IllustrationWHEN VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED DEALER WAS QUESTIONED ABOUT BURN MARKS INSIDE THE TRUNK, DEALER CLAIMED THAT IT WAS GREASE. TWO DAYS AFTER PURCHASE OWNER OPENED TRUNK AND SAW CARPET BURNING AND MELTING. VEHICLE LOST POWER WHEN THIS OCCURRED.
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
Structure complaints
4 reportsWHEN TRUNK WAS RAISED, IT SMASHED THE REAR WINDOW. WHEN OWNER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, OWNER WAS TOLD THAT VEHICLE WAS OPERATING ACORDING TO SPECS. *SLC
VEHICLE DEFECTIVE DESIGN OF THE CUP HOLDER IN FRONT OF THE SHIFTER SHORTS OUT WITH ANY TYPE OF LIQUID SPILLAGE. THE DLR IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED. *AK
ICE BUILD-UP IN WHEEL WELLS DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER INTERFERE WITH STEERING. *DSH
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.