2012 Nissan Altima Air Bags Problems

NHTSA component category: AIR BAGS · data through 07/14/2026

56Air Bags complaints

13.2%Of all 423 complaints

#3Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How air bags ranks on this vehicle

POWER TRAIN145 · 34.3%

ENGINE68 · 16.1%

AIR BAGS56 · 13.2%

Unspecified / other56 · 13.2%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL48 · 11.3%

Share of the 423 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2012 Nissan Altima overview page.

What owners report

“DURING START UP, AND WHILE DRIVING, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ON THE DASH HAS BEEN BLINKING NON STOP AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAG SIGNAL SHOWS…”NHTSA complaint 10853033 — filed 04/02/2016

“I WAS DRIVING IN THE RAIN ON 2-21-16 APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE CAR ACCELERATED WHEN BRAKE WAS APPLIED, RESULTING IN A 25 MPH COLLISION…”NHTSA complaint 10839111 — filed 03/01/2016

“I NOTICED MY PASSENGER AIRBAG "OFF" INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED AND MY DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHT WAS BLINKING. NO ONE WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AT THE…”NHTSA complaint 10810585 — filed 12/15/2015

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Air Bags complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2012 Nissan Altima have air bags problems?

Air Bags is the #3 most-reported problem area on the 2012 Nissan Altima: 56 of 423 complaints on file (13.2%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2012 Nissan Altima have in total?

423 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 23 involved a crash, 2 involved a fire, 26 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's air bags category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the AIR BAGS category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.