Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2016 Nissan Altima submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 70 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 70, in the owner's own words
There is an active recall for the generic 2016 Nissan Altima OCS sensor, but it does not apply to my specific VIN apparently. This sensor is a problem with other vehicles of the same year, make, and model, but I am apparently on the hook for almost $1000 repair cost because the recall did not extend to my VIN. Again, same year, make, model, and issue as other 2016 Nissan Altimas, but the recall did not extend for some reason.
Upon impact driver's side and passenger side airbags did not deploy.
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with curtain air bags failure. The dealer provided an estimate for the repair, and the contact was informed that the cost of the repair would not be covered because the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 102,464.
I am experiencing an issue with the airbag light on my 2017 Nissan Altima S model, which is showing code B0020. This airbag code indicates a problem with the passenger side airbag system, typically caused by damaged wiring, a malfunctioning seat sensor, or a loose connector beneath the driver's seat. The repair quote from my local Nissan dealership ranges from $1728 to $3500, depending on the faulty components and the labor required for installation. This is a recognized problem for Nissan, and their failure to address it raises significant concerns regarding safety. Currently, I am uncertain about how to proceed with the repair due to the high costs involved.
Air bag indicator light turns on indicating a failure of the airbag system. I understand this disables this safety system putting all passengers at risk. The dealer advised the issue is caused by the driver seat side airbag wiring failure. From reading other users, this appears to be a common issue due to severe bends of the wiring from the connector to the airbag. To me this is a design failure which normally does not occur. The cost is ~3000 USD to replace the seat back.
Water leak...from trunk and sunroof....electrical problems airbag light on and off.....sensor issues i paid out of pocket.
The air bag sensor light is on continuously. According to the manual it indicates there is something wrong with our airbag. After reading several comments from individuals this seems to be a problem with many.
Airbag light sensor is on in the dashboard
Air bag sensor light comes on; took to Nissan Glen Burnie MD dealership and believed they rectified the issue (removing debris) and did a reset. Light came back on and took it to Nissan Bowie MD and they could not determine the cause and did a reset. Light came back on and took it to Nissan Bowie MD and B0020-13 code was returned resulting in having to replace seat and sensor (no issue with wiring found). Contacted Nissan after seeing many other complaints for same issue with Altima sensor. No help from Nissan since they don't have it listed for a recall. This represents a major safety issue as my understanding is the air bag is not active when the light is on.
Accident Description: On August 2024, a 2016 Nissan Altima SL was being driven at a low speed through a residential neighborhood under clear and dry conditions. The ambient temperature was between 85 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Without any prior warning or external impact, the vehicle's airbag system suddenly and unexpectedly deployed. Both the driver and front seat passenger, who were wearing seat belts. Additionally, the vehicle's door locks appeared to malfunction, impeding the passenger's exit. The vehicle has approximately 76,000 miles and is not currently under recall. Component or System Failure: The airbag system, including the airbag modules and potentially the door lock mechanism, malfunctioned. The vehicle is currently undergoing inspection by the insurance company and will be made available for inspection by NHTSA upon request. Safety Risk: The unexpected deployment of the airbags while the vehicle was at a low speed posed a significant safety risk to the occupants. The injuries sustained, including neck, shoulder, and back pain, demonstrate the potential for serious harm. Furthermore, the malfunctioning door locks hindered passenger egress and could have exacerbated the situation in a more severe accident such as if this would have happened on an expressway or highway at a high rate of speed with other vehicles involved, this would have been a deadly accident. Reproduction or Confirmation: The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center yet. Inspections: The vehicle is currently scheduled to undergoing inspection by the insurance company. No inspections by the manufacturer, police, or other parties have been conducted yet. Warning Signs: No warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms indicating an issue with the airbag system was observed prior to the incident.
Air bag light is on and occupant classification sensor is malfunctioning. Passenger airbag will not deploy in the event of an accident.
My airs bags lights on it won’t go off The contact is hoping for a recall relating to this issue or defect.
air bag light stays on error code B0020-13 they repaired occupancy sensor drivers side at a cost of $310.00 light went off came back on next day took it back to nissan they reset it again they said they would reach out to nissan so the light next day come back on
I have a 2016 Nissan Altima S. The airbag light is on without accident. I went four times to the Nissan dealer to fix the problem. They just told me it was a past code (B0020-13), cleared it the first three times, and told me the problem was on the driver-side airbag. But after a few months, the airbag light was still on again. I was told the problem was on the passenger side the last time. Ask me to replace the airbag module and seat back; the parts cost $3110, and the labor is $2600. It is ridiculous... The airbag is the car safety system; the parts have never been used before, so it should be okay if there is no accident.
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds, the air bag warning illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the failure was due to the air bag sensor module in the seat. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the air bag sensor module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Air bag light is on. Was told at Nissan dealing I need to have a module replaced in the driver seat for $2,300.
The airbag light will. Not go off
My air bag light is on and will not go out. I have not been in a accident and I am aware of the previous recall on the air bags back in 2016. I tried to have the Nissan dealership in Lithia Springs, GA check on the issue, but they stated they would have to keep the car for at least 3 days to be able to review the problem. I am unable to be without my vehicle for 3+ days for a known issue with the air bags on these cars. My current mileage is around 86,000. I estimate the airbag warning light came on around 75,000. I can't afford to correct this manufacturer defect that could possibly cost my life in an accident if Nissan doesn't fix this soon. I see so many reports of this problem on the nhtsa website, but still no recall has been issued since the original one in 2016. I guess I or my family will just have to sue Nissan if I end up in a accident and the airbags don't deploy. This is really scary how many people are having the same issue with these cars that were under the original recall. It is clear that this is an ongoing issue that needs to be addressed ASAP.
Based on the air bag warning light showing on my 2016 Nissan Altima I had Lia Nissan of Glens Falls, NY conduct a diagnostic inspection to determine the cause the noted warning light problem on February 22,2023. The technician determined that the air bag system in the back of the passenger seat was not functioning properly with a related code B0020-13 side a/b ih (open). To correct this problem, module i/f seat back, part #87650-phs7a, needed to be replaced at a cost of $2128. The noted part is the entire back side of the passenger seat where the air bag is housed. They also informed me that unless the needed repair was done, the entire air bag system throughout the car would not function, thus creating a major safety hazard. Upon further investigation, I discovered there is a NHTSA recall, #16V244000 dated 2016-04-25, Air Bag: Sensor: Occupant Classification. This recall notice directly relates to problems with the functioning of the front passenger [OCS] air bag system. Noting the potential for non-deployment of the frontal air bag and risk of injury. Upon my contacting Nissan USA and the above noted dealer, they claim no recall exists. The above noted NHTSA recall noted does reflect a clear correlation between my existing air bag system malfunction and the recall mandate for Nissan to address. Instead, they simply claim there is no recall on this vehicle, of which, I strongly disagree. In the meantime, all passengers in my vehicle are at risk. Since there have been no accidents or issues that I have created, it appears very clear that this is a safety equipment problem which Nissan is responsible for and has already been directed to address based the NHSTA recall. It would be appreciated if this matter is addressed since no action by Nissan is forthcoming.
The "Airbag off" light often illuminates when a 130lb adult is sitting in the passenger seat. I assume this means the airbag is disabled, a severe issue.
My airbag light is on. It just came on one day. (No accident or anything else to cause this to happen) I checked to see if a recall was on my vehicle but it was not. There are other Nissan Altima"s that have a recall for this reason.
The light for airbags stays on. It has been on for about two weeks. I see there is a recall call for this problem but it is not coming up with a recall for my vehicle.
About a month ago my driver side airbag indicator light came on. I called the dealership and they said there were no recalls on my airbag nor had any airbag been repaired. I took my vehicle to an independent mechanic and he told me that the module was disconnected from the airbag and he reconnected it and reset the module and the light indicator went off. Yesterday, the airbag indicator light came on again. It came off and on several times yesterday and this morning. I was told by the private mechanic that when the airbag indicator light is on the airbag will not deploy. Is my vehicle under the Takata airbag recall even though my dealership says no?
car was in a accedent the air bags did not deploy
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while sitting in the driver's side front seat, the air bag light failed to detect occupancy and was not illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a faulty air bag sensor. The contact was informed that the air bag sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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