Problems · by component
2003 Nissan Altima air bags problems
28 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2003 Nissan Altima cite air bags, 3% of all 883 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
28
3% of all complaints
Crashes
18
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
14
Reported by owners
What owners say about the air bags
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK ON 412 IN BETWEEN SALEM AR AND VIOLA AR WHEN MY PASSAGES BACK WHEEL WELDS BROKE, WHICH CAUSED ME TO LOOSE CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE. WHICH CAUSED ME TO DRIVE THROUGH A FENCE AND HIT A TREE. AND THAT'S WHEN MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY”
“TAKATA RECALL - I WAS TRAVELING ON THE LEFT INSIDE LANE OF A 4 LANE ROAD DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65MPH WHEN A SEMI-TRUCK CAME OVER INTO MY LANE THUS PUSHING ME OFF THE ROAD ONTO THE MEDIAN. I HIT A CEMENT CULVERT & CAR STILL PROCEEDED TO TRAVEL DOWN MEDIAN WITHOUT AT LEAST 1 BACK TIRE FINALLY HITTING A TREE WHICH STOPPED CAR FROM GOING INTO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED & THE DRIVER SEAT BELT DID NOT CATCH ME WITH MY FACE GOING INTO THE STEERING WHEEL. WHEN FIREMEN ARRIVED ON SCENE & HELPED ME OUT THEY WOULD NOT ALLOW ME BACK IN THE VEHICLE TO RETRIEVE THE REGISTRATION CARD STATING THAT THEY SMELLED AIR BAG ODORS; FIREMEN & HIGHWAY PATROLMAN ALONG WITH WRECKER SERVICE MAN STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE INFLATED. I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY LIFE THREATENING INJURIES -JUST A SORE NECK & BACK; BROKEN NOSE & 2 BLACK EYES. ALSO HURT ANKLE & HIP DURING WRECK. HAVE HAD ALL OVER BODY PAIN ALL THIS WEEK. IF MY DAUGHTER HAD BEEN A PASSENGER SHE WOULD HAVE GONE THRU THE WINDSHIELD. VEHICLE WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS BY GEICO INSURANCE. REPORTED AIR BAG FAILURE TO NISSAN; HAVE MADE SEVERAL CALLS TO THEM LEAVING NAME & PHONE NUMBER TO CALL ME; TODAY I RECEIVED A…”
“OWNER OF A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA - ON 2/18/17 WHILE TAKING MY VEHICLE TO A CAR WASH IN LINDEN, NJ, I HAD MY VEHICLE ON NEUTRAL AND WHEN THE CAR WASH WAS COMPLETED, I PUT THE VEHICLE ON DRIVE AND PROCEEDED SLOWLY TOWARDS THE CAR WASH EMPLOYEES AS THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO STAY ON MY LEFT SIDE, AS THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS ON THE RIGHT SIDE AND I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES. AS THE TWO EMPLOYEES PLACED THEIR TOWELS ON MY FRONT VEHICLE TO DRY OUT THE VEHICLE, MY VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO JOLT TWICE WHILE I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES AND IMMEDIATELY MY VEHICLE ACCELERATED AT A HIGH SPEED. SMOKE STARTED TO COME OUT OF THE FRONT HOOD AND THE AIRBAG CAME OUT. I HAD TO CONTROL THE STEERING WHEEL NOT TO HURT ANY ONE AS THERE WERE SEVERAL PARKED VEHICLES AND PEOPLE VACUUMING THEIR VEHICLES OR CLEANING OUT THEIR VEHICLES. NOT SURE HOW MANY PARKED VEHICLES WERE HIT AND MY VEHICLE HIT A PARKED SUV. AMBULANCE ARRIVED AND THE POLICE. I WAS IN SHOCKED, SURPRISED AND CRIED AND TOLD THE POLICE ABOUT MY VEHICLE TAKING OFF SO QUICKLY WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHILE MY FOOT WAS STILL ON THE BRAKES. ALL I KEPT SAYING IS OH MY GOD WHAT HAPPENED. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? WERE THERE ANY RECALLS? I KEPT…”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ANOTHER VEHICLE SPED THROUGH AN INTERSECTION AND CRASHED INTO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE HER VEHICLE. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED WHIPLASH, HEAD INJURIES, AND THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO PROVIDE PROPER RESTRAINT. THE FRONT PASSENGER ALSO SUSTAINED WHIPLASH AND EXTENSIVE INJURIES. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS RECEIVED AND THE FRONT PASSENGER WAS TRANSPORTED AWAY BY AN AMBULANCE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A YARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.”
“AIR BAG SENSOR THE LIGHT TURNS ON AND OFF WHEN A PASSENGER SIT IN THE SEAT. THE SENSOR WAS REPROGRAMMED IN 4/2104 . THE OCS SENSOR CONTINUES TO COME ON AND OFF STILL DEFECTED. I HAD IT RECHECKED WHEN THE CAR WAS BROUGHT IN FOR A FRONT HOOD LATCH AT THIS TIME I WAS TOLD THE SENSOR ON THE AIRBAG WAS BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND IT WOULD COST ME $700. I REFUSED TO PAY AND IT NEEDED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF FROM NISSAN AS IT IS A DEFECTED PART NOT FROM A WEAR AND TEAR. DEALERSHIP CALLED NISSAN THEY AGREED TO PAY FOR PART BUT I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR LABOR. I CONTACTED CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND WAS TOLD VERY CONTRADICTING ANSWERS FROM THEM AND THE REGIONAL SPECIALIST. I WILL SAY THE PEOPLE I TALKED WITH SOUNDED VERY UNEDUCATED ABOUT THE PRODUCTS AND ISSUES WITH THEIR CARS. IT SOUNDED AS THOUGH THEY WERE READING SCRIPTS AND NEVER HEARD MY SITUATION OF ALL THAT HAD OCCURRED WITH IS OCS SENSOR. I TALKED WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE FROM CONSUMER AFFAIRS, SO CALLED REGIONAL SPECIALIST AND CUSTOMER SERVICE OF WHICH REPRESENT NISSAN . I HAVE 4 DIFFERENT REFERENCE NUMBERS. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE WITH NISSAN HAS NOT BEEN COOPERATIVE OR HELPFUL AT ALL. I CONTINUE TO HEAR IT'S NOT UNDER…”
“THE SEATS HAD BEEN REMOVED IN ORDER TO CLEAN THE CARPET AND UPHOLSTERY IN THE CAR WHEN THE DASH AND STEERING WHEEL AIR BAGS SUDDENLY WENT OFF. THE CAR WAS SITTING STATIONARY AND WAS NOT MOVING AT THE TIME.”
Showing 6 of 28 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.