YearToAvoid

2014 Nissan Altima Airbags Problems

NHTSA lists 208 airbag complaints for the 2014 Nissan Altima, 19% of all complaints for the year, with 32 crashes, 2 fires, and 44 injuries reported. Median mileage at failure is 22,000 miles. Four related recalls cover Takata inflators and occupant classification software.

Airbags complaints
208
19% of 1,114
Crashes reported
32
Fires reported
2
Injuries reported
44
Median mileage
22,000 mi
Related recalls
4

Typical airbag symptoms owners report

  • Front airbags deploy with excessive force, spraying metal fragments that cause wrist and facial injuries.
  • Airbags fail to deploy entirely during moderate-speed crashes, including side impacts, rear-end collisions, and head-on collisions with animals.
  • Side curtain and side-impact airbags fail to activate even when the corresponding side of the vehicle is struck.
  • Some owners report airbags deploying on only one side of the vehicle during an impact that affected both sides.
  • Owners describe injuries ranging from wrist scarring and traumatic brain injury to spine, neck, and hip injuries linked to non-deployment.

When 2014 Nissan Altima airbag complaints were filed

First complaint Dec 13, 2013, latest Jul 3, 2026.

2014 Nissan Altima airbags complaints: complaints filed per quarter192013 Q42015 Q32017 Q22019 Q12020 Q42022 Q32024 Q4
208 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2013 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2017 Q4 (19).

Airbags recalls for the 2014 Nissan Altima

  1. NHTSA 16V911000Dec 19, 2016Airbags757 vehicles

    Air bags:sensor:occupant classification

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima vehicles manufactured January 3, 2013, to July 29, 2013, 2015-2016 Rogue vehicles manufactured October 14, 2014, to August 12, 2016, and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured June 4, 2015, to August 19, 2015. An incorrect Occupant Classification System (OCS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may have been installed in the front passenger seat. The incorrect ECU and seat combination may misclassify the front passenger seat occupant.

    Risk: If the front passenger seat occupant is misclassified, the air bag may deploy incorrectly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

    Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ECU and update the OCS software free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

  2. NHTSA 16V244000Apr 26, 2016Airbags3,296,947 vehicles

    Air bags:sensor:occupant classification

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.

    Risk: If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.

    Remedy: Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.

  3. NHTSA 15V681000Oct 20, 2015Airbags919 vehicles

    Air bags:sensor:occupant classification

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima and Pathfinder vehicles, 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra vehicles, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles, 2014-2015 Infiniti QX60 vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles received an incorrect occupant classification system (OCS) control unit during a repair. These OCS control units may incorrectly classify the front passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.

    Risk: If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger air bag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.

    Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

  4. NHTSA 14V138000Mar 25, 2014Airbags989,701 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the occupant classification system (OCS) software may incorrectly classify the passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.

    Risk: If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger airbag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.

    Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Airbags complaints by Altima model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 201061 (16%)
  2. 201121 (9%)
  3. 201257 (13%)
  4. 2013514 (22%)
  5. 2014208 (19%)
  6. 2015177 (19%)
  7. 201670 (13%)
  8. 201773 (19%)
  9. 201836 (16%)
  10. 201911 (5%)
  11. 20208 (5%)
  12. 20212 (3%)
  13. 20223 (10%)
  14. 20230 (0%)
  15. 20242 (5%)
  16. 20251 (14%)

Frequently asked questions

How many airbag complaints does NHTSA have for the 2014 Nissan Altima?
NHTSA lists 208 airbag complaints for the 2014 Nissan Altima, which is 19% of the 1,114 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there an airbag recall for the 2014 Nissan Altima?
Yes. Four recalls cover this year, including 16V911000 and 15V681000 for Takata occupant classification system software, and 14V138000, none of which are do-not-drive or park-outside recalls.
What airbag problems do owners report most on the 2014 Altima?
Owners report airbags failing to deploy in crashes, side curtain airbags not activating during side impacts, and front airbags deploying with enough force to cause wrist and head injuries.
At what mileage do airbag problems tend to appear on the 2014 Altima?
NHTSA data shows a median mileage at failure of 22,000 miles for airbag-related complaints on the 2014 Altima.
How many crashes and injuries are linked to airbag complaints on the 2014 Altima?
NHTSA recorded 32 crashes, 2 fires, and 44 injuries among the 208 airbag complaints filed for the 2014 Nissan Altima.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.