2013 Nissan Sentra Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 75,000 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 Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 36 miles

The CVT transmission has a serious problem it does this jerking movement and could lead to an accident or serious bodily injury to occupants in the vehicle I am filing a complaint regarding the CVT transmission failure in my 2013 Nissan Sentra (VIN: [XXX] ). The vehicle began showing symptoms such as jerking, hesitation, and loss of…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 21,000 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

When driving approximately 30mph, I pushed my brake pedal to slow for my next turn. The pedal was slightly ineffective, meaning the pressure in the pedal was released and the brake did not halt my car in a safe timeframe. I had to release and press the brake pedal again to feel pressure in the brake system, and was able to slow just in…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 69,434 miles

The contact owns a 2013 nissan sentra. The stated that when driving at 25 to 30 MPH when the brake pedal was engaged, the vehicle failed to come to a stop and caused the contact to crash into the vehicle in front. No injuries were reported. The contact stated that police department provided case number 020-9-018-0182. The stated that the…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 52,400 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 16,000 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

The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated, and the front passenger's side air bag warning light remained illuminated while the front passenger's seat was occupied. The contact stated that the dealer had previously repaired the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V244000…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 16,050 miles

The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds with the passenger’s side front seat occupied, the “Air Bag Off” warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where DTC code: B00A0 was retrieved. The vehicle was not diagnosed or…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 23,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 41,000 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

transmission problems that don't show up on diagnostic.. it shows up as air sensor problem. That could cost a lot of money if you listen to it...by keep trying to fix the air sensor that has no problem so you will go to auto machines and dealership and they don't know why and keep tell you to fix this or that. The real problem is the…Owner complaint, filed 2023

Purchased our 2013 nissan sentra sv in may, 2016. It came with a 7 year cpo, expiration may 30, 2020. Within 3 months of purchase I had what I thought was a shifting/transmission related issue. When going from 1st to 2nd gear the car tachometer would rev to 4500 rpm but nut go any faster, then shake/thunk, and go into 2nd gear. From that…Owner complaint, filed 2020

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 68,000 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

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…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 86,500 miles

The car showed p2859 which involved CVT transmission code. I see that there has been an ongoing issues about the CVT which unsafe when driving thru the highway..Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 80,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 29,000 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

IPDM failure on 3 Nissan vehicles customer owned all having same issues, after taking unit apart, compositors on exact same spots all burnt. As we'll as several places (including spots where issue happened) missing Conformal coatings to protect the entire board from moisture. -Whitmer automotive LLCOwner complaint, filed 2023

Car wouldnt start but panel lights came on. Jumped started car and it worked fine for a while then same issue days later, nissan replaced the battery and worked fine for a few months then same issue bought another battery and next time car wouldnt start it made the click sound like the alternator was bad but its tested fine.im tired of…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 4,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 64,000 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

The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while attempting to refuel the vehicle, fuel started spewing out of the fuel filler neck. The contact waited until the fuel level was almost empty and slowly pumped gasoline into the fuel tank. The vehicle was taken to three separate mechanics and was informed that the issue…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 173,000 miles

My check engine light came on so I took my 2013 nissan sentra (54,000 miles) to the dealership where I bought it new for diagnosis. Was advised fuel level sensor code not being read correctly so fuel pump needs replaced. Estimate $671 and my diagnosis was $145. I called nissan because there had been a recall, but not for my VIN. The fuel…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 54,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 58,000 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

Since purchase, and regardless of the number of times I have taken the vehicle in for servicing at the dealership, the car 'pulls' to the left while driving.naturally, my concern is that there is something more inherently wrong with the suspension or steering. This problem has been ongoing since I purchased the vehicle as certified from…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 61,000 miles

The contact owns a 2013 nissan sentra. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the steering wheel shook violently without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The [VIN] was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 55,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 24,000 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

I was driving with my daughter in the passenger side of the vehicle, when I turned a corner the seat belt unbolted from the floor.Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 82,000 miles

The contact owns a 2013 nissan sentra. After an unknown dealer repaired the vehicle per an unknown recall, the rear passenger side seat belt failed to lock in the buckle to secure the rear passenger. The dealer was notified, but the vehicle was not repaired. The [VIN] was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 26,540 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 16,000 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

My wife was driving are 2013 nissan sentra sr on the freeway trying to get in the car pool lane with my 7 year old son and 2 year old son and the car would not pick up speed...I test drove it it worked fine but when I turned the lights on it wouldn't pick up speed this is only happening when my lights are on ....took it to nissan they…Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 51,000 miles

Exploded sunroof I woke up one morning to a completely shattered sunroof. The sunroof was blown up. I called the insurance company and they explained they never heard of this happening before. I also contacted the nissan dealership in which I purchased the vehicle from and they also never heard of this happening before. I was asked to…Owner complaint, filed 2014, at 19,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 62,000 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

I purchased four sumi tour plus lsw tires in october 2016. In october 2018, a bulge was discovered in one of the sidewalls. The company I bought the tires from suggested the tire must have been damaged by a pothole (even though I live in florida where there are few, if any, potholes.) in april 2020, another bulge was discovered in one of…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 102,750 miles

While in motion the passenger side ball joint did break. This allowed the wheel to become non responsive and caused the drive axle to break. If the vehicle was going at highway speed at the time, there would have been a severe accident to say the least.Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 90,000 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

The contact's girlfriend owns a 2013 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while she was driving, there was an abnormal grinding sound. There was a vibration coming from the steering wheel. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the vibration was from the front…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 104,567 miles

When I reversed in a parking lot, the tire arm on my front passenger tire broke, causing my car to lean on the tire. I found oil on the ground after my car moved. It had to get towed to the NISSAN dealership in Lincoln, NE. Before I got towed, I talked to the police because the damage was so significant. The dealership said that the ball…Owner complaint, filed 2021

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 0 miles.

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

I got side-swiped on monday, and on wed a second person was in my blind spot while I was trying to merge to the right. I had my signal lights on, I looked several times each time. The only reason why I was able to avoid the 2nd accident was because I heard the person's brakes screech. There is no visibility out the back rear passenger…Owner complaint, filed 2013, at 490 miles

My vehicle interior latch handles on each door are defective and has stop working. We have to let down the window to open the door from the outside to get out. This happened last year. I purchased my vehicle in 2017. First it. Was the driver side door that became inoperable then the three passenger side doors did the same. They all stop…Owner complaint, filed 2019

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

Erractic rpms. Shakes/hesitant on take off from stop. Accelerator can be pushed all the way and it goes 5mph. Shifting takes a good minute with shakiness. Can not drive in rush hour traffic almost got accident many times.Owner complaint, filed 2026

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 goOwner complaint, filed 2024