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1997 Nissan Altima Recalls & Complaints

3

open safety recalls on record

Serious

141 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 1.60 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious10E002000

Suspension

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 raises the risk of A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

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.

RIDE CONTROL IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONT STRUT MOUNTS BRANDED AS GABRIEL RIDE CONTROL OR ARVINMERITOR, P/NOS. 142435, 142193, 142305, 142303, SOLD AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE AFFECTED FRONT STRUT MOUNTS DID NOT CONTAIN A WELD JOINT BETWEEN THE BEARING HOUSING AND THE RATE PLATE.

Serious06E026000

Exterior Lighting

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

Remedy & full details

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.

CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Serious96V185000

Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly

IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION, THESE SEAT BELTS MAY NOT RESTRAIN AN OCCUPANT raises the risk of INJURY.

Remedy & full details

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

CERTAIN BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES WERE PRODUCED WITH A "BUCKLE BASE" THAT WAS IMPROPERLY HEAT TREATED. THIS CAN CAUSE THE "BUCKLE BASE" TO BE BRITTLE FAILING TO COMPLY TO FMVSS NO. 209, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES."

Complaint volume

141 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

40Crashes
7Fires
31Injuries
0Deaths

Across 141 complaints. Severity Index 1.60.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Air Bags18 · 13%Air Bags · Frontal16 · 11%Unknown Or Other9 · 6%Power Train · Automatic T…5 · 4%Vehicle Speed Control4 · 3%Electrical System · Wirin…3Structure · Body · Door3Service Brakes, Hydraulic…3
  1. Air Bags — 18 reports
  2. Air Bags:Frontal — 16 reports
  3. Unknown Or Other — 9 reports
  4. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 5 reports
  5. Vehicle Speed Control — 4 reports
  6. Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers — 3 reports
  7. Structure:Body:Door — 3 reports
  8. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 3 reports
  9. Suspension — 3 reports
  10. Structure:Body — 3 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (5) · 1996 (2) · 1997 · 1998 (4) · 1999 (4) · 2000 (2) · 2001 (2) · 2002 (12) · 2003 (10) · 2004 (5) · 2005 (2) · 2006 (4) · 2007 (3) · 2008 (4) · 2009 (4) · 2010 (3) · 2011 (1) · 2012 (4) · 2013 (12) · 2014 (8) · 2015 (10) · 2016 (4) · 2017 (3) · 2018 (2) · 2019 (7) · 2020 (6) · 2021 (2) · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 (1) · 2025 (1)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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