2013 Nissan Altima Reliability
The 2013 Nissan Altima has 2,315 owner complaints and 12 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about air bags and powertrain / transmission. Compared with other Altima model years, it rates as a year to avoid: its complaint rate runs well above the Altima's typical year, while the 2011 has a cleaner record.
By CarWhere Research · Updated 2026-11-04 · Source: NHTSA
2,315
NHTSA owner complaints
12
Recall campaigns
63
Complaints citing a crash
9
Complaints citing a fire
2013 Nissan Altima complaints by component
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 model year, filed between 2012 and 2026. A complaint can name more than one component.
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 514 | 22% |
| Powertrain / transmission | 506 | 22% |
| Exterior lighting | 442 | 19% |
| Suspension | 290 | 13% |
| Unknown or other | 240 | 10% |
| Electrical system | 159 | 7% |
| Engine | 158 | 7% |
| Body structure | 134 | 6% |
2013 Nissan Altima recalls
12 recall campaigns on NHTSA record for the 2013 model year, by the date NHTSA received the manufacturer's report. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12V494000 | Oct 10, 2012 | Steering | Nissan is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Altima vehicles manufactured from May 10, 2012, through July 26, 2012. These vehicles may have been equipped with transverse link bolts and power steering rack bolts that were not torqued to proper… |
| 13V069000 | Mar 1, 2013 | Air bags | 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… |
| 13V158000 | Apr 24, 2013 | Tires — temporary/emergency spare tire | Nissan North America is recalling certain model year 2013 Altima vehicles manufactured March 21, 2012, through March 26, 2013. The spare tires may have been significantly over- or under-inflated. |
| 14V138000 | Mar 25, 2014 | Electrical system — software | 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… |
| 14V565000 | Sep 15, 2014 | Latches, locks & linkages — hood / latch | 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… |
| 15V116000 | Feb 27, 2015 | Latches, locks & linkages — hood / latch | 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… |
| 15V486000 | Aug 4, 2015 | Fuel system | 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… |
| 15V681000 | Oct 20, 2015 | Air bags — frontal | 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… |
| 16V029000 | Jan 22, 2016 | Latches, locks & linkages — hood / latch | 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… |
| 16V244000 | Apr 26, 2016 | Air bags — sensor / occupant classification | 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… |
| 16V911000 | Dec 19, 2016 | Air bags — sensor / occupant classification | 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… |
| 20V315000 | May 28, 2020 | Latches, locks & linkages — hood / latch | 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. |
How the 2013 compares with nearby Altima years
Verdicts come from CarWhere's year-by-year Altima analysis where it covers the year, otherwise from the years shown here.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 246 | 1 | Powertrain / transmission | Better year |
| 2012 | 426 | 4 | Powertrain / transmission | Caution |
| 2013 (this page) | 2,315 | 12 | Air bags | Avoid |
| 2014 | 1,113 | 8 | Exterior lighting | Avoid |
| 2015 | 956 | 10 | Exterior lighting | Avoid |
Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA and are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, so they compare years of the same model rather than different models.
The 2013 Nissan Altima on the used market
- 74 of 885 2013 Nissan Altima listings in CarWhere's lifespan study showed 200,000 miles or more.
What to check on a used 2013 Nissan Altima
- Air bags: make sure the air bag warning light goes out after start-up and that any air bag recall was completed on this VIN.
- Transmission: test-drive from cold through every gear, feel for slipping, harsh or delayed shifts and shudder, and ask whether the fluid has been serviced.
- Lights: check headlights (low and high), brake lights and turn signals; condensation inside the housings is worth noting.
- Suspension: listen for clunks over bumps, look for leaking struts and uneven tire wear.
- Recalls: confirm each of the 12 campaigns above was completed on this VIN; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records, and have an independent mechanic inspect the car before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any 2013 Nissan Altima can be better or worse than its model year. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
2013 Nissan Altima reliability FAQ
Is the 2013 Nissan Altima reliable?
The 2013 Nissan Altima has 2,315 owner complaints and 12 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about air bags and powertrain / transmission. Compared with other Altima model years, it rates as a year to avoid: its complaint rate runs well above the Altima's typical year, while the 2011 has a cleaner record.
What are the most common 2013 Nissan Altima problems?
The most-reported problem areas in NHTSA owner complaints for the 2013 Nissan Altima are air bags (514), powertrain / transmission (506), exterior lighting (442), suspension (290). One complaint can name more than one component.
Does the 2013 Nissan Altima have recalls?
NHTSA lists 12 recall campaigns for the 2013 Nissan Altima, including 12V494000 (steering) and 13V069000 (air bags). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How does the 2013 Nissan Altima compare with the 2012 and 2014 models?
By NHTSA records, the 2012 has 426 complaints and 4 recalls (caution); the 2014 has 1,113 complaints and 8 recalls (avoid). The 2013 has 2,315 complaints and 12 recalls.
How do I check a specific used 2013 Nissan Altima?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
More Nissan Altima research
Other Nissan Altima model years:
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints (all body-style listings for the 2013 Altima, de-duplicated by complaint number) and NHTSA recall campaigns, retrieved 2026-11-04.