2013 Nissan Sentra
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 638 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the highest complaint count among 26 Sentra model years with reports.
Of the 2013 reports, 24 involved a crash and 4 involved a fire. 20 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
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
Air bags, sensor, occupant classificationApr 26, 2016
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Sentra vehicles manufactured June 4, 2012, to April 9, 2016. The front passenger seat belt bracket may become deformed if it is used to secure a Child Restraint System (CRS). The deformed seat bracket may cause the Occupant Classification System (OCS) to incorrectly classify the installed CRS, resulting in the front passenger air bag to not be turned off as designed when a CRS is in the seat.
If the frontal passenger air bag deploys in the event of a crash when a child seat is installed in the front passenger seat, there will be an increased risk of injury to the child in the CRS.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reinforce the seat belt bracket as well as reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU), free of charge. The recall began on June 13, 2016. Owners are warned not to install a CRS in the front seat. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.
Campaign 16V242000 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
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
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
Fuel system, gasoline, storage, tank assemblyMar 1, 2013
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Sentra vehicles manufactured from September 11, 2012, through October 4, 2012. Some fuel tank assemblies were not properly sealed during the manufacturing process. As a result, a small amount of gasoline may leak from the tank when it is full.
A gasoline leak in the presence of an ignition source may lead to a vehicle fire.
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tanks as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 1, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.
Campaign 13V068000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: vehicle speed control
51 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Mar 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost automotive power and failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 65,000.
Vehicle speed control, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 6, 2024
My car doesn’t accelerate. I was driving and a car behind me almost hit me because I pressed on the gas but it didn’t go
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Nov 4, 2023
Code P0101 came on, service Bulletin from NHTSA.gov was done. Car came back worst. Engine stalled in the middle of the street. It wouldn’t turn on, we had to push it to get it out of the street. Car will accelerate on its own when turn on. Sometimes car will accelerate when put on Reverse on its own….. RPMs will be at 7 and 8 when going 45MPH. I notice this has been an issue for Nissan Sentras 2013-2015 based on research all over the internet. People have replaced Thottle body, air mass flow sensor, break sensors, fuel intake, fuses. Vehicle isn’t safe to be driving in street, may caused an accident, even mechanic said I shouldn’t be driving the car because it isn’t safe. We already made a complaint with NHTSA, DMV for financial Help and nothing. Help is really needed.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Jul 19, 2023
The shift started locking, followed by consistent tugging while driving above 20 mph. It stutters and pulls when driving down hill which has caused me to pull over and restart the car in heavy traffic on the freeway. Now the car pulls so much it is not safe to drive above 20 mph. I have taken it to two service centers and both have confirmed the CVT transmission is faulty. No lamps or messages prior to the failure showed up. This started before the car hit 80,000 miles.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Feb 8, 2023
I called my home Nissan yesterday to get the information about my recalls on my car that I was not aware of after the State Troopers helped me get my cat to a safe location. I was told that there are recalls on the car (and was never notified) I called where it was originally bought from a Nissan Dealership and they gave me several recall codes as I was stranded in the freezing cold with my babies in the car. There are several recalls on my car (P1-1,P1-2, and P1-5,2, P1-8.) The car went from 1RPM and shot up to 8, and down to 0 and the car would not drive after that unless it was less than 15MPH. Anything over 15-20 the car would go from 1RPM back to 8, and shoot down to 0 and jerk the car forward and backwards. I was told it was only an 02 reprogramming recall from the location it was towed to, to a different Nissan dealership. However, I was given several codes of recall from the Nissan Dealership that I purchased it from.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Nov 15, 2022
When I would hit my breaks and sit at a red light . My car would start vibrating really bad and then force it’s self up even though my foot would be on the break and almost his someone walking and a few other times in a car . It also would shut its self off and back on . When I put it in park it would die and when I put it back in drive it would die . Sometimes turn its self back on & I have a push to start .
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Oct 9, 2022
I have repaired the mass airflow sensor 3x’s by the dealership who sold me the car the last 2 times they didn’t make me pay for it.and I’m still having the same issue. My car will jerk and idle and I was driving and all of a sudden I loss speed and I was accelerating but the car was only moving about 5 miles per hr the cars behind me almost hit me in the rear end. The longer I drive the car the worst it gets. Then if u pull to the side and cut the car off and back on again it would run hard but it would get speed. Until I try to accelerate then it will stall again. This is a safety hazard especially on the interstate.
Vehicle speed control, Aug 17, 2022
my CVT transmission is not working anymore because of the manufacture defect
Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Jun 9, 2022
The wiring that connects to the throttle sensor is fraying and causes the car to stall unexpectedly when driving. If the car stalls unexpectedly it increases the chances of a fatal accident. There are no warnings, all the warnings appear when the car stalls. My safety is at risk because it stalls when driving unexpectedly and another car can hit me from behind causing an accident without warning.
Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Aug 3, 2021
This vehicle will not go forward or move backward. We were on the freeway ... luckily we were able to get car to drive forward before oncoming traffic hit us We were scared for our lives. We have reached out to Nissan of North America SEVERAL times about this and correcting the issue. We were just made aware recently by an attorney to try reaching out to you. They are refusing to fix issue or a recall vehicles. It is a CTC transmission issue according to mechanics. I was told that a consumer filed a suit against them for this COMMON safety issue but Nissan corporation of North America are refusing to do a recall. They are putting consumers through a lot of red tape so that they can save money while risking human lives. I’m scared that someone will be hit bad or killed because Nissan North America will not do a recall for consumers. I reported to Attorney General in Tennessee, the Home State of their Corporation but they are doing nothing seemingly regarding Nissans’s North America lack of concern for their drivers and consumers.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Jun 12, 2021
Cvt Transmission my car just has 125,000 miles
Steering, Power train, Vehicle speed control, Feb 2, 2021
DRIVING IN MOTION ON INTERSTATE GOING 60 AND ALL OF A SUDDEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THEN VIOLENT SHAKES AND JERKS!SCARY AS ALL GET OUT MADE ME SWERVE AND ALMOST HIT TRAFFIC BESIDE ME!! ALSO GOING UP A HILL AND LOST POWER HAD TO STOP IN ROAD TURN THE CAR OFF AND THEN TURN IT BACK ON. ALMOST GOT HIT FROM BEHIND!
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Dec 8, 2020
I WAS MERGING ONTO THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE TRANSMISSION STOP PULLING RIGHT WHEN I GOT INTO TRAFFIC. THE CAR BEGAN TO JERK AND WOULD NOT MOVE ALMOST CAUSED ME TO HAVE A ACCIDENT BECAUSE I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET ANY SPEED AFTER MERGING INTO TRAFFIC. I WAS ABLE TO PUT MY BLINKER ON AN MERGE TO THE SHOULDER AND HAD TO RENT A UHAUL TRAILER TO PULL THE CAR HOME. MY CAR ONLY HAVE 132,000 MILES.
Electrical system, Seat belts, Vehicle speed control, Oct 22, 2020
THE DASHBOARD WORKS SOMETIMES ( LITTLE SCREEN) . THE SEATSEALTS GET STUCK EVERYTIME I TRY TO USE THEM.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Oct 12, 2020
MY CAR STARTED JERKING AND ALL SUDDEN WHEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IT WAS LIKE LOOSING ITS POWER AND THEN IT MADE A LOUD JERK ALSO NO WARNINGS LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR DEALER PUT A NEW TRANSMISSION IN ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO
Power train, Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Oct 4, 2020
VEHICLE HAS BEEN HAVING ACCELERATION PROBLEMS SINCE FIRST BOUGHT FROM CARMAX. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY BUT VEHICLE IS STILL NOT ACCELERATING WHEN GOING UP HILLS. THIS VEHICLE IS A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM AND LIABILITY ISSUE. CARMAX HAS FAILED TO ADDRESS IT FURTHER AND FIX IT
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Apr 9, 2020
WHILE DRIVING, MY CAR CONTINUES TO JERK AND JERK AS I TRIED TO GIVE THE CAR GAS. IT WOULD SPUTTER AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN JUMP REALLY QUICK. IT FINALLY GOT TO THE POINT WHERE I GOT STUCK AT TWO LIGHTS! I FINALLY GOT MY DESTINATION AND GOT STUCK ON THE HILL. MY FOOT WAS ALL THE WAY ON THE GAS PEDAL AND SOME KIND GENTLEMEN PUSHED MY CAR UP THE HILL SO I COULD PARK IT. IT'S VERY SCARY AS I HAD MY TWO CHILDREN IN THE CAR WITH ME AND FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN IT PUTS ALL OF OUR LIVES IN DANGER. I WAS DRIVING ON A MAJOR INTERSECTION WHEN THIS HAPPENED. ANY TIME O WOULD COME TO A STOP IT WOULD STALL AND IT WOULD NOW ALLOW ME TO TURN. THE ACCELERATION WOULD NOT WORK. I HAD TO CUT THE CAR OFF TWICE TO TRY AND SEE IF IT WOULD RESTART AND GIVE ME ENOUGH PUSH TO MY DESTINATION. BUT AS STATED MY FOOT WAS COMPLETELY ON THE GAS AND IT WOULD NOT GO OVER 5 MPH!
Vehicle speed control, Jan 24, 2020
UPON DRIVING MY CAR DURING A TRIP HOME FROM WORK THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. I HAD THE GAS PEDAL PUSHED TO THE FLOOR AND IT WOULD NOT GO OVER 20 MPH AND THE RPM'S WOULD NOT MOVE. ONCE I GOT ON THE FREEWAY, THE CAR WOULD HARDLY ACCELERATE AND WHEN IT FINALLY DID DECIDE TO AFTER 10 MINUTES OF DRIVING THE RPM'S WENT ALL THE WAY UP AND THE SPEED ODOMETER HARDLY MOVED. THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE. I ALMOST GOT HIT IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC BECAUSE THE CAR COULD NOT SPEED UP.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Electronic stability control (ESC), Nov 10, 2019
THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON DUE TO THE SAME AIR FLOW PROBLEM. EVERY TIME CAR IS SCANNED THE CODE COMES UP AS THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR. I HAVE REPLACED THIS SENSOR. MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 20 MPH. MY CAR ALSO IDLES, JERKS WHEN PLACED IN PARK & HAS DECREASED FUEL EFFICIENCY. THE CAR BEGAN TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE, WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. CAR RPMS INCREASED THE CAR DID NOT MOVE. TRAFFIC RAPIDLY APPROACHING BEHIND ME.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Oct 15, 2019
CVT TRANSMISSION FAILED WITH NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OR WARNINGS. AFTER 30 MINUTE DRIVE ON FREEWAY CAME TO A STOP AT A TURN OFF. WENT TO CROSS ONCOMING TRAFFIC WITH PLENTY OF SPACE AND TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT CATCH AND MOVED EXTREMELY SLOW. CARS CAME AT SPEED AND HAD TO SLAM ON BRAKES TO AVOID COLLISION. TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACEMENT AND WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY OF ANY SORT.
Vehicle speed control, Electronic stability control (ESC), Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 12, 2019
THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON DUE TO THE SAME AIR FLOW PROBLEM. EVERY TIME CAR IS SCANNED THE CODE COMES UP AS THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR. SINCE PURCHASING THE CAR, I HAVE REPLACED THIS SENSOR TWICE. I REPLACED THE SENSOR ON 7/8/19 APPROXIMATELY 4 WEEKS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE AND THEN AGAIN ON 10/10/18. BEFORE REPLACING THE PART ON OCT. 10, I WAS MERGING ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 20 MPH. MY CAR ALSO IDLES, JERKS WHEN PLACED IN PARK & HAS DECREASED FUEL EFFICIENCY.
Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Engine, Oct 11, 2019
CAR STARTING JERKING AND CAME TO ALMOST A COMPLETE STOP OUT THE BLUE AT 136,000-138,000 SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN DON'T EXACTLY REMEMBER. THE FIRST SIGH SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH CAR WAS THE RPM WOULD JUST GO UP HIGH OUT OF BLUE WHILE ACCELERATING WHICH WAS DANGEROUS AD JUST COMMING TO A STOP OUT OF NOWHERE. WE CALLED AROUND TRYING TO GET ISSUE FIXED BUT NOONE COULD HELP CAUSE THERE WAS NO LIGHT ON IN CAR TO SEE IF ANYTHING WAS WRONG. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT JUST CAME ON AS OF TODAY 10/11/2019 FOR FIRST TIME EVER AT 141,000 AND CAR STOPS DOESNT PULL. DOES ON HIGHWAY, INTERSTATE AND WHILE TURNING.
Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Engine, Sep 28, 2019
WHILE DRIVING MY 2013 NISSAN SENTRA FE + S ON HWY AND EVEN INNER CITY STREETS IT SEEMS TO STALL AND LOSES POWER I NEED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TO DO TO MAKE IT SAFE TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE IF THERE IS A WAY TO TAKE IT BACK TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT CHECKED
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Sep 16, 2019
THE CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE AT A STOP LIGHT, OR WHEN I AM TRYING TO MAKE A TURN, IT WILL NOT PROPERLY ACCELERATE, EVEN IF I HOLD DOWN THE ACCELERATOR ALL THE WAY DOWN, AND THEN IT WILL JERK AND ACCELERATE AGAIN. ON HIGHWAY, IT WILL SUDDENLY LOSE POWER: HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=GXR7E0QWOKA THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO MY VEHICLE, IF I PRESS ON THE ACCELERATOR ALL THE WAY, IT DOES NOT ACCELERATE AND INSTEAD ONLY GOES UP A BIT OF RPM AND DOESN'T GO UP ALL THE WAY.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Jul 15, 2019
THESE ARE ALL OF THE PROBLEMS I'M EXPERIENCING; LOSS OF POWER, TRANSMISSION JERKING, TRANSMISSION SLIPPING, CVT COOLANT HOSE LEAKS AND FAILURES. ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS HAPPENED WHEN I WAS IN MOTION ON MAJOR HIGHWAYS AND MY CAR COULDN'T GO OVER 35MPH. NOT ONLY WAS I ENDANGER MY CHILD WAS ALSO IN THE BACK SEAT TO DO THE FACT MY CAR COULD NOT ACCELERATE AT ALL!! I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING THESE PROBLEMS FOR SOME TIME NOW BUT THE LOSS OF POWER WAS THE LAST STRAW. AND THEN I START DOING RESEARCH ON MY CAR AND FIND OUT NISSAN HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE CVT TRANSMISSIONS AND I WANT TO KNOW WHY THEIR ISN'T SOME TYPE OF RECALL ON THESE UNSAFE VEHICLES. ITS A DANGER TO MY FAMILY AND THE OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN!!!