Nissan›Altima›1997›Overview/nissan/altima/1997/base/

1997 Nissan Altima

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1997 Altima.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1997 Nissan Altima is a passenger car fitted with a 4-speed automatic transmission and an engine whose 4.1-quart oil capacity calls for 5W-30 API viscosity, returning an EPA-rated 18/26/21 mpg. Across the model's complaint history spanning 1993 to 2025, this year's 117 total owner complaints and 3 recalls — with air bags the top complaint area — place it well below the 2013 peak of 2,304 complaints and near the low end of the spectrum. That comparatively modest complaint volume indicates the 1997 Altima stands as one of the more trouble-free years in the nameplate's reliability record, particularly when measured against the high-complaint vintages that followed.

Model year2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 1997

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.1 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque72-87 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy18/26/21 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 24F · 550 CCA battery, OE oil filter 1520855Y0A. Note the factory serpentine belt is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 24F · 550 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP205-60HR15OEM · verified

Wheel / rim6-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	1520855Y0A
Engine air filter	165460Z000
Fuel filter	1640072L15
Spark plug	2240150Y05 alt 2240150Y06
Front wiper blades	B889070F70 alt 2889060U65
Serpentine belt	117202B500 discontinued
Thermostat	212000C82A

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	180.7 in
Overall width	66.9 in
Overall height	55.9 in
Wheelbase	103.1 in
Curb weight	2899 lb
Track (front / rear)	57.9 / 57.5 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	63/37

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	18 / 26 / 21 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume	94 cu ft
Cargo volume	14 cu ft
Recommended fuel	Regular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Altima of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

9.1–9.4 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 9.10 sec — 1993 GXE

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
1994	GXE 2.4L I-4	9.40 sec	16.90 sec	150 hp	FWD
1993	GXE 2.4L I-4	9.10 sec	16.90 sec	150 hp	FWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.1 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 72-87 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 22.0-29.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.1 qt
Power Steering Fluid	ATF

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts	105-112 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts	105-110 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	12-14 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	28-35 ft-lbs
Main Bearings	34-41 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	22.0-29.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs	Bolts: 8-11 ft-lbs, Screws: 4-7 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	72-87 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	203 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub	163 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	700 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	50 rpm
Ignition Coil Primary Resistance	1.0 approx. ohms
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance	10,000 approx. ohms
Spark Plug Manufacturer	NGK
Spark Plug Gap	0.039-0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque	14-22 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.55-1.76 lbs
Oil Type	NISSAN A/C System Oil Type R or equivalent
Oil Capacity	6.80 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	24F
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	550 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	23 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	11-14 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	170 °F
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (Without Vacuum)	43.0 psi
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)	34.0 psi
Injector Primary Resistance	10-14 ohms
Injector Primary Resistance	10-14 ohms
Engine Compression	178-149 PSI. 14 Maximum variation PSI.

Brakes

Brake Application	WITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD
Torque Caliper to Bracket	16-23 ft-lbs / 62 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	33 ft-lbs / 72-87 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.079; Rear: 0.039 in
Brake Application	WITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.0008 in / 0.0004 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.0028 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	0.354 in / 0.866 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages

7-9

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

10-12 ft. lbs., Step 2: 60-65

10–12 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 5 stages

1	22 ft. lbs.	22 ft. lbs
2	59 ft. lbs.	59 ft. lbs
3	Loosen all bolts completely.
4	18-25 ft. lbs.	18–25 ft. lbs
5	86-91 degrees.	86–91 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 30,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Axle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Transmission Assembly (inspect)
Every 30,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 60,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Across the 1993 to 1997 arc, the 1997 Nissan Altima represents a clear stabilization in federal records, dropping from a generation-high 193 complaints in 1995 down to 117. The target year also saw zero federal investigations, an improvement over the earlier 1993-1995 models which each faced one or two, though it maintained a moderate three recalls. Air Bags stand out as the dominant complaint area for 1997 with 28 reports—accompanied by 32 crash and 6 fire complaints—though the data does not specify the root cause of these failures. However, the 1997 model benefits from the highest number of Technical Service Bulletins in its generation arc at 62, indicating that the manufacturer had extensively documented repair procedures for known issues by this production year. As a result, the 1997 Altima is a relatively solid year to buy within its generation due to its lower complaint volume and mature service history, provided the specific vehicle's airbag system has been thoroughly inspected and resolved.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

117

Owner complaints

32 involved a crash · 6 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’93 ’94 ’95 ’96’97’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’22 ’23 ’24 ’25

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 117 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags28

Suspension9

Visibility7

Engine & Engine Cooling7

Electrical System7

Structure6

Power Train6

Unknown Or Other5

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

10E002000SuspensionReported 11/02/2010

RIDE CONTROL IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONT STRUT MOUNTS BRANDED AS GABRIEL RIDE CONTROL OR ARVINMERITOR, P/NOS. 142435, 142193, 142305, 142303, SOLD AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE AFFECTED… Remedy: RIDE CONTROL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECORD AND REPLACE THE AFFECTED PARTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 15, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT RIDE CONTROL AT…

06E026000Exterior LightingReported 23/03/2006

CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL… Remedy: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 62 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
NTB08-097L	2023-09-21	Steering	DIAGNOSIS OF VEHICLE PULL (DRIFT) AND/OR STEERING WHEEL OFF-CENTER This bulletin has been…
NTB23-049	2023-06-16	Electrical System	12 VOLT BATTERY TESTING FOR IN-SERVICE VEHICLES SERVICE INFORMATION The following Service…
NTB23-053	2023-06-16	Electrical System	SILICONE-BASED LUBRICANT OR GREASE CAN DAMAGE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SERVICE INFORMATION…
NTB13-107F	2023-04-27	Electrical System	VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been…
NTB16-003C	2023-04-17	Electrical System	INTELLIGENT KEY REPLACEMENT OR SWAPPING BETWEEN VEHICLES This bulletin has been amended…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Altima. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 24F battery Vehicles taking 4.1 qt Engine oil filter 1520855Y0A Engine air filter 165460Z000 Fuel filter 1640072L15 Spark plug 2240150Y05

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1997 Altima take?

4.1 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1997 Altima have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Altima get?

EPA figures are 18 city / 26 highway / 21 combined mpg.