2015 Nissan Altima Airbags Problems
NHTSA lists 177 airbag complaints for the 2015 Nissan Altima, 19% of all complaints for that year. Owners most often report airbags that failed to deploy in crashes, sometimes involving Takata inflators; three related recalls address occupant classification and airbag control unit issues. NHTSA logs 23 crashes and 16 injuries tied to this component.
- Airbags complaints
- 177
- 19% of 953
- Crashes reported
- 23
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 16
- Median mileage
- 30,400 mi
- Related recalls
- 3
Typical airbag symptoms owners report
- Frontal or side-impact crashes in which the driver or passenger airbag did not deploy at all, even at highway speeds.
- Airbag non-deployment reported specifically in connection with the Takata inflator recall.
- Airbags failing to activate in low-speed or moderate-speed collisions, including rear-end and side impacts.
- Seat belts reported as not holding properly in the same incidents where airbags failed to deploy.
- Airbag-related complaints filed after crashes where the vehicle was later declared a total loss.
When 2015 Nissan Altima airbag complaints were filed
First complaint Mar 23, 2015, latest Sep 11, 2026.
Airbags recalls for the 2015 Nissan Altima
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Airbags complaints by Altima model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many airbag complaints does NHTSA have for the 2015 Nissan Altima?
- NHTSA lists 177 airbag complaints for the 2015 Altima, which is 19% of the 953 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for airbags on the 2015 Nissan Altima?
- Yes. NHTSA lists three airbag-related recalls covering the 2015 Altima: campaign 16V911000, 16V244000, and 15V681000, addressing occupant classification system software and airbag control unit issues.
- What is the most common airbag complaint on the 2015 Altima?
- The most common pattern in owner complaints is airbags failing to deploy during a crash, reported alongside 23 crashes and 16 injuries in NHTSA data.
- At what mileage do airbag problems typically get reported?
- NHTSA data shows a median mileage of 30,400 miles at the time of the reported airbag failure.
- Is the 2015 Altima worse than other years for airbag complaints?
- Its 19% share of complaints tied to airbags matches 2014 and 2017, but is lower than 2013's 22% share, based on NHTSA's year-by-year data.