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At a glance
What can fail
This page covers 20 recalls, 2302 owner complaints, NHTSA crash-test ratings and EPA fuel economy for the 2013 Nissan Altima.
25–31 mpg combined
7.6–9.4 L/100km
Midsize Cars
Fuel economy data from fueleconomy.gov (EPA / U.S. Dept. of Energy). Annual cost based on 15,000 mi/yr at 55% city driving and current fuel prices. MPG is U.S. gallons; L/100km converted. Ranges reflect the 3 tested variants for this model year.
5/5 Overall
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating
Complaints on the 2013 Nissan Altima spread across three systems in roughly equal volume. The powertrain draws the most reports, with owners describing stalling during acceleration, loss of power from a stop, and rough or unbalanced shifting, often without any warning light appearing beforehand. Exterior lighting is nearly as common, with many owners reporting that low-beam headlights grow progressively dim and eventually fail to illuminate the road adequately at night. Airbag complaints form the third major cluster, where owners report that airbags did not deploy in crashes they believed should have triggered them. A smaller number of owners describe rear suspension issues, specifically corrosion on the rear lower control arms leading to sudden loss of wheel alignment while driving.
2,302
Total Complaints
63
Crash-Related
9
Fire-Related
36
With Injuries
By System
The 2013 Nissan Altima has 20 recalls, with the most serious being a steering and suspension concern where power steering rack bolts and front suspension bolts may not have been fully tightened, and can loosen and fall out, causing the driver to lose control.
A separate but equally prominent cluster involves the hood latch. The secondary hood latch can stick in the open position due to corrosion, debris, or interference with the hood panel, leaving the hood held only by the primary latch. If the primary latch is released, the hood can fly open while driving, blocking forward visibility and striking the windshield. Prior repair attempts did not fully resolve this issue across all affected vehicles, which is why multiple filings cover it. There is also a fuel system concern where the seal between the fuel sending unit and the tank can shift out of position in a crash, creating a fuel leak and raising the risk of fire.
On the occupant safety side, the front passenger seat sensor can misidentify an adult as absent, causing the passenger airbag to stay deactivated in a crash without any warning light alerting the driver. This covers both original sensor errors and cases where an incorrect replacement module was installed during a prior repair. The spare tire rounds out the list: it may have been significantly over- or under-inflated at the factory, and an overinflated spare left in a hot trunk can burst.
At a glance
What can fail
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Ratings from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Based on 2 tested variants; worst-case ratings shown.
Complaints are owner-reported and reflect individual experiences, not confirmed defects. They are distinct from recalls. Data sourced from the national vehicle safety complaint database. See trending complaints →
Corrosion can cause the secondary hood latch to stick open. If the primary latch releases, the hood may open unexpectedly while driving.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the hood release lever spring and install a maintenance warning label. You'll receive updated manual instructions for hood latch care.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The primary hood latch can accidentally release. When this happens, the secondary hood latch may corrode over time, potentially allowing the hood to open while driving.
What the fix does
Dealers will install a stronger release spring in the hood release lever, add a warning label near the secondary latch, and provide maintenance instructions to help prevent corrosion.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The front passenger seat may have an incorrect computer control unit installed that causes the system to misclassify whether someone is sitting in that seat.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the control unit and update the seat's software at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Some vehicles have an incorrect occupant classification system module that may fail to properly detect an adult passenger in the front seat, reducing airbag effectiveness in a crash.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the occupant classification system module and install an updated version.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The front passenger seat's occupant detection system may incorrectly identify an adult as a child or miss an occupied seat. This can cause the passenger airbag to stay off during a crash.
What the fix does
Dealers will reprogram or replace the occupant detection and airbag control units to ensure proper airbag operation.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The secondary hood latch may bind and stick in the unlatched position when the hood is closed, preventing it from fully securing.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the hood latch with a new one at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The secondary hood latch can stick in the open position, leaving only the primary latch to hold the hood. If the primary latch is released or not properly latched, the hood could open unexpectedly.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the hood latch to ensure both latches work properly.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The occupant classification system control unit may incorrectly identify the front passenger seat as empty when an adult is sitting in it.
What the fix does
Dealers will update the occupant classification system software at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The sealing ring between the fuel sending unit and fuel tank may shift during a crash, potentially causing fuel to leak.
What the fix does
Dealers will install a retainer ring to secure the fuel sending unit to the fuel tank.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
An o-ring in the fuel sending unit may not be properly seated, allowing fuel to leak from the fuel tank during a crash.
What the fix does
Dealers will install a retainer ring between the fuel tank and fuel sending unit to secure the o-ring.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The secondary hood latch may bind and stick in the unlatched position when the hood is closed, preventing it from fully latching.
What the fix does
Dealers will adjust the hood actuation lever angle, clean and lubricate the latch joint, and replace the latch assembly if corrosion is severe.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The secondary hood latch may fail to hold the hood closed if the vehicle is driven with only that latch engaged. The hood could open suddenly, blocking the driver's view and damaging the windshield.
What the fix does
Dealers will repair the secondary hood latch mechanism to ensure it properly secures the hood.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The secondary hood latch may fail to hold the hood closed if it's the only latch engaged, causing the hood to open suddenly. This blocks the driver's view and can damage the windshield.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect, clean, and lubricate the secondary hood latch and adjust its angle. Heavily corroded latches will be replaced.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The hood's secondary latch lever can interfere with the inner hood panel. Combined with debris and corrosion, this may cause the latch to stick in the unlatched position when the hood closes.
What the fix does
Dealers will adjust the hood lever's angle to prevent interference, clean and lubricate the latch joint, and replace the latch assembly if corrosion is severe.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The front passenger seat's occupant detection system software may incorrectly think the seat is empty when an adult is sitting in it. This would turn off the passenger airbag without warning the driver. If a crash happens, the airbag won't deploy, increasing injury risk.
What the fix does
Dealers will update the occupant classification system software to correct the detection problem.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Spare tires may be significantly over- or under-inflated from the factory.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect and adjust spare tire pressure to proper levels at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The spare tire may be under- or over-inflated from the factory. Significant over-inflation combined with heat in the trunk could cause the tire to burst. An improperly inflated spare used as a road tire could fail.
What the fix does
Dealers will check the spare tire pressure and adjust it or replace the tire as needed.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Some vehicles have Occupant Detection System sensors that were manufactured incorrectly. This can cause the system to malfunction and keep the passenger airbag permanently turned off, preventing it from deploying in a crash.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect the ODS sensors and replace them if needed.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The transverse link bolts and power steering rack bolts may not have been tightened to the correct specification during manufacturing, potentially causing them to loosen over time.
What the fix does
Dealers will tighten these bolts to the proper torque specifications.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Six bolts in the steering and suspension system may not be tight enough after assembly. If they loosen and fall out, you could lose steering control and crash.
What the fix does
Your dealer will tighten these six bolts to the correct specifications.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
