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 2009 Nissan Altima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph, an unknown Chevrolet Postal truck pulled out and crashed into the vehicle. The steering wheel air bag exploded and hit his face. The contact sustained injuries to his face, wrist, chest, and hand during the impact, and medical attention was provided at the hospital. A police report was filed. The driver was able to pull the vehicle over safely. There was no reported fire, but the fire department was on the scene. The vehicle was towed to his residence. The contact called the local dealer, who stated that there were no recalls. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was deemed a total loss.The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 08V521000 (Air Bags, Electrical System); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 166,000.
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
My airbag light suddenly started blinking on my dashboard. For several years I have had problems with the orange center passenger air bag light working intermittently. I had a Nissan dealer inspect it and was told there was nothing wrong with it. It continued to act sporadically as before the visit unable to detect if a passenger was in the seat or not. Now, as stated above my red airbag light blinks continuously on the instrument panel. After taking it to a different repair shop, I was told it was the Seat Occupant Sensor and it needed to be removed and replaced. The SRS Passenger Discriminating Sensor needed to be replaced also. I was told I needed to replace the seat cushion (passenger side). …
The passenger seat airbag light is blinking on the dashboard as well as the passenger airbag on/off light is on meaning that the passenger airbag if off. Dealership found code B1018 for the occupant sensor. They told me the passenger seat cushion needs to be replaced. This is a huge safety concern as the airbag will not deploy if I were to get into an accident due to a faulty sensor.
Was stopped at a red light - when light turned green car in front of me proceeded to go but stopped . I pressed on the brake at a speed of no more then 15 miles an hour and the driver side airbag from the steering wheel deployed . No other air bags deployed and there was no type of collision or contact with a vehicular.
My Nissan Altima was in a 4+ rollover at @65 MPH, west bound on I-8 near boulevard california about dawn and just east of sandiego . When a sudden rain downburst, the car hydroplaned and left the road and proceeded to roll 4+ times. I have yet to see the accident report. The front driver and passenger airbags did not deploy and neither did the driver side door bags. The passenger side door bags deployed but the passengers do not recall them airing up. Usaa has the vehicle in sandiego somewhere. I feel the passenger side and driver side airbags should have deployed in a multiple side rollover.... The occupants were at huge risk but for the grace and hands of god, they walked away, though I feel that the chp should have forced a 4 young adults to go to the hospital, instead everyone leaving the scene after gathering luggage and such. …
Takata recall... I was hit from behind by a commercial trk doing 50 MPH I was going 5 MPH getting ready to make a left hand turn, when hit. No airbags deployed & the shoulder harness on the seat belt failed to lock. Resulting in concussion, serious back, neck & hip injuries.. Two complete safety failiers when hit at 50+ MPH. This is completely unacceptable. ## VIN failed ## Nissan Altima 2009 ##
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Nissan Altima. While driving 15 MPH, the contact's vehicle was struck by another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to the neck and back and was transported to the hospital for a respiratory issue. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to the dealer. The failure mileage was 129,000.
The vehicle has had problems with the passenger airbag several times even if someone was sitting in it. The light would flash off and on and then go off. Now the light stays on and also shows the airbag light on the instrument panel now as well. Have had it checked by the dealership and they said the sensor is faulty. They want around $2500 to replace the seat cushion and cant ensure that it will match. This is a ridiculous amount as well as a safety issue. After researching this is a ongoing problem among numerous Nissan owners of this year. The cars value is not worth it and it cant be sold to anyone else due to the safety issue of the airbag light. The connections have been checked and nothing is loose or broken. I believe a recall needs to be done on all vehicles affected with this issue. …
Airbag complaints in other Altima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2009 Nissan Altima?
NHTSA has 91 complaints about the air bags of the 2009 Nissan Altima, 6% of the model year's 1,547 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Nissan Altima airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2009 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 2009 Nissan Altima airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 66,000 miles, and 28% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 10 crashes, 0 fires and 7 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.