2025 Nissan Altima Air Bag Fastener Recall (26V526)

Recall 26V526 at a glance

What is wrong with the 2025 Nissan Altima in recall 26V526?

The front passenger air bag and front passenger knee air bag may have been installed with incorrect mounting fasteners, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended.

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Altima vehicles. The front passenger air bag and front passenger knee air bag may have been installed with incorrect mounting fasteners, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended.

Is it safe to drive a 2025 Altima with recall 26V526?

NHTSA has not told owners to stop driving, but the risk is real: Air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.

NHTSA describes the risk this way: Air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.

NHTSA has not issued a do-not-drive or park-outside warning for this recall. Still, get the repair done as soon as it is available, and stop driving if you notice symptoms related to the critical fasteners.

Which vehicles are included in recall 26V526?

Recall 26V526 covers 149 vehicles: 2025 Nissan Altima.

NHTSA lists 149 vehicles in this campaign, built December 1, 2025 to December 2, 2025. Not every vehicle of these models and years is included, so check your VIN.

What is the fix for the Altima air bag fastener recall?

Yes. Dealers will replace the air bag mounting fasteners, free of charge.

Dealers will replace the air bag mounting fasteners, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 25, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan’s customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PD202. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning August 17, 2026.

When was recall 26V526 announced?

Nissan North America, Inc. reported recall 26V526 to NHTSA on August 12, 2026. NHTSA lists the owner letter date as September 25, 2026.

This recall was filed 1 months ago, and vehicles were built over a span of 1 days. If your Altima was built in that window, the VIN check below is the way to confirm it is included.

How do I check if my Altima is part of recall 26V526?

Enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. If recall 26V526 is open on your Altima, it will be listed there.

The fastest check is NHTSA’s VIN lookup. Type in the 17 characters from your registration or insurance card. Because only some 2025 Altima vehicles are included, the VIN check is the only reliable way to know. A brand-new recall may take several days to show up.

What should Altima owners do about recall 26V526?

Check your VIN, schedule the free recall repair, and keep a repair order for every dealer visit.

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm recall 26V526000 applies to your Altima.
2. Call a Nissan dealer and schedule the recall repair. Ask how long the repair takes and whether parts are in stock.
3. Keep a copy of every repair order. Check that each one lists your complaint, the mileage, and the dates in and out.
4. Write down when symptoms involving the critical fasteners happen: date, mileage, speed, weather and what you felt or heard. Photos and short videos help.
5. Count the days the vehicle is at the dealer. Days out of service add up toward California's 30-day presumption.
6. If the problem comes back after the repair, return to the dealer and contact a lemon law attorney.

What are Altima owners reporting to NHTSA?

Owners have filed 7 complaints with NHTSA about these vehicles since 2020, 1 of them about the air bags.

Too few NHTSA complaints about the air bags have been filed since recall 26V526 was reported (0) to say whether the fix is holding.

NHTSA’s public complaint database lists 7 owner complaints filed since 2020 for the vehicles in this recall, and 1 of them involve the air bags. Complaints are reports from owners and have not been verified by NHTSA, but a high count for the same component is a sign the problem is widespread.

• 2025 Nissan Altima: 7 complaints in total, 1 about the air bags

Here is what some owners told NHTSA, in their own words (excerpts, unverified):

A tractor trailer hit my vehicle from behind/driver side rear in snowy road conditions and then jackknifed causing my vehicle to spin out of control across the interstate. My 2 children were in the backseat, my [XXX] son driver side rear & [XXX] daughter passenger rear. My husband was in front passenger seat.

2025 Nissan Altima owner, PA, NHTSA complaint 11642097, filed February 11, 2025

Can recall 26V526 make my Altima a lemon in California?

Not by itself. A recall repair that fails, or repeat dealer visits for the same defect, can support a California lemon law claim.

A recall by itself does not make a car a lemon. Under California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, what matters is whether a defect covered by the warranty substantially impairs the vehicle's use, value or safety, and whether the manufacturer or its dealers fixed it within a reasonable number of attempts (Civ. Code 1793.2(d)).

Air bag defects are hidden until the moment they matter most. A recall repair may replace an inflator or sensor, but if warning lights return or the system faults again, that is a repeat repair for a safety defect.

The recall repair is available at dealers. If it works, great. If the same symptom comes back, the recall visit is one repair attempt and the next visit is another.

Civil Code 1793.22(b) sets out a presumption that applies in the first 18 months or 18,000 miles: two or more repair attempts for a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury, four or more attempts for the same defect, or more than 30 total days out of service for repairs. Written notice to the manufacturer is required in some cases. Owners outside that window can still have a claim.

An owner who prevails in a lemon law case can recover reasonable attorney fees and costs from the manufacturer (Civ. Code 1794(d)). You pay nothing, win or lose. We are paid only if you win, and the manufacturer pays our fees, including in settlements. If a case is lost, our firm covers the costs.

Frequently asked questions about recall 26V526