The 1997 Nissan Altima has no open NHTSA recalls. Owners report 6 recurring issue clusters, led by “Seat belts locking or failing to retract.” Nissan owner's manuals split service into Schedule 1 (severe) and Schedule 2 (normal). Most US drivers fall under Schedule 1. The biggest preventable failure on Nissan vehicles is CVT transmission damage from extended fluid intervals — owners of Altima, Rogue, Sentra, Pathfinder, and Murano with CVT should not skip it.
No open recalls on file. NHTSA lists no unrepaired safety recalls for this year, make and model. A recall can be issued at any time, and a specific car can still have one open — check yours by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What drivers and federal regulators have officially reported about the 1997 Nissan Altima.
SEAT BELTS
5 NHTSA complaints · 1996-12 → 2002-11
“THE SEAT AND SHOULDER BELTS LOCK UP AND DO NOT RETRACT ALL THE WAY BACK, SOMETIMES LEAVING SLACK IN THE SEATBELT”
“PASSENGER'S FRONT SHOULDER/LAP BELTS INOPERATIVE, WON'T PULL OUT OF SEATBELT ASSEMBLY TO GO AROUND PASSENGER, NOT FIXED”
“THE VEHICLES DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT GUIDE RAILS LOCKED UP INTERMITTENTLY WHICH CAUSES THE SEAT BELT WARNING SYSTEM TO ACTIVATE”
AIR BAGS
25 NHTSA complaints · 1997-02 → 2020-01
“WHILE TRAVELING AT 60 MPH, CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION WITH AN 18 WHEELER. CONSUMER STATES NONE OF THE FOUR AIRBAGS DEPLOYED”
“VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND INVOLVED IN A SANDWICH CRASH, VEHICLE WAS HIT BY OTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING ABOUT 42 MPH, THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS”
“THE CAR HAS DUAL AIRBAGS AND THE DRIVER HIT A TELEPHONE POLE HEAD-ON AND NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED”
AIR BAGS
7 NHTSA complaints · 1999-12 → 2005-04
“THE AIR BAG LIGHT ALL OF A SUDDEN STARTED BLINKING WHILE THE IGNITION IS ON”
“WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT WILL FLASH ON AND OFF”
“AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT IS ON AND WON'T GO OFF”
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
5 NHTSA complaints · 1998-06 → 2016-02
“WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, I HAD MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND WAS GETTING READY TO BRAKE, THE CAR ACCELERATED, JUMPED A CURB AND HIT A CONCRETE POST”
“WHILE SLOWING DOWN & APPLIED BRAKES AT A STOP SIGN, THE CAR INSTEAD SUDDENLY ACCELERATED CROSSING FOUR LANES OF TRAFFIC AND ULTIMATELY SLAMMING INTO A TREE”
“AFTER TAKING VEHICLE OUT OF REVERSE INTO DRIVE, THE THROTTLE STUCK, CAUSING VEHICLE TO INCREASE SPEED, RESULTING IN A FRONTAL IMPACT AT 30 MPH”
POWER TRAIN
3 NHTSA complaints · 1999-06 → 2002-10
“CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL STALL AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE”
“WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING”
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
6 NHTSA complaints · 1997-02 → 2004-12
“WITHIN 20-30 MINUTES OF DRIVING VEHICLE, THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT IGNITED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY”
“ELECTRICAL FIRE IN FUSE BOX IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, WITHOUT WARNING”
“A MALFUNCTION WITHIN FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM CAUSED VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE”
Issues on other model years
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Complaint data refreshed Sep 20, 2026. Investigation data refreshed Sep 20, 2026.
We display NHTSA's record with attribution; we don't editorialize on what these complaints mean for any specific vehicle.
Critical for safety and preventing major damage
Replace synthetic-blend or full-synthetic oil every 5,000 miles under Schedule 1. Schedule 2: 7,500 miles. VR30DDTT (3.0L twin-turbo): full synthetic only.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$120–$160
Shop
~$85–$115
DIY
~$25–$55
Full synthetic costs more than conventional. 5-quart 0W-20 + filter is the typical bill.
Rotate tires every 5,000 miles. Front-wheel-drive Nissans (Altima, Sentra, Versa) wear front tires fast — don't skip rotations.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$85
Shop
~$60
DIY
Free
Often free at the shop where you bought the tires — worth asking before paying.
Nissan officially calls CVT fluid 'lifetime,' but independent technicians and Nissan TSBs recommend replacement every 60,000 miles to prevent CVT failure. Use Nissan NS-3 fluid only — substitutes destroy the belt-and-pulley system.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$360–$500
Shop
~$255–$355
DIY
~$80–$180
CVT fluid is manufacturer-specific and pricey — do NOT substitute conventional ATF.
Inspect brake pads, rotors, and parking brake every 7,500 miles. Rogue and Pathfinder front pads typically last 35,000-50,000 miles.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$85
Shop
~$60
DIY
Free
Most shops do this free as a courtesy with any service. Don't pay separately if you can avoid it.
Replace DOT 3 brake fluid every 30,000 miles or 2 years. Dark or amber fluid indicates moisture contamination.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$180–$200
Shop
~$125–$140
DIY
~$10–$25
DOT 3 or 4 — match the cap. Vacuum bleeders make this a one-person DIY.
Keeps your vehicle running smoothly and efficiently
Replace engine air filter every 30,000 miles, sooner if driving on dusty unpaved roads.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$60–$95
Shop
~$45–$70
DIY
~$15–$40
5-minute job on most cars; the airbox lid usually has clips, no tools needed.
Iridium-tipped spark plugs are rated 105,000 miles on QR25, MR20, and VQ35 engines. VR30DDTT: 60,000 miles due to higher cylinder pressures.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$285–$390
Shop
~$200–$275
DIY
~$25–$100
Iridium plugs cost more but last 100k+ miles. V6/V8 access varies wildly — some are tough.
Nissan Long-Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue/green): first change at 105,000 miles, then every 75,000. Do not mix with other coolant chemistries.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$285–$330
Shop
~$200–$235
DIY
~$25–$60
Use the manufacturer-specified coolant — wrong color/chemistry can damage the cooling system.
On AWD and 4WD models, replace transfer case fluid and rear differential fluid every 60,000 miles.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$105–$140
Shop
~$75–$100
DIY
~$15–$40
AWD/4WD vehicles only. Easy drain-and-fill on most platforms.
Extends the life of your vehicle and improves comfort
Replace cabin air filter every 15,000 miles. Located behind the glove box on Altima, Rogue, and Sentra.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$60–$95
Shop
~$45–$70
DIY
~$15–$40
Usually behind the glovebox. Shops charge labor for a 10-minute job — easy DIY win.
Occupant deaths in fatal crashes (FARS)
323 crashes 1990–2024
How the 323 occupant deaths break down
246
driver deaths
77
passenger deaths
323
occupant deaths
Crash years covered: 1990–2024 This model year first appears in 1996 crashes. Older models have had more years on the road to appear in these crashes, so a higher count here does not by itself mean a vehicle is less safe.
FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road. How to read this number
FARS 2024 data is an annual report file. NHTSA revises these records when the final file is published, so this count can change.
Every vehicle has exactly one driver seat, so driver deaths line up fairly when you compare one model to another. Occupant deaths include passengers, so a three row SUV can show a higher number than a two seat car simply because it carries more people.
Both figures are plain counts, not rates. A rate would need to know how many of each vehicle are on the road, and that registration data is not public, so we do not publish rates or scores of any kind.
IIHS publishes driver death rates using this same driver only idea, paired with a registered vehicle years denominator we do not have. Their rates and these counts answer different questions, so do not read either number here as a safety rating.
Owner-reported problem signals
Separate from the federal fatality data above: complaints owners filed with NHTSA about this year and model. These are reports of problems, unverified, and are counted here only as signals.
32
complaints mentioning a crash
6
complaints mentioning a fire
Typical U.S. ranges. Actual quotes vary by shop, parts choice, and vehicle condition.
How we estimate: Dealer = OEM parts × 1.4 + labor × $165/hr. Shop = parts + labor × $115/hr. DIY = parts only.
This maintenance schedule for the 1997 Nissan Altima reflects Nissan's published service intervals and the Maintenance Reminder system. Your actual service needs may vary based on driving conditions, climate, and vehicle usage. Always consult your owner's manual for model-specific recommendations.