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#BS-1996-NISALT-73F9

1996 Nissan Altima

Based on reports from 117 owners and 2 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints

117

Crashes

Fires

Recalls

TSBs

🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 117 complaints, 27 crashes, 5 fires, and 2 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Preview: What's in your full report

Each card shows a real sample from your report — unlock all 10 sections from $1.20

Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Air Bags:frontalHIGH

21 owners reported air bags:frontal issues — failures commonly reported around 84K miles.

!Inspect the AirbagsMED

Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure

+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Air Bags:frontal (21 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Air Bags:frontal21 (18%)

Airbags11 (9%)

Power Train:automatic Transmission5 (4%)

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline4 (3%)

Other4 (3%)

Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control Module4 (3%)

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components3 (3%)

Structure:body3 (3%)

1996 Nissan Altima: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Air Bags:frontal Issues

Air Bags:frontal complaints account for 18% of all reports filed for the 1996 Nissan Altima, with 21 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 84,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 84K-mile mark.

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 1996 Nissan Altima, with 11 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to airbags-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1996 Nissan Altima, with 5 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to power train:automatic transmission-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline complaints account for 3% of all reports filed for the 1996 Nissan Altima, with 4 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1996 Nissan Altima. Recent trend: decreasing.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (2 recalls)

06E026000Apr 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

10E002000Mar 2010

SUSPENSION

RIDE CONTROL IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONT STRUT MOUNTS BRANDED AS GABRIEL RIDE CONTROL OR ARVINMERITOR, P/NOS. 142435, 142193, 142305, 142303, SOLD AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE AFFECTED FRONT STRUT MOUNTS DID NOT CONTAIN A WELD JOINT BETWEEN THE BEARING HOUSING AND THE RATE PLATE.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Nissan Altima is the 2013 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 117 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 2 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Nissan Altima Model Years

2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993

View all Nissan Altima years →

1996 Nissan Altima: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1996 Nissan Altima?

The most commonly reported issue with the 1996 Nissan Altima is related to the air bags:frontal, with 21 complaints filed with NHTSA.

Is the 1996 Nissan Altima reliable?

The 1996 Nissan Altima has 117 complaints, 27 crash reports, and 5 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.

How much does it cost to fix 1996 Nissan Altima problems?

Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.

Does the 1996 Nissan Altima have any recalls?

Yes, the 1996 Nissan Altima has 2 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

What mileage do Nissan Altima problems start?

Based on 10 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 84,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.

What’s in the full report?

10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.

How is this different from free NHTSA data?

NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.

How is this different from Carfax?

Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.

What if the report isn’t useful?

100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.