2012 Nissan Altima

midsize car / 4-door sedan

2012 Nissan Altima 4-door sedan
2009 Nissan Altima shown

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Roof strength
Head restraints & seats

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2007-12 models

Tested vehicle: 2007 Nissan Altima 2.5 S 4-door

The Nissan Altima was redesigned for the 2007 model year. Two moderate overlap frontal tests of the Altima were conducted, one by the Institute and the other by Nissan as part of frontal crash test verification. Ratings are based on both tests.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the Institute's moderate overlap frontal crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained well (Institute test car shown).

Smeared greasepaint indicates where the dummy's head brushed the side curtain airbag and dislodged headliner. This airbag did not deploy in the test conducted by Nissan.

Intrusion into the driver's space was minimal in both tests, and all leg and foot injury measures were low.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID VTF0616 CEF0703
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 5 4
Left (cm) 8 7
Center (cm) 7 4
Right (cm) 14 7
Brake pedal (cm) 7 3
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 1 2
Right (cm) 1 2
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 1 -4
Rearward (cm) 3 1
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 0 0

Driver injury measures

Test ID VTF0616 CEF0703
Head
HIC-15 205 160
Peak gs at hard contact 27 no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.0 0.8
Extension bending moment (Nm) 10 27
Maximum Nij 0.27 0.29
Chest maximum compression (mm) 29 29
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 1.3 0.4
Femur force - right (kN) 1.0 1.9
Knee displacement - left (mm) 1 0
Knee displacement - right (mm) 0 1
Maximum tibia index - left 0.28 0.40
Maximum tibia index - right 0.40 0.30
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 2.0 2.2
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 1.6 1.8
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 47 58
Right 44 53

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2010-12 models

Tested vehicle: 2009 Nissan Altima S 4-door with standard front and rear head curtain airbags and standard front seat-mounted torso airbags

The Nissan Altima was redesigned for the 2007 model year. Beginning with 2010 models, the body side structure was modified to improve occupant protection in side impact crashes. Side ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Nissan as part of side crash test verification. The car tested was a 2009 model fitted with the improved body side structure and was representative of production 2010 models.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID VTS0906
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -7.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID VTS0906
Head HIC-15 295
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.0
Compression (kN) 0.1
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 46
Lateral force (kN) 1.7
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 46
Average deflection (mm) 40
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 6.40
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.85
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 1.6
Acetabulum force (kN) 1.8
Combined force (kN) 3.3
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 2.4
L-M moment (Nm) 50
A-P moment (Nm) 269

Passenger injury measures

Test ID VTS0906
Head HIC-15 299
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.7
Compression (kN) 0.2
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 27
Lateral force (kN) 1.3
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 38
Average deflection (mm) 32
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 2.90
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.44
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 0.4
Acetabulum force (kN) 2.1
Combined force (kN) 2.3
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.6
L-M moment (Nm) 45
A-P moment (Nm) 114

How the side crash test is conducted

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2007-12 models

Tested vehicle: 2009 Nissan Altima 2.5 S 4-door

Overall evaluation
Curb weight 3,196 lbs
Peak force 12,111 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio 3.79

How the roof strength test is conducted

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Manual cloth seats AHR

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type Manual cloth seats AHR
Geometry
Backset (mm) 45
Distance below top of head (mm) 39
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Fail
Max T1 acceleration (g) 10.3
Head contact time (ms) 88
Force rating 1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 112
Max neck tension (N) 488

How the head restraint & seat test is conducted
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.