Diagsheet

2016 Nissan Altima · symptom sheet

Airbag warning light stays on

  • 26owner reports
  • 74,000median miles
  • $2,300median quote
  • 0involved a crash

Newest report Dec 23, 2025 · checked Sep 19, 2026

26 of the 70 reports of airbag on the 2016 Altima describe airbag light on.

Part of Airbag warning light or recall (70 reports)

Tick what matches of 26 reports

4
2
4
6
2
1

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the sensor (9 reports) and the module (5 reports).

Recalls and investigations

One recall on the airbags covers the 2016 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.

16V-244Apr 26, 2016
Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. 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. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.

Risk and remedy
Risk: If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.

NHTSA investigations into the airbags on the Altima

EA21-002opened Sep 17, 2021
Airbags · model years 2013 to 2018

Desiccated air bag inflator rupture. Open.

NHTSA summary
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been n
EA15-004opened Aug 31, 2015
Airbags · model years 2013 to 2014

Occupant classification system failure. Closed may 2, 2017, led to recall 15V-681.

NHTSA summary
In May 2016, Nissan North America issued a safety recall (16V-244) to address the problem of improper classification of adult front seat passengers in approximately 3.3 million vehicles, including those in the scope of this investigation when it was opened (almost one million vehicles) and additional vehicles, as shown below.Nissan models: certain model year 2013-2016 Altima, 2013-2016 LEAF, 2016-2017 Maxima, 2015-016 Murano and Murano Hybrid, 2013-2016 Pathfinder, 2014-2015 Pathfinder Hybrid, 2014-2017 Rogue, 2013-2016 Sentra, 2013-2016 NV200, and 2014-2016 Taxi.Infiniti models: certain model year 2013 JX35, 2014-2017 Q50, 2014-2016 Q50 Hybrid, and 2014-2016 QX60 and QX60 Hybrid.Chevrolet model: certain model year 2015-2016 City Express.Additional information on the above-referenced recalls is available online at NHTSA.gov.Also, the numbers shown in the above failure report summary are for the original vehicle population, as opposed to the entire recall population, and the ODI reports cited are as of May 31, 2016 when Nissan began to notify the affected owners of recall 16V-244.Based on the recall actions taken by Nissan, this Engineering Analysis is closed.Additional information on this closing resume and the investigation are in the EA15-004 public file available online at NHTSA.gov.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed online at https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle under the following identification numbers: 10583283 10585264 10585349 10585379 10592434 10593399 105
RQ15-001opened Mar 18, 2015
Airbags · model years 2013 to 2014

Occupant classification system failure. Closed sep 1, 2015.

NHTSA summary
In April 2014, Nissan North America launched Safety Recall 14V-138 to address problems with the Occupant Classification System (OCS) algorithm in the following vehicles: model year (MY) 2013-2014 Nissan Altima, Pathfinder, Sentra and LEAF; MY 2013 Infiniti JX35; MY 2014 Infiniti QX60 and Q50; and MY 2013 Nissan NV 200/Taxi vehicles.According to Nissan, the OCS may misclassify adult front passenger occupants and turn off the passenger's frontal air bag for an adult occupant of sufficient weight.In March 2015, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Recall Query after the agency received approximately 124 complaints alleging problems with the OCS after the recall repairs and/or other OCS related repairs were made by Nissan/Infiniti dealers.The majority of the complaints alleged the passenger air bag status light stays on (i.e., indicating passenger air bag is turned off) for adult front passengers of sufficient weight.Many of the complaints stated the dealers have made multiple repairs but the problem still persists.In its June 2015 response to ODI's information request under the Recall Query, Nissan provided approximately 1,121 complaints and field reports on the recalled vehicles.These reports alleged OCS issues similar to the NHTSA reports described above.At this time, NHTSA has received a total of approximately 208 complaints (note: total of 1,271 reports shown in the table above eliminates 58 duplicative reports received by ODI and manufacturer).This Recall Q
EQ12-002opened Feb 14, 2012
Airbags · model years 2012

Autoliv air bag propellant mixture. Closed may 8, 2012.

NHTSA summary
The summary for this investigation, labeled EQ12-002 Autoliv Closing Resume, can be found attached separately to this resume.This EQ is closed.
EA01-015opened Aug 9, 2001
Airbags · model years 1994 to 1995

Passenger air bag-related facial/eye inj. Closed apr 24, 2003, led to recall 03V-150.

NHTSA summary
BY LETTER DATEDAPRIL 11, 2003, NISSAN NOTIFIED NHTSAIT WILL CONDUCT A CAMPAIGN TO REPLACE THE PASSENGER AIR BAG MODULE WITH A DEPOWERED AIR BAG MODULE IN MODEL YEAR 1994 - EARLY 1995 (BUILT PRIOR TO MARCH 2, 1995) NISSAN ALTIMA VEHICLES. THE REPLACEMENT MODULE WILL BE PROVIDED AT NO CHARGE TO OWNERS.THE DEPOWERED AIR BAG SHOULD REDUCE THE OVERALL RISK OF AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT-RELATED INJURIES. THE AIR BAG REPLACEMENT CAMPAIGN TO BE CONDUCTED BY NISSAN, WHICH WILL ENHANCE SAFETY AND BE MONITORED BY NHTSA, SUFFICIENTLY ADDRESSES THE SAFETY CONCERNS RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES. SEE ATTACHED REPORT
PE01-008opened Mar 13, 2001
Airbags · model years 1994 to 1995

Passenger air bag-related eye injuries. Closed aug 9, 2001.

NHTSA summary

What owners paid

9 of the 26 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $1,728 to $2,600.

$1,728$2,300$2,600
$0k$2k$4k$6k$8k

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 61,000 and 98,000 miles, from the 8 reports that gave a mileage.

116
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519
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421
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623
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425

What owners wrote

“air bag light stays on error code B0020-13 they repaired occupancy sensor drivers side at a cost of $310.00 light went off came back on next day took it back to nissan they reset it again they said they would reach out to nissan so the light next day come back on”

Filed Oct 1, 2023

“Air bag light is on. Was told at Nissan dealing I need to have a module replaced in the driver seat for $2,300.”

Filed Aug 8, 2023

“My airbag light is on. It just came on one day. (No accident or anything else to cause this to happen) I checked to see if a recall was on my vehicle but it was not. There are other Nissan Altima"s that have a recall for this reason.”

Filed Dec 31, 2022

“Airbag light came on dashboard all of a sudden there was recall before with airbag I called Nissan is doing nothing that issue thanks please help”

Filed Jan 21, 2022

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 0 of 26 reports involved a crash. 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.

Other problems on this car