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 1998 Nissan Maxima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Nissan Maxima. The contact was traveling 45 MPH and traveled over a patch of ice. The vehicle then spun around and the contact lost control of the vehicle. The contact attempted to apply the brakes but the vehicle did not respond. The contact crashed head first into an unknown object and the air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained a fractured knee and was transported to the hospital. The vehicle was destroyed. The police were present on scene and a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a salvage yard and was not inspected for the air bag failure. In addition, the contact stated that the brakes were serviced two months prior to the crash. The manufacturer was contacted who advised that there were no recalls and offered no further assistance. The failure mileage was 150,000.
Was driving a (bought new) 1998 Nissan Maxima with optional side air bags on leather seats in apr 2003. The side air bags did not deploy after a side impact from left to right on front bumper and left front wheel. The car was totaled by accident. I suffer from neck injury from hitting the driver door pillar (by seat belt adjuster). Had cervical fusion of c4 & c5 in the neck. Now suffer a lifetime of pain and numbness.
I have a 1998 Nissan Maxima in 2004 I went on a trip half way down we stop at a bank, and when we got back in the car the air bag light did not turn off, but just kept blinking. Upon returning I took the vehicle to the local dealership and they reset the light and said the passenger side air bag showed a fault (open circuit). I did not do anything to fix it at this point. The light came back on after a few months but I did not take the car in again till 2008 and wanted to replace the part that is when I found out from the service manager that there is a problem with the side airbags with this certain model. It was a connection problem with the connectors she could it a design problem. The solution was that the new air bag had one connection instead of two which solved the problem. …
Tl contact owns a 1998 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that the air bag sensor warning indicator continued to illuminate on the instrument panel. The air bag module assembly was replaced under warranty. On a separate occasion, the air bag warning indicator flashed on the instrument panel. The dealer performed a diagnostic and recommended replacing the passenger side air bag module again at an estimated cost of $709. In the event of a crash, the air bags would not deploy. The failure mileage was 40,278 and current mileage was 82,000. Updated 2/17/09 updated 02/19/09.
The ABS dash-oard warning light began flashing. I took it to the Nissan dealership in santa fe nm. They told me that a problem existed in the driver-side air bag module, and that replacing the module would be necessary, and that the driver-side air bag May or May not work in the event of an accident. Approximate cost, $300, plus $72/hour labor.
This is the third time the airbag module has been replaced.the first two times were under warranty and were defects, now that I am at 110000 km I am told it is not a defect and I have to pay for it. This car has never been in an accident therefore how is it that the airbag modules keep having a problem?
Air bag lsenson light blinks in fron panel. Dealer note after check: ran ecc test with consult found DTC right front seat airbag module open.check Nissan assist found TSB tnb00-043.it will need to replace rh side airbag.also long harness.
Airbag light starting flashing on my 1998 Nissan Maxima gle. Don't know if this is serious, dealer was about $500 for a chip to replace. This is the second 1998 Nissan Maxima that this is happening to.
After reclining my seat, the supplemental restraint system warning lamp started to blink and has remained blinking ever since. After diagnosing the side airbag module in the seat to be causing the problem. I found a Nissan technical service bulletin, ntb00-043, applying to all 1998-1999 Nissan Maxima vehicles, which states that the side airbag modules for the driver and passenger front seats are to be replaced with new updated ones that replace the side airbag modules and the seat-sub harness that the modules connect to. This is a manufacturing safety defect in the side airbag module's harness. The technical service bulletin states to route the new harness exactly as the old harness was routed, therefore eliminating the possibility of the harness routing in the seat being the cause of the problem. …
Recall-Nissan Maxima alternator ,1998 .open recall,does not need to be original owner. Before I was informed of recall alternator stopped working (on highway going 55 lucky to be alive)! After repairs were made,car came out of repair shop with air bag light blinking. Took car to Nissan. After paying $100.00,they informed me side air bags were faulty and they're not sure if front air bags will work properly. After I was informed of recall I brought car back to Nissan,they replaced new alternator with another new alternator and paid me for the first alternator. My claim is that the faulty alternator under a recall notice caused my air bags to stop working. Nissan has informed me it's possible we will look into it. Have not heard anything from Nissan. They did inform me it would cost $1,200.00 to fix. …
Airbag complaints in other Maxima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 1998 Nissan Maxima?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the air bags of the 1998 Nissan Maxima, 21% of the model year's 113 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Nissan Maxima airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 1998 Nissan Maxima, though it has 1 recall 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 1998 Nissan Maxima airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 0 fires and 8 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.