IllustrationTHE CAR DON'T START. MY SEATBELT SHREDDING AND I WORRY THAT MY AIR BAG WON'T WORK IF MY CHILDREN AND I GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT
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
Seat Belts complaints
8 reportsREAR BRAKE LIGHTS FAILURE- BOTH SIDES- FIRST LEFT THEN RIGHT- REPLACED WENT OUT AGAIN SOON AFTER. LIGHTS ON HEATER GAUGES FAILED. CIGARETTE LIGHTER "FEMALE PART" PULLS OUT OF DASH WHEN YOU TAKE THE LIGHTER OUT. PASSENGER DOOR PANEL CAME OFF-KEEPS THE DOORS FROM UNLOCKING- TRIED TO FIX IT AND ENDED UP BEING LOCKED IN MY CAR IN TH…
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REAR BRAKE LIGHTS FAILURE- BOTH SIDES- FIRST LEFT THEN RIGHT- REPLACED WENT OUT AGAIN SOON AFTER. LIGHTS ON HEATER GAUGES FAILED. CIGARETTE LIGHTER "FEMALE PART" PULLS OUT OF DASH WHEN YOU TAKE THE LIGHTER OUT. PASSENGER DOOR PANEL CAME OFF-KEEPS THE DOORS FROM UNLOCKING- TRIED TO FIX IT AND ENDED UP BEING LOCKED IN MY CAR IN THE RAIN FOR AN HOUR. BACK PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT WAS JAMMED. ALSO ODOMETER IS JAMMED-HAS NEVER BEEN TAMPERED WITH. WAS BRINGING MY HUSBAND TO WORK AND I KNOW THAT IT IS A 10 MILE DRIVE-NONE OF THE NUMBERS ROLLED OVER. WORKS WHEN IT WANTS TO. *NM
MY SON WAS IN A HEAD ON CRASH IN MY VEHICLE. HE WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH WHEN HE HIT THE BACK OF ANOTHER CAR. HIS AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY NOR DID HIS SEATBELT LOCK. HIS CHIN HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. HIS HEAD AND HAND BOTH WENT INTO THE WINDSHIELD WHICH IS CRACKED. HE WAS DRIVING A 1997 NISSAN ALTIMA. I ALSO HAVE PHOTOS …
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MY SON WAS IN A HEAD ON CRASH IN MY VEHICLE. HE WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH WHEN HE HIT THE BACK OF ANOTHER CAR. HIS AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY NOR DID HIS SEATBELT LOCK. HIS CHIN HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. HIS HEAD AND HAND BOTH WENT INTO THE WINDSHIELD WHICH IS CRACKED. HE WAS DRIVING A 1997 NISSAN ALTIMA. I ALSO HAVE PHOTOS OF THE CAR AND THE WINDSHIELD.*AK
THE VEHICLES DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT GUIDE RAILS LOCKED UP INTERMITTENTLY WHICH CAUSES THE SEAT BELT WARNING SYSTEM TO ACTIVATE. DEALERSHIP REPLACED GUIDE RAIL ONCE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND ONCE ON THE DRIVER SIDE. *MR *NLM
REAR LAP AND SHOULDER BELTS LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT RELEASE, NEARLY STRANGLING THE CHILD. CONSUMER CUT THE SEAT BELT TO RELEASE THE CHILD FROM THE SEAT, CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK
THE SEAT AND SHOULDER BELTS LOCK UP AND DO NOT RETRACT ALL THE WAY BACK, SOMETIMES LEAVING SLACK IN THE SEATBELT. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN. *AK
PASSENGER'S FRONT SHOULDER/LAP BELTS INOPERATIVE, WON'T PULL OUT OF SEATBELT ASSEMBLY TO GO AROUND PASSENGER, NOT FIXED. *AK
REAR SEAT BELTS MALFUNCTIONED, PERSON CALLED IN NOT OWNER. HE CALLED FROM FRED MARTIN, BARBERTON, HAVE NO PARTS. *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.