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
2,312 reports, newest first.
Other or unspecified, Aug 15, 2022
I’m currently overseas in Germany and do not have any manufactures capable of making repairs until I arrive back in the states oct 15 2022.
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.
Air bags, Aug 10, 2022
The airbag light came on in my 2013 Nissan Altima randomly while in park. I had it checked at an official Nissan Dealership on the 28th of June 2022. The service center informed me that the right back seat assembly needed to be replaced (can provide documentation). I was informed that none of the airbags would be deployed if I were to get into an accident/ My vehicle has around 130,000 miles. It is a 2013, so this should not be happening in my opinion. I have a 2006 vehicle and I have had other vehicles that I have never had this happen. The repair itself will cost close to two thousand dollars. I bought the vehicle for this the safety features. I had airbag protection on all sides of each door to include the traditional airbag in dashboard and steering wheel. This problem is unacceptable for an over $20,000 vehicle. I have contacted to the manufacturer, and they refereed me to your website for further investigation. I hope that you find this, if applicable to be a nationwide recall on the airbags. Please urge them to recall this vehicle for this defective item, my safety is at risk. The airbag system is a must in a vehicle. Please contact me regarding this matter and I will submit documents or answer questions. Respectfully, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Exterior lighting, Aug 4, 2022
Headlights are extremely dim. No usable light, even though the headlights are not old.
Air bags, Jul 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a faulty driver's side air bag. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
Air bags, Jul 26, 2022
Prior passenger airbag recalls on this year and model vehicle which have previously been “fixed”. However for the past 4 weeks, “passenger airbag off” light remains illuminated regardless of passenger being seated with vehicle seat belt latched. As well, the airbag red light is illuminated on driver dashboard continuously which results in none of the vehicles’ airbags being deployed in the event of a collision or serious collision. This is a huge safety concern for myself as a driver and all occupants of the vehicle.
Air bags, Jul 25, 2022
My driver seat airbag light is on red on the dashboard. I have not had any accidents. It's a safety issue, not safe. If I have an accident, the bag will not depoly and a risk to my life. I called Nissan today and they said the air bags are only under warranty for 3 yrs or 60,000 miles. That is not acceptable as compared to other car makers and their warranties. Some car airbags last 10 years or the life of the car. Nissan customer service said, the car is not under the recall list. My car model has had several recalls. Case #46890272. Nissan consumer affairs said, sorry not covered. What if a life was lost. The cost of replacing airbag vs. safety of customer's life seems to be not important. I took the car to Nissan dealer and in order for them to look at the air bag light on, they had me pay $189.95 for a diagnosis to let me know the whole seat needs to be replaced. Unacceptable, I have not heard "full drivers seats replaced new. My car has no other problems. I have had for 9 years with 77,000 miles. Thank you for logging my complaint of the driver air bag.
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.
Air bags, Jul 17, 2022
The airbag light came on and I took it to the Nissan dealership and they reset it. A month later the light came back on and I took it back to the dealership now they say they can't reset it, it have to be replaced with a part that cause $2400 that I don't have. There was a recall on this problem but my vin# is not on the list as for many more which was stated that not all vin#'s were included at the beginning. I feel that Nissan should honor this recall especially in these trying times of our economy.
Air bags, Seats, Jul 14, 2022
When Adult sits in passenger seat, the passenger (Air bag off)light is on. Which means the Air bag is off and will not deploy in a accident. When a heavy weight adult sits in the seat, the light turns off. Sensor might be bad in seat. My wife is 140 lbs. light stays on when she sits in the passenger seat .
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.
Power train, Jul 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while at a red traffic light, the vehicle stalled and vibrated, and then lost motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact then restarted the vehicle and drove to her destination; however, the vehicle lost motive power again. The vehicle remained at the location for a day; the contact then returned and noticed the transmission fluid had drained out onto the ground. The local mechanic confirmed the transmission fluid leak. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer out of town and diagnosed with transmission failure; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the transmission was repaired by another mechanic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 74,000.
Power train, Air bags, Jul 9, 2022
1) Driver’s side airbag warning light is on all the time, constant red. 2) Transmission shift lever would not move out of park and had to be replaced @ 115,000 at a cost of $954. 3) The transmission failed and had to be replaced at 118,000 at a cost of $4,500. When I contacted Nissan about these issues, I was told that there was nothing they could do.
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.
Suspension, Jul 7, 2022
Rear Suspension Control Arm Failed while operating the vehicle, resulting in the car swerving and becoming temporarily uncontrollable. No accident resulted, but had a car been in the lane adjacent to mine, there certainly would have been a collision. I am grateful this did not occur on the highway at higher speeds. Mechanics found that the right rear suspension control arm failed and was heavily corroded. The left rear suspension control arm was also highly corroded and had stress fractures, requiring replacement. See attached photos. I will request that the mechanics save the parts for inspection by the NHTSA. No potholes or curbs were hit, and this suddenly happened while driving on a well paved road in Virginia. The car has 95,430 miles on it, and has been parked indoors for the past 5 years, and largely driven in the Northern Virginia and D.C. Metro Area. There were no warnings before this occurred.
Suspension, Jun 30, 2022
Please include with our complaint: ODI 11469244 On June 8, 2022 one of our rear lower suspension links broke and left my husband on the side of the road two weeks ago. After having it towed home we learned about service campaign P9324. Sevice campaign P9324 states “certain Nissan Altima vehicles currently or previously registered in specific U.S. states with high road salt usage for model year 2013 and model years 2013-2014 in Canada are potentially affected”. Illinois is considered high-users of road salt. Called the dealership and he confirmed that all parts and labor would be covered. We then had our vehicle towed to the dealership on June 9, 2022. Within an hour, the service department called and stated our VIN was not covered. Brad Brees, the service manager can be reached at (815) 633- 3460. He will be able to confirm our situation and he agreed that this should not be happening with a vehicle that has been owned and driven in Illinois for 7+ years. We immediately filed a claim with Nissan North America consumer affairs department. After waiting four business days we learned that our claim was denied. When my husband asked if the representative had read the service bulletin, she stated that she had not. When my husband asked for the denial to be put in writing, the consumer affair representative hung up on him. We went ahead and got our car fixed by the dealer. It was at that time, we learned about the extended warranty on this problem,. We filed the extended warranty claim form and included our receipts for the repair and the tows. We asked that all correspondence be made in WRITING, either by mail or email. A representative called and notified us that again our claim was denied. They will not put in writing a reason for our denial. As customer's we want a valid reason. While we don’t understand why our vehicle is not included we are extremely concerned that Nissan Consumer Affairs won’t put the denial and reason in wri
Other or unspecified, Jun 29, 2022
Shift stuck in park. Shift assembly needs replacing due to bad interlock solenoid. $1000.00 to fix. This problem has affected many cars and Nissan will do nothing about it.
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.
Air bags, Seat belts, Other or unspecified, Jun 28, 2022
The airbag light has come on on the dash and does not go out. It doesn't matter if someone is in the seat with or without the seat belt. It stays on. Now I'm worried the airbag won't work in an accident or it might go off/explode at any time.
Air bags, Engine and engine cooling, Jun 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving on the highway at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the roadway and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the air bag module and ECU module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Power train, Jun 23, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while her grandson was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. The vehicle then lost motive power and stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 144,000.
Power train, Jun 17, 2022
I own a 2013 Nissan Altima SV with about 70,000 miles. It had an extended warranty, that expired late May 2021 and started have problems thereafter. The CVT transmission would cause the car to lunge and stall when shifting from park. The car would stall once you backed out onto the road. Several times at a busy traffic signal, the car would lunge forward, even though you had your foot on the brake. I had the car towed to the local dealer after the first incident. They kept the car about 4 days, but mainly worked on the recalls. They said, nothing showed up on diagnostic. However, I drove my car south about 1000 miles and the situation became worse. Made an appointment, at the local dealership and drove my car there. Within 1 hour, the service guy stated I needed a new transmission, a $5,600 repair. It was mentioned that I may want to contact Nissan about the situation. By reading many reviews, this is a serious problem that Nissan should fix. s
Suspension, Jun 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle started shaking and the rear passenger’s side lowered. The contact was able to pull over and he noticed that the rear lower suspension had separated at the bushing joint. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The contact was informed that the lower link needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in TSB: P9324. The failure mileage was 140,000.
Other or unspecified, Jun 14, 2022
Got recall for hood latch handled in September of 2021. While driving on the highway at 70 mph the hood flew open which caused severe damage to vehicle and almost causing numerous of crashes. Vehicle is being repaired per dealer however this is the third time this issue occurred and at this point I am afraid to drive the vehicle and nervous for anyone with these vehicles to continue driving them honestly. I am unsure what to do at this point considering what if this happens again and the outcome isn't as good as previously. I just feel as though if this issue can't be corrected after 5 recalls why continue to have these vehicles on the road.