Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Nissan Altima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was involed in an accident going around 40 MPH when the collision happened. My entire front end of my car was crushed to and beyond the radiator, as well as the hood bent like an a shape. None of my air bags deployed at all and Nissan has not contacted me after there first email saying someone would be in contact with me within 2 to 3 days. I was driving in the right lane on a two lane road when a vehicle from the left lane moved over right in front of me and locked up their brakes for no reason. I didn't even have time to hardly hit my brakes before we colliding. The was a police report and everything , but know they cant find the driver of the other vehicle and I cant get Nissan to talk to me about why my airbags would not work at a crash at that speed. This took place in a city. I still have not gotten any police report or anything and its been almost a month. …
Tl* the contact owned a 2002 Nissan Altima equipped with general altimax rt43 (na) tires, size: 215/60/r16 (na). While driving 45 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a ditch. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy and a police report was filed. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was then towed to the contact's insurance company for investigative purposes. The contact stated that the insurance company confirmed that the rear passenger side sidewall had detached from the tire. The tires were not replaced. The tires were replacement tires. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate vehicle failure mileage was 118,000 and the tire failure mileage was 1,000.
My car was hit but not hard enough to make the airbag deploy on the passenger side . It should not be so sensitive .witch made my TCS and ABS lights come on . Just to let you know the car was in motion but from a standstill at a light . Unknown
As I was driving the road at a good distance from the vehicle in front of me, the other veh stopped suddenly. I put foot on the brakes but I skid to his rear bumper with my front end. I was traveling about 40 miles per hour. The passenager side air bags deployed and the seatbelt tighten, but mind did not. Which caused me to strike the steering wheel and multiple injuries that I'm still suffering. When my vehicle was take to mechanic , he stated my air bag sensors were not activated and he stated that I did not have anti-lock brakes which could have caused me not to have the accident. I purchased the vehicle from a local dealership in July 2007, before purchasing I had Firestone inspect the veh for any defects or mechanical problems. They never said anything was wrong with my sensors or that I lacked anti-lock brakes. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Nissan Altima.while driving 30 MPH, the contact was involved in a front end crash. During the crash, the contact noticed that only the front passenger side air bag deployed even though there were no passengers. The contact suffered minor injuries and a police report was filed. The failure had not been diagnosed and had not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 97,000.
Dt: the contact's wife was involved two accidents in which the air bags did not deploy. There was a safety campaign number 02i001000; air bags. The dealer was not contacted after the first accident. Now, the dealer and manufacturer stated they do not know anything about the campaign. They offered no free remedy.
The consumer's vehicle was hit on the side rear driver's side while driving at 30 MPH. Upon impact, the side air bags did not deploy. The vehicle nosed dived into a ditch and landed on the driver's side. The consumer was pinned in the vehicle for several minutes. None of the air bags deployed.
I was at a light proceeding to go and a vehicle did not yield to turn and she slammed right into the front of my vehicle at 50 MPH, my air bags didn't deploy and my head hit the windshield .im glad I had my seatbelt .the windshield of the vehicle was broken by my head.
Consumer called complaining about having problems with the air bag not deploying. Was contacted, and stated that the impact was not hard enough , the driver's air bag did not deploy, but the passenger's air bag did.
Consumer states that while driving at 50mph. Vehicle was in a head on collision. Consumer states that both front airbags did not deploy. Dealer notified. There was a recall on the vehicle.
Related recalls
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
On certain vehicles, the electrical connector for the driver air bag May come loose. If the connector comes loose, the supplemental air bag warning light flashes intermittently.
Remedy: Dealers will install a retaining clip on the clock spring electrical connector. Owner notification began April 21, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not…
Airbag complaints in other Altima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2002 Nissan Altima?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the air bags of the 2002 Nissan Altima, 3% of the model year's 1,047 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Nissan Altima airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 03V-061 (inflator module, Feb 27, 2003). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2002 Nissan Altima airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 73,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 16 crashes, 1 fire and 11 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.