Structure. Review the 312 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Visibility/wiper. Review the 168 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Air Bags. Review the 142 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

53 crash reports13 fire reports26 injury reports

Seats complaints

24 reports

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2,387 miles · Oct 30, 2008

Seats

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PURCHASED A 2008 ALTIMA 3.5 SE WITH POWER SEATS, BEFORE 2000 MILES NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT WAS LOOSE AND HAD A VIBRATING EFFECT THEN THE SEAT STARTED POPPING OUT OF PLACE AS I WAS MAKING A TURN OR GOING AROUND A CURVE OR EXITING ONTO AN EXIT RAMP. I REPORTED IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE SEAT RAILS BUT THE CAR CONTINUES TO DO THE SAME THING AND THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THAT IT CAN'T DUPLICATE THE MOVEMENT SO THEY CAN'T REPAIR IT. A MOVING SEAT WHILE DRIVING IS NOT SAFE!! THE SEAT GOES TO THE LEFT AND THERE IS A POPPING SOUND AND SOMETIMES IT GOES FORWARD. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10247277

1,000 miles · Sep 12, 2008

Air BagsSeats

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DRIVER'S SEAT ON '08 NISSAN ALTIMA MOVES SIDE TO SIDE AS YOU GO AROUND TURNS; VERY DISCONCERTING. FIRST RESPONSE FROM DEALERSHIP WAS "WE CAN NOT REPLICATE, AND THIS IS THE FIRST ONE WE'VE HEARD OF". NEXT VISIT I WAS TOLD "NISSAN IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AND SHOULD HAVE A FIX IN 30 DAYS OR SO". THAT WAS 45 DAYS AGO. 2ND PROBLEM, MY PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON A LOT OF THE TIME MY WIFE IS SEATED IN THE SEAT. SHE'S ABOUT 150 POUNDS, SO THERE SHOULD NOT BE A WEIGHT PROBLEM. HAD IT IN TWICE FOR THIS, AND ANOTHER "CAN NOT REPLICATE". I'M CONCERNED THAT IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION, SHE WILL HAVE NO AIR BAG PROTECTION. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10242012

1,000 miles · Sep 12, 2008

Seats

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I PURCHASED A NEW 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA IN MARCH 2008 AND SHORTLY AFTER THE SEAT STARTED TO SQUIRM FROM SIDE TO SIDE IN TURNS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED THE SEAT RAILS WHICH FIXED THE PROBLEM. APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH LATER THE SEAT STARTED THE SAME BEHAVIOR WHEN CORNERING. I TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE. MY SEAT IS NOW BECOMING MORE AND MORE LOOSE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHERS WITH THE SAME VEHICLE AND PROBLEM. REFER TO THIS SITE: HTTP://WWW.NISSANCLUB.COM/FORUMS/NEW-2007-2008-NISSAN-ALTIMA-DISCUSSION/268078-DOES-YOUR-DRIVER-SEAT-SQUIRM.HTML APPROXIMATELY 71 PERCENT OF 216 CUSTOMERS POLLED REPORT THE SAME PROBLEM. IT IS POSSIBLE THE OTHER CUSTOMERS DO NOT HAVE POWER SEATS AS I. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE IN THE POWER SEAT ASSEMBLY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10242002

Mileage unknown · Apr 17, 2008

Seats

FAULTY HEADREST DESIGN. PUSHES THE HEAD OF MANY DRIVERS RADICALLY FORWARD, MAKING IT PAINFUL AND DANGEROUS TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10224795

Official recalls

10V401000 · Equipment:electrical:navigational System(global Positioning System)

Sep 10, 2010

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN NUVI MODEL 750 NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THE BATTERIES CONTAINED IN THE AFFECTED GPS UNITS CAN OVERHEAT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: OVERHEATED BATTERIES COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND THE REPAIRS WILL BE PERFORMED BY GARMIN TECHNICIANS BY REPLACING THE BATTERY AND INSERTING A SPACER ON TOP OF THE BATTERY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GARMIN DIRECTLY AT 1-866-957-1981 OR NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.

08V521000 · Air Bags; Electrical System:software

Oct 7, 2008

NISSAN IS RECALLING 204,361 MY 2007-2008 ALTIMA, ALTIMA HYBRID, 350Z, 350Z ROADSTER, MY 2008 ALTIMA COUPE, ROGUE, MY 2009 MURANO, AND INFINITI MY 2007-2008 G35 SEDAN, MY 2008 G37 COUPE AND EX35 PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS' OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) CONTROL UNITS. A VARISTOR IN THE OCS CONTROL UNIT LOCATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT CUSHION MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED OUT OF SPECIFICATION. UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, THIS COULD CAUSE AN INTERRUPTION OF SIGNAL BETWEEN THE OCS AND THE AIR BAG CONTROL UNIT (ACU).

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN THE PASSENGER AIR BAG BEING SUPPRESSED WHICH COULD FAIL TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL TEST THE SIGNAL BETWEEN THE OCS AND ACU SYSTEMS USING A SPECIAL TOOL TO CHECK THAT IT IS FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED. IF NECESSARY, THE SEAT CUSHION (CONTAINING OCS HARDWARE) WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE MANUFACTURED TO SPECIFICATION. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 4, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261 OR INFINITI AT 1-800-662-6200.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Electrical System:software

Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN THE PASSENGER AIR BAG BEING SUPPRESSED WHICH COULD FAIL TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL TEST THE SIGNAL BETWEEN THE OCS AND ACU SYSTEMS USING A SPECIAL TOOL TO CHECK THAT IT IS FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED. IF NECESSARY, THE SEAT CUSHION (CONTAINING OCS HARDWARE) WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE MANUFACTURED TO SPECIFICATION. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 4, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261 OR INFINITI AT 1-800-662-6200.

Air Bags

Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN THE PASSENGER AIR BAG BEING SUPPRESSED WHICH COULD FAIL TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.

08V363000 · Suspension

Jul 31, 2008

NISSAN IS RECALLING 1,018 MY 2008 ALTIMA VEHICLES. THE LEFT SIDE FRONT SUSPENSION TRANSVERSE LINK BOLT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TIGHTENED TO SPECIFICATION. THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE BOLT TO BECOME LOOSE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THE BOLT WERE TO COME OUT, THE DRIVER MAY EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING THE DIRECTION OF THE VEHICLE WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE TRANSVERSE LINK BOLT TO SPECIFICATION FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 11, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.

07V599000 · Electrical System:ignition:module

Dec 28, 2007

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES THAT HAVE HAD THE BODY CONTROL MODULE (BCM) REPLACED DURING SERVICE AT A DEALERSHIP, THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS) MAY HAVE BEEN INADVERTENTLY DEACTIVATED DUE TO AN ISSUE WITH THE DEALER SERVICE SOFTWARE. IF THE TPMS IS TURNED OFF, IT WOULD NOT ALERT THE DRIVER TO A DECREASE IN THE TIRE PRESSURE AS DESIGNED.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: DRIVING ON UNDER-INFLATED TIRES IS UNSAFE AND COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL CHECK THE TPMS FUNCTION AND REACTIVATE IT IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 18, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.

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

PE11020 · Brake Master Cylinder Internal Leak

Opened May 23, 2011 · Closed Mar 14, 2012

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:master Cylinder

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE11-020 to investigate possible brake performance loss due to brake fluid leaking from the master cylinder into the brake booster in the subject vehicles.A total of 237 complaints were identified by ODI and Nissan.The majority of complaints and warranty claims reported that brake malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) illumination as the only symptom of a problem.Only 12 complaints alleged any effect on brake performance and in each of these the drivers were able to stop the vehicles without incident.No crash claims could be attributed to the alleged defect. Returned part analysis data provided by Nissan showed that most of the master cylinders replaced under warranty did not have a leak condition.These replacements may have resulted from brake MIL illumination due to pad wear.For most of the warranty claims, in a few cases where a master cylinder leak was found, Nissan's testing showed that the leaks were extremely slow and would require thousands of miles or months of driving before brake performance could be affected.After an extensive study of replaced master cylinders for a presumed leak, Nissan was unable to identify any concern with the parts or design of the subject components that could affect brake performance. Nevertheless, Nissan does recognize a concern with premature brake MIL illumination and has decided to address this problem by conducting a voluntary service campaign covering approximately 1.17 million model year 2007 through 2012 Altima vehicles (up to June 25, 2011 production, the date of Nissan's running change for the longer life brake pad).Nissan's owner letter for the service campaign states, As your brake pads wear over time, the brake fluid level in the master cylinder reservoir will drop and may cause the brake warning lamp to illuminate.?Although this is a normal condition, there has been concern that the brake warning light illumination may be caused by a slow fluid leak over time.Nissan's service campaign will inspect the brake pads and test the master cylinder for leakage.If leakage is detected, Nissan will replace the master cylinder at no charge.If excessive pad wear is observed, customers will be notified and will be responsible for repairs.For more details concerning Nissan's service campaign, see the PE11-020 file on www.Safercar.gov. Based on the low failure rate for confirmed master cylinder leakage in the subject vehicles and the low probability that the condition would affect brake performance, this investigation is closed.

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