1999 Nissan Altima — Known Issues & Recalls

Your 1999 Nissan Altima was involved in a crash at 25 mph when another vehicle turned left into your lane. Both the driver and passenger front airbags deployed during the collision, and you were injured enough to require medical attention. The vehicle was totaled. Nissan was aware of an airbag recall on your vehicle but had not addressed it before the crash.

Your airbags failed to deploy in multiple head-on collisions, and your seat belts did not lock during impact. You've filed prior reports about this issue since 2004, and it has occurred in at least two subsequent collisions in your 1999 Nissan Pathfinder without resolution. The airbag system may need to be inspected, tested, or replaced to restore proper deployment function.

The owner is expressing concerns about airbag recall reporting procedures and whether safety recalls are being properly documented and reported to NHTSA. They are questioning whether repairs are only reported if covered under warranty, whether recalls in other countries are being reported for identical vehicles sold in the USA, and whether death statistics related to recalled parts are being accurately counted and reported.

When the airbag deploys, if your hands are positioned at the traditional 10 and 2 o'clock position on the steering wheel, the airbag can throw your left arm against the windshield and its frame, potentially causing broken arms and wrists. The owner believes there should be a warning about this risk.

Your engine is stalling unexpectedly when you come to a stop at red lights and stop signs, and it happens randomly without warning. This creates a safety hazard since your car could suddenly lose power in traffic and be struck from behind. The dealership has had your car for 3 days this week but hasn't been able to fix it yet. The repair will likely involve diagnosing the idle control system, fuel delivery, or ignition system to prevent the stalling.

Your car's intake manifold gasket has failed, which seals the connection between the intake manifold and engine. This can cause coolant or oil leaks, rough idling, or overheating issues. The repair will involve removing the intake manifold and replacing the worn gasket.

Your check engine light has been on for about 2 years, and you've noticed fumes coming from inside the car at times. Research suggests the intake manifold gasket is leaking, which is a known problem on 1998-2001 Altimas. The fix involves replacing the intake manifold gasket, though some owners report it fails again after replacement.

Your engine is idling very roughly and feels like it might stall, causing the whole car to shake. You'll also notice shaking during acceleration and sluggish performance. Your check engine light has come on indicating a misfire in cylinder #4, which many owners report is caused by a faulty intake manifold gasket. Replacing the intake manifold gasket should resolve the rough idle and acceleration issues.

Your car's front suspension coil broke and the entire front suspension assembly failed while parked, causing a tire to go flat with a loud noise like a gunshot. A mechanic determined that if you had been driving at the time, this failure could have caused a fatal accident. The issue appears to be a structural defect in the suspension system rather than normal wear.

Your car's left front suspension coil spring broke and collapsed while the car was parked stationary in a carport. This could cause your vehicle to sit unevenly and may affect how it handles when you drive. The repair will likely involve replacing the damaged coil spring on the left front suspension.

Your car may suddenly accelerate on its own without you pressing the gas pedal. This could happen unexpectedly while driving, potentially causing a loss of control or collision.

Your car wouldn't accelerate when you tried to drive away from a stop. A mechanic found that the throttle linkage—the mechanical connection between your gas pedal and engine—had broken and disconnected from the engine. The mechanic was able to reattach it and get your car working again. The fix involved reconnecting or replacing the throttle linkage cable or bracket.

Your check engine light came on and your car won't accept a full tank of gas — it only takes about half to three-quarters of a tank before fuel starts leaking back out. Your mechanic found that the fuel filter tube has rusted and is blocking the fuel tank from filling properly. This same problem has triggered safety recalls on other Nissan vehicles, but your car wasn't included in those recalls despite having the identical issue.

You took your 1999 Nissan Altima to the dealer for a recall repair (NHTSA Campaign 07V435000) involving the fuel tank filler pipe and cap. The technician said the repair would take only a few hours, but the next day you learned the vehicle hadn't been repaired, and you're still waiting to get your car back. The repair involves replacing or servicing the fuel tank filler pipe and cap assembly.

The wiring harness connected to your tail lights shorted out and caused a fire to start in your trunk. This is a serious electrical failure that created a dangerous fire hazard.

You experienced three major collisions in your 1999 Altima where the airbags did not deploy and the seat belts failed to function properly. You received a recall notification card referencing a modification but were repeatedly told by the dealership and Nissan that no recalls or service bulletins existed for your vehicle. You're concerned that safety modifications may have been made to your car without proper documentation or disclosure to you as a subsequent owner.

You're expressing serious concern about multiple safety issues affecting Nissan vehicles, including problems with airbags, seat belts, steering, brakes, and acceleration. You feel that Nissan has not adequately recalled or acknowledged these issues despite similar problems being recalled in other countries, and you're frustrated that your own injury from these defects isn't reflected in safety reports. Addressing these issues would require Nissan to conduct investigations, issue safety recalls, and potentially redesign or replace affected components like airbag systems, seat belt assemblies, and brake components.

You keep noticing a strong gas smell inside your car, near the fuel pump area, and in the exhaust. This smell has been recurring even after multiple repair attempts, and it's affecting your children's asthma. The issue may involve a fuel leak, a faulty fuel pump seal, or an exhaust problem that needs proper diagnosis and repair.

Your front driver-side tire suddenly went flat with a loud sound like a gunshot. The impact damaged your coil spring and strut, affecting your car's suspension system. You'll need to replace the tire, and have a mechanic inspect and repair the damaged suspension components.

While driving at 35 mph, you heard a banging sound coming from the rear of your vehicle. A dealer inspection revealed that your rear subframe has rusted. Fixing this will likely require removing the rear subframe and either repairing or replacing it if the rust damage is severe.