2013 Nissan Altima
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Air bags is the leading concern among 2,312 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the highest complaint count among 26 Altima model years with reports.
Of the 2013 reports, 63 involved a crash and 9 involved a fire. 48 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Latches/locks/linkages, hood, latchMay 28, 2020
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2018 Nissan Altima vehicles. If the primary hood latch is inadvertently released, there is an increased likelihood that the secondary hood latch may corrode over time.
Corrosion to the secondary latch may cause it to bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed. If the primary latch is inadvertently released again and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install a stronger release spring in the hood release lever, a warning label near the secondary hood latch, and an Owners Manual addendum card with instructions on how to lubricate and maintain the secondary hood latch mechanism, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: Recall 16V-029 remains open for any unremedied 2013-2015 Altimas and this recall applies to all vehicles covered by 16V-029 even if those repairs have already been performed.
Campaign 20V315000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, sensor, occupant classificationDec 19, 2016
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima vehicles manufactured January 3, 2013, to July 29, 2013, 2015-2016 Rogue vehicles manufactured October 14, 2014, to August 12, 2016, and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured June 4, 2015, to August 19, 2015. An incorrect Occupant Classification System (OCS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may have been installed in the front passenger seat. The incorrect ECU and seat combination may misclassify the front passenger seat occupant.
If the front passenger seat occupant is misclassified, the air bag may deploy incorrectly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ECU and update the OCS software free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Campaign 16V911000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, sensor, occupant classificationApr 26, 2016
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.
If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.
Campaign 16V244000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, hood, latchJan 22, 2016
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Nissan Altima vehicles manufactured March 6, 2012, to December 31, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch may bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
These vehicles were previously included in recalls 14V-565 and 15V-116, however the previous remedy plan may not have been performed consistently to remove the safety risk. To correct this issue, Nissan will re-notify all affected owners and dealers will replace the hood latch with a new one, free of charge. The recall began on February 17, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 14V-565 and 15V-116.
Campaign 16V029000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontalOct 20, 2015
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima and Pathfinder vehicles, 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra vehicles, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles, 2014-2015 Infiniti QX60 vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles received an incorrect occupant classification system (OCS) control unit during a repair. These OCS control units may incorrectly classify the front passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger air bag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Campaign 15V681000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasolineAug 4, 2015
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) notified the agency on July 31, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2016 Nissan Maxima vehicles manufactured February 10, 2015, to August 18, 2015. On October 14, 2015, Nissan expanded the recall to cover an additional 41,388 vehicles, including certain model year 2013-2015 Altima 3.5 vehicles equipped with a V6 engine manufactured March 30, 2012, to August 18, 2015 as well as the vehicles covered by the July 31, 2015 notification. In the affected vehicles, due to an improperly installed o-ring that may not have been seated correctly at the time of assembly, fuel may leak during a crash from the area where the fuel sending unit attaches to the fuel tank.
If fuel leaks from between the fuel sending unit and the tank, it may increase the risk of a fire in the event of a crash.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install a retainer ring between the fuel tank and the fuel sending unit. The recall began on September 28, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Campaign 15V486000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, hood, latchFeb 27, 2015
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Nissan Altima vehicles manufactured March 1, 2013, to December 31, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch may bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will be instructed to modify the bend angle of the hood actuation lever to eliminate potential interference with the hood inner panel. In addition, dealers will clean and lubricate the latch joint as needed. If significant corrosion is observed, the latch assembly will be replaced. This repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 14V-565.
Campaign 15V116000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, hood, latchSep 15, 2014
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013 Nissan Altima vehicles manufactured March 6, 2012, to February 28, 2013. In the affected vehicles, interference between the hood inner panel and the secondary latch lever, in combination with debris and corrosion, may cause the secondary hood latch to bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will be instructed to modify the bend angle of the hood actuation lever to eliminate potential interference with the hood inner panel. In addition, dealers will clean and lubricate the latch joint as needed. If significant corrosion is observed, the latch assembly will be replaced. This repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 20, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Campaign 14V565000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, softwareMar 25, 2014
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the occupant classification system (OCS) software may incorrectly classify the passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger airbag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Campaign 14V138000 on NHTSA.gov
Tires, temporary/emergency spare tireApr 24, 2013
Nissan North America is recalling certain model year 2013 Altima vehicles manufactured March 21, 2012, through March 26, 2013. The spare tires may have been significantly over- or under-inflated.
Tires that are significantly over- or under-inflated may fail without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and adjust the spare tire pressure, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 29, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Campaign 13V158000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bagsMar 1, 2013
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, Sentra, and Infiniti JX35 vehicles. Sensors within the passenger Occupant Detection System (ODS) may have been manufactured out of specification. This may cause the system to malfunction and permanently suppress the passenger airbag.
If the vehicle is involved in a crash necessitating airbag deployment and the passenger airbag is suppressed, there may be an increased risk of personal injury.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ODS sensors and replace them as neccessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 6, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.
Campaign 13V069000 on NHTSA.gov
SteeringOct 10, 2012
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Altima vehicles manufactured from May 10, 2012, through July 26, 2012. These vehicles may have been equipped with transverse link bolts and power steering rack bolts that were not torqued to proper specification.
The affected bolts could become loose and fall out which may lead to a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the bolts to the proper torque specifications. The safety recall is expected to begin during November 2012. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.
Campaign 12V494000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: exterior lighting
442 reports, newest first. Show all
Exterior lighting, Sep 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the headlights were very dim, making it difficult to see while driving at night. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with deteriorating headlight assemblies, causing the low-beam headlights to fail to properly illuminate the roadway while driving at night. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 173,000.
Exterior lighting, Aug 1, 2026
The headlight housings metallic coatings for reflectivity are failing and reduce the efficacy of the headlights. There has been a class action lawsuit against Nissan for this but many, like myself, were not notified. The headlights are very dim and create a safety hazzard when driving in an area where high beams can't be used. NTSHA really needs to do what is right here and force a recall.
Exterior lighting, Jun 10, 2026
Headlights are extremely dim almost always have to drive with my high beams on at night since the lights are so dark. Have tried replacing bulbs on my own but lights are still dim. No warning or anything were ever shown
Exterior lighting, Mar 15, 2026
The vehicle is a Nissan Altima experiencing a low-beam headlight failure. The headlights have become extremely dim and no longer provide adequate illumination of the roadway at night. Visibility is severely reduced, making it difficult to see lane markings, pedestrians, and obstacles ahead. The vehicle and headlight assemblies are available for inspection upon request. This condition creates a serious safety risk because nighttime driving visibility is significantly compromised. The headlights are so dim that safe operation of the vehicle after dark is difficult, increasing the risk of a crash involving pedestrians, other vehicles, or road hazards. The vehicle was inspected by a Nissan dealership, which confirmed the headlight problem. However, the dealer has refused to repair the issue under the applicable safety recall due to a missed deadline (March 2022). We first became aware of the recall in March 2023 and have been attempting to resolve the issue since that time. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership but has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives. There were no warning lights, dashboard messages, or other alerts indicating a headlight system problem prior to the failure. The primary symptom has been the gradual dimming of the low-beam headlights over time until they became too dim to safely illuminate the road.
Exterior lighting, Aug 25, 2025
The exterior lighting is extremely dim. It is an issue driving at night. I’ve had to pull over to make sure the lights were actually on. Please, please issue a recall to help prevent possible fatal crashes. I see that there are numerous complaints regarding this issue and it should be addressed as quickly as possible.
Exterior lighting, Visibility/wiper, Lane departure, Jan 4, 2025
The headlights has a recall but the dealership told me if the previous owner didn't fix it, it didn't do me any justice. I have to drive with bright lights on at night because the headlights are pointed at the ground but not up ahead to see what's in front of me. It's very hard to see. I haven't had the car a year and I really love my car. The $1,600 to fix, is what the Nissian dealership in my town quoted me. I am a single mom with elementary aged kids, driving them to school, it's still little dark.
Exterior lighting, Nov 4, 2024
The headlamps are so dim, you can't even see the road at night. This is a well known issue to Nissan that the headlamps for this make and model are defective. The headlamp assemblies need to be replaced and this should be a recall. There was a civil lawsuit and I, like many others, tried getting the headlamps replaced during the acceptable time period, but my Nissan dealership was not able to get the parts in time. Looking online, this happened to the majority of people and people weren't able to get the proper repairs needed at no fault of their own. This is a major problem that Nissan needs to address. NHTSA also has a responsibility to be pushing Nissan on this recall. My automotive repair company said they've never seen so many complaints with the NHTSA without there being a full recall. It is an extreme safety hazard to not have the road visible at night. I, along with others, have received warnings from the police as well for not having proper lighting. Please help fix this issue.
Exterior lighting, Nov 2, 2024
The headlights are very dim and it's very hard to see when it's dark outside
Exterior lighting, Nov 1, 2024
Delamination of headlight units has left low beam use unsafe. Seeing more than 20-25ft ahead of vehicle is impossible at night. There was a class action suit for this issue but I was not notified and now the window for replacement had passed. This seems like it should have been a safety recall. I attempted to get relief from Nissan but was stonewalled. Not even a discount on replacing the units.
Exterior lighting, Jun 8, 2024
The lights are positioned too low to the ground and they are not bright enough. I end up having to keep my high lights on when driving at night because the visibility is very poor otherwise. Dangerous
Exterior lighting, May 23, 2024
The headlights on my 2013 Nissan Altima SL are dangerously dim. The car was purchased used in July, 2022 and has been driven daily by my son since then. While driving with him recently on his way home college I was driving and could barely tell that the headlights were on while driving at night through the un-lit Interstate in Virginia. The extremely low light level was alarming to me as I could not see well without using the high beams which was not always possible due to surrounding traffic, and I was constantly nervous that the others on the road may not be able to see my vehicle. Nissan is fully aware that there is an issue. In response to a class action lawsuit in 2022 they agreed to replace the headlight assemblies for those that filed a claim within a certain timeframe. The lawsuit pointed to a delaminating of the reflective materials inside the headlight assembly, so replacing the bulbs does not significantly raise the lighting output. Unfortunately the deadline for a free replacement expired prior to me purchasing the car. I contacted a local Nissan dealer on [XXX], 2024 and they indicated that the free replacement has long since expired and estimated that it would cost approximately $1,500 to replace the headlights. I then contacted Nissan corporate on the same date and received the same response. I honestly do not understand how this did not become a Safety Recall. The lights obviously do not produce adequate light levels to safely drive at night. This is worsened by the prevalence of ultra-brite HID Halogen and LED headlights on the majority of cars on the road today. Though Nissan “did not accept” liability in response to the class action lawsuit in 2022, Nissan did replace thousands of sets of headlights- admitting that they know the OEM headlights are an issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Exterior lighting, Apr 30, 2024
Nissan never informed me of the head light recall in 2022 and as a result I've been driving on dim lights which is quite dangerous. This week I took it into a Nissan dealership in Anderson, SC to get them repaired and it cost $1500! They informed me it should have been covered under the recall but that it's expired. This is unacceptable. Nissan is responsible to inform it's car owners of all recalls and the fact that they didn't should not enable them to get away with making people pay for these recall repairs.
Suspension, Exterior lighting, Mar 16, 2024
I bought this car and the light bulb is replaced. It is the actual halo type plastic head lights that are defected. If I take to dealer can they fix it. I saw issues with the same thing on the Internet.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Air bags, Feb 10, 2024
Headlights
Exterior lighting, Dec 19, 2023
I was never informed of a voluntary recall on the headlamps of certain Nissan Altimas, my wife said it was difficult to drive at night, I installed LED lights with little change. I found out after Nissan had a voluntary recall that the head light assemblies had issues, mainly de-lamination of the chrome in the reflector assembly on the low beam light. Dealer said they would replace them unless I paid over $2000. I found non OEM light assemblies, had them installed, and took the old assembly apart and I was shocked to see the degrading of the entire assembly and material deposited on the lens making it cloudy, not clear at all. I documented all this, and really do think it is a serious safety issue since many of these cars are now on the used market, and many of the owners buying on that market may not have the resources to change out the headlamp assemblies, or even original owners such as me and my wife. Nissan knows there was an issue, and therevis. We happened to be lucky, my wife was not involved in an accident due to the low output of the lights, but the difference after installing the new assemblies is dramatic and the damage to the reflector assembly and cloudy film on the lens is significant. Nissan knows of the problem, they accept no responsibility now, but no doubt it is a serious safety issue which should be looked at again, Nissan did not let all the owners know they may have an issue, heck I got more notices on a hood latch recall than anything else. This is a real serious safety issue, visibility at night is severely restricted.
Exterior lighting, Nov 17, 2023
The dim headlights dont work right so u cant see driving. It is very dangerous it could cause a accident. So you have to drive with your brights on so that you can see and then that could also cause accident because you're blinding the people coming towards you
Exterior lighting, Sep 16, 2023
Headlights are dangerously dim, contacted manufacturer and were told that we missed the settlement on this issue. We purchased this vehicle after the settlement so of course we missed it. My son drives this car to and from college two and a half hours away. I cannot understand why nothing is being done. When he drives at night, he has to have high beams on and even then, they are not the brightest. I know we are not the only ones, I have researched it and seen countless complaints about the headlights.
Exterior lighting, Sep 4, 2023
The headlights are so dim it is dangerous. I had been riding with the brights on because of the dimness of the lights. I was almost in a serious accident due to the lack of visibility resulting from faulty headlights—even with the brights on. These are dangerous.
Exterior lighting, Aug 23, 2023
It was a recall on the headlights and Nissan said the recalled expired. The previous owner passed away. You can’t see anything at night without driving with the high beams on I had the bulbs changed an it’s dim lighting. This is a safety issues that’s putting me and other people lives in danger.
Exterior lighting, Aug 20, 2023
Headlights so dimmed you cannot see at night. Without using my high beams. I have all ready received 3 verbal warnings for driving with high beams. My understanding there was a recall I missed out in due to lost mail I assume but Nissan refuses to fix it and trying to charge me $2000 for there safety defect. I cannot afford to get this fixed out of pocket and it’s a safety issue. If it’s a recall that’s a safety issue it should be a Nissan repair.
Exterior lighting, Jun 29, 2023
Both front head lights (low lights) are very dim; right headlight may require re-wiring due to constant burning out of head light (low lights) and turning signal light. Measures have been taken by owner to address the situation by careful step-wise cleaning of headlight covers. After cleaning of headlight covers, there was significant fogginess still noted as having a film like appearance. This film appeared to be on the inside portion of the head lamps. Visibility was not improved after cleaning headlights. Night time driving visibility is significantly affected, leading to issue of safety while driving. Passengers have noted inability to distinguish whether headlights are turned on or off while driving at nght. Issue has been brought up to multiple nissan car dealerships who refuse to further inspect or acknowledge the issue of defect in the 2013 Nissan Altima. The issue has previously been brought up in the case of Rafael Suarez, et al. v. Nissan North America, Inc., Case No.3:21-cv-00393-WLC-AN. Dealership refuses to acknowledge case or issue in general.
Exterior lighting, Jun 13, 2023
My headlights have been dangerously dim for about a year now. According to the dealer is not a simple bulb replacement situation. They are telling me that I need to replace both headlamp assemblies and the cost will be about $1300 total. ($650 per headlamp). It is extremely difficult to drive at night with these dim headlights. A significant safety issue. Yes. Not yet. No warning lights or messages.
Exterior lighting, Apr 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact received notification of Voluntary Service Campaign: PC861 (Front Combination Lamps (Headlamps) – Halogen Only). The contact stated that the front headlamps failed to illuminate. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that the Voluntary Service Campaign had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the Voluntary Service Campaign had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000. The contact stated that there isn't a failure mileage. While waiting for the parts to become available, the contact had become ill and had missed the deadline for the recall repairs. However, the contact claims that she was never notified that the parts were available or to come in for repairs. The contact is currently waiting for the manufacturer's recall department to approve the repairs past the deadline.
Exterior lighting, Jan 22, 2023
Nissan is not supplying headlight assemblies to dealers in a timely manner (settlement of class action lawsuit for dimming headlights) yet is selling them as OEM online. I have been waiting 10 months or more for them to come into my dealer. The only response is that the supply chain is the problem. These headlights have been gradually been dimming for years due to the deterioration of a coating inside the projection beam lens. A class action lawsuit settlement has Nissan obligated to replace the complete assembly if one registered with the the class last March - September. This is on going issue and a safety issue. The lights are too dim and do not light up the road adequately. I had a close call with wildlife (deer) because you cannot see well.
Exterior lighting, Jan 19, 2023
Nissan is not supplying headlight assemblies to dealers in a timely manner (settlement of class action lawsuit for dimming headlights) yet is selling them as OEM online. I have been waiting 8 months for them to come into my dealer. The only response is that the supply chain is the problem. These headlights have been gradually been dimming for years due to the deterioration of a coating inside the projection beam lens. A class action lawsuit settlement has Nissan obligated to replace the complete assembly if one registered with the the classs last March - September.