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 2003 Nissan Altima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Owner of a 2003 Nissan Altima - on 2/18/17 while taking my vehicle to a car wash in linden, nj, I had my vehicle on neutral and when the car wash was completed, I put the vehicle on drive and proceeded slowly towards the car wash employees as they instructed me to stay on my left side, as the other vehicle was on the right side and I had my foot on the brakes. As the two employees placed their towels on my front vehicle to dry out the vehicle, my vehicle immediately started to jolt twice while I had my foot on the brakes and immediately my vehicle accelerated at a high speed. Smoke started to come out of the front hood and the airbag came out. I had to control the steering wheel not to hurt any one as there were several parked vehicles and people vacuuming their vehicles or cleaning out their vehicles. Not sure how many parked vehicles were hit and my vehicle hit a parked SUV. …
Takata recall - I was traveling on the left inside lane of a 4 lane road driving approximately 65mph when a semi-truck came over into my lane thus pushing me off the road onto the median. I hit a cement culvert & car still proceeded to travel down median without at least 1 back tire finally hitting a tree which stopped car from going into the oncoming traffic. No airbags deployed & the driver seat belt did not catch me with my face going into the steering wheel. When firemen arrived on scene & helped me out they would not allow me back in the vehicle to retrieve the registration card stating that they smelled air bag odors; firemen & highway patrolman along with wrecker service man stated that the air bags should have inflated. I did not receive any life threatening injuries -just a sore neck & back; broken nose & 2 black eyes. Also hurt ankle & hip during wreck. …
My car shut of on me while driving at night which was hard to see because the headlamps didn't give much light and both airbags deployed and my seat belts don't work either...I own a 2003 Nissan Altima...the car would usually turn of on me like that but not a higher speeds...the car's engine has been making a loud noise it had 3 recalls for it( headlamp recall, engine exhaust recall, & engine cooling recall) before I had this done I had a service engine light on which came out as p0420, p0240, and had 3 p0335...after I had the "recall done"...a week later my car "blew a head gasket" and I had a code p0300...I immediately got it fixed for like $1300...after that...2 weeks later I got a service engine light on which came out as p0335, p0240, & p0420...I've also been in contact with Nissan consumer affairs...I've been in touch with a regional specialist which can't really help me at …
There was an initial right passenger door impact, and front bumper impact by a hit and run driver. Followed by a cement barrier impact on the drivers door and front left bumper. The final impact was via a palm tree placed at 20 feet by cal trans on the 101 freeway south bound oxnard, ca at rose avenue exit. The final impact occurred on the front left bumper. Front left quarter panel, and left front drivers door. Chemistry professor [redacted]. Was killed. The air bag failed to deploy. The car was well maintained with no structural damage prior to this accident, no electrical problems, and no mechanical problems. The tires and brakes were new with well known brand names. The air bags failure to deploy contributed to my husbands death as he died of a head injury.
Air bags failed to deploy on my 2003 Nissan Altima serious body damage sustained; to my neck, a large fist size lump on the right side of my skull, severe left shoulder and back pain, a bruised forehead and altered vision in my right eye; frequently episodes of dizziness and headaches. My sister; who was a front seat passenger lost consciousness doing the accident and sustained similar injuries as the air bags did not deploy to prevent protection needed from the dashboard and windshield . I am in shock that the air bags did not work properly. Now suffering from acute traumatic stress disorder, altered sleep patterns, increased hypertension and anxiety. Remain under care of private doctor. My car with 20,054 miles was total by insurance appraiser.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that when the ignition was turned to the on position, the air bag warning light illuminated. The failure recurred continuously. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that all of the vehicle's air bags were not functioning and the back of the front passenger seat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 180,000. Updated 5/29/15 the consumer stated the first failure, the side curtain air bag light turned off. Two months later, the air bag light started flashing and all the air bags failed. Updated 05/10/16.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Nissan Altima. While driving approximately 40 MPH in rainy weather conditions, the vehicle suddenly crashed into the rear of the proceeding vehicle. The police and ambulance were notified. A police report was filed. There were minor injuries sustained to both vehicle occupants. The vehicle was completely destroyed and towed to a salvage facility. The air bag system failed to deploy with the massive level of impact. The contact had concerns of the safety risk involved. The failure and current mileages were 136,000. Updated 10/29/09 air bag failed to deploy at 40 MPH. The vehicle was totaled. Updated 10/29/09.
(1) car was backed into by a heavy truck, weighing over 2 tons. The impact was at a speed of approximately 15 MPH. Car was at rest, the offending vehicle was in motion. (2) the 2003 Nissan Altima 2.5s was severely hit. Car was violently hit and has suffered extensive front end damage to the bumper, fenders, grille and back into the radiator, alternator and other belts. Both the driver side and passenger side airbags failed to deploy. I was hit into the steering wheel. Had there been a passenger, they too would have been hurt. (3) car is in the care of the towing company, waiting the inspection of the claims adjuster of the offending party.
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that another vehicle sped through an intersection and crashed into the front passenger side of the her vehicle. None of the air bags deployed. The driver sustained whiplash, head injuries, and the seat belt failed to provide proper restraint. The front passenger also sustained whiplash and extensive injuries. Medical attention was received and the front passenger was transported away by an ambulance. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a yard. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was not available.
I was involved in an automobile accident traveling about 45 MPH when I collided with the vehicle in front of me. The hit was full front and only the passenger airbag and passenger pretensioner deployed. The driver side airbag and the driver side pretensioner did not deply. Nissan is currently investigating but from the looks of other complaints it seems as though others have had the same problem, I was lucky that I was not injured but something needs to be done about this because if I was going faster or if the accident was more serious, I would not have had protection from a the standard driver side airbag... E.g.
Airbag complaints in other Altima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2003 Nissan Altima?
NHTSA has 28 complaints about the air bags of the 2003 Nissan Altima, 3% of the model year's 883 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Nissan Altima airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2003 Nissan Altima, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Nissan Altima airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 74,000 miles, and 30% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 18 crashes, 1 fire and 14 injuries and 1 death 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.