Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1998 Nissan Altima, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system15
- Air bags15
- Fuel system, gasoline14
- Engine and engine cooling14
- Service brakes, hydraulic12
- Suspension9
- Visibility9
- Tires7
- Structure6
- Power train6
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 9 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 9 1998 Altima vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 7 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1998 Nissan Altima failed the safety check 1.79% of the time — 5% more often than the average 1998 passenger car (1.71%). Median odometer at inspection: 124,152 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 9.8–10.5 L/100 km (about 22–24 mpg US), CO₂ 225–242 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Altima · Compact · Regular gasoline | 11.1 | 8.3 | 9.8 |
| Altima · Compact · Regular gasoline | 12.0 | 8.6 | 10.5 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 1998 Nissan Altima.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Nissan told its dealers about the 1998 Nissan Altima: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 632164 | SUBJECT REGARDING REVISED THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR (TPS) ADJUSTMENT PROCEDURE. *TT |
| 631971 | INFORMATION ON NISSAN REVISED TPS ADJUSTMENT PROCDURE. *SLC |
| 631766 | INFORMATION REGARDING ESSENTIAL TOOL: THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR TEST CONNECTOR. *SLC |
| 631760 | SUBJECT REGARDING REVISED MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES. *SLC |
| 629210 | SEAT BELT LATCH PLATE RETAINING BUTTON MISSING. *TT |
| 624064 | SUBJECT PERTAINING TO REVISED MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES.*JB |
| 623162 | SERVICE INFORMATION REGARDING INNER TIE ROD WRENCHES. *SB |
| 613485 | INFORMATION ON DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURE FOR SLOW FUEL FILL. *TT |
| 613480 | INFORMATION REGARDING KEYLESS REMOTE ENTRY PROGRAMMING. *TT |
| 613464 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION OR BRAKE PEDAL PULSATION WHEN BRAKING, CONSIDERED AS BRAKE JUDDER. *TT |
| 609967 | SERVICE INFORMATION TO REPAIR VEHICLES EXHIBITING SQUEAK AND RATTLE NOISE(S). *TT |
| 608135 | THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS INFORMATION ON REPLACING A BROKEN CENTER CONSOLE LID LATCH. *TT |
| 607626 | CONCERNS WITH THE FRONT SEAT BELT LATCH PLATE STOPPER BUTTON MISSING. *TT |
| 606243 | INFORMATION REGARDING KEYLESS REMOTE ENTRY PROGRAMMING. *TT |
| 606182 | KEY VALUE BRAKE PAD SERVICE INFORMATION. *TT |
| 604788 | SERVICE MANUAL PROCEDURE CHANGE FOR REAR OXYGEN SENSOR DTC(S) P0137, P0138, P0139, P0140, P0141 AND THREE-WAY CATALYST DTC P0420. *TT |
| 604417 | VEHICLE EXHIBITING FRONT DOOR WINDOW RATTLING NOISE OR WHEN THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN OVER ROUGH ROADS DUE TO THE DOOR WINDOW GLASS NOT HELD FIRMLY IN PLACE BY THE GLASS RUN RUBBER. *TT |
| 604411 | VEHICLE WITHIN VARIOUS VIN RANGES MAY EXHIBIT MISFIRE OR RUNNING ROUGHLY DUE TO SPARK PLUG WIRE(S). *TT |
| 604301 | SERVICE INFORMATION ON KEY VALUE BRAKE PADS. *TT |
| 603251 | SOME VEHICLES BUILT BEFORE 1N4DL01D0WC150648 MAY EXHIBIT EXCESSIVE TIMING CHAIN NOISE. *YC |
| 601862 | VEHICLES EXPERIENCING DOORS LOCK & ALARM SOUNDS FOR NO APPARENT REASON. *YC |
| 601716 | VEHICLE EXPERIENCING A ROTATIONAL CLUNK NOISE FROM REAR. *YC |
| 600972 | EXPERIENCING A OIL LEAK AT FRONT OF ENGINE. *YC |
| 600629 | INFORMATION REGARDING NEW A/C O-RING SPECIFICATION. *YC |
| 600627 | PROCEDURE FOR REMOVING THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LID. *YC |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)