Your vehicle report
1994 Nissan Altima
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 106
- Received Jan 1995 to May 2024
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Airbags fail to deploy in crashes27 complaints · 25% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Airbag warning light stays on6 complaints · 5.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Head gasket leaks coolant into engine5 complaints · 4.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #03V150000Nissan is recalling my 1994 and early 1995 altima vehicles following reports that passenger air bag deployments in these vehicles had caused a number of moderate-to-severe eye injuries. Nissan has developed a new passenger air bag that is less powerful when it inflates in a crash to reduce the risk of air bag inflation-related injuries.
- Recall #94V035000Engine movement can be transmitted to the airflow meter/filter housing and support bracket, which is mounted in the engine air duct, causing the throttle cable housing to pull out of the cable guide. This may prevent the throttle from returning to the idle position when the gas pedal is released.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 34 crashes, 2 fires, 28 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 7 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Head gasket leaks coolant into engine
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
- Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
1 more problem
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 20 |
| 1996 | 4 |
| 1997 | 11 |
| 1998 | 4 |
| 1999 | 5 |
| 2000 | 9 |
| 2001 | 17 |
| 2002 | 8 |
| 2003 | 5 |
| 2004 | 7 |
| 2005 | 2 |
| 2006 | 4 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 2 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 106 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 27 | 25% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 6 | 5.7% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 5 | 4.7% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 4 | 3.8% | – | NHTSA recall #94V035000 |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 3 | 2.8% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 3 | 2.8% | – | |
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 3 | 2.8% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #03V150000April 25, 2003190,000 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal
Nissan is recalling my 1994 and early 1995 Altima vehicles following reports that passenger air bag deployments in these vehicles had caused a number of moderate-to-severe eye injuries. Nissan has developed a new passenger air bag that is less powerful when it inflates in a crash to reduce the risk of air bag inflation-related injuries.
Nissan expects that this new air bag Can help reduce the risk of air bag inflation-related injuries.
Remedy
Nissan will replace the passenger air bag at no charge to the consumer. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification began april 28, 2003. Owners should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
NHTSA recall #94V035000February 28, 1994206,000 vehicles affected
vehicle speed control
Engine movement Can be transmitted to the airflow meter/filter housing and support bracket, which is mounted in the engine air duct, causing the throttle cable housing to pull out of the cable guide. This may prevent the throttle from returning to the idle position when the gas pedal is released.
If this were to occur while the vehicle is in motion, loss of throttle control could result in an accident.
Remedy
Nissan will reposition the throttle cable housing in the support bracket to provide additional slack for engine movement. A rubber stopper will be clamped to the cable to maintain the correct position for the cable at the support bracket. In addition, the throttle cable will be tested for pull out resistance from the guide in the event the cable was damaged. The throttle assembly will be replaced, if necessary.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1994 Nissan Altima.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN