1997 Nissan Altima — Known Issues & Recalls

Your rear suspension control arms failed while driving at 65 mph on the freeway, causing the vehicle to sway violently left and right. You nearly lost control but managed to safely pull over. Both upper and lower control arms need replacement, with repair estimates exceeding $800.

Your car wobbles and shakes when driving at highway speeds (65-70 mph), especially when hitting small bumps or road obstructions. The Nissan dealership replaced all the struts, but the wobbling continued. When you contacted Nissan years later, they said you'd have to pay for further diagnosis and repairs.

While your car was parked in the driveway, the right front coil spring broke and punctured the inner sidewall of your right front tire. A repair shop found that both front coil springs were extremely corroded, likely from exposure to road salt and harsh winter weather. Both front coil springs were replaced to fix the issue.

During a tire rotation, a service dealer noticed the rubber boots protecting your axle spindles had deteriorated. An authorized Nissan dealer confirmed this issue and replaced the boots, attributing the damage to heat and humidity exposure. The rubber boots help protect the axle joints from dirt and moisture.

You were rear-ended hard while stopped and waiting to turn left, but your airbags failed to deploy when they should have. This is a serious safety issue since the airbags are designed to protect you in exactly this type of collision.

Your passenger-side airbags failed to deploy during a crash where your vehicle was struck and rolled over, resulting in injuries to the driver. Despite notifying Nissan of the failure, the manufacturer did not respond for over four months. A complete airbag system inspection and replacement would be needed to address this critical safety failure.

Your airbag warning light came on your dashboard. You found service bulletins about airbag repairs and were told the dealer would do the work for free until December 31, 2004, but when you brought your car in before that deadline, the dealer refused to repair it at no charge.

Your car's rear sub-member and front cradle are severely corroded and rotting, which makes the vehicle unsafe to drive. Both parts need to be replaced, and additional repairs may be needed once those are completed.

Your vehicle went missing and you had to file a police report for theft. This complaint involves the electrical system and vehicle speed control, though the exact cause wasn't specified.

Your car won't start. Your seatbelt is fraying and falling apart, which concerns you because you're worried your airbag may not deploy properly in a crash. These safety system failures should be inspected and repaired by a mechanic to ensure your family's protection in an accident.

When you applied the brakes at a stop sign, your car suddenly accelerated instead of slowing down, causing it to cross four lanes of traffic and hit a tree. This is a critical safety issue where the braking system failed to stop the vehicle as intended. The problem may involve the brake pedal mechanism, throttle linkage, or electronic controls that need immediate professional inspection and repair.

Your 1997 Nissan Altima has been involved in multiple crashes, including head-on and side collisions while driving at low speeds (25 mph). The owner reports the vehicle crashed into other vehicles without a clear understanding of what caused the crashes. A mechanic should perform a complete diagnostic inspection of your steering, brakes, and suspension systems to identify any mechanical failures.

After hitting a pothole while driving slowly, the spot welds connecting the frame to the inner fender broke apart, creating a one-foot-long seam that split three inches wide. This structural failure caused your steering column to jam, which could have led to a serious accident. The repair cost $1,500 and required welding and bracing.

Your rear driver's side tire experienced a blowout on the highway, with the sidewall rupturing while you were driving on I-75 near Fort Myers. A tire sidewall blowout can cause sudden loss of control of your vehicle. You'll need to replace the damaged tire with a new one of the same size and type.

Your engine has been overheating recently. Your mechanic says the head gasket is damaged or worn out, which is likely causing the problem. Fixing this will require replacing the head gasket, which is a major engine repair that involves disassembling parts of the engine.

Gasoline leaks from your fuel filler neck area whenever the gas tank is more than 75% full. This happens when you're topping off at the pump or during normal driving with a full tank.

Your gas pedal feels stiff and requires hard pressing when you first start the car and for the first 200 yards of driving. After that initial distance, the pedal returns to normal operation.

Your driver's side sun visor won't stay in the up position and keeps falling down into your line of sight while driving. This appears to be a common issue with this model year. Fixing it typically requires replacing the entire sun visor assembly.

Your headlights are very dim even after you installed new bulbs and had the lenses professionally cleaned. You've noticed there's an amber-colored component inside the headlight assembly that appears to be the problem. This may require replacement of the headlight housing or internal reflector components to restore proper brightness.

Your check engine light keeps turning on and off depending on weather conditions. The problem is likely a faulty EVAP vent control valve and O-ring that need replacement. This won't affect how your car drives, but it will cause your vehicle to fail emissions inspections and get poor gas mileage until the part is replaced. The repair involves replacing the EVAP valve assembly and having the diagnostic trouble code cleared at a dealership.