2013 Nissan Altima Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 14,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

Airbag and seat belt warning lights won't turn off one each on instrument cluster RED, and one ORANGEYELLOW center of dash next to hazard lights buttonOwner complaint, filed 2026

The contact's brother owned a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while her brother was driving at an undisclosed speed from a stop sign, another vehicle in the left lane crashed into the contact's brother's front driver's side. The air bags did not deploy. No warning light was illuminated. The contact's brother received medical…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 130,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 69,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked; however, while attempting to move the gear shifter, the gear shifter failed to shift as intended. The contact stated that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 168,000 miles

The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a stop sign, the vehicle accelerated to approximately 15 MPH and then unexpectedly decelerated. The contact attempted to depress the accelerator; however, the vehicle lost automotive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 100,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 80,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

I own a 2013 Nissan Altima 2.5 SV with approximately 130,000 miles. My vehicle has a serious water leak affecting both sides of the interior. Rainwater enters around both sun visors, soaks the headliner, and runs down the windshield pillars even when the vehicle is parked. I believe the sunroof drainage system may be defective. I…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the headlights were very dim, making it difficult to see while driving at night. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with deteriorating headlight assemblies, causing the low-beam headlights to fail to…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 173,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 100,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

On the morning of XXX, while driving at approximately 15-20 mph, the traction control warning light illuminated on my 2013 Nissan Altima (approximately 80,000 miles). I drove the short distance home, and upon inspection found the right-rear wheel visibly tilted inward with noticeably lower ride height than the left-rear wheel, consistent…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Driver side rear lower control arm broke/rusted through. Was able to get the vehicle home prior to an catastrophic incident. See pictures attached. Warning light came on the dash at the time of the brake of the control arm.Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 52,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (105), Hood: latch (36).

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

On XXX, at approximately 5:00 a.m., my son was driving my 2013 Nissan Altima 2.5 SL (VIN [XXX]) to work at approximately 55 mph when the hood unexpectedly flew open while the vehicle was moving. The vehicle had approximately 156,000 miles. The hood came up into his field of vision and significantly obstructed his view of the roadway…Owner complaint, filed 2026

My 2013 Nissan Altima SV is subject to NHTSA safety recall 16V-244 for a defective hood latch that can corrode, bind, or fail. I brought my vehicle to a Nissan dealership to have the recall performed. The dealership refused to complete the recall repair and attempted to charge me, stating they could not access the hood because the hood…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 60,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact's friend owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that when the vehicle was parked, the check engine warning light illuminated and remained illuminated for an extended period. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanic shops, where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced; however, the…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 92,000 miles

I feel like my 2013 Nissan Altima 2.5 SL sedan is/was Part of the Transmission Recall. I purchased my vehicle in 2017/2018… Since then I already replaced all the solenoids in 2020 for the transmission and it drove fine for 2 years. Then in October/November of 2023 the transmission code P0776 came on and it was taken to a Nissan…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 40,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

Front passenger door lock actuator fails to unlock door when driver's, passengers or key fob to unlock is activated. All other doors (3) work as they should. This creates a safety issue as the door must manually be unlocked which during a panic situation may not be easily accomplished. I am in the process of having the mechanism…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Shifter Lock does not release when brake is pressed. Unable to shift out of Park. Need to manually press the shift relesae override to shift.Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 23,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

My Nissan's right passenger side lower rearward control arm broke as I was driving and I lost control of the car and steered to the side of the road. I was lucky no car was near me or it would have been tragic. Nissan should be forced to recall all the cars with this faulty part before life is lost.Owner complaint, filed 2022

When I get to 60 MPH or above I get a terrible shaking in the steering wheel and feels like the wheel are shaking. Does not feel safe.Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 122,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 42,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the brake pedal went to the floorboard when depressed and failed to stop the vehicle in a timely manner. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to her residence and then had it towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with rear brakes and…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 153,242 miles

The car was stationary in the driveway, with wheel wedges placed at front tires. It was jacked up the rear driver side tire was removed to put on new brakes, only to find a bolt holding the caliper on to the bracket was broke off. This warrants a great safety concern. Do all the other ones have to be changed?- in order to prevent a…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 122,048 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 9,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

Front passenger seat belt has no automatic tension with the application of brakes. I have to manually tighten the seatbelt or it doesn't.Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 95,000 miles

Both front driver and passenger side seat belts are difficult to pull slack out from the shoulder door frame area when you are trying to put on or take off the seat belt. It feels as though they may get stuck in places. The shoulder straps do not pull or retract smoothly/easily.Owner complaint, filed 2018

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 59,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

(in nyc) my mpg has drop significantly, I'm getting 10-13 max mpg. The oil, oil filter and engine air filter are less than a month old. The tires are filled to the correct pressure. No service lights have ever came on, many mechanics have seen the car and said they can't find anything wrong. I do a mixture of highway and city driving and…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 93,500 miles

Consistent with NHTSA 10109214,,when attempting to add gasoline to the vehicle, the gas station's gas pump's filling nozzle kicks off immediately and continuously.. In order to add fuel, I must place the nozzle no further inside than the edge of the fuel tank tube and then only slightly squeeze the gas pump's nozzle.handle so that only a…Owner complaint, filed 2018

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 56,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the cruise control activated, the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated. During the failure, there were no warning lights illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and the local dealer were notified of…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 281,000 miles

Im not sure what the malfunction. Is but I’ve been experiencing delayed acceleration. I can be at a stop light and when it turns green I hit the gas and it won’t go until about 4 seconds later. I’m afraid i will get hit in the back or hit when turning because the delay. This also happens at stop signs or when I’m simply pulling out…Owner complaint, filed 2023

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 89,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

Rear left wheel busted off of car while driving. Flew up into the back end of car totaling the vehicle. We were very lucky no one was hurt.Owner complaint, filed 2026

All 4 wheel bearings failed. Noise level increased with time and eventually changed when I was concerned with my safety. Confirmed by mechanic, that all 4 bearings were bad. Mechanic changed both front bearing first before changing back bearing to confirm failure on back wheel bearings as well. Changed bearings at about 110,500 miles.…Owner complaint, filed 2020

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

The headlights has a recall but the dealership told me if the previous owner didn't fix it, it didn't do me any justice. I have to drive with bright lights on at night because the headlights are pointed at the ground but not up ahead to see what's in front of me. It's very hard to see. I haven't had the car a year and I really love my…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Rear passenger suspension arm broke while driving from what looks to be corrosion. Was able to make it safely due to 1 bolt holding in place the car is not drivable. Had I kept driving the whole wheel would have came off causing an accident .Owner complaint, filed 2023