IllustrationWHILE CONSUMER'S WIFE DRIVING VEHICLE IT SUDENLY ACCELERATED. DRIVER CONTINUALLY HAD TO APPLY BRAKES HARD, AND EVENTUALLY WAS ABLE TO STOP. *AK
1993 Nissan Altima
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1993 Nissan Altima do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 231.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Altima years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 13 of 122 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 34 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
19 crash reports3 fire reports15 injury reports
What owners actually said
122 reportsHAPPENS IMMEDIATELY AFTER TUNE-UP (ROTOR/CAP). PARTS DEALERS SAY THEY SELL MORE DISTRIBUTORS FOR THIS CAR THAN ANY OTHER!. *AK
CONSUMER HAD ACCIDENT & AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, FILLING VEHICLE WITH SMOKE. VEHICLE SEEMED LIKE BEING ON FIRE BECAUSE OF THE VAST AMOUNT OF FUMES. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND STATED THEY NEVER HEARD OF AIRBAGS EMITTING SUCH A VAST AMOUNT OF SMOKE. ALSO, MOTORIZED SEAT BELT DIDN'T RETRACT WHEN DOOR WAS OPENED. CONUSMER HAD HARD T…
Read full complaint
CONSUMER HAD ACCIDENT & AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, FILLING VEHICLE WITH SMOKE. VEHICLE SEEMED LIKE BEING ON FIRE BECAUSE OF THE VAST AMOUNT OF FUMES. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND STATED THEY NEVER HEARD OF AIRBAGS EMITTING SUCH A VAST AMOUNT OF SMOKE. ALSO, MOTORIZED SEAT BELT DIDN'T RETRACT WHEN DOOR WAS OPENED. CONUSMER HAD HARD TIME TRYING TO GET IT OUT. *AK
WHILE DRIVING, ACCELERATOR BROKE FREE FROM LINKAGE/WELD. UNABLE TO DECELERATE WITHOUT MANUALLY PULLING PEDAL BACK. WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC SITUATION. *AK
THE TIMING COVER GASKET FAILED AND IS LEAKING OIL, TSB IS ISSUED CONCERNING THIS FAILURE. *MJS
WHILE DRIVING ON LOCAL STREET AND APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION, POLICE OFFICER IN FRONT STOPPED, CONSUMER'S VEHICLE ALSO STOPPED, BUT VEHICLE IN REAR DIDN'T STOP AND REARENDED CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. PASSENGER'S AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT TIGHTENED, THEN RELEASED, AND GOT STUCK IN THE MIDDLE. DIDN'T CONTACT THE DEALER. *AK *ML
PROBLEM STARTING VEHICLE, IT WOULD IDLE ERRATICALLY AND VERY LOW, SOMETIMES IT WOULDN'T START AT ALL. THEN WHILE DRIVING THE CAR LOST POWER AND CAUGHT VERY ERRATICLLY MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL MY SPEED. SEVERAL WEBSITES IDENTIFY THE CRANK ANGLE SENSOR
THE EXHAUST SYSTEM HAS FAILED US TWICE ONCE WHEN WE FIRST GOT THE CAR FOR NO REASON IT HAPPENED ON OR AROUND 09/1997 AND THEN AGAIN 10/1999 THE TAIL PIPE KEEPS BREAKING FOR NO APPARENT REASON.
AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR ABOUT A YEAR. CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THERE IS A BAD AIR BAG IMPACT SENSOR ON THIS VEHICLE, AND THAT'S WHY THE LIGHT IS ON. VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY, AND DEALER REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING. *AK
GAS PEDAL BROKE.CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER. *AK
Official recalls
194V035000 · Vehicle Speed Control
Feb 28, 1994
ENGINE MOVEMENT CAN BE TRANSMITTED TO THE AIRFLOW METER/FILTER HOUSING AND SUPPORT BRACKET, WHICH IS MOUNTED IN THE ENGINE AIR DUCT, CAUSING THE THROTTLE CABLE HOUSING TO PULL OUT OF THE CABLE GUIDE. THIS MAY PREVENT THE THROTTLE FROM RETURNING TO THE IDLE POSITION WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS RELEASED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, LOSS OF THROTTLE CONTROL COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.
Remedy: NISSAN WILL REPOSITION THE THROTTLE CABLE HOUSING IN THE SUPPORT BRACKET TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SLACK FOR ENGINE MOVEMENT. A RUBBER STOPPER WILL BE CLAMPED TO THE CABLE TO MAINTAIN THE CORRECT POSITION FOR THE CABLE AT THE SUPPORT BRACKET. IN ADDITION, THE THROTTLE CABLE WILL BE TESTED FOR PULL OUT RESISTANCE FROM THE GUIDE IN THE EVENT THE CABLE WAS DAMAGED. THE THROTTLE ASSEMBLY WILL BE REPLACED, IF NECESSARY.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE94035 · Seat Belt LOCK-UP
Opened Apr 26, 1994 · Closed Aug 31, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts
There is no summary currently available