2008 Nissan Altima Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 142 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2008 Nissan Altima, 14% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 71,700 miles. The words owners use most often: “air bag” (51% of reports).
- 142air bags complaints
- 71,700median miles at failure
- 19mention a crash
- 14mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 38%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Air bag: mentioned in 72 of 142 complaints (51%)
- Passenger seat: mentioned in 46 of 142 complaints (32%)
- Airbag off: mentioned in 12 of 142 complaints (8%)
- Occupant classification: mentioned in 9 of 142 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 100 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 142 complaints, 19 mention a crash, 14 an injury.
Nissan Altima air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Altima | 1 | 14% | — |
| 2024 Altima | 2 | 5% | 3,200 |
| 2022 Altima | 3 | 10% | 5,600 |
| 2021 Altima | 2 | 3% | — |
| 2020 Altima | 8 | 5% | 67,000 |
| 2019 Altima | 11 | 5% | 27,806 |
| 2018 Altima | 36 | 16% | 46,478 |
| 2017 Altima | 73 | 19% | 65,000 |
| 2016 Altima | 71 | 13% | 52,000 |
| 2015 Altima | 177 | 19% | 30,400 |
| 2014 Altima | 208 | 19% | 22,000 |
| 2013 Altima | 514 | 22% | 14,000 |
| 2012 Altima | 57 | 13% | 51,000 |
| 2011 Altima | 21 | 9% | 38,400 |
| 2010 Altima | 61 | 16% | 50,000 |
| 2009 Altima | 91 | 6% | 65,500 |
| 2008 Altima | 142 | 14% | 71,700 |
| 2007 Altima | 63 | 13% | 54,000 |
| 2006 Altima | 43 | 5% | 93,000 |
| 2005 Altima | 47 | 4% | 90,000 |
| 2004 Altima | 11 | 4% | 107,000 |
| 2003 Altima | 28 | 3% | 70,500 |
| 2002 Altima | 34 | 3% | 72,750 |
| 2001 Altima | 15 | 9% | 75,000 |
| 2000 Altima | 14 | 9% | 80,000 |
| 1999 Altima | 13 | 15% | 75,500 |
| 1998 Altima | 15 | 12% | 70,000 |
| 1997 Altima | 35 | 32% | 61,500 |
| 1996 Altima | 37 | 40% | 78,075 |
| 1995 Altima | 61 | 34% | 103,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Electrical system:software; air bags
Problem: 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).
Risk: This could result in the passenger air bag being suppressed which could fail to provide adequate protection in the event of a crash.
Fix: 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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Passenger air bag indicator light has been on for 2 years and have been unable to locate issue. All air bag systems test good except error code for passenger side air bag.
At first, the passenger airbag off light always turn on when a person sit on the seat(never turn off). Then few months later the Airbag light on dashboard starts flashing with no reason, 1 long 5 shorts.
The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Altima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 08V521000 (Air Bags, Electrical System). The contact called the dealer and made an appointment; however, the contact was informed that the part might not be available for the appointment. The contact…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2008 Nissan Altimas have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 142 owner complaints about air bags for the 2008 Nissan Altima (14% of the 1,030 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Nissan Altima air bags?
Yes: 1 safety recall list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 71,700 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2008 Nissan Altima?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 72 of 142 complaints, followed by “passenger seat” (46).
Other 2008 Nissan Altima problems
See all 2008 Nissan Altima problems or air bags problems across all Altima years.