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 27, 2021
Headlights are extremely Dull, making night time driving dangerous. Headlight projector reflector is defective in all 2013 Hologen Bulb headlight assembly's. Driving at night or on wet roads, vision is extremely impaired, a danger to driver and pedestrians. I have contacted the Dealership, and they have no knowledge of any recalls in progress.
Exterior lighting, Sep 20, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at night, the headlights failed to adequately illuminate the roadway. The contact used the hi-beam headlights to properly see the roadway ahead of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 211,000.
Exterior lighting, Sep 13, 2021
The headlights are dangerously dim, don't shine light more than a few feet ahead of the car. Apparently this is the cause: the reflective material in the light assembly has burned off from the heat of the bulbs.
Exterior lighting, Sep 4, 2021
The low beam headlights provide extremely low visibility at night. It's like driving with a flashlight to light the road. The problem has progressively gotten worse over the past several years. My 25 year old son drove my car at night and told me he doesn't know how I can even see to drive at night. Last evening I had problems even seeing the road driving in an area where I was not used to driving. This is a huge safety hazard. Replacing the bulbs has not made any difference. I have resulted to having to use my high beams when driving at night which is also a hazard for other drivers on the road. There are no warnings.The lights function they are just extremely dim.
Exterior lighting, Sep 2, 2021
Even though I've just replaced my headlight bulbs with brand new ones it is impossible to drive the car at night! If I drive with high beams on you can see but obviously you blind everyone else. I can no longer drive it to work at night. It is unsafe!!!!!!! It's seriously like trying to drive with a super dim flashlight. This problem started a few years ago and has slowly gotten to this point. You cannot see pedestrians even on the side of the road. Very very unsafe and Nissan should fix whatever the problem is free of charge. I'm the sole owner of this car since it was new. The headlight lenses are not yellowed or worn. I've nearly hit persons walking across the street because I can't see them. I'm 49 years old and have good eyesight.
Exterior lighting, Aug 22, 2021
Low beams dim. Reflective material in headlight assembly delaminated. Common issue. Tried to remedy by installing LED bulb, no improvement. Dangerous for night driving.
Exterior lighting, Aug 19, 2021
Headlights are very dim even after replacing bulbs with led bulbs.
Exterior lighting, Jul 21, 2021
Headlight assemblies have developed film on inside surfaces, causing the headlights on low beam to be extremely dim, significantly reducing normal night vision to a dangerously low level. Low beam light output is less than that of the fog lights!! Only driving with high beams resolves the issue. Will not drive the vehicle at night! Have discussed with dealership and was told it is a KNOWN problem on 2013-2016 Altima and Maxima vehicles. That was within the past six months. Was told that only resolution would be to replace the headlight assemblies at an estimated cost of at least $450/headlight. Recently spoke to Dealership manager regarding the issue. Available for inspection. Not inspected by manufacturer / police / insurance reps. No warning lamps, messages, etc. First appeared within the past year. Case number 44352662 issued today @ ~ 12 noon. Awaiting response back from Nissan Customer Affairs supervisor, but not expecting call back until tomorrow.
Exterior lighting, Jul 19, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that there was almost no visibility when the headlights were turned on at night since the headlight reflectors were dim. The headlights failure almost caused a collision on several separate occasions. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that he needed to pay for the diagnosis and repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 94,867.
Exterior lighting, Jul 7, 2021
Headlights on the dim projector failed internally where you can't see at night on dim setting. Several forums online with same complaint.
Exterior lighting, Jun 28, 2021
Both headlight low beams are dangerously dim even after replacing the bulbs. Its not possible to see at night while driving unless using high beams to see. Took the vehicle to the dealership afterwards and it was determined the materials in the headlight assembly have deteriorated in both assemblies.
Exterior lighting, Jun 23, 2021
Headlights are very dim at night on low beam, I have to drive with my high beams because I can't see the road or signs or cars , I have almost gotten into accidents because of this, I have taken it to the dealer and they will not replace them , I contacted Nissan North America Consumer Affairs and they won't replace them they say that I'm outside my manufacturers warranty I told them that I understand that but the problem with the headlights is a manufacturers defect , I took the car to a mechanic and he told me to look on YouTube that there are other Nissan Altima owners with the same problem, so I looked it up and he was correct there are videos of mechanics that found the reason the lights are so dim , you basically have to break the housing of the light to see the problem and it is a manufacturers defect so they should be responsible for that the proof is there in the videos I should not have to buy two new headlights because the problem is there's . This has been going on for some years and I was going to give up but I wanted to find out way at night I can't see driving it is frustrating I'm 61 years old and this is not the only car I've owned. This has been going on since 2019
Exterior lighting, Jun 18, 2021
Noticed that my 2013 Nissan Altima headlights are very dim. Researched on the internet and quickly realized this is an issue with many 2013-2018 Altimas and that the reflective material in the assembly breaks down over time. This is a serious safety issue and Nissan does not have a recall and they definitely should be forced to recall cars with this issue before it's too late. Very serious safety issue in my opinion.
Exterior lighting, May 13, 2021
MY HEADLIGHTS HAVE DETERIORATED TO A POINT NOW THAT DRIVING AT NIGHT IS DANGEROUS AS I CANNOT SEE BEYOND MY FOGLIGHTS (FIRST NOTED ABOUT 5 YEARS AGO). I HAVE CHANGED THE BATTERY, LIGHTBULBS AND HAVE CLEANED THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY COVERS. NOTHING IMPROVES VISIBILITY. I SUSPECT THE ASSEMBLIES HAVE TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE COATING IN THE REFLECTOR HOUSING DETERIORATING DUE TO MANUFACTORING DEFECT AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED BY MANY OTHER ALTIMA OWNERS.
Exterior lighting, Apr 30, 2021
THE DIM HEADLAMPS OF MY 2013 ALTIMA HAVE PROGRESSIVELY DIMMED TO AN UNSAFE LEVEL THAT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE DRIVING PATH AND SURROUNDING AREA. IN MY MANY YEARS OF DRIVING, THIS IS BY FAR THE WORST LIGHTING PROJECTED BY ANY OF MY VEHICLES. THE LIGHTING WAS GREAT WHEN PURCHASED USED IN 2016 BUT OVERTIME IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT AND ESPECIALLY DURING RAIN STORM EXCEPT WHEN LIGHTNING LIGHTS THE SKY.. SAFETY RECALL IS JUSTLY NEEDED, ARE WE WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO DIE FOR THIS TO HAPPEN?
Exterior lighting, Apr 29, 2021
THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2013 NISSAN ALTIMA ARE HORRIBLE! I CAN'T SEE WITH THE LOW BEAMS AT ALL AND I NEED TO USE MY HIGH BEAMS AT ALL TIMES IN THE DARK. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE!!! I'M VERY SHOCKED THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL ON THESE LIGHTS! I LOVE MY CAR, HOWEVER I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER NISSAN IF THEY DON'T FIX THIS PROBLEM!
Exterior lighting, Apr 23, 2021
LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE EXTREMELY DIM!! I HAVE TO DRIVE WITH THE HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS ON. ONCOMING TRAFFIC NEVER FLASHES THEIR LIGHTS AT ME, SO THE HIGH BEAM LIGHTS MUST BE DIM, ALSO. THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE SO DIM, THAT CARS BEHIND ME AT NIGHT, CAST A SHADOW IN FRONT OF MY CAR. MY LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS DON'T EVEN PUT OUT ENOUGH LIGHT TO PREVENT A SHADOW BEING FORMED IN FRONT OF MY CAR!!
Exterior lighting, Apr 22, 2021
THE HEADLIGHTS ARE EXTREMELY DIM, TOTALLY INEFFECTIVE FOR NIGHT DRIVING AND DANGEROUS. ON A DARK OR SEMI DARK ROAD THERE IS ALMOST NO ROAD VISIBILITY.
Exterior lighting, Mar 30, 2021
HEADLIGHT VISIBILITY IS AWFUL. I KEEP TAKING IT TO NISSAN TO HAVE IT CHECKED AND THEY TELL ME THEY DO NOT SEE ANYTHING WRONG. MY BIGGEST ISSUE IS I AM AFRAID I WILL HAVE A CAR ACCIDENT AT NIGHT CAUSE MY LIGHTS AS SO DIM IT LOOK LIKE I AM DRIVING WITH MY PARK LIGHTS ON.
Exterior lighting, Mar 25, 2021
THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS HAVE DIMMED PROGRESSIVELY OVER TIME TO THE POINT THAT IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT & HAVE TO END UP USING HIGH BEAMS TO GET SOME VISIBILITY
Exterior lighting, Mar 15, 2021
THE LOW-BEAM HEADLAMPS ON THE 2013 NISSAN ALTIMA PROVIDE ALMOST NO ILLUMINATION OF THE ROAD AHEAD AT NIGHT. SERIOUSLY, TURNING THEM OFF OR ON, IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE FROM THE DRIVER'S SEAT. I HAD ONE HEADLAMP REPLACED, BUT THAT MADE NO DIFFERENCE. PEOPLE LITERALLY FLASH THEIR HIGH-BEAMS AT US AT NIGHT BECAUSE THEY THINK WE ARE DRIVING WITH OUR HEADLIGHTS OFF. THIS IS NOT A SUBTLE PROBLEM, BUT RATHER AN EXTRAORDINARILY DANGEROUS SAFETY HAZARD. THIS PROBLEM IS WELL KNOWN. SEE FOR EXAMPLE, HTTP://WWW.NISSANPROBLEMS.COM/ALTIMA-PROJECTOR-HEADLIGHTS/ : "THE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS IN THE 5TH GENERATION ALTIMA ARE DANGEROUSLY DIM. THE REFLECTIVE MATERIAL INSIDE THE PROJECTOR HEADLIGHTS CAN WEAR DOWN, DRASTICALLY REDUCING THE BEAM'S POWER. IN DECEMBER OF 2018 THIS PROBLEM RANKED 10TH IN CARCOMPLAINTS.COM TOP PROBLEM TRENDS LIST." YET NISSAN HAS DONE NOTHING ABOUT THIS DREADFUL SAFETY HAZARD, AS OF MARCH 2021. (JUST CHECKED NISSAN'S VEHICLE RECALL SITE, 3/15/2021). REPORTEDLY, ATTORNEYS CHIMICLES & TIKELLIS ARE INVESTIGATING A POTENTIAL CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THE AUTOMAKER. THIS WILL NOT BE OF MUCH SOLACE IF MY DAUGHTER HAS A CAR CRASH OR HITS A PEDESTRIAN BECAUSE SHE CAN'T SEE AHEAD OF HER WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE--NOW!
Exterior lighting, Mar 15, 2021
LOW BEAMS ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO SEE AT NIGHT, I HAVE TO USE HIGH BEAMS TO BE ABLE TO SEE, WHICH IN COMMON SENSE MAKES IT REALLY DANGEROUS FOR ME AS WELL THE OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD BY ME USING THE HIGH BEAMS, I BEEN LOOKING AROUND TO THE PROBLEM, AND THE PROBLEM WITH THE HEADLIGHTS IS WHERE THE LOW BEAM SITS ( THE SOCKET ), OVER TIME IT GETS BURNT AND IT JUST DESTROY THE WHOLE REFLECTION OF THE HALOGEN BULB, I PLACED AN IMAGE SO YOU ALL CAN CHECK IT.
Exterior lighting, Mar 12, 2021
MY LOW BEAMS ON MY HEADLIGHTS ARE DANGEROUSLY LOW AT NIGHT I CAN BARELY SEE A FOOT AHEAD WHETHER DRIVING ARE PARKED.
Exterior lighting, Mar 12, 2021
THE LOW BEAMS ON THIS VEHICLE ARE EXTREMELY UNSAFE. IF THERE WAS TO BE A CHILD OR AN ANIMAL DARTING IN FRONT OF ME, THEY WOULD BE DONE. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS SINCE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I REPLACED BULBS BUT IT DIDNT MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Exterior lighting, Mar 12, 2021
LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT IS VERY LOW AND UNABLE TO SEE . CHANGED MANY BULBS AND STILL SAME .