1994 Nissan Altima

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1994 Nissan Altima do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 231.

Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.

About this comparison →

106Owner complaints

Model-year median: 231

2Recall campaigns

View recall details →

2Investigations

View investigation details →

Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Inspection summary

1994 Nissan Altima

NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 106 owner complaints · 2 recall campaigns · 2 investigations.

Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.

Top reported categories (up to 5)

Air Bags: 40 reports
Electrical System: 14 reports
Engine And Engine Cooling: 11 reports
Vehicle Speed Control: 11 reports
Suspension: 7 reports

Full reported-category list and vehicle report

Recall links

Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year

Compare all Altima years →

Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Air Bags

40 Electrical System

14 Engine And Engine Cooling

11 Vehicle Speed Control

11 Suspension

All reported categories

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

4 Fuel System, Gasoline

1 Fuel/propulsion System

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 16 of 106 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

Air Bags. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

34 crash reports2 fire reports24 injury reports

Visibility complaints

3 reports

Clear category filter

126,000 miles · Oct 18, 2008

EquipmentVisibility

Read full complaint

I OWN A 1994 NISSAN ALTIMA. IN DECEMBER 2006, THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUNVISOR MALFUNCTIONED AND DROPPED DOWN BLOCKING THE DRIVER'S VIEW OF THE ROAD. FORTUNATELY, THIS DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. ON DEC 21, 2006, THE MALFUNCTIONING SUNVISOR WAS REPLACED AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE ($113.65). AROUND AUGUST 2008, THE REPLACEMENT SUNVISOR FELL OUT OF IT'S HOLDER AND BRACKET INTO THE DRIVER'S LAP WHILE DRIVING. THE OWNER FIXED IT SO IT WOULD NOT FALL OUT AGAIN. HOWEVER, IN OCT 2008, THE REPLACEMENT SUNVISOR WOULD NO LONGER STAY UP. AGAIN IT SWUNG DOWN INTO THE VIEW OF THE DRIVER WHILE DRIVING. AGAIN, IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT THIS DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE AND BASED ON ON-LINE POSTS IT IS A COMMON THEME AMONG NISSAN VEHICLES. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR A REPLACEMENT AND THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE IT OR GIVE ME A DISCOUNT SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED OVER 12 MONTHS AGO. NEXT WEEK, I WILL FILE A COMPLAINT WITH NISSAN CORPORATE OFFICES. HOWEVER, BASED ON THEIR LACK OF RESPONSE TO OTHER ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE, I DO NOT EXPECT THEM TO RESOLVE IT TO MY SATISFACTION. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10245864

Mileage unknown · Jun 24, 1999

Electrical SystemInterior LightingVisibility

FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS VEHICLE HAS HAD NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. TINTERIOR LIGHTS IN THE DASHBROAD WENT OUT/ALTERNATOR BLEW OUT, AND POWER WINDOWS WENT UP VERY SLOWY. ELECTRIC SHOP OR AUTO SHOP COULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #841099

Mileage unknown · May 18, 1995

Visibility

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND THE REAR DOOR ON DRIVER SIDE WINDOW EXPLODED. TT

NHTSA ODI #965507

Recall campaigns

03V150000 · Air Bags:frontal

Apr 25, 2003

NISSAN IS RECALLING MY 1994 AND EARLY 1995 ALTIMA VEHICLES FOLLOWING REPORTS THAT PASSENGER AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS IN THESE VEHICLES HAD CAUSED A NUMBER OF MODERATE-TO-SEVERE EYE INJURIES. NISSAN HAS DEVELOPED A NEW PASSENGER AIR BAG THAT IS LESS POWERFUL WHEN IT INFLATES IN A CRASH TO REDUCE THE RISK OF AIR BAG INFLATION-RELATED INJURIES.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: NISSAN EXPECTS THAT THIS NEW AIR BAG CAN HELP REDUCE THE RISK OF AIR BAG INFLATION-RELATED INJURIES.

Remedy: NISSAN WILL REPLACE THE PASSENGER AIR BAG AT NO CHARGE TO THE CONSUMER. THE MANUFACTURER HAS REPORTED THAT OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 28, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.

94V035000 · Vehicle Speed Control

Feb 28, 1994

ENGINE MOVEMENT CAN BE TRANSMITTED TO THE AIRFLOW METER/FILTER HOUSING AND SUPPORT BRACKET, WHICH IS MOUNTED IN THE ENGINE AIR DUCT, CAUSING THE THROTTLE CABLE HOUSING TO PULL OUT OF THE CABLE GUIDE. THIS MAY PREVENT THE THROTTLE FROM RETURNING TO THE IDLE POSITION WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS RELEASED.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, LOSS OF THROTTLE CONTROL COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.

Remedy: NISSAN WILL REPOSITION THE THROTTLE CABLE HOUSING IN THE SUPPORT BRACKET TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SLACK FOR ENGINE MOVEMENT. A RUBBER STOPPER WILL BE CLAMPED TO THE CABLE TO MAINTAIN THE CORRECT POSITION FOR THE CABLE AT THE SUPPORT BRACKET. IN ADDITION, THE THROTTLE CABLE WILL BE TESTED FOR PULL OUT RESISTANCE FROM THE GUIDE IN THE EVENT THE CABLE WAS DAMAGED. THE THROTTLE ASSEMBLY WILL BE REPLACED, IF NECESSARY.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

Defect investigations

EA01015 · Passenger Air BAG-RELATED Facial/eye Inj

Opened Aug 9, 2001 · Closed Apr 24, 2003

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:frontal

BY LETTER DATEDAPRIL 11, 2003, NISSAN NOTIFIED NHTSAIT WILL CONDUCT A CAMPAIGN TO REPLACE THE PASSENGER AIR BAG MODULE WITH A DEPOWERED AIR BAG MODULE IN MODEL YEAR 1994 - EARLY 1995 (BUILT PRIOR TO MARCH 2, 1995) NISSAN ALTIMA VEHICLES. THE REPLACEMENT MODULE WILL BE PROVIDED AT NO CHARGE TO OWNERS.THE DEPOWERED AIR BAG SHOULD REDUCE THE OVERALL RISK OF AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT-RELATED INJURIES. THE AIR BAG REPLACEMENT CAMPAIGN TO BE CONDUCTED BY NISSAN, WHICH WILL ENHANCE SAFETY AND BE MONITORED BY NHTSA, SUFFICIENTLY ADDRESSES THE SAFETY CONCERNS RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES. SEE ATTACHED REPORT

PE01008 · Passenger Air BAG-RELATED Eye Injuries

Opened Mar 13, 2001 · Closed Aug 9, 2001

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:frontal

No summary supplied.

An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.

Go deeper into Nissan Altima problems

Nissan Altima electrical problems →Nissan Altima transmission problems →