2013 Nissan Altima: Recalls, Problems & MPG
Here are the deets on the 2013 Nissan Altima: 12 recalls, 2312 owner complaints and up to 31 mpg combined.
Recalls
12 vehicle recalls from the manufacturer. Repairs are free. Check your VIN to see if one is still open on your car.
Suspension, Steering Vehicle recall #12V494000 · 2012 · 13,919 vehicles
What's wrong: These vehicles May have been equipped with transverse link bolts and power steering rack bolts that were not torqued to proper specification.
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: 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.
Airbags Vehicle recall #13V069000 · 2013 · 82,038 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: 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.
Tires Vehicle recall #13V158000 · 2013 · 123,308 vehicles
What's wrong: The spare tires May have been significantly over- or under-inflated.
Why it matters: Tires that are significantly over- or under-inflated May fail without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: 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.
Electrical, Airbags Vehicle recall #14V138000 · 2014 · 989,701 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the ocs software, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2014.
Latches & locks Vehicle recall #14V565000 · 2014 · 220,423 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: 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…
Latches & locks Vehicle recall #15V116000 · 2015 · 625,400 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: 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…
Fuel system Vehicle recall #15V486000 · 2015 · 46,846 vehicles
What's wrong: 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…
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: 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.
Airbags, Airbags Vehicle recall #15V681000 · 2015 · 919 vehicles
What's wrong: 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…
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the ocs software, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2015.
Latches & locks Vehicle recall #16V029000 · 2016 · 846,000 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: 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…
Airbags Vehicle recall #16V244000 · 2016 · 3,296,947 vehicles
What's wrong: 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…
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: 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,…
Airbags Vehicle recall #16V911000 · 2016 · 757 vehicles
What's wrong: 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…
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ECU and update the ocs software free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2017.
Latches & locks Vehicle recall #20V315000 · 2020 · 1,831,818 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: 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 ownerâs manual addendum card with instructions on how to lubricate and maintain the secondary hood latch mechanism, free of charge. Owner…
Most-reported problems
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component. One complaint can list several components. 9 mention a fire, 48 injuries and 1 deaths were reported.
What owners describe
- Airbags (514): the most common themes are warning light on (185), fails to deploy (51).
- Transmission & drivetrain (505): the most common themes are hard / delayed shifting (200), stalls / loses power (167), noise or vibration (81).
- Exterior lights (442): the most common themes are warning light on (59), electrical failure (15), stalls / loses power (13).
- Suspension (289): the most common themes are rust / corrosion (120), noise or vibration (54).
The 2013 Nissan Altima has 2312 owner complaints, ranking #1 of 34 Altima model years for complaints (5.1× the average Altima year). Complaints peaked in 2019 (484 filed that year). The typical problem showed up when the car was about 5 years old, at a median of 64,750 miles. Neighboring years: 2012 (426 complaints, 4 recalls), 2014 (1114 complaints, 8 recalls).
Engines & fuel economy (EPA)
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 L 4-cyl | Automatic (AV-S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | 27 | 38 | 31 | Regular |
| 3.5 L 6-cyl | Automatic (AV-S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | 22 | 30 | 25 | Regular |
Want the full repair deets? Get the factory manual.
Recall and complaint data tells you what goes wrong. A service manual tells you how to fix it: torque specs, wiring diagrams, fluid capacities and step-by-step procedures for the 2013 Nissan Altima.
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FAQ
Does the 2013 Nissan Altima have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 12 vehicle recalls for the 2013 Nissan Altima. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, no matter how old the car is. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common 2013 Nissan Altima problems?
Owners have filed 2312 complaints with NHTSA. The most-reported areas are airbags (514), transmission & drivetrain (505), exterior lights (442).
What gas mileage does the 2013 Nissan Altima get?
EPA ratings run up to 31 mpg combined (2.5 L, Automatic (AV-S6)), across 2 engine and transmission combos.
Where can I get a 2013 Nissan Altima repair manual?
eManualOnline sells downloadable manuals, Mitchell 1 DIY and ALLDATAdiy sell online access to factory repair data, and Haynes sells printed guides and online access. Pick a download if you want to keep it, or a subscription for wiring diagrams and TSBs.