DTC B00A0-00 STORED This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. IF YOU CONFIRM DTC B00A0-00 (OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR UNIT) is stored, AND OCS zero point reset cannot be performed, (continued on the next page)
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2014 Nissan Altima airbags problems
critical Owners of the 2014 Nissan Altima have filed 188 NHTSA complaints about the airbags, typically surfacing around 25,591 miles at roughly $1,100 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See airbags across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
188
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,100
| Model year | airbags complaints |
|---|---|
| 2010 Altima | 50 |
| 2011 Altima | 20 |
| 2012 Altima | 47 |
| 2013 Altima | 433 |
| 2014 Altima (this page) | 188 |
| 2015 Altima | 154 |
| 2016 Altima | 61 |
| 2017 Altima | 69 |
| 2018 Altima | 30 |
31crashes
2fires
42injuries
1fatality
When does it fail?
Of the 188 airbags complaints filed for the 2014 Nissan Altima, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Owners have filed 188 airbags complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
Among the 17 model years of Nissan Altima in our records for airbags problems, this one ranks #2 by owner-complaint volume.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering airbags on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
DTC B00A0-00 STORED This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗DTC B00A0-00 STORED This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗DTC B00A0-00 STORED This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2014 ALTIMA; PARTS ORDER FORM FOR AIR BAG DIAGNOSIS SENSOR UNIT This bulletin is no longer applicable. Discard previous versions of NTB14-004.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 2014 Altima airbag system—particularly the occupant classification sensor (OCS) on the passenger side—fails chronically. Owners repeatedly describe the passenger airbag off light illuminating while an adult properly seated in the passenger seat, sometimes during startup, sometimes randomly during drive. Adults ranging 100 to 180 pounds trigger false disables. Restarting the engine temporarily corrects the fault, but the pattern repeats.
Nissan issued two OCS recalls (15V681000 and 16V244000) involving reprogramming, but owners report the light coming back on within days or weeks of dealer service. Multiple repeat visits to dealers yield either no diagnostic codes, zero-point resets, or sensor replacements—none resolving the issue. One owner spent seven years returning to the dealership before being told a $1,010 repair was needed. Another was quoted $1,600 to replace the driver's seat due to wiring harness pinch points damaging the side airbag circuit.
Driver side airbag warnings also appear intermittently. At least four owners report actual crashes where airbags did not deploy, resulting in occupant injuries and totaled vehicles. Dealers consistently refuse further diagnosis when no fault code is present, and Nissan denies warranty coverage once mileage exceeds warranty limits—even for defects present from new.
Same Nissan Altima airbags reports on nearby years: 2012 · 2013 · 2015 · 2016 · 2017
Failure modes owners describe
Passenger airbag off light illuminates with adult occupant
The passenger occupant classification system (OCS) fails to detect properly seated adults meeting weight thresholds, causing the airbag to disable when it should be armed. Occurs intermittently and randomly while driving, sometimes during initialization/startup, sometimes while underway. Resetting the ignition often temporarily corrects the issue, but the problem recurs.
When: Intermittent, ranging from within first week of ownership to years later; some patterns at vehicle startup, others while driving
Symptoms owners cite: Passenger airbag off warning light stays illuminated despite adult occupant in seat; Light comes on intermittently during driving; Light often triggers at startup/initialization; Restarting engine temporarily clears the light; Affects adults ranging 100–180 pounds
Codes mentioned: B0020-13, B00A0-00
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers perform zero-point reset of OCS system; sensor replacement attempted multiple times; reprogramming of OCS; in some cases a loose connector under driver seat blamed. One owner cited $1600 cost for driver's seat back replacement due to wiring harness pinch points. Multiple repeat visits required without resolution.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall 15V681000 (OCS reprogramming); Recall 16V244000 (OCS reprogramming); TSB referencing occupants properly seated with seatbelt should not disable airbag. Nissan denies defect when no diagnostic codes present and refuses further work.
Driver side airbag off light intermittently illuminates
Driver side airbag warning light comes on unpredictably, indicating the driver's airbag system may not deploy. Dealers attribute it to loose connections under seat, but the problem recurs after reset. At higher mileage, dealers deny warranty coverage and charge for repairs.
When: Occurs multiple times during vehicle ownership; one owner experienced light coming on 4 times in 2 years at 70k miles
Symptoms owners cite: Driver side airbag warning light illuminates on dashboard; Light comes on randomly and unpredictably; Problem recurs after dealer resets; Occurs even when nothing is under seat
Codes mentioned: B0020-13
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers reset light; blamed loose connection under seat (Kleenex box scenario rejected by owner); at out-of-warranty mileage, one dealer quoted $1100 for new airbag module; another cited $1600 for side airbag module replacement with parts on backorder.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: None documented in narratives beyond dealer resets.
Non-deployment in accidents despite warning light off
In documented crash events, airbags failed to deploy when they should have (front driver, front passenger, side curtain, or multiple systems). Some events had no warning light illuminated prior to crash, suggesting system appeared normal but failed to deploy at impact.
When: At time of vehicle collision; failure mileages 30k–140k miles; vehicles ranging 2 months to several years old
Symptoms owners cite: No airbag deployment during front-end collision; No side curtain airbag deployment during side impact; Front driver airbag only partially deployed (no side or curtain deployment); Occupants sustained injuries (corneal damage, fractures, lacerations) that airbags should have mitigated
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicles were totaled; no post-crash inspection or diagnosis performed by manufacturer in most cases.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall 14V138000 noted in one crash narrative; manufacturer engineer was sent to investigate one crash but did not repair vehicle. One owner researched and found VIN not included in Takata recall despite concerns.
Airbag light remains permanently on after recall service
After dealer completes recall service (OCS reprogramming or sensor replacement), the airbag warning light stays illuminated continuously or recurs within days to weeks, indicating the repair did not resolve the underlying issue.
When: Within days to weeks following recall service completion
Symptoms owners cite: Passenger or driver airbag off light remains illuminated after recall repair; Light stays on continuously even with proper occupant in seat; Problem reoccurs shortly after repair; Light does not respond to ignition reset
Repairs/costs cited: Repeat visits to dealer for reprogramming or sensor replacement; one owner paid $646 for repair that did not fix issue; another had repair paid at 60% by manufacturer, then full repair, but failure persisted.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall 15V681000 and 16V244000 (OCS reprogramming); manufacturer denied further coverage after second failed repair in one case; Nissan stated 'we've completed the update and don't know why it's not working for you.'
Delayed airbag warning light extinction during startup
After OCS recall update, the airbag warning lights (driver and/or passenger) remain illuminated for an unusually extended period after engine start (3+ seconds vs. normal 1–2 seconds), raising concern about system status.
When: After software update for recall
Symptoms owners cite: Airbag indicator lights stay red for 3+ seconds longer than other dashboard lights after startup; Normal pattern is all lights illuminate briefly then extinguish; airbag lights delay
Repairs/costs cited: None documented.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: None documented.
Synthesized from 188 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 4 most recent
Tamara recall- my air bag sensors supposedly have been replaced but I still occasionally get the issue when someone is sitting in my passenger seat.
There is a recall on the 2.5l 2014 Nissan altimas and I have a 3.5l 2014 Nissan altima, my passenger side airbag light shows no occupancy person sits in the passenger sit, as well as intermittenly when an object is placed in the seat. There is a recall with the same problems of the indicator light on the passenger airbag not showing proper indication, the same should be extended to the 3.5l…
When an adult is riding in the front passenger seat the airbag on the passenger turns off and on randomly while riding. If in an accident I am worried that the airbag will not go off properly. I have not contacted a dealer about this issue yet. I have not seen any other warning lights other than the passenger airbag is off.
Tl* the contact owns a 2014 Nissan altima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the air bag warning light illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the sensor needed to be reset. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100.
Had airbags trouble with your 2014 Nissan Altima?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the airbags problem on the 2014 Nissan Altima?
It's a serious issue. 188 complaints have been filed, including 31 reports involving a crash and 1 fatality(ies). We've classified it as critical based on NHTSA's reported outcomes.
At what mileage does the airbags typically fail?
Across the 113 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most airbags failures cluster between 9,000 and 54,354 miles, with the median around 25,591. A quarter of owners report trouble before 9,000; a quarter make it past 54,354. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $1,100 for airbags repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to airbags?
No active recalls currently cover airbags issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2014/Nissan/Altima.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.