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, Latches/locks/linkages, Jan 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the hood inadvertently opened. The contact lost control of the vehicle but was able to pull over, close the hood, and continued driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. Additionally, while driving, the headlights failed to produce adequate lighting. The contact used the high beam headlights while driving. The contact stated that it was difficult to see people and objects on the roadway. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Exterior lighting, Nov 29, 2022
Low beam headlights too dim to be usable at night. Service center confirmed it is a known delamination issue of the reflective coating, for which a class action lawsuit was previously filed and settled. Have been waiting for over 6 months for the "back ordered" parts to come in so it can be fixed.
Exterior lighting, Nov 16, 2022
The Low Beam headlight do not project properly. The problem is delamination of the headlight assembly. See "Suarez vs. Nissan North America Inc. Nissan will not replace the headlights in a timely manner. A claim was filed on 1/31/22. Assemblies must be replaced by 9/23/22. Nissan is delaying the repair because of "supply Chain Issues". Numerous owners haven't had the replacement occur by the due date. This makes the car difficult to operate, requiring the use of the high beams at all times. This is a safety issue, and should be a recall to protect all drivers.
Exterior lighting, Nov 16, 2022
The low beam exterior lights are simply totally ineffective and provide little illumination at night. This is an ongoing issue and has yet to be corrected by Nissan. Car is not able to be driven safely at night.
Exterior lighting, Oct 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at night, she noticed that the low-beam headlights were becoming very dim. The contact stated that the failure occurred gradually and that no warning lights were illuminated. Over time, the failure occurred more frequently. The contact stated that it had become increasingly more difficult to see the roadway while driving because the headlights were extremely dim. The local dealer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to replace the headlight assemblies. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.
Exterior lighting, Oct 22, 2022
why hasn't nissan replaced these headlight parts.we can't use the car at night as there isn't enough light to see safely,.NO EXCUSE fo0r this.
Exterior lighting, Oct 11, 2022
Nissan got sued for Altima headlights that would dim after a certain amount of time. They reached out to everyone affected and offered to replace their faulty headlights. They even put a campaign (recall?) on the affected cars. I went to the dealership which performed a test and determined that both my headlights were faulty and were dimming and I'm eligible for a replacement. They placed an order for parts in May 2022, it is now October 2022 and Nissan still hasn't shipped the parts to the dealer. Every time I call, the dealership says the parts have not arrived and there is nothing else they can do. Its been 5+ months since my dealership visit and I've been driving with dim headlights around rural country roads in Texas which don't have streetlights or lane markings It puts me and the passengers in my car (kids) at a huge safety risk. Can you please force Nissan to send new headlights (parts are already on order for my VIN) so I can get this resolved without any more delay?
Exterior lighting, Oct 5, 2022
Headlights have become so dull that it is a hazard driving at night. Altima was taken into dealership on 3/30/22 and was found to qualify for headlight replacement under the lawsuit settlement in case Suarez v. Nissan North America, Inc. We were told it would take about six weeks for parts to arrive. Six months later and several calls to dealership, still no parts and no idea when they'll arrive. Our daughter had hers replaced last week by a non-Nissan auto repair business.
Exterior lighting, Oct 5, 2022
headlights are dim, nearly running a person in the cross walk
Exterior lighting, Oct 3, 2022
The headlights have failed inspection at the dealership because the low beams are too dim. Nissan said their is not a problem although I found out there is a class action lawsuit regarding the headlight issue. This is something they are aware of but are unwilling to fix the problem. This is a safety risk because when driving at night you are unable to see and other cars might not see you due to the headlights not working properly. When it is raining you are unable to see and other cars can't see you which could cause an accident. The dealership has confirmed the issue and told me to contact Nissan and they are not willing to fix the issue. I did receive a warning last night because of my headlights not working properly. There are not any warning lights but considering a class action lawsuit [XXX], et al. v. Nissan North America, Inc., there should be a recall as my car is not the only car that has this problem. Please get a recall done on this as soon as possible as this is a safety risk not only to myself but all drivers on the road at night. Please do something before this causes lives of others. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Exterior lighting, Sep 29, 2022
Both of my headlamp lights are very dim to the point I can't see well with them at night. This has been for a long time, and extremely dangerous as I've almost had accidents. The police has stopped me several times and given me warnings to have it fixed, but it is too expensive for me . It was inspected by the dealer and failed the inspection.
Exterior lighting, Sep 24, 2022
The low beam headlights have failed. Confirmation is confirmed at Olympia, Washington Nissan. Our safety at night was compromised as well as other drivers. This was such a gradual problem that we were unaware of it until approximately march of 2022. A lawsuit was filed in 2020. We were not informed and told we did not qualify. We have paid the dealer to replace the low beam. It likely will not be done until December of later of this year.
Exterior lighting, Sep 23, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the headlights became extremely dim. The contact stated that the headlights were no longer illuminated as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that failure occurred on several occasions and the high beam headlights had to be activated. The contact later received a notice for Nissan Service Campaign Number: PC861 for the replacement of the halogen headlamps. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer who inspected the vehicle and diagnosed that the headlamps needed to be replaced; however, the dealer informed the contact that the failure did not meet the specifications to be covered under the Service Campaign. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the repair would be the responsibility of the vehicle owner. A case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
Exterior lighting, Sep 22, 2022
Highlights are to dim too travel after dark. There has been a settlement, however Nissan is not suppling dealerships with enough lamps to match demand. This should be a national recall and treated as much.
Exterior lighting, Sep 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH at night, she noticed that the high beam headlights were significantly dim. The contact later received a notice for Nissan Service Campaign Number: PC861 for the halogen headlamps replacement. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who inspected the vehicle and diagnosed that the headlamps needed to be replaced; however, the dealer informed the contact that the parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Exterior lighting, Sep 10, 2022
Headlights on my 2013 Altima are dangerously dim. I filed several complaints with NHTSA several years ago about this problem but nothing was done. A few months ago I received a notice from the SUAREZ V NISSAN SETTLEMENT ADMINISTRATOR stating that my vehicle qualified for free replacement headlights as part of a class action suit settlement stemming from defective headlights on 2013-2016 Nissan Altimas. The notice said my vehicle would receive free replacement headlights if I: 1. SUBMIT AN OUT-OF-WARRANTY CLAIM FORM BY MARCH 26, 2022 2. TAKE MY ALTIMA TO AN AUTHORIZED NISSAN DEALER BETWEEN MARCH 27, 2022 AND SEPTEMBER 23, 2022. I fulfilled both of those requirements but the dealer still refuses to replace my headlights. They say they “tested” the headlights and they seem “ok”. I asked for a clarification of the “test” procedure. They said they spray “bubbles” on the headlights, turn them on and observe how bright they look. There is nothing quantitative, nothing measured — just a subjective “look” and that’s it. How can Nissan get away with this phony test. I see many complaints on this website from others that have been duped by Nissan regarding this issue. The lights on my Altima are so bad that I avoid driving at night. When I do have to drive at night, the headlights are so dim that they only FAINTLY illuminate about 25 feet in front of me. The lights are so dim that other drivers flash their lights at me, thinking that I just have my parking lights on. This is an obvious safety issue that many, many Altima owners have to put up with. As a result of the class action suit, Nissan agreed to replace the defective headlights but they are now playing games with a made up, phony test and not fulfilling their promise to replace these dangerous, defective headlights. SHAME ON NISSAN. Why doesn’t NHTSA enforce this recall? Your website says “Our mission is to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce economic costs…” YOU NEED TO DO YOUR JOB!!!!
Exterior lighting, Sep 5, 2022
In April 2022,I Took my vehicle down to the Tracy California Nissan dealership. I was part of the class section lawsuit to have my headlights replaced because they are so extremely dim and to also had a recall for the hood latch serviced. I was told that my headlights were just fine. That per Nissans instructions, the dealerships were to lightly clean the headlamp area, take it into a darkened room and measure the brightness of the headlights. The dealership refused to give me any information on what the parameters were for the headlight brightness testing. I was just told over and over again that my headlights are bright enough and did not qualify for replacement. Even after checking the brightness since they supposedly cleaned the headlights, there was no change. I still cannot drive the vehicle without the highbeams on. And even with the highbeams on the headlights are not that bright. Again I asked the service manager about the lawsuit and that it specifically states that they would replace the headlights. He told me if I was unsatisfied I could call the one 800 number he gave me. Then he proceeded to tell me good luck and have a nice day.
Exterior lighting, Aug 12, 2022
Low beam headlights inadequate. Very obvious. Difficult to see at night. Nissan dealer does not want to replace under class action settlement. Headlight lenses are not hazy.
Exterior lighting, Aug 4, 2022
Headlights are extremely dim. No usable light, even though the headlights are not old.
Exterior lighting, Jul 22, 2022
Headlight's reflection material inside the housing and lens degrades and makes it harder to see while driving at night.
Exterior lighting, Jul 21, 2022
The low beam lights are extremely dim and I can’t see at night.
Exterior lighting, Jul 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact state while driving approximately 65 MPH at night, the headlights were dimmed making visibility very difficult. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who confirmed the failure with the headlights. The headlights were not replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The dealer related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V244000 (Exterior Lighting) however, neither the VIN nor the year, make, or model vehicle was included in the recall. The approximate failure mileage was 2,000.
Exterior lighting, Jul 7, 2022
Our headlights on dim were barely visible on the road and was glad to see a recall on this exact item. I understood the dealership would repair the problem. I took the car into Anderson Nissan in Lake Havasu City, Az (some 60 miles from my house). I was told the tech inspected the lights and said they were ok and did nothing. They are not safe an as I said above barely visible at night. Can you check that recall, Anderson Nissan kept the paper work. If you can send someone to check the lights and you'll see what I mean.
Exterior lighting, Jun 28, 2022
The headlights are so dim it is very dangerous. We have to drive with our brights on just to see. Therefore, we try not to be out in the dark. Which isn't right.
Exterior lighting, May 31, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the headlights were significantly dim, affecting the driver’s visibility of the roadway. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that sometimes she drove with the high beams activated to make the roadway more visible, even though it was distracting to oncoming drivers. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who inspected the vehicle and diagnosed that the headlights needed to be replaced under Nissan Lawsuit Settlement Service Campaign Number: PC861. However, the dealer informed the contact that the parts for repair were not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.