2009 Nissan Altima Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 91 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2009 Nissan Altima, 6% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 65,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “air bag” (37% of reports).
- 91air bags complaints
- 65,500median miles at failure
- 10mention a crash
- 7mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,450typical repair cost reported by owners
- 26%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 34 of 91 complaints (37%)
- Passenger seat: mentioned in 33 of 91 complaints (36%)
- Airbag sensor: mentioned in 9 of 91 complaints (10%)
- Someone sitting: mentioned in 7 of 91 complaints (8%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical air bags repair on the 2009 Nissan Altima at $2,450, and half of them between $1,050 and $3,550.
Based on 7 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2014–2021), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 68 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 91 complaints, 10 mention a crash, 7 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 (0)
No safety recall lists air bags for the 2009 Nissan Altima. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Was stopped at a red light - when light turned green car in front of me proceeded to go but stopped . I pressed on the brake at a speed of no more then 15 miles an hour and the driver side airbag from the steering wheel deployed . No other air bags deployed and there was no type of collision or…
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the…
The contact owned a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph, an unknown Chevrolet Postal truck pulled out and crashed into the vehicle. The steering wheel air bag exploded and hit his face. The contact sustained injuries to his face, wrist, chest, and hand…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2009 Nissan Altimas have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 91 owner complaints about air bags for the 2009 Nissan Altima (6% of the 1,547 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 2009 Nissan Altima air bags?
No recall currently lists air bags for this vehicle.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 65,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix air bags problems on the 2009 Nissan Altima?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,450 (half paid between $1,050 and $3,550), from 7 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2009 Nissan Altima?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 34 of 91 complaints, followed by “passenger seat” (33).
Other 2009 Nissan Altima problems
- Steering problems (859)
- Electrical System problems (466)
- Engine problems (107)
- Power Train problems (95)
- Structure problems (90)
See all 2009 Nissan Altima problems or air bags problems across all Altima years.