IllustrationWHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE HAD A FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT CAME OFF, CAUSING THE OCCUPANT TO BE STUCK IN BETWEEN THE AIRBAG AND THE SEAT, RESULTING IN INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANT. *AK
1996 Nissan Altima
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Nissan Altima are lower than 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: 9 of 92 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 37 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
20 crash reports5 fire reports10 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
37 reportsWHEN TURNING THE IGNITION SWITCH ON THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS UP, WHEN DASH LIGHTS ARE OUT THE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON CONTINUOUSLY FLASHING, RED LIGHT NEVER GOES OUT. *AK
BEFORE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED, HIT THE BRAKES VERY HARD AND THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. PLEASE GIVE MORE DETAILED INFORMATION. *AK
CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM THE BACK, CAUSING HIM TO REAR END ANOTHER CAR. *AK
VEHICLE TURNED CORNER AND AIR BAG DEPLOYED BY ITSELF. *AK
WHEEL WENT OUT OF CONTROL AND HIT A POLE. AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND SMOKE WAS EVERYWHERE. *AK
UPON IMPACT, DURING FRONTAL CRASH AT APPROX. 30MPH, 1:00 ON FRONT BUMPER, DUAL AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.