Nissan Altima engines

The Nissan Altima is a Japanese compact and mid-range car produced since 1992 by Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Since 2012, the 5th generation of the model has been produced. The 1st and 4th generations of cars were manufactured exclusively in the USA and sold in America, Australia and the Middle East. In the first generation, Altima was essentially an export modification of the Nissan Bluebird SSS model. Nissan Teana 2013 release is an updated modification of the 5th generation Altima.

The Nissan Altima was offered with 6 engines since 1993 (6 petrol). Displacement ranges from 1.6 to 3.5 liters, power output from 140 to 305 hp. All of them use a timing chain. 2 are turbocharged. The longest rated lifespan belongs to the Nissan VQ35DE (about 400,000 km).

Nissan Altima engines by generation

EngineYearsVolumePowerFuelTimingOilLifespan
Nissan Altima U13 1993–1997
Nissan KA24DE1993–19972.4 L140–155 hppetrol4.1 L~350,000 km
Nissan Altima 2 (L30) 1997–2001
Nissan KA24DE1997–20012.4 L140–155 hppetrol4.1 L~350,000 km
Nissan Altima 3 (L31) 2001–2006
Nissan VQ35DE3.5 L V6215–305 hppetrolchain4.7 L~400,000 km
Nissan QR25DE2001–20062.5 L152 hppetrol5.1 L~300,000 km
Nissan Altima 4 (L32) 2006–2013
Nissan VQ35DE3.5 L V6215–305 hppetrolchain4.7 L~400,000 km
Nissan QR25DE2006–20132.5 L152 hppetrol5.1 L~300,000 km
Nissan Altima 5 (L33) 2012–2018
Nissan VQ35DE3.5 L V6215–305 hppetrolchain4.7 L~400,000 km
Nissan QR25DE2012–20182.5 L152 hppetrol5.1 L~300,000 km
Nissan MR16DDT2013–20181.6 L R4163–218 hppetrol, turbochain4.5 L~220,000 km
Nissan Altima 6 (L34) 2018–present
Nissan KR20DDET2018–present2.0 L R4250–272 hppetrol, turbochain4.7 L~220,000 km
Nissan PR25DD2018–present2.5 L R4188 hppetrolchain5.1 L~300,000 km

Nissan Altima engine FAQ

What engines were used in the Nissan Altima?

Nissan Altima U13 (1993–1997): Nissan KA24DE; Nissan Altima 2 (L30) (1997–2001): Nissan KA24DE; Nissan Altima 3 (L31) (2001–2006): Nissan VQ35DE and Nissan QR25DE; Nissan Altima 4 (L32) (2006–2013): Nissan VQ35DE and Nissan QR25DE; Nissan Altima 5 (L33) (2012–2018): Nissan VQ35DE, Nissan QR25DE and Nissan MR16DDT; Nissan Altima 6 (L34) (2018–present): Nissan KR20DDET and Nissan PR25DD.

Which Nissan Altima engine is the most durable?

By rated service life the most durable Nissan Altima engines are: Nissan VQ35DE — about 400,000 km; Nissan KA24DE — about 350,000 km; Nissan PR25DD — about 300,000 km. Actual lifespan depends heavily on maintenance and oil change intervals.

How much oil does the Nissan Altima engine take?

Engine oil capacity with filter: Nissan KA24DE — 4.1 L (5W-30 / 5W-40 / 10W-30 / 10W-40); Nissan KR20DDET — 4.7 L (5W-30); Nissan MR16DDT — 4.5 L (5W-30); Nissan PR25DD — 5.1 L (5W-30); Nissan QR25DE — 5.1 L (5W-30, 5W-40); Nissan VQ35DE — 4.7 L (5W-30, 5W-40).

Does the Nissan Altima have a timing belt or chain?

Timing chain: Nissan KR20DDET, Nissan MR16DDT, Nissan PR25DD and Nissan VQ35DE.

Was the Nissan Altima available with a diesel engine?

No, all Nissan Altima engines in our database run on petrol.

Engine details

Nissan QR25DE

Nissan QR25DE

2000–present · 2.5 L · petrol · 152 hp

Until 2004, motors were equipped with not very durable catalysts, which quickly collapsed, and their crumbs were sucked into the combustion chambers.…

Nissan MR16DDT

Nissan MR16DDT

2010 · 1.6 L R4 · petrol · 163–218 hp · chain

Most of the complaints on the forums are related to all sorts of noises or knocks.

Nissan KR20DDET

Nissan KR20DDET

2017 · 2.0 L R4 · petrol · 250–272 hp · chain

This turbo engine was produced not so long ago that statistics of its breakdowns were collected.

Nissan PR25DD

Nissan PR25DD

2018 · 2.5 L R4 · petrol · 188 hp · chain

This power unit has been produced for only a few years and there are no statistics of its breakdowns yet.

Nissan VQ35DE

Nissan VQ35DE

3.5 L V6 · petrol · 215–305 hp · chain

This is a very reliable unit with a high resource, but oil consumption is common. The reason is either coking due to…

Models with the same engines

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