I was working, and as I was on my way to a location a lady in front of me came to a complete stop since a couple of ducks were crossing causing me to come to a complete stop as well. As I stopped I looked into my rearview mirror I noticed the lady behind me was not stopping and then smashed into the back of me launching me into the car in front of me. My passenger air bag went off, however my driver seat airbag did not go off, failing to protect me. My car was completely totaled in result of the accident.
2012 Nissan Altima airbags problems
57 complaints (13% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 51,000. 14 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 57
- of this car's complaints
- 13%
- typical mileage
- 51,000
- crashes
- 14
- recalls
- 2
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Nissan Altima airbags problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2012 Nissan Altima airbags
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Air bags: side/window
- What is wrong
- Nissan is recalling certain model year 2012 altima and versa vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with side curtain air bags that contain an incorrect propellant mixture for the initiator component used, resulting in insufficient output of compressed gas.
- Risk
- The side curtain air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace one or both side curtain air bag modules, as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on march 12, 2012. Owners may contact nissan customer service at 615‑725‑1000.
Recall number 12V055000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
- What is wrong
- Nissan is recalling certain model year 2012 nissan altima vehicles manufactured from june 15, 2011, through june 21, 2011 and model year 2012 nissan nv vehicles manufactured from june 23, 2011, through june 28, 2011 because the air bag control unit (acu) was assembled incorrectly.
- Risk
- The affected acu will not operate as designed and this issue may cause the air bags not to inflate in a crash when they are designed to inflate. This could increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Nissan will replace the air bag control unit free of charge. The safety recall began on august 22, 2011. Owners may contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 11V408000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Autoliv Air Bag Propellant Mixture
The summary for this investigation, labeled EQ12-002 Autoliv Closing Resume, can be found attached separately to this resume.This EQ is closed.
EQ12002
What 2012 Nissan Altima owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the OCS control unit was malfunctioning. The dealer determined that the front passenger’s side seat needed to be replaced. The dealer charged a fee to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the seat sensor unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 11V408000 (Air Bags) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 28,000.
The airbag warning light started flashing in late November or early December 2022. I took the car to my mechanic on Dec. 5, 2022 who ran a diagnostic which identified the need to replace the sensor in the front passenger seat. The sensor is so integrated into the seat that the entire seat (not the back) must be replaced. I was then told that Nissan has stopped making the seat because the car is over 10 years old and a replacement is unavailable nationwide and will not become available. I called a Nissan dealer to confirm that the part is unavailable and they confirmed it. As a result, it is unsafe for a person to sit in the passenger seat. It seems wrong that Nissan can stop making such an essential part and devalue someone's life or the vehicle itself in this way. It also seems to me that I cannot sell the car in this condition and it only has about 76,000 miles on it. The vehicle is available for inspection should someone wish to do so.
Car had a hard impact, not on the front end but flipped multiple times, air bags and side air bags did not deploy
Our vehicle has been in no collisions or anything and has been well taken care of. Out of nowhere about 3 years our airbag light came on indicating that it will not deploy. We tried to get Nissan to fix it due to hearing of recalls in the past but they said our vehicle was not included. They then said they had to try one thing at a time and the first thing was replacing the seat for $1400 and if that didn't work they will continue down a list of 10 possible things. So basically the vehicle is a deathtrap and we are not sure how it even became that. Seems like it has to be an electrical issue or the issue mentioned in the recall.
the airbag light that is under the dash board always turns on all of a sudden I am concerned the airbags might open or their migght be something wrong and god forbid in a accident they dont open also the suspention has always had issues
Pressure sensor in passenger seat connected to passenger side air bag became defective, affecting (shutting off) the entire air bag system. Started off with 'passenger air bag off' sign being illuminated at all times, even when an adult was sitting in the passenger seat. Then airbag warning light on the dashboard started flashing the entire time car was running. Because the passenger seat airbag is off. The safety of passenger put at risk. Talked to Nissan dealers at Hayward CA today (08-10-2021). They said that the has no recall and warranty is expired. That means I have to pay for the airbag repairs which I don't think is fair for consumers. Air bags is a safety issue, they should take care of it right away with no cost before something happens. I did reset the airbag warning on the dashboard twice, but it came back on day after.
I just found out that there were 4 safety recalls (performed 0)on our car according to kbb and for our safety purposed,it needs to be repaired and we just bought this in used car company last 09/09/2019.and please let us know if the car manufacturer will be responsible for the recall or we (owner).thank you in advanced
Pressure sensor in passenger seat connected to passenger side air bag became defective, affecting (shutting off) the entire air bag system. Started off with 'passenger air bag off' sign being illuminated at all times, even when an adult was sitting in the passenger seat. Then airbag warning light on the dashboard started flashing the entire time car was running.
Questions about the 2012 Nissan Altima airbags
Does the 2012 Nissan Altima have airbags problems?
Owners have filed 57 complaints about the airbags of the 2012 Nissan Altima, 13% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2012 Nissan Altima airbags problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 51,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Nissan Altima airbags?
Yes, 2 recalls: 12V055000, 11V408000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Nissan Altima have bad airbags?
The Nissan Altima model years with the most airbags complaints are 2013 (514 complaints), 2014 (208 complaints) and 2015 (177 complaints).
Other 2012 Nissan Altima problems
Transmission 149Engine 72Acceleration 49Electrical 44Body 33Brakes 20Visibility 18Steering 17Suspension 17Fuel system 13Driver assistance 9Seats 7Tires 6Lights 5Seat belts 5Locks 2Wheels 2
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