IllustrationTHE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE TAIL LIGHTS HAD SHORTED OUT AND CAUSED MY CAR TO CATCH FIRE IN THE TRUNK ARE
1999 Nissan Altima
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 1999 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
00–25K
525–50K
350–75K
775–100K
11100–150K
4150K+
30 reports with mileage · 57 unknown
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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
19 crash reports3 fire reports12 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
4 reportsTL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FELT SLUGGISH WHILE DRIVING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT ANY SPEED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE IGNITION COILS WERE FAILING, BUT WOULD NOT SPECIFY EXACTLY WHICH COILS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 101,000 AND FAILURE MILE…
Read full complaint
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FELT SLUGGISH WHILE DRIVING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT ANY SPEED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE IGNITION COILS WERE FAILING, BUT WOULD NOT SPECIFY EXACTLY WHICH COILS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 101,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000.
THE CONSUMER HEARD A BOOM NOISE AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. THE BATTERY EXPLODED WHICH CAUSED THE HOOD TO OPEN WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY BLACK SMOKE. THIS BATTERY WAS A NISSAN PERMANENT SEALED BATTERY WHICH WAS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT. *NLM *TS
CAR CAUGHT FIRE WHILE IT WAS PARKED. FIRE DEPT STATED IT SEEMED LIKE AN ELECTRICAL FIRE BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE FRONT END BURNED. THE REST OF THE CAR WAS INTACT, WITH NO EVIDENCE OF FOUL PLAY. *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.