IllustrationWHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT WILL FLASH ON AND OFF. *AK
1997 Nissan Altima
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 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: 20 of 108 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 35 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 →
- Power Train. 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.
31 crash reports5 fire reports18 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
35 reportsWHILE DRIVING, THE AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHTS STARTED FLICKERING. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT IS WAS RELATED TO A PART IN THE COMPUTER, THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (PART UNKNOWN). TS THE AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHTS REMAIN TO FLICKERING. SCC
WHILE TRAVELING AT 60 MPH, CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION WITH AN 18 WHEELER. CONSUMER STATES NONE OF THE FOUR AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. ALL FOUR PASSENGERS WERE INJURED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.
OWNER WAS DRIVIMG HIS 1997 NISSAN ALTIMA SE ON THE CENTER LANE ALONG MEADOWBROOK PARKWAY, LONG ISLAND, NY. THE BMW 7.4 ON THE RIGHT SIDE (FIRST LANE) MERGED INTO THE CENTER LANE AND MADE A SUDDEN BRAKE. OWNER OF THE NISSAN ALTIMA APPLIED A SUDDEN BRAKE BUT BECAUSE OF THE SHORT DISTANCE IN BETWEEN TWO CARS, THE ALTIMA HIT THE BMW…
Read full complaint
OWNER WAS DRIVIMG HIS 1997 NISSAN ALTIMA SE ON THE CENTER LANE ALONG MEADOWBROOK PARKWAY, LONG ISLAND, NY. THE BMW 7.4 ON THE RIGHT SIDE (FIRST LANE) MERGED INTO THE CENTER LANE AND MADE A SUDDEN BRAKE. OWNER OF THE NISSAN ALTIMA APPLIED A SUDDEN BRAKE BUT BECAUSE OF THE SHORT DISTANCE IN BETWEEN TWO CARS, THE ALTIMA HIT THE BMW ON THE REAR. BOTH CARS WERE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 40-45 MILES PER HOUR. BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAGS WERE NOT DEPLOY. THE PASSENGER, WHO IS 8 MONTH PREAGNANT, REQUIRED TO BE HOSPITALIZED FOR TWO DAYS. I WOULD LIKE TO NISSAN COMPANY TO CAREFULLY INVESTIGATE ON WHAT HAPPENED WHY THE AIRBAGS WERE NOT DEPLOYED DURING THE COLLISION.
WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 60MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING,HAD BLOWN OUT AND THE DUAL AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE CROSSED THE CONCRETE MEDIAN, AND HIT AN 18 WHEELER HEAD ON, THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. TS SCC
CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT BEEN INVOLVED ON A COLISION AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO CALL HIM BACK NEVER DID. TS
WHILE DRIVING 55MPH HIT CAR FROM BEHIND AND AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSING INJURIES.*AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 10 MPH THEN ANOTHER VEHICLE RAN INTO THE CONSUMER HEAD ON AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. CONTACTED DEALER. NLM
THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY DURING ACCIDENT CAUSING THE DRIVER TO SUSTAIN HEAD INJURY BY KNOCKING THE FRONT MIRROR OFF, APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THIS ACCIDENT THE AIR BAG SENSOR WAS REPLACED. *YH
AIR BAG LIGHT HAS BEEN BLINKING FOR A YEAR OR MORE. DEALER WILL NOT REPLACE AIR BAG SYSTEM AT THEIR COST. ONLY SOLUTION IS A TOTAL REPLACEMENT. WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. THERE WAS NO EXPLANATION WHAT CAUSED LIGHT TO BLINK.*AK
Official recalls
196V185000 · Seat Belts:front:buckle Assembly
Oct 10, 1996
CERTAIN BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES WERE PRODUCED WITH A "BUCKLE BASE" THAT WAS IMPROPERLY HEAT TREATED. THIS CAN CAUSE THE "BUCKLE BASE" TO BE BRITTLE FAILING TO COMPLY TO FMVSS NO. 209, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION, THESE SEAT BELTS MAY NOT RESTRAIN AN OCCUPANT INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES AND REPLACE THEM 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.