Problems · by component
2006 Nissan Altima air bags problems
43 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2006 Nissan Altima cite air bags, 5% of all 824 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
43
5% of all complaints
Crashes
27
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
40
Reported by owners
What owners say about the air bags
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Me and my fiancé had just picked the kids up from my mom’s. Got about 2 miles down the road and all of a sudden i heard a loud boom and a flash of light like a shot gun had went off in my ear. When I heard the boom my left side from my face to my hip felt like I had been hit. At the same time it happen with me it happen on the passenger side where my fiancé was sitting. I was able To pull to the side of the rd. I got out call law enforcement and looked around my car and it had not been hit so I open my door to get my kids out and that’s when I seen it was the airbags . They exploded and the reason I didn’t notice them when I got out of the car is because they was not inflated they had exploded. There is a huge hole in the top of each side air bag, it busted the inside of my passenger side door and threw shrapnel over to my driver side dash. He and I both are hurting on the side the airbags went off and he has a artificial hip on the side it hit him so I’m hoping it didn’t do anything to his hip”
“The contact owned a 2006 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while exiting the highway, the contact lost control of the vehicle and struck a tree, causing several damages to the front of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy, causing several injuries to the contact's right eye, cuts, and bruises to the left side of the contact's body. The contact sought medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 210,000.”
“Hydroplaned while entering a toll Plaza on 9/22/2021. Crashed into the cement jersey wall and guardrail. Car was totaled with front end, driver's side, and driver's side rear-end damage. Airbags did not deploy. The vehicle is being housed at a tow lot and will be available for inspection until I receive a duplicate copy of my title from DMV. My safety was put at risk due to the fact the airbags did not deploy upon front-end impact. The vehicle was towed directly to the tow lot from the crash scene and the issue has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center. The vehicle has only been inspected on scene by highway patrol, police, and tow company representatives. There were no prior warnings, messages, or symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The only warning lamp illuminated at the time of incident was the service engine soon light.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2006 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HIS WIFE WAS DRIVING AT 45 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE BUMPER. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED FACIAL LACERATION, FRACTURED RIGHT SHOULDER AND BRUISES ON BOTH THIGHS AND THE CONTACT WAS THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SUSTAINED INJURIES ON HIS RIGHT KNEE AND BUT HIS HEAD AND LEFT LEG WAS ALSO CUT WITH BROKEN WINDOW GLASS. THE CONTACT STATED THEY WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL TO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION AND HIS WIFE HAD SURGERY AT A LATER TIME ON HER FACE AND RIGHT SHOULDER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVEABLE. THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER DEEMED THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. UPON INVESTIGATION THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION NUMBER: NTB-08-055-A, HOWEVER THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 122,649.”
“"TAKATA RECALL" MY NISSAN ALTIMA 2006 AIRBAG DASHBOARD LIGHT IS PERMANENTLY LIT UP, CLEARLY INDICATING AIRBAG ICON MALFUNCTION AS PER THE NISSAN ALTIMA CAR MANUAL, CURRENTLY AS PER NISSAN CORPORATION MY VEHICLE IS NOT UNDER ANY RECALL, HOWEVER INDICATIONS POINT TO THE AIR BAG, I HAVE REACH OUT TO THEM TO CONFIRM WHETHER IF THIS SPECIFIC YEAR MODEL WAS MANUFACTURE WITH A TAKATA AIRBAG, THEY HAVE DODGE THE QUESTION. WITH THAT BEING SAID, UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, ARE THEY UNDER ANY OBLIGATION TO CONFIRM THE INFORMATION REQUESTED. [XXX] ' *PM”
“TAKATA WHEN THE AIRBAG DEPLOY WHICH ALMOST CAUSED MY LIFE. I HAVE 20 SOME FRACTURED RIBS AND SPINE FRACTURES AS WELL. ALSO MY FOOTPEDAL SPEED UP WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE AND WAS STUCK. I DON'T KNOW IF THE LIGHTS HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT BUT TRAFFIC WAS STOPPED ON THE HIGHWAY. *DT 'PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' UPDATED 12/06/18*JB”
Showing 6 of 43 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.