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Nissan vs Toyota Reliability

In our inspections, Toyota’s average condition stays above the “decent” threshold to around 146k miles, versus 121k for Nissan.

Based on 275 Nissans and 774 Toyotas. “Decent” means a condition score of 55/100.

vs
Head to head
NissanToyota
Cars inspected275774
Average condition62/10063/100
In good shape (60+/100)56%57%
Holds up to (avg dips below decent)~121k mi~146k mi
Repainted or replaced panel78%77%
Structural repair found7%4%
Fault codes recently cleared24%18%

Green = the better number of the pair. Condition reflects the mix of cars that came to us — age, price, model — so treat small gaps as a tie.

How they score
Nissan
Excellent 21% Good 35% Mediocre 27% Poor 17%
Toyota
Excellent 29% Good 28% Mediocre 24% Poor 19%
How long do they stay good?
Good cars by mileage
▬ Nissan▬ Toyota▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Nissan, 0–20k mi: 97%, drawn from the nearby bands (13 cars in this band)Nissan, 20–40k mi: 90% in good shape (21 cars)Nissan, 40–60k mi: 80% in good shape (35 cars)Nissan, 60–80k mi: 67% in good shape (43 cars)Nissan, 80–100k mi: 70% in good shape (43 cars)Nissan, 100–120k mi: 36% in good shape (36 cars)Nissan, 120–140k mi: 37% in good shape (35 cars)Nissan, 140–160k mi: 24%, drawn from the nearby bands (18 cars in this band)Nissan, 160–180k mi: 21%, drawn from the nearby bands (16 cars in this band)Nissan, 180–200k mi: 17%, drawn from the nearby bands (8 cars in this band) Toyota, 0–20k mi: 100% in good shape (25 cars)Toyota, 20–40k mi: 90% in good shape (62 cars)Toyota, 40–60k mi: 81% in good shape (57 cars)Toyota, 60–80k mi: 85% in good shape (99 cars)Toyota, 80–100k mi: 59% in good shape (74 cars)Toyota, 100–120k mi: 61% in good shape (109 cars)Toyota, 120–140k mi: 43% in good shape (86 cars)Toyota, 140–160k mi: 35% in good shape (94 cars)Toyota, 160–180k mi: 33% in good shape (66 cars)Toyota, 180–200k mi: 22% in good shape (36 cars)Toyota, 200–220k mi: 22% in good shape (23 cars) 40k 80k 120k 160k 200k mileage when we inspected it
Good cars by age
▬ Nissan▬ Toyota▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Nissan, 1 years old: 95%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Nissan, 2 years old: 93%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars this age)Nissan, 3 years old: 83%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars this age)Nissan, 4 years old: 52% in good shape (23 cars)Nissan, 5 years old: 68%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)Nissan, 6 years old: 71% in good shape (24 cars)Nissan, 7 years old: 66% in good shape (29 cars)Nissan, 8 years old: 46% in good shape (26 cars)Nissan, 9 years old: 46% in good shape (28 cars)Nissan, 10 years old: 52%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Nissan, 11 years old: 44% in good shape (16 cars)Nissan, 12 years old: 33%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Nissan, 13 years old: 18% in good shape (11 cars)Nissan, 14 years old: 15%, drawn from the nearby bands (9 cars this age)Nissan, 15 years old: 18%, drawn from the nearby bands (9 cars this age) Toyota, 1 years old: 100% in good shape (20 cars)Toyota, 2 years old: 95% in good shape (38 cars)Toyota, 3 years old: 89% in good shape (27 cars)Toyota, 4 years old: 94% in good shape (31 cars)Toyota, 5 years old: 88% in good shape (43 cars)Toyota, 6 years old: 78% in good shape (41 cars)Toyota, 7 years old: 72% in good shape (47 cars)Toyota, 8 years old: 75% in good shape (44 cars)Toyota, 9 years old: 56% in good shape (59 cars)Toyota, 10 years old: 68% in good shape (53 cars)Toyota, 11 years old: 62% in good shape (37 cars)Toyota, 12 years old: 42% in good shape (45 cars)Toyota, 13 years old: 32% in good shape (56 cars)Toyota, 14 years old: 39% in good shape (41 cars)Toyota, 15 years old: 32% in good shape (44 cars)Toyota, 16 years old: 27% in good shape (30 cars) 2y 4y 6y 8y 10y 12y 14y 16y vehicle age when we inspected it

Share in good shape (scoring 60+/100) by mileage and by age when we inspected them (each dot ≥5 cars; a band under 20 cars follows the nearby bands, so a run above the all-cars line stays above it, and a band of 20 or more uses the rate we measured; where a band has too few cars, the line follows the trend between the bands on either side; rolled-back odometers excluded from the mileage curve). Dashed grey = all cars we check.

Most common faults
Nissan
Oil leaks · Engine
48%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
36%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
31%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
24%
Low coolant / cooling system issues · Engine
17%
Toyota
Oil leaks · Engine
47%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
36%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
26%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
21%
Tire pressure monitoring system · Brakes and tires
20%
Trajectory by generation
Nissan ↘↗ Dipped in the mid-2010s — the newest generation recovered 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 60% in good shape (age-adjusted; 29 cars, raw 55%) 60 2015–17: 48% in good shape (age-adjusted; 50 cars, raw 46%) 48 2018–20: 71% in good shape (age-adjusted; 47 cars, raw 77%) 71 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+
Toyota ▲ Newer Toyotas are holding up better 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 69% in good shape (age-adjusted; 59 cars, raw 64%) 69 2015–17: 74% in good shape (age-adjusted; 121 cars, raw 70%) 74 2018–20: 74% in good shape (age-adjusted; 77 cars, raw 79%) 74 2021+: 76% in good shape (age-adjusted; 19 cars, raw 89%) 76 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+

Share in good shape when inspected at the same age (5–10 years, age-adjusted), by model-year generation; dashed = all-brand average. All brands →

FAQ
?
Which is more reliable, Nissan or Toyota?
In our inspections, Toyota’s average condition stays above the “decent” threshold to around 146k miles, versus 121k for Nissan.
?
What are the most common problems with used Nissans and Toyotas?
On Nissans we flag oil leaks (48%), tires condition & wear (36%), active error codes (31%). On Toyotas: oil leaks (47%), tires condition & wear (36%), active error codes (26%).
?
How many Nissan and Toyota vehicles have you inspected?
275 Nissans and 774 Toyotas — 1049 real pre-purchase inspections. Updated Nov 11, 2026.
?
How long do Nissan and Toyota stay in decent condition?
In our data, decent is a 55/100 score. The average Nissan dips below it around 121k mi; Toyota around 146k mi. Individual cars vary — get the one you’re buying inspected.
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Based on 1049 inspections · updated Nov 11, 2026