2015 Nissan Altima · symptom sheet
Airbag warning light or recall
- 177owner reports
- 32,000median miles
- $1,700median quote
- 23involved a crash
Newest report Sep 11, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
177 of the 951 complaints on this car describe airbag. Only headlights is reported more often on this car.
Narrower sheets: Airbag warning light stays on (77 reports) · Takata airbag inflator recall (68 reports) · Passenger airbag sensor problems (51 reports)
Tick what matches of 177 reports
Airbag on other Altima years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024.
What this problem usually is
Airbag complaints split into a few kinds. The most common is an airbag warning light that won't go out. Others involve the passenger seat sensor switching the passenger bag off with an adult sitting there, an airbag that didn't deploy in a crash, or one that went off without a crash at all. A large share also come from owners waiting on a recall part.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the occupant sensor (64 reports) and the module (11 reports).
Recalls and investigations
3 recalls on the airbags cover the 2015 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
An incorrect Occupant Classification System (OCS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may have been installed in the front passenger seat. The incorrect ECU and seat combination may misclassify the front passenger seat occupant.
In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied.
The affected vehicles received an incorrect occupant classification system (OCS) control unit during a repair. These OCS control units may incorrectly classify the front passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
All 10 recalls on the 2015 Nissan Altima, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
NHTSA investigations into the airbags on the Altima
Desiccated air bag inflator rupture. Open.
Occupant classification system failure. Closed may 2, 2017, led to recall 15V-681.
Occupant classification system failure. Closed sep 1, 2015.
Autoliv air bag propellant mixture. Closed may 8, 2012.
Passenger air bag-related facial/eye inj. Closed apr 24, 2003, led to recall 03V-150.
Passenger air bag-related eye injuries. Closed aug 9, 2001.
What owners paid
14 of the 177 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $1,000 to $2,000.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 10,500 and 61,000 miles, from the 111 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 4 service bulletins or notices for the 2015 Nissan Altima that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
DTC B00A0-00 STORED IF YOU CONFIRM DTC B00A0-00 (OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR UNIT) is stored, AND OCS zero point reset cannot be performed,
DTC B00A0-00 STORED
TAKATA INFLATOR FIELD QUALITY PARTS COLLECTION INITIATIVE 2013 AND 2015 ALTIMA Parts Collection Initiative ID #s PC553, PC554, PC555, and PC556 are No Longer Active. - Repair orders opened after January 10, 2019 are no longer eligible for reimbursement under Parts Collection Initiative ID #s PC553, PC554, PC555, and PC556. -
AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT FLASHING INDICATING SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC MODE IF YOU CONFIRM The air bag warning light is flashing slowly (repeating 2 seconds ON, 2 seconds OFF). NOTE: If this should occur, the Air Bag Diagnosis Sensor Unit is in Diagnostic Mode and needs to be returned to User Mode. ACTION 1.
What owners wrote
“A vehicle airbag light is staying on which indicates my airbags will not work this is a common problem in a 2015 Nissan Altima SL but it is not showing up as a recall on my certain vehicle. This recently started happening at 114,000 miles. When the light first came on it would go on and off at different times it would not be every single time I started the car but now it will not shut off”
Filed Sep 10, 2026 · 114,000 miles
“My airbag light stays on with or without people in the seat. Vehicle has 120,000 miles.”
Filed Sep 21, 2022 · 120,000 miles
“There is no incident. My airbag light is on and the dealership does not know what the issue is. It's been on over 2 years. First they said it was the airbag module then they said it was the seat. They want over $1000 to fix it. I contacted Nissan and they said since it was not a recall it was my responsibility. It passes inspection so I am leaving it and only hope the airbags deploy if I have a wreck.”
Filed Jan 17, 2022
“Got hit in a magor accident airbags did not deploy on side or driver front or side and lighting on automatic handle lights wetw out reverse drive the lettets on handle think there wad a defect”
Filed Jan 5, 2022
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 23 of 177 reports involved a crash and 16 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Headlights too dim or fail 254 reports
- Suspension noise, struts or alignment 64 reports
- Doors, latches or locks fail 62 reports
- Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard 46 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 39 reports
- Transmission fails or needs replacement 28 reports
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 26 reports