IllustrationMAN-TRAN: WHEN SHIFTING INTO 3RD GEAR, WILL AUTOMATICALLY GO INTO 5TH GEAR, A TRANSMISSION PART WAS PUT IN BACKWARDS AT MANUFACTURER, NEARLY CAUSED ACCIDENT*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
What owners actually said
92 reportsVEHICLE 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
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
UPON IMPACT, DURING FRONTAL CRASH AT APPROX. 30MPH, 1:00 ON FRONT BUMPER, DUAL AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *AK
AROUND CURVE SWERVED TO AVOID COLLISION, ON WET PAVEMENT APPLIED BRAKE, SKIDDED TO LEFT/FOUGHT TO GAIN CONTROL, STEERING JERKED TO RIGHT, LOCKED UP, HIT POLE*AK
STARTED VEHICLE, PLACED GEAR SELECTOR IN REVERSE, HEARD SIREN NOISE, CAR LURCHED BACKWARDS. *AK
WHEN COMING TO A STOP VEHICLE WENT IN OPEN THROTTLE POSITION, TO STOP VEHICLE APPLIED BRAKES REAL HARD AND PUT INTO NEUTRAL POSITION. *AK
WHEN COMING TO A STOP VEHICLE WENT INTO OPEN THROTTLE POSITION, TO STOP VEHICLE APPLIED BRAKES REAL HARD AND PUT INTO NEUTRAL POSITION, *AK
BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED AND HAD A FRONTAL COLLISION. TT
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.