IllustrationTHIS IS A CONCERN ISSUE...THE ADJUSTABLE SHOULDER BELT ANCHOR PROTRUDES FROM SIDE POST 1" AT MY HEIGHT SEAT ADJUSTMENT IT PLACES MY HEAD ALONGSIDE THIS ANCHOR POST. ON A SIDE IMPACT (WITH NO SIDE BAGS AVAILABLE ON THIS MODEL YEAR) COULDN'T THIS CAUSE SEVERE (UNNECESSARILY) HEAD INJURY ?*JB
1998 Nissan Altima
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Nissan Altima do not stand out strongly from 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: 29 of 123 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 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
17 crash reports2 fire reports9 injury reports
Seat Belts complaints
2 reportsIN MARCH 2001, I HAD MY CHILD IN A CAR SEAT BUCKLED IN THE BACK MIDDLE SEAT. WHEN I WENT TO GET HER OUT OF HER CAR SEAT WHEN WE STOPPED THE LAP BELT WAS BROKE. I HAD IT REPLACED IN APRIL AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF SEAT BELT AND THEY SAID ALL THEY CAN DO IS ORDER THE SAME ONE …
Read full complaint
IN MARCH 2001, I HAD MY CHILD IN A CAR SEAT BUCKLED IN THE BACK MIDDLE SEAT. WHEN I WENT TO GET HER OUT OF HER CAR SEAT WHEN WE STOPPED THE LAP BELT WAS BROKE. I HAD IT REPLACED IN APRIL AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF SEAT BELT AND THEY SAID ALL THEY CAN DO IS ORDER THE SAME ONE THEY REPLACED THAT BROKE WHICH I DON'T WANT BECAUSE IT ISN'T SAFE IT CAN'T HOLD A 30 LB. KID. WHEN I CALLED 1-800-NISSAN1 THE LADY ON THE PHONE TOLD ME THAT IT ISN'T MEANT FOR CAR SEATS IT PUTS TOO MUCH OF A STRAIN ON THE SEAT BELT CAUSING IT TO BREAK. I CALLED THE HIGHWAY PATROL BECAUSE THAT IS WEAR THEY INSTALL IT AND THEY SAID UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD A SEAT BELT BREAK. IT IS ALSO IN THE CAR MANUAL TO INSTALL THE CAR SEAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BACK SEAT AS WELL. I AM LUCKY THAT I WASN'T INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT THAT MAY HAVE SEVERLY INJURED OR KILLED MY DAUGHTER. I THINK THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. *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.