IllustrationWHILE DRIVING IN STEADY, CONSTANT-SPEED FREEWAY TRAFFIC, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL MOUNTING FRAME COLLAPSED. DEALER INSPECTION REVEALED THAT ONE OF THE FRAME FLANGES SNAPPED. NISSAN CLAIMS IT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE AND HAS REFUSED TO ASSIST CUSTOMER.*AK
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Altima years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
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
What owners actually said
106 reportsTHIS IS A "COIL SPRING BREAKAGE RECALL SITUATION" FOR 1994 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE I WAS DRIVING HEADED TO THE FREEWAY I HEARD A SOUND BENEATH MY VEHICLE. I WAS STOP AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT TO TAKE THE FREEWAY TO MY JOB AND AS SOON AS MY VEHICLE MADE IT'S WAY ACROSS THE INTERSECTION I HEARD A LARGE POP - IT FELT LIKE THE ENTIRE BOTT…
Read full complaint
THIS IS A "COIL SPRING BREAKAGE RECALL SITUATION" FOR 1994 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE I WAS DRIVING HEADED TO THE FREEWAY I HEARD A SOUND BENEATH MY VEHICLE. I WAS STOP AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT TO TAKE THE FREEWAY TO MY JOB AND AS SOON AS MY VEHICLE MADE IT'S WAY ACROSS THE INTERSECTION I HEARD A LARGE POP - IT FELT LIKE THE ENTIRE BOTTOM OF MY VEHICLE HAD HIT THE PAVEMENT. I IMMEDIATELY SIGNAL FOR THE ON-COMING VEHICLES TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY SO I COULD PULL OVER AND GET OUT. I JUMPED POUT OF THE VEHICLE AND A POLICE OFFICER PULLED RIGHT BEHIND ME TO SEE WHAT HAD HAPPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO CRICKET AUTO CARE CENTER IN CARY, NC WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A DEFECT PART AND ALL 4 MECHANICS SAID THAT THE PART SHOULD NOT HAVE BROKEN.*AK
THE VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING SUDDEN ACCELERATION.*JB
AFTER OIL CHANGE THE AIRBAG LIGHT STARTED BLINKING/FLASHING. HAD NOT DONE SO PRIOR. DOES THIS MEAN I NEED TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR IT TO BE TESTED AND THEN REPAIRED EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING? MY PREVIOUS NAME WAS WILLA JANINE ADAMS, NOW IT'S KOHL.*AK
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, IN WHICH THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY, BUT WITH DELAYED EXCESSIVE FORCE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, CONSUMER SUFFERED INJURIED WHILE TRYING TO FREE HERSELF FROM THE SEAT BELT IS WHEN THE INJURIES OCCURED FROM THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG.*JB
AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON DASHBOARD, AND CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. DEALER DETERMINED THAT CAUSE OF PROBLEM WAS CONTROL UNIT THAT NEEDED REPLACING. *AK
WAS PARKING VEHICLE AND BOTH AIR BAGS DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. DRIVER SUFFERED INJURIES. PRIOR TO AIR BAGS DEPLOYING, AIR BAG LIGHT HAD CAME ON AND STAYED. HAD BEEN TO DEALER AND HAD REPAIRS DONE. *SLC
MECHANIC FOUND OIL LEAK ON ENGINE, O RINGS AND MAIN SEAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK
I WAS TRAVELING AT 50MPH WHEN I HIT THE BACK OF A TRUCK AND HAD TO REPLACE MY HOOD, FRONT BUMPER, HEADLIGHT MOUNTS, A/C CONDENSOR, GRILL, AND OTHER PARTS. MY AIRBAGS ON BOTH SIDES DID NOT COME OUT. I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY.
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO HIT 3 CARS AND WAS STOPPED ONLY WHEN I HIT A TRUCK, THE MANUFACTURER SEEMS TO THINK THE ACCIDENT OCCURED DUE TO AN UNSECURED FLOOR MAT. NLM
Official recalls
203V150000 · 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 ↗
NHTSA investigations
2EA01015 · 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.