IllustrationAT FIRST ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. CURRENTLY, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT STAYS ON. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
1996 Nissan Altima
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Nissan Altima are lower than 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: 9 of 92 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.
- Air Bags. Review the 37 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
20 crash reports5 fire reports10 injury reports
Unknown Or Other complaints
4 reportsNO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
NP SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON, BUT FIRESTONE TECHNICIANS INDICATE THEY ARE UNABLE TO RECEIVE AN UNDERSTANDABLE CODE TO INDICATE WHICH SYSTEM IS FAILING WHEN THEY DID THE DIAGNOSTIC. IT RECEIVED A 707, BUT APPARENTLY THIS IS NOT A CODE THAT GOES WITH ANY FAILURE. THEY HAVE TOLD ME TO GO DIRECTLY TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP TO FIND OUT…
Read full complaint
ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON, BUT FIRESTONE TECHNICIANS INDICATE THEY ARE UNABLE TO RECEIVE AN UNDERSTANDABLE CODE TO INDICATE WHICH SYSTEM IS FAILING WHEN THEY DID THE DIAGNOSTIC. IT RECEIVED A 707, BUT APPARENTLY THIS IS NOT A CODE THAT GOES WITH ANY FAILURE. THEY HAVE TOLD ME TO GO DIRECTLY TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP TO FIND OUT WHY THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT IS COMING ON. IT MAY BE SOMETHING TO NOTE, THAT THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON NEW YEAR'S DAY...COULD THIS MEAN THERE IS A Y2K COMPUTER THING GOING ON? PLEASE HELP! THANK YOU, HEATHER. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.