1996 Nissan Altima Airbags Problems

MY CAR CRASHED INTO THE BACK OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. I HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO STOP, BUT MY CAR JUST DIDN'T & MY AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. EVEN BEFORE THE CRASH, THE DASH LIGHTS FLICKER ON AND OFF, & I CAN BARELY SEE WITH MY HEADLIGHTS! ALSO, MY CAR MAKES LOUD CRANKING NOISES WHEN I TURN. EVERY CAR I SEE LIKE MINE, HAS A SMASHED UP FRONT END & HAS ALL THE SAME ISSUES. I CAN'T CURRENTLY AFFORD A NEW CAR, BUT I'M SCARED TO DEATH TO DRIVE MINE, BUT I HAVE NO CHOICE. HELP ME PLEASE! WHO CAN I CONTACT? I STRONGLY BELIEVE THESE CARS ARE NOT FIT FOR DRIVING. I NEED MY PROBLEMS SOLVED FAST BEFORE SOMETHING MORE SERIOUS HAPPENS! IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN HOW DANGEROUS THESE CARS TRULY ARE, I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT SOMETHING ELSE TO KEEP MYSELF AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD SAFE. I DON'T HAVE THE MEANS AT THIS TIME IN MY LIFE TO BUY A SAFER AND MORE RELIABLE VEHICLE. I EVEN HAD TO TAKE TIME OFF FROM COLLEGE, BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION TO GET MYSELF THERE. IT'S VERY DEVASTATING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10520991

Incident

Apr 12, 2011

I HAVE A 1996 NISSAN ALTIMA GXE. THE AIR BAG SYSTEM DEVELOPED A PROBLEM, I.E. THE INDICATOR LIGHT WOULD NOT GO OUT - IT CONTINUED TO FLASH. UPON DIAGNOSIS BY THE NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT, THEY DETERMINED THE PROBLEM TO BE A MALFUNCTIONING CONTROL MODULE. THIS WILL CAUSE THE UNIT TO NOT OPERATE PROPERLY. I HAVE LEARNED THROUGH THE NHTSA WEBSITE THAT NISSAN HAS HAD PRIOR PROBLEMS WITH THESE AIR BAG SYSTEMS, AND MY PROBLEM MAY BE A CONTINUATION OF THESE.*AK

NHTSA ID

10081181

Incident

Jul 10, 2004

Mileage

82,150 mi

AIR BAG MODULE. LIGHT ON DASH STARTED TO FLASH . TOOK CAR TO DEALER SHIP AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE AIRBAG MODULAR AFTER THEY CHECK OUT THE COMPUTER. I ASKED THE SERVICE MANAGER IF THEIR WAS A RECALL ON THIS AND HE SAID NO. I ASKED IF THIS WAS COMMON AND HE SAID HE HAD SEEN THIS BEFORE IN THIS MODEL AND YEAR. THE PART COST OVER $550.00 NOT INSTALLED. HE TOLD ME TO TRY TO FIND ONE IN A JUNK YARD, TOLD ME HOW TO REMOVE AND INSTALL SAME AND EVEN OFFERED TO LET ME BORROW THE SPECIAL TOOL NEEDED TO REMOVE AND INSTALL SAME. THEN I WAS TO BRING BACK CAR TO HAVE THE LIGHT RESET, AS THIS WOULD DETERRMINE IF THE MODULAR THAT I GOT WAS ANY GOOD. IF LIGHT DIDN'T RESET THEN THAT MODULAR WAS NOT GOOD. IT WAS LAST YEAR WHEN THE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AND I HAVE NOT AS YET FOUND A MODULAR IN A JUNK YARD. *LA

NHTSA ID

10080934

Incident

Jun 5, 2003

Mileage

70,000 mi

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A RIGHT-ANGLED FRONTAL COLLISION WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN. NEITHER THE DRIVER OR PASSENGER AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.*AK *CB

NHTSA ID

10024923

Incident

Jun 16, 2003

Mileage

74,000 mi

AIR BAG CONTROL UNIT

NHTSA ID

10013880

Incident

Mar 26, 2003

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITH NO WARNING THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND THE AIR BAG COULD BE INOPERATIVE IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT. DEALER NOTIFIED.*JB

NHTSA ID

8021515

Incident

Oct 16, 2002

Mileage

116,000 mi

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THE AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE CONTROL UNIT FOR THE AIRBAG HAD FAILED. CONSUMER FEELS UNSAFE, AIRBAGS MAY NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*JB

NHTSA ID

8008947

Incident

Apr 27, 2002

AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT THAT IS LOCATED ON DASH FLASHES CONSTANTLY WHEN VEHICLE BEING DRIVEN. THE CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK

NHTSA ID

8002248

Incident

May 1, 2001

AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ILLUMINATED WHILE IN MOTION. DEALER WILL BE NOTIFIED.*AK

NHTSA ID

889757

WAS DRIVING 60MPH WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE SIDE SWIPE ALTIMA ON PASSENGER'S SIDE BY DOOR AREA. DRIVER'S FRONT HIT DIVIDER, AND AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY.*AK

NHTSA ID

879521

Incident

Dec 27, 2000

VEHICHLE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY UPON APPROXIMATELY 45MPH FRONT END IMPACT CRASH

NHTSA ID

730959

Incident

Sep 9, 2000

WHILE TRAVLING AND WHEN MAKING A SHORT STOP AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT ANY INDICATION. PLASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

865818

AFTER VEHICLE WAS STRUCK FROM THE PASSENGER'S SIDE, PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND BURSTED FROM THE SEAM, CAUSING CHEMICAL POWDER TO SPILL INTO VEHICLE, ONTO THE FACE OF THE PASSENGER, RESULTING IN DIFFICULTY BREATHING. DEALER CONTACTED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

864492

Incident

Jun 23, 2000

I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT I HAVE AN EXTENTED WARRANTY THAT CLEARLY STATES THAT AIRBAG SENSORS ARE NOT COVERED, HOWEVER, THE DIANOSTICS INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS AN AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT. WHICH DIDN'T STATE THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH THE DEALER AND THE NISSAN COORPORATE OFFICE AND ALTHOUGH I HAVE A CASE NUMBER WHICH IS 3146876 HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANY POSITIVE RESULTS JUST THE NORMAL RED TAPE A CONSUMER ENCOUNTERS. IN ANY CASE, I FEEL THIS HAS TO BE A MANUFACTUER DEDECT AS ANY SAFETY DEVICES SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE OR AT LEAST 100,000 MILES. ALSO THE DEALER THAT I PUT ON THIS FORM IS THE SERVICING DEALER. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW IN SANFORD, NC. PLEASE ASSIST ME WITH THIS MATTER AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVIENCE. THANK YOU KINDLY. *AK

NHTSA ID

724115

Incident

May 10, 2000

VEHICLE SKIDDED, HIT A CONCRETE WALL ON THE LEFT, REAR ENDED BY A TRUCK, HIT A CONCRETE WALL ON THE RIGHT AND THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG, VEHICLE TOTALLED IN CRASH. *CJ

NHTSA ID

784025

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION AT THE SPEED OF 35-40 MPH, AND NEITHER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. CONSUMER SUSTAINED SOME INJURY. *AK

NHTSA ID

861917

Incident

Apr 7, 2000

VEHICLE WAS SITTING INSIDE OF THE CHURCH PARKING LOT. ANOTHER VEHICLE BACKED UP IN FRONT OF CONSUMER'S VEHICLE, AND BOTH AIRBAGS WENT OFF. *AK

NHTSA ID

859911

Incident

Mar 24, 2000

AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY - CAR WAS TOTALLED. *AK

NHTSA ID

717729

Incident

Jan 16, 2000

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEED AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. HOWEVER, CONSUMER WAS NOT DRIVING FAST ENOUGH FOR THE AIR BAGS TO HAVE DEPLOYED. CAR FILLED WITH SMOKE MAKING, IT WAS HARD TO SEE THE ROAD. *AK

NHTSA ID

852004

Incident

Oct 27, 1999

WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION DUAL AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT ABSOLUTELY ANY KIND OF IMPACT, CAUSING $2600 WORTH OF DAMAGE AND POSSIBLE INJURIES TO DRIVER AND PASSENGER. *AK

NHTSA ID

851106

GEAR STICK WOULD NOT MOVE INTO PARK. YH

NHTSA ID

547543

Incident

Mar 28, 1999

WHILE TRAVELING 5 MHP TAPPED VEHICLE IN FRONT AND FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT ANY INDICATIONS. *AK

NHTSA ID

838684

Incident

May 17, 1999

DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIRBAGS DEPLOYED IN A 10 MPH FRONTAL IMPACT. VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP IN WHICH THE AIRBAGS SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

837205

Incident

Apr 23, 1999

WIPER LINKAGE FAILED ON DRIVERS SIDE/ AIRBAG LIGHT BLINKS CONSTANTLY FOR NO REASON

NHTSA ID

706055

Incident

Apr 26, 1999

PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY DEFECT IN THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED, THE AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT WAS FLASHING CONTINIOUSLY. AFTER THE BODY WORK WAS REPAIR, THE BODY SHOP TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FLASHING INDICATOR LIGHT. THEY LEARNED THAT THE SENSOR MODULE WAS DAMAGED. OUR INSURANCE COMPANY PAID AN ADDITIONAL $500+ TO REPLACE THIS. HOWEVER, WHEN THEY REPLACED IT, AN ERROR MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED WHICH SAID: "PASSENGER AIRBAG DISENGAGED." THUS, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED FROM THE ACCIDENT, ALTHOUGH THE AUTO BODY REPAIR SHOP SAID THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT SUSTAINED. THE INSURANCE COMPANY REFUSES TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE AIRBAG SYSTEM BECAUSE THEY FEEL THAT IF THE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY, IT WAS DEFECTIVE FROM THE FACTORY. THEIR LOGIC IS THAT THE IMPACT COULDN'T HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. NISSAN REFUSES TO ABSORB THE COST BECAUSE OUR VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. AT PRESENT, WE ARE STILL WITHOUT OUR VEHICLE. IT HAS BEEN 3 MONTHS AND THIS IS OUR ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION.

NHTSA ID

701109

Incident

Aug 29, 1998