Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (seat frames, recliners, heated seats and seat tracks).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Nissan Altima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The passenger side air bag is faulty due to AN INTERRUPTION OF SIGNAL BETWEEN THE OCS AND THE AIR BAG CONTROL UNIT. This has been verified by an independent service center and puts passengers at risk. The airbag will not work without the entire seat being replaced. The airbag light shows that the system is "OFF". This make and model had a recall issued but my VIN was not included but should have been included.
Tl contact owns a 2008 Nissan Altima. While driving 60 MPH, the contact struck debris on the roadway. As a result, a piece of metal became lodged in the fuel tank and was hanging down. The failure caused a fuel leak. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and they are replacing the fuel tank. The dealer stated that whatever he struck caused gasoline to leak from the fuel tank. The contact stated that the location and lack of protection of the fuel tank a safety issue. The failure mileage was 15000. Updated 04-28-09 cw the drivers side track seat was slow at moving. Updated 04/30/09.
When an adult is setting in the passenger seat the air bag indicator light will periodically go on. This has been an ongoing issue for years. St. Charles Nissan tech found occupant sensor failure to be causing the issue. There is a recall involving this issue, NHTSA campaign id number 08V521000. My car's VIN is not part of the open recall, however, since it is the same problem in the same year vehicle, I wondered if the recall should be expanded. I have not been informed at what VIN they stopped in the recall.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the passenger side air bag indicator remained illuminated while driving. The contact was concerned that the air bag might deploy. The vehicle was taken to nalley Nissan of atlanta (located at 2551 the nalley way, atlanta, ga 30360, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the seat sensor failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 211,000.
A passenger sitting causes the airbag light to flash and turns off the airbag? If the seat is equipped with the same ocs control unit, my vehicle should have been included. I am experiencing the same problem as the recall in November 2008 that did not include my VIN? Nissan concluded I should pay the dealer to check it out.
The passenger seat has an electronic device that is not communicating with the car computer.it is showing a yellow light indicating that the passenger airbag is off. This happens all the time when the car is on. Stationary or driving.
Not so much one specific incident but a few over a couple of months. First and most importantly the seat moves side to side and seems to be off track. The internet mentions many instances of seat problems and I don't understand how a car seat can be a problem, I've owned many cars and know many folks who owned many cars and never ever heard of a seat being a problem ever. But I'm going to be charged $89.95 to "diagnose" a seat problem that apparently if isn't affected by the tech bulletin could pay upwards of $1500 for a car seat. 2nd issue is my rear door locks stopped working. First it was the driver side back door and the lock stopped responding to the key fob and internal lock button. Week and a half later the passenger back door locks stopped working. Looking up this on the internet it's a common problem for Nissan's. …
Glue is bleeding thru the dash on my 2008 Nissan Altima. It is causing a glare on the windshield that makes it hard to see, so bad that I have to lean over to find a spot that does not affect my vision of the traffic in front of or coming towards me. This is a road hazard and left unattended will eventually cause a wreck. I also have a couple of other problems, the front seats are loose and slid when I had to slam on my brakesfeel and I am not at all comfortable that if I had an accident that this would attribute to additional injury. Also, I have had the low tire scensor replaced at my own expense to only have it come back on at which time I found out this was a known problem with this year model, would have been nice had the dealership told me there was nothing wrong, instead of taking my money. …
The passenger airbag light displaying off ...stayed off when anyone heavier than 50lbs sat in it..I did some research on the internet and found that there was a recall involving this situation for my model..2008 Nissan Altima..I took it to woodbury Nissan and was told that my vehicle was not affected and for approximately 1000 dollars they would fix it?!!! This was totally an unsatisfactory answer and I contacted the northeast regional service department for them to tell me the same thing?!!! I recently went on this sight to find that the recall is exactly what the issue is? Please help me to get this situation rectified as it seems that Nissan does not want to take responsibility for the product that they make or products installed in theyre vehicles...thank you very much [redacted]
I purchased a new 2008 Nissan Altima in March 2008 and shortly after the seat started to squirm from side to side in turns. I took it to the dealer and they acknowledged the problem. They replaced the seat rails which fixed the problem. Approximately 1 month later the seat started the same behavior when cornering. I took it back to dealer and they said there was nothing that could be done. My seat is now becoming more and more loose. There are numerous others with the same vehicle and problem. Refer to this site: http://www.nissanclub.com/forums/new-2007-2008-Nissan-Altima-discussion/268078-does-your-driver-seat-squirm.html approximately 71 percent of 216 customers polled report the same problem. It is possible the other customers do not have power seats as I. The problem seems to be in the power seat assembly.
Seat complaints in other Altima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat problems on the 2008 Nissan Altima?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the seats of the 2008 Nissan Altima, 2% of the model year's 1,030 complaints. The component named most often is front assembly › head restraint (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Nissan Altima seat problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seats recall for the 2008 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 2008 Nissan Altima seat problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 10,000 miles, and 59% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to seats 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.