Open safety recalls, the components owners report failing most often, crash-test results and running costs for the 1998 Nissan Altima, assembled from NHTSA and EPA records.
Everything on this page applies to the model as a whole. Run its VIN to decode that exact car, its engine, trim, assembly plant and factory equipment, alongside these records.
Open a VIN recordRecalls and complaints are filed against a specific model year, so figures differ from one year to the next even within a single generation. See every Nissan Altima year.
22.7 mpg average · 17–28 range · EPA says 23
Over 5 years this costs $2,250 more in fuel than an average new vehicle.
NHTSA lists 4 recalls for this make, model and year. Recalls apply to the model, so some may already be fixed on this specific car. A dealer can confirm from the VIN.
Issue: DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.
Risk: DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
Campaign 09E025000
Issue: RIDE CONTROL IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONT STRUT MOUNTS BRANDED AS GABRIEL RIDE CONTROL OR ARVINMERITOR, P/NOS. 142435, 142193, 142305, 142303, SOLD AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE AFFECTED FRONT STRUT MOUNTS DID NOT CONTAIN A WELD JOINT BETWEEN THE BEARING HOUSING AND THE RATE PLATE.
Risk: THE ABSENCE OF THE WELD CAN ALLOW THE STRUT TO COME OUT OF ITS MOUNTING POSITION UNDER CERTAIN EXTREME DRIVING CONDITIONS WHICH COULD CAUSE DAMAGE TO SURROUNDING VEHICLE COMPONENTS INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: RIDE CONTROL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECORD AND REPLACE THE AFFECTED PARTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 15, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT RIDE CONTROL AT 1-248-458-1396.
Campaign 10E002000
Issue: SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.
Risk: DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
Campaign 09E012000
Issue: CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
Risk: WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
Campaign 06E026000
NHTSA frontal crash test
Rated configuration: 1998 Nissan Altima 4-DR.
The parts named most often across 128 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this make, model and year.
10 crashes · 4 injured
1 fire · 1 injured
2 crashes · 2 injured
Complaints are self-reported and skew toward problems people find alarming, so read this as where to look rather than as a defect rate.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 NISSAN ALTIMA. UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE AND SHIFTING FROM PARK TO DRIVE, THE VEHICLE INADVERTENTLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT FAILED TO ENGAGE AS IT TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STOPPED ONCE IT CRASHED INTO THE NEIGHBOR'S PARKED VEHICLE. BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A CUT TO THE LEFT HAND THAT WAS BLEEDING, BUT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO PINE BELT NISSAN OF TOMS RIVER (229-245 NJ-37, TOMS RIVER, NJ 08753 (732) 349-3030) FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD SEND A FIELD INSPECTOR TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 180,000.
I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL
DRIVING IN SEMI HEAVY RAIN. VEHICLE IN MOTION WHILE TURNING ONTO A STREET, WIPERS WERE AT MEDIUM TO HIGH SPEED. DRIVERS WIPER STOPPED IN MID-STROKE; PASSENGER WIPER RAN OVER DRIVER WIPER. HAVE TAKEN TO SEE PROBLEM: NEEDING COMPLETE WIPER LINKAGE & SET UP.
IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON MY DRIVE TO COOPER HOSPITAL, THE CAR VEERS ALL OVER THE ROAD, IT IS NOT A STEERING PROBLEM, IT IS UNDERNEATH THE CAR.....PLEASE HELP ME, I WILL GET KILLED IN THIS CAR......IT SEEMS TO WANT TO JUMP TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT WHEN EVER IT FEELS LIKE IT, NO MATTER THE SPEED. OF COURSE IT IS MORE DISTURBING WHEN ONE IS DRIVING ON A MAJOR ROAD LIKE 676.
MY CAR WAS ALL OVER THE ROAD WHILE DRIVING AT 55, 60 MPH. IT DOES IT AT SLOWER SPEEDS TOO BUT WE WERE ALMOST KILLED THIS TIME. IT SEEMS TO WANT TO GO TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT WHEN EVER IT FEELS LIKE IT. I JUST BOUGHT IT FROM A PRIVATE PERSON NOT TOO LONG AGO.
I WAS DRIVING MY 98 NISSAN ALTIMA THROUGH A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN THE SIDE WALL OF MY DOUGLAS PERFORMANCE TIRE BLEW OUT DOT #PJAE1YLR0712. I PUT THE DONUT ON MY CAR AND TOOK THE TIRE BACK TO WALMART. IN SPEAKING TO THE SALES PERSON HE SAID THAT THE TIRES WERE NOT WORN DOWN ENOUGH TO BE CONSIDERED A MANUFACTURES DEFECT. SO THE HAD NO WARRANTY, THESE TIRES WILL ONLY BE 7 MONTHS OLD ON MAY,9,2013. THEY REFUSED TO HONOR THEIR WARRANTY BECAUSE I DIDN'T BUY THEIR ROAD HAZARD WARRANTY AT AN ADDITIONAL $10 PER TIRE. THESE TIRES WERE PURCHASED ON 9/9/12 I STILL HAVE THE ORIGINAL RECEIPT THEY ARE 95/65R15. *TR
TRIED TO FILL GAS TANK, ONLY ACCEPT SMALL AMOUNT BEFORE SPILLING ON GROUND. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. *TR
GAS GOES IN VERY SLOWLY WHEN ADDED TO VEHICLE, THEN THERE IS AN OVERFLOW FROM BACK OF PUMP BEFORE THE TANK IS FILLED. I WAS TOLD I HAVE PROBLEM WITH EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM VENT CONTROL CIRCUIT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED AN UNUSUAL GRINDING NOISE AS THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY VEERED TO THE RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, WHO ADVISED THAT THE STRUT WELD BECAME DISLODGED FROM THE MOUNTING. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE SWAY BAR, BUSHINGS, MOUNTS AND THE STRUT ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10E002000 (SUSPENSION). THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 168,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 169,500.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR HAD FALLEN DOWN AND BLOCKED THE CONTACTS VIEW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SUN VISOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 147000.
VERY HARD TO PUT GASOLINE IN CAR. IT SPITS BACK OUT AT YOU. YOU HAVE TO PUMP THE GAS IN VERY SLOW. I'VE NOTICE 2 DIFFERENT PLACES WHERE IT MENTIONS, TROUBLE PUTTING GAS IN THESE CARS. BULLETIN DATE: FEB 1998 DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURE FOR SLOW FUEL FILL. BULLETIN DATE: MAR 2000 INFORMATION ON DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURE FOR SLOW FUEL FILL. [XXX] INFO REMOVED FROM MY INSURANCE CO. PROGRESSIVE WEBSITE[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
IT WAS A RAINY DAY AND I WAS FOLLOWING TRAFFIC, I WAS GOING ABOUT 30MPH WHEN I HAD TO TAKE A CURVE. I 'GENTLY' HIT BRAKES TO SLOW FOR THE CURVE WHEN MY BRAKES LOCKED UP SENDING ME STRAIGHT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHERE I HIT A HUMMER H3. LUCKILY NEITHER OF US WERE GOING THAT FAST THROUGH THE CURVE SO LITTLE DAMAGE WAS DONE. BUT THIS WASN'T THE FIRST TIME THE BREAKS HAD LOCKED UP ON A SLIPPERY SURFACE, YET IT DOESN'T OCCUR VERY OFTEN, INFACT THE ABS HAD CHECK OUT OK A MONTH PRIOR. BUT STILL I THOUGHT ABS WAS INVENTED TO STOP THAT FROM HAPPENING AND YET I KNOW THE BREAKS LOCK UP WHEN THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE. *TR
Showing 12 of 128 complaints.