IllustrationVEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AFTER IT HAD BEEN PARKED FOR MORE THAN 8 HOURS. OWNER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND NOTHING WAS DONE. *AK
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
What owners actually said
123 reportsTHE CAR WAS IDLE AT A RED LIGHT WHEN IT SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY (ENGINE, RADIO, LIGHTS, ETC). IT WOULD NOT START AGAIN. I GOT A JUMP AND IT STARTED. THE NEXT DAY IT STARTED FINE. I LET IT IDLE FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES AND IT WAS OKAY. I DROVE IT FOR A FEW MINUTES AND IT DIED AGAIN. I HAD IT TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP. NONE OF THE DI…
Read full complaint
THE CAR WAS IDLE AT A RED LIGHT WHEN IT SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY (ENGINE, RADIO, LIGHTS, ETC). IT WOULD NOT START AGAIN. I GOT A JUMP AND IT STARTED. THE NEXT DAY IT STARTED FINE. I LET IT IDLE FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES AND IT WAS OKAY. I DROVE IT FOR A FEW MINUTES AND IT DIED AGAIN. I HAD IT TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP. NONE OF THE DIAGNOSTIC TESTS SHOWED ANYTHING WRONG (BATTERY, ALTERNATOR, ETC. WERE OKAY). THEY DROVE IT AND IT DID NOT DIE AGAIN. I TOOK IT TO A NISSAN DEALER AND THEY CANNOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS EITHER. *NM
WHILE APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND PULLED OVER. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
CONSUMER SMELLED FUEL WHILE DRIVING. HE EXAMINED FUEL SYSTEM UNDERNEATH AND THE FUEL TANK, AND NOTICED THE ENTRY POINT WHERE THE GAS WENT INTO THE VEHICLE BROKE. *AK
WHENEVER I TRY TO FILL MY GAS TANK, THE FUEL BACKS UP AFTER FILLING 2-3 GALLONS AND SPILLS OUT. THIS IS THE 2ND SUMMER SEASON I AM HAVING THIS PROBLEM. LAST SUMMER MY MECHANIC SAID THE TANK APPEARED FINE. I HAVE TO FILL THE TANK VERY SLOWLY AND I OFTEN STILL EXPERIENCE THIS BACKSPLASH OF FUEL. THIS HAPPENS 70% OF THE TIME.*AK
CONSUMER'S DAUGHTER EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE. IT INTERMITTENTLY STALLED. DEALER HAD VEHICLE ON 3 DIFFERENT DIAGNOSTIC MACHINES, AND IT JUST SHOWED THAT #4 CYLINDER NEEDED SERVICING. CONSUMER STATED THAT THIS HAD BEEN CHECKED A NUMBER OF TIMES AND STILL NOT REPAIRED.*AK
I CAN'T FILL GAS INTO MY GAS TANK AT ONCE. THE GAS SPITS OUT. IT TAKES ABOUT 15 MINUTES TO FILL IT UP.*AK
OIL SLUDGE IN ENGINE.
MY CAR WAS STRUCK BY ANOTHER DRIVER WHILE CROSSING AN INTERSECTION. MY BUMPER AND HEADLIGHTS WERE BOTH TORN FROM THE CAR, BUT THE AIRBAG IN MY NISSAN ALTIMA GXE (98) DID NOT DEPLOY. I WAS TREATED AT AN URGENT CARE CENTER FOR NECK, BACK AND ARM PAIN THAT DAY.*AK
SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON DUE TO SENSORS IN GAS TANK. I WAS UNABLE TO PUT GAS IN THE TANK BECAUSE IT WOULD SPIT BACK OUT. WHEN IT WAS TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT ONE PART ALONE WAS $300. *LA
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.