"How reliable is the 1997 Nissan Altima?"

"Based on 141 NHTSA complaints, the 1997 Nissan Altima has a median complaint mileage of 120000 miles. The most common issue is Air Bags."

"What are common problems with the 1997 Nissan Altima?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1997 Nissan Altima is Air Bags, accounting for a significant portion of the 141 total complaints filed."

1997 Nissan Altima: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 141 complaints

141

Total Complaints

120,000mi

Median Mileage

Air Bags

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

64,939 25th Percentile

120,000 Median Mileage

140,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Air Bags

Frontal

Unknown Or Other

Automatic Transmission

Vehicle Speed Control

Windshield Wiper/Washer

Suspension

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Body

Tires

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"UPON RELEASING TRUNK LID, WIND BLEW LID UP INTO REAR WINDSHIELD, SHATTERING GLASS."

"REAR SEAT BELTS MALFUNCTIONED, PERSON CALLED IN NOT OWNER. HE CALLED FROM FRED MARTIN, BARBERTON, HAVE NO PARTS. *AK"

"ELECTRICAL FIRE IN FUSE BOX IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, WITHOUT WARNING. POWER DOOR LOCKS WOULD RELOCK DOORS AFTER MANUAL UNLOCK RESULTING IN PROBLEMS EXITING VEHICLE."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Air Bags 18 complaints

25th: 58,000 mi Median: 65,000 mi 75th: 96,000 mi

Unknown Or Other 9 complaints

25th: 95,719 mi Median: 123,000 mi 75th: 147,250 mi

Vehicle Speed Control 4 complaints

Median: 140,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

NY: 17 CA: 17 FL: 12 MA: 12 NJ: 9 VA: 8 PA: 7 OH: 7 DC: 7 GA: 6

Who Files Complaints?

32.6%

Original Owners

67.4%

Second+ Owners

Nissan Altima — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1993	150	122,000	Frontal	25
1994	120	126,000	Frontal	37
1995	216	110,500	Frontal	49
1996	117	83,075	Frontal	27
1998	141	120,000	Frontal	20
1999	110	88,500	Frontal	29
2000	199	84,000	Engine And Engine Cooling	34
2001	201	69,500	Engine And Engine Cooling	29
2002	1321	87,000	Engine And Engine Cooling	41
2003	1099	86,300	Engine And Engine Cooling	61
2004	334	71,000	Engine And Engine Cooling	18
2005	1358	85,000	Body	71
2006	1043	90,000	Body	58
2007	597	65,000	Suspension	39
2008	1373	71,000	Structure	73
2009	2149	78,000	Steering	55
2010	538	51,603	Unknown Or Other	40
2011	317	72,000	Power Train	18
2012	575	75,000	Power Train	39
2013	2970	62,000	Air Bags	104
2014	1376	62,500	Exterior Lighting	74
2015	1188	51,000	Exterior Lighting	61
2016	778	57,692	Power Train	43
2017	498	55,000	Power Train	32
2018	314	36,000	Unknown Or Other	16
2019	326	14,000	Electrical System	40
2020	266	21,171	Electrical System	27
2021	96	41,000	Electrical System	11
2022	50	-	Unknown Or Other	8
2023	33	5,300	Electrical System	8
2024	55	-	Unknown Or Other	13

Active Recalls (3)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Suspension

Campaign 10E002000 | 11/02/2010

THE ABSENCE OF THE WELD CAN ALLOW THE STRUT TO COME OUT OF ITS MOUNTING POSITION UNDER CERTAIN EXTREME DRIVING CONDITIONS WHICH COULD CAUSE DAMAGE TO SURROUNDING VEHICLE COMPONENTS INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

RIDE CONTROL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECORD AND REPLACE THE AFFECTED PARTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 15, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT RIDE CONTROL AT 1-248-458-1396.

Exterior Lighting

Campaign 06E026000 | 23/03/2006

WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.

Buckle Assembly

Campaign 96V185000 | 10/10/1996

IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION, THESE SEAT BELTS MAY NOT RESTRAIN AN OCCUPANT INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES AND REPLACE THEM IF NECESSARY.

Airbag Safety

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Check for open airbag recalls at NHTSA.gov using your VIN
Never ignore the airbag warning light — get it diagnosed immediately
Don't install aftermarket steering wheel covers that block the airbag
Keep the area around airbag deployment zones clear of accessories

Compare Nissan Altima

vs Toyota Camry →

Vehicle Rankings

Most complained Worst transmissions Worst engines Worst brakes Most crashes Compare vehicles

Looking for a replacement?

Based on the data above, here are relevant options.

1997 Nissan Altima parts on Amazon

→

Affiliate link

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28