranking Nissan 15th out of 29 car brands for overall dependability.
As for the Altima specifically, RepairPal gave it a 4.0 out of 5.
Many ConsumerAffairs reviewers reported issues with their Nissan Altimas.
“I bought a 2018 Altima with 40000 mi on it,” reported Kyle from Minnesota. “Just rolled 87000mi and the CVT (transmission) failed. Spoke with Nissan consumer affairs and after they acknowledged issues with the CVT in specified models including Altimas they refused to even partially offset the cost 4000.00 to replace the CVT due to it exceeding the 60000mi warranty.”
The transmission went out and they couldn't do anything to help out with the $6k cost to replace the transmission.”
Randy in Louisiana had a similar story involving the Altima’s transmission failing: “2017 Altima with 80k miles. The transmission went out and they couldn't do anything to help out with the $6k cost to replace the transmission.”
These stories from real customers mentioning issues with Nissan Altima maintenance suggest that an extended warranty is a good idea. The likelihood of needing repairs and the prices we found for Nissan Altima extended warranties means you’re likely to come out ahead by purchasing a protection plan.
Article sources
ConsumerAffairs writers primarily rely on government data, industry experts and original research from other reputable publications to inform their work. Specific sources for this article include:- J.D. Power, “Vehicle Dependability Slumps as Rate of Deterioration Increases, J.D. Power Finds.” Accessed Aug. 14, 2024.
- RepairPal, “Nissan Altima Reliability Rating.” Accessed Aug. 14, 2024.
