1997 Nissan Altima

These are unverified consumer reports filed with NHTSA, shown as submitted.

• 12/30/2002· AIR BAGSCrash

  WHILE TRAVELING AT 60 MPH, CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION WITH AN 18 WHEELER. CONSUMER STATES NONE OF THE FOUR AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. ALL FOUR PASSENGERS WERE INJURED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.

• 12/30/1996· STEERING

  STEERING PROBLEM.

• 12/24/1998· ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLINGFire

  WITHIN 20-30 MINUTES OF DRIVING VEHICLE, THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT IGNITED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED BY THE FIRE.

• 12/22/2003· EXTERIOR LIGHTING

  HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY HAS BECOMES CLOUDY AND MAKES THE LIGHTS VERY DIM AND HARD TO SEE WITH AT NIGHT.*AK

• 12/22/1998· AIR BAGSCrash

  CONSUMER REARENDED A VEHICLE AT 45-50 MPH. UPON OF IMPACT, DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND SEAT BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN. *AK.ET.

• 12/21/1999· AIR BAGS

  AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT IS ON AND WON'T GO OFF. CONSUMER THINKS THE AIR BAGS MIGHT DEPLOY WHILE DRIVING. *AK

• 12/20/2016· SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  DUE TO CORROSION, BOTH REAR SUB MEMBER AND FRONT CRADLE ARE ROTTING OUT AND MUST BE REPLACED. VEHICLE IS UNSAFE. ONCE REPLACED, OTHER WORK MAY BE NEEDED

• 12/19/1996· SEAT BELTS

  REAR SEAT BELTS MALFUNCTIONED, PERSON CALLED IN NOT OWNER. HE CALLED FROM FRED MARTIN, BARBERTON, HAVE NO PARTS. *AK

• 12/18/2002· AIR BAGSCrash

  OWNER WAS DRIVIMG HIS 1997 NISSAN ALTIMA SE ON THE CENTER LANE ALONG MEADOWBROOK PARKWAY, LONG ISLAND, NY. THE BMW 7.4 ON THE RIGHT SIDE (FIRST LANE) MERGED INTO THE CENTER LANE AND MADE A SUDDEN BRAKE. OWNER OF THE NISSAN ALTIMA APPLIED A SUDDEN BRAKE BUT BECAUSE OF THE SHORT DISTANCE IN BETWEEN TWO CARS, THE ALTIMA HIT THE BMW ON THE REAR. BOTH CARS WERE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 40-45 MILES PER HOUR. BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAGS WERE NOT DEPLOY. THE PASSENGER, WHO IS 8 MONTH PREAGNANT, REQUIRED TO BE HOSPITALIZED FOR TWO DAYS. I WOULD LIKE TO NISSAN COMPANY TO CAREFULLY INVESTIGATE ON WHAT HAPPENED WHY THE AIRBAGS WERE NOT DEPLOYED DURING THE COLLISION.

• 12/14/1998· POWER TRAIN

  RECALL WORK PERFORM ON THE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION SOLENOID ASSEMBLY, HOWEVER FOUND THE TRANSMISSION DAMAGED AND IN NEED OF COMPLETE REPLACEMENT.

• 12/13/2004· VISIBILITYFire

  I WAS DRIVING MY 1997 NISSIAN SENTRA TO WORK IN THE MORNING AND WAS APPOARCHING THE GUARD GATE. PUSHED THE SWITCH TO ROLLED DOWN THE PASSENGER AND DRIVE SIDE AUTOMATIC WINDOWS. SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE SWITCH ASSEMBLY. PULL OVER ON THE SIDE THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF THE CAR. RAN UP TO THE GUARD GATE AND OBTAINED A FIRE EXTERISHER. TURNED TO THE CAR AND SAW A TWO TO FOUR INCH FLAME COMING OUT OF THE SWITCH ASSEMBLY. I PUT OUT THE FIRE. CHECKED THE FUSE BLOCK FOR A BLOWN FUSE AND THERE WAS NONE. THE FUSE DID NOT BLOW FOR THE AUTOMATIC WINDOW CIRCUIT. PULLED SWITCH ASSEMBLY AND DISCONNECTED THE WIRE HARNESS CONNECTOR. PLANNING ON REPLACING THE SWITCH ASSEMBLY AND SIDE PANEL.

• 12/11/1997· SUSPENSIONCrash

  WHEN MAKING TURNS AT LOW SPEEDS VEHICLE BEGAN TO SKID ON WET SLICK ROADS, WENT OUT OF CONTROL. ONCE CRASHED INTO CURB, CAUSING INJURY AND FRONT END DAMAGE. NARROWLY AVOIDED COLLISION WITH OTHER VEHICLES ON TWO OTHER OCCASIONS. DEALER CANNOT FIND PROBLEM.

• 12/10/2002· AIR BAGS,TIRESCrash

  WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 60MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING,HAD BLOWN OUT AND THE DUAL AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE CROSSED THE CONCRETE MEDIAN, AND HIT AN 18 WHEELER HEAD ON, THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. TS SCC

• 12/10/2002· VISIBILITY

  WHILE TAKING A RIGHT TURN FROM A STOP, THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILED TO ACTUATE. LUCKILY I WAS ONLY A FEW MILES FROM MY HOME AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE STILL WORKED IN THE HEAVY RAIN. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION I FOUND THE LINK ASSEMBLY THAT CONNECTS THE LEFT WIPER TO THE RIGHT ONE WAS DISLODGED. THE PLASTIC "SNAP" KNUCKLE AND METAL BALL JOINT WERE WORN AND CAME APART THUS CAUSING THE RIGHT WIPER TO NOT MOVE. I REPLACED THE WIPER ACTUATING LINKAGES AND MOTOR ASSEMBLY. WHILE AT THE PARTS COUNTER AT DECORMIER NISSAN, I NOTICED TWO OTHER MECHANICS OBTAINING THE SAME PARTS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM ON CARS IN THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE PARTS ATTENDANT SAYS THEY KEEP THESE ITEMS IN STOCK BECAUSE OF THEIR HIGH DEMAND. I AM SENDING THIS TO YOU BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL DANGERS INVOLVED IF THIS FAILURE HAD OCCURRED ON THE HIGHWAY AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. DT

• 12/04/2003· AIR BAGSCrash

  WHILE WAITING FOR A RED LIGHT TO CHANGE TO A GREEN LIGHT, CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR END AND SIDE IMPACT ACCIDENT. BOTH IMPACTS WERE ABOUT 35 TO 45 MPH, AND NEITHER OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS ISSUED. *PH *MR

• 12/04/1998· FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

  I SMELL GAS AROUND MY CAR, WHEN WINDOW IS OPEN AND THERE IS A DRAFT,IT'S VERY STRONG.

• 11/19/1998· SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGSCrash

  AIRBAG - DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY IN 35MPH HEAD-ON CRASH. DRIVER WAS SEVERELY INJURED. BRAKES - BRAKES DID NOT ADEQUATELY STOP THE VEHICLE IN 35MPH HEAD-ON CRASH. DRIVER WAS SEVERELY INJURED. TRANSMISSION - TRANSMISSION CONSTANTLY SLIPS, TAKES FEW MINUTES TO ENGAGE FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE. ENGINE - ENGINE WON'T START AT RANDOM. DEALER FINDDS NO PROBLEMS. HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES SINCE PURCHASED VEHICLE.

• 11/10/1998· SEAT BELTS

  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

• 11/07/2002· AIR BAGSCrash

  CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT BEEN INVOLVED ON A COLISION AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO CALL HIM BACK NEVER DID. TS

• 11/06/2002· SEAT BELTS

  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

• 11/06/2000· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  IT SEEMS AS THOUGH A DEFECT MUST BE PRESENT IN THE MOTOR/REGULATOR OF THE NISSAN ALTIMA '97. I AM REPLACING IT ANNUALLY!!!!!!!!!. *AK

• 11/03/2016· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  VEHICLE I MISSING AND I HAD TO FILE A POLICE REPORT FOR A STOLEN VEHICLE.

• 10/30/2003· FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINEFire

  A MALFUNCTION WITHIN FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM CAUSED VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. *AK

• 10/27/1997· POWER TRAIN

  INTERLOCK FAILED.

• 10/23/2004· AIR BAGSCrash

  ON 10-12-04 MY DAUGHTER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, WHERE SHE HAD FAILED TO STOP QUICK ENOUGH AT A RED LIGHT. THERE WHERE THREE CARS AHEAD OF HER AT THE RED LIGHT. SHE WAS GOING APPROX. 10 MILES PER HOUR AND HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF HER WHICH LEAD A CHAIN REACTION INVOLVING THE OTHER TWO CARS. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND SHE LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR. SHE WAS RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL VIA AMBULANCE. SHE WAS TREATED AND RELEASED. THERE WAS NOT DAMAGE TO HER CAR AND LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE THE OTHERS CARS. THE POLICE AT THE SCENE QUESTIONED WHY THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AT SUCH A LOW SPEED. MY CONCERN AND QUESTION ARE THE SAME. WHY WOULD THE AIR BAGS DEPLOY AT SUCH A LOW SPEED AND PERHAPS CAUSE MORE TRAUMA AND INJURY. THE INSURANCE COMPANIES WILL BE INVESTIGATING THIS AS WELL.*AK

• 10/23/2003· VEHICLE SPEED CONTROLCrash

  WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, I HAD MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND WAS GETTING READY TO BRAKE, THE CAR ACCELERATED, JUMPED A CURB AND HIT A CONCRETE POST. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY EITHER.

• 10/16/1998· SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

  THE CONSUMER HAS OWNED VEHICLE FOR ONLY A WEEK, AND IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH BRAKES PADS. WHEN APPLYING FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL, CONSUMER NOTICED A NOISE. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, PARTS REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.

• 10/12/2004· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,SEAT BELTS,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES,UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  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

• 10/10/1997· AIR BAGSCrash

  VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN RIGHT SIDE FRONTAL CRASH AT 40 MPH, AND THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS. DEALER NOTED THAT AIRBAG WAS OPERATING PROPERLY, ACCORDING TO SPECS. *AK

• 10/08/2002· POWER TRAIN

  CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL STALL AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. MR

• 09/29/2005· STRUCTURE

  DRIVING SLOWLY IN PATHFINDER 4X4 '97 HIT POT HOLE. SPOT WELDS ON FRAME TO INNER FENDER BROKE LOOSE. ONE FOOT LONG SEAM SPLIT 3 INCHES WIDE VIEWED FROM THE LEFT FRONT STRUT. COST $1,500 TO WELD AND BRACE. PROFESSIONAL SAID PATHFINDERS NOTORIOUS FOR THIS WEAKNESS. STEERING COLUMN JAMMED FROM FAILURE WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED HEAD-ON FATALITY INTO ONCOMING VEHICLE. SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN FOR A M/V PURPORTED TO BE AN ATV! MY EXPERIENCE IN ACCIDENTS STEMS FROM BOSTON POLICE OFFICER'S ACCIDENT REPORTS FOR OVER A DECADE. INSURANCE AMICA CALLED IT A COLLISION AND INTENDS TO INCREASE MY RATE $600 PER YEAR AND RANK FROM PERFECT DRIVER 9 LEVEL INTO A 13 LEVEL FOR SIX YEARS. BELIEVE THERE IS A TORT JUSTIFICATION. OTHER OWNER MUST BE NOTIFIED. THIN WALLED STRUCTURAL METALS TO BLAME. *NM

• 09/28/2000· TIRES

  HOT DAY. TIRE SEPARATED. NOT BECAUSE OF HIGH PRESURE. NO NAILS. ORIGINAL TIRE. *AK (DOT NUMBER: 156 TIRESIZE: P205/60R15)

• 09/25/2003· TIRES,UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  I PURCHASED A 1997 NISSAN ALTIMA USED WITH 15K MILES IN 1998, IT NOW HAS ABOUT 47K MILES, THE OTHER MORNING WHEN I WENT TO MY CAR THE PAINT WAS COMING OFF, I THOUGHT THAT SOMEONE HAD SCRAPED THE PAINT OFF THE HOOD OF MY CAR, I CALLED MY INS. CO AND THE REFERRED ME TO A DEALER. HE TOOK ONE LOOK AND SAID THAT THE TOP COAT WAS PEELING OFF THE PAINT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE SANDING AND IT WAS NOT COVERED BY MY INS. I HAVE HAD CAR MUCH OLDER THEN THIS ONE AND THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE, THEIR MUST BE A DEFECT IN THIS PAINT, IT IS COMPLETELY PEELING OFF AND IT HAPPENED ALMOST OVERNIGHT. I HAVE TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF THIS CAR, GETTING IT WASHED, WAXED & POLISHED. I WOULD APPRECIATE SOME TYPE OF COMPENSATION ON THIS PROBLEM AND A RESPONSE FROM NISSAN MFG.

• 09/24/1999· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  WHEN CELLURAL TELEPHONE IS WITHDRAWN, THE JACK ASSEMBLE COMES OUT OF THE RECEPTACLE.

• 09/18/2001· AIR BAGSCrash

  THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY DURING ACCIDENT CAUSING THE DRIVER TO SUSTAIN HEAD INJURY BY KNOCKING THE FRONT MIRROR OFF, APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THIS ACCIDENT THE AIR BAG SENSOR WAS REPLACED. *YH

• 09/16/1997· SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  THE POWER SOCKET INTO WHICH THE PLUG FOR CELLULAR PHONE GOES INTO, DOES NOT STAY ATTACHED TO THE DASH WHEN UNPLUGGING THE JACK.THE LOCATION OF PLUG DOES NOT ALLOW FOR CUP HOLDER TO BE USED WHEN USING.

• 09/09/1996· STRUCTURE

  UPON RELEASING TRUNK LID, WIND BLEW LID UP INTO REAR WINDSHIELD, SHATTERING GLASS.

• 09/08/1997· STRUCTURE

  AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS FAILED.

• 09/06/1998· SUSPENSION

  SQUEAKING NOISE IN LOW-SPEED CONDITIONS.

• 09/03/1997· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  DUE TO THE DESIGN , ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT FAILED.

• 08/29/1998· STRUCTURE

  VEHICLE LEAKED IN THE TRUNK AREA RESULTING IN RUST.

• 08/29/1997· WHEELS

  WHEEL COVER FAILED.

• 08/28/2002· SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULICCrash

  NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

• 08/24/2016· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS

  THE 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

• 08/21/1999· AIR BAGSCrash

  ON JULY 07 1999, I WAS PULLING OUT FROM A SIDE STREET ONTO A TWO LANE ROAD. AS I WAS COMPLETING MY TURN, AN SUV HAD CROSSED THE SOLID YELLOW LINE IN ATTEMPT TO GO AROUND ME IN THE WRONG LANE. AS A RESULT, MY 1997 NISSAN ALTIMA WAS HIT IN THE FRONT LEFT (NEARLY HEAD ON) AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. ESTIMATED AT 40-50 MPH. THE VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY $9,000 DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END. NEITHER DRIVER SIDE OR PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. I SUSTAINED A CERVICAL MYOFASCIAL (WHIPLASH) INJURY THAT STILL HAS NOT RESOLVED, AND THANK GOD MY CHILDREN WERE NOT INJURED BADLY. THE AUTO BODY TECHNICIAN AND INSURANCE ADJUSTER (USAA) STATED THAT WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE AIRBAGS WERE DEFECTIVE AND ABSOLUTELY SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. ANEVALUATION OF THE AIRBAGS IS PENDING.

• 08/18/2003· TIRES

  TOYO VEHICLE TIRE FAILED AT 15,000 MILES. STEEL BELTING BROKE OR SEPARATED, CAUSING A DANGEROUS BULGE IN SIDEWALL. THIS WAS A PREMIUM TIRE RATED FOR A 100,000 MILES. *AK

• 08/18/1999· ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLINGFire

  DEFECT IN ENGINE CAUSED FIRE AND DESTROYED THE CAR. (INSURANCE AGENT REPRESENTING CLIENT) YH

• 08/11/2006· SUSPENSION

  DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE RIGHT FRONT COIL SPRING FRACTURED AND PENETRATED THE INNER SIDEWALL OF THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS WERE EXTREMELY CORRODED. THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS WERE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS EXPOSED TO EXCESSIVE ROAD SALTS AND EXTREME WINTER WEATHER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED.

• 08/11/2003· AIR BAGS

  FOIA FWD FM WEBMASTER REQUEST COPY OF ALL INFORMATION, DOCUMENTS, PHOTOS, DIAGRAMS, NOTES, CONSUMER COMPLAINTS TEST RESULTS, NHTSA FINDINGS FOR THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG ON THE 1997 NISSAN ALTIMA.*MR *CB *JB

• 08/09/1999· POWER TRAIN

  WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE LOSES POWER AND STALLS, AND CANNOT SHIFT GEARS WHEN IN MOTION AND WHEN MORE THAN THREE PEOPLE AR E IN THE VEHICLE. *AK