Nissan Recall Summary
- Who is affected: 2025 Nissan Altima owners, but only vehicles assembled on December 1 and 2, 2025 at Nissan’s Canton, Mississippi plant.
- What is the defect: The front passenger air bag and passenger knee air bag modules were installed with the wrong mounting bolts, which may not hold the modules in place if the air bags deploy in a crash.
- Recall size: Nissan expects every recalled sedan to have the incorrect bolts.
- Fix status: A remedy is available. Dealers replace all four mounting bolts free of charge, a repair Nissan estimates at about half an hour. Owner letters mail September 25, 2026.
- Check your VIN: This recall is already searchable in the NHTSA VIN lookup. Think you may have a lemon law claim? Contact The Margarian Law Firm.
- California owners: If your Nissan Altima has had air bag system problems or other issues your dealer could not resolve, contact The Margarian Law Firm for a free case evaluation.
What triggered this recall?
Nissan North America has filed a safety recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA recall 26V526) covering a narrow slice of Altima production. During assembly at the Canton, Mississippi plant, a line technician inadvertently used mounting bolts designated for the Nissan Frontier pickup instead of the part specified for the Altima. Those bolts secure the front passenger air bag module and the passenger knee air bag module (the air bag that deploys low, protecting a front passenger’s knees and legs).
According to Nissan’s Part 573 Safety Recall Report, a repair technician spotted the incorrect bolts on December 1, 2025 during routine production checks, and a yard audit found the same condition on all 96 vehicles inspected. Nissan then spent months on engineering evaluation, including static air bag deployment testing, which concluded by late July 2026 that the incorrect fasteners may yield (bend and lose their grip under load) during an air bag deployment. A bolt that yields could let the module shift or deploy improperly, so the air bags may not protect a front passenger as designed, and the affected cars fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208, the federal occupant crash protection rule. On August 5, 2026, Nissan opted for a voluntary recall out of caution.
There is no warning sign for this defect. The bolts were torqued to specification during assembly, so nothing looks, sounds, or feels wrong. Nissan reports no accidents, injuries, or warranty claims related to the condition, and no other Nissan or Infiniti vehicles are affected.
Sources: NHTSA
Which vehicles are included in this recall?
- 2025 Nissan Altima, assembled December 1 to 2, 2025 at Nissan’s Canton, Mississippi plant: every vehicle in this recall.
This recall became searchable by VIN on August 17, 2026, so the NHTSA VIN lookup tool will give you a definitive answer today. Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 can also check your VIN against recall PD202.
What should Nissan Altima owners do right now?
- Check your VIN on the NHTSA lookup tool now. With so few vehicles involved, most 2025 Altimas are not included.
- If your car is included, contact your dealer to schedule the free bolt replacement. Dealers received their instructions on August 14, 2026, so you do not need to wait for the September 25 letter.
- Document the repair visit, and note in writing if your dealer cannot get to it promptly or lacks parts.
- Keep all service records and repair orders.
For repair scheduling and recall status, contact Nissan at 1-800-867-7669. This contact is for repair tracking only. For questions about your legal rights, contact The Margarian Law Firm.
Could this recall affect your lemon law rights?
Not every recall supports a lemon law claim. Some involve cosmetic trim or software housekeeping that never affects safety. This recall is not that. Air bag modules that may not stay anchored during deployment go directly to occupant protection, and the defect has been present since the day these cars left the factory.
That said, an honest assessment: for most affected owners, this will be a single, quick dealer visit, and a first repair attempt completed promptly does not, by itself, make a vehicle a lemon. Where it becomes a legal question is when the repair does not go smoothly (a dealer without parts, repeated visits, extended time out of service) or when the recall lands on top of other problems your Altima has already had. In those situations, California owners may have real options, and the recall record strengthens the file.
Reach out to The Margarian Law Firm to discuss your specific situation.
Could your Nissan Altima qualify? A quick self-check
- Have you taken your Altima to the dealer two or more times for the same issue without a lasting fix?
- Has your vehicle been out of service for 30 or more cumulative days?
- Have you experienced air bag warning lights or other unresolved problems?
- Did your dealer acknowledge a problem but fail to resolve it?
- Is your vehicle still within the manufacturer’s warranty period?
If you answered yes to any of the above, you may be entitled to compensation under California’s lemon law. Contact The Margarian Law Firm for a free case evaluation.
If your vehicle qualifies, California law requires the manufacturer to pay your attorney fees, meaning representation typically costs you nothing out of pocket.
What California’s lemon law actually covers →
How a lemon law buyback works →
Get a free, honest case assessment
California Nissan Altima owner?
If your Altima is part of this recall, or if it has had air bag warnings or other problems your dealer has not been able to fix, and you want to understand your rights and what you may be legally entitled to, The Margarian Law Firm can help.
Our firm practices exclusively in California automotive consumer law, including lemon law, dealer fraud, and automotive class actions. That exclusive focus means deeper case knowledge, greater litigation resources, and a track record built entirely on cases like yours. We stay closely attuned to how recalls affect consumers’ legal rights and have the resources to litigate, not just negotiate.
Frequently asked questions
1. Is my Nissan Altima included in this recall?
Only 2025 Altimas built on December 1 and 2, 2025 at the Canton, Mississippi plant are included, so the odds are low. The NHTSA VIN lookup already lists this recall and will give you a definitive answer.
2. Can I still drive my Altima during this recall?
NHTSA has not issued a do-not-drive advisory, and the defect does not affect how the car drives day to day. The concern is how the passenger air bag modules behave in a crash, so if your car is included, the prudent move is to schedule the free half-hour repair promptly rather than put it off.
3. Does this recall mean my Altima is a lemon?
Not by itself. A lemon law claim turns on repair history: repeated unsuccessful attempts at the same problem or extended time out of service. California’s lemon law sets out what qualifies, and The Margarian Law Firm can tell you quickly whether your vehicle’s history fits.
4. What is the risk from the wrong bolts exactly?
Air bag modules anchor to the vehicle so they deploy in a precise position and direction. Bolts that yield under deployment load could let the front passenger air bag or knee air bag shift as it fires, and an air bag that deploys out of position may not restrain the passenger as designed, raising the risk of injury in exactly the moment the system is supposed to prevent it.
5. When and how will the repair happen?
The repair is available now. Dealers replace all four mounting bolts with the correct Altima parts, free of charge, in roughly half an hour. Official owner letters mail September 25, 2026, but dealers have had instructions since mid-August, so included owners can call ahead of the letter.
6. What if my Altima was in a crash before the repair?
If the passenger air bags deployed and anyone was hurt, that is a serious, fact-specific matter that goes beyond lemon law. Contact The Margarian Law Firm promptly so the circumstances can be reviewed while records and evidence are fresh.
7. What if my dealer told me nothing was wrong before this recall?
This defect produces no symptoms, so a pre-recall dealer visit about it would be unusual. But if your Altima has had other complaints the dealer dismissed or could not fix, those repair orders still matter to a lemon law analysis, and The Margarian Law Firm can review what your history shows.
Legal disclaimer
The information in this post is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is evaluated on its individual merits, and outcomes vary based on the manufacturer, the defect, repair history, and other factors. Attorney fees in qualifying lemon law cases are paid separately by the manufacturer upon a successful outcome under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. Contacting The Margarian Law Firm does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Official sources and further reading
- NHTSA recall record 26V526
- Nissan Part 573 Safety Recall Report (26V526)
- NHTSA VIN check
- All vehicle recalls covered by The Margarian Law Firm