2013 Nissan ALTIMA - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2013 Nissan Altima does not have an overall safety rating provided. However, it does have a 5-star rating for rollover possibility, indicating a high level of safety in that regard. The car comes equipped with electronic stability control, which is a positive safety feature that helps the driver maintain control in challenging road conditions. Unfortunately, it does not have forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems, which are features that can help prevent accidents.

Additionally, there have been 2234 complaints reported for this model and 12 recalls. While the rollover rating is reassuring, the high number of complaints and recalls may raise some concerns about the overall safety and reliability of the 2013 Nissan Altima. It is advisable for owners to stay informed about any potential issues and ensure that all recalls are addressed promptly to maintain the safety of the vehicle.

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Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

2,234

Recall Count

12

Investigation Count

5

Safety Rating

Not Rated

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Safety Features

2013 Nissan Altima 2 DR FWD Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2013 Nissan Altima 2 DR FWD

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2013 Nissan Altima 2 DR FWD Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2013 Nissan Altima 2 DR FWD Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2013 Score 2024 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 4
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 5 Not Rated 5
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 Not Rated 4

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2013 Score 2024 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 3 Not Rated 4
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 3 Not Rated 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated Not Rated 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated Not Rated 5
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2013 Score 2024 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated 5 5
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5

Complaints for the 2013 Nissan ALTIMA

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"i was never informed of a voluntary recall on the headlamps of certain nissan altimas, my wife said it was difficult to drive at night, i installed led lights with little change. i found out after nissan had a voluntary recall that the head light assemblies had issues, mainly de-lamination of the chrome in the reflector assembly on the low beam light. dealer said they would replace them unless i paid over $2000. i found non oem light assemblies, had them installed, and took the old assembly apart and i was shocked to see the degrading of the entire assembly and material deposited on the lens making it cloudy, not clear at all. i documented all this, and really do think it is a serious safety issue since many of these cars are now on the used market, and many of the owners buying on that market may not have the resources to change out the headlamp assemblies, or even original owners such as me and my wife. nissan knows there was an issue, and therevis. we happened to be lucky, my wife was not involved in an accident due to the low output of the lights, but the difference after installing the new assemblies is dramatic and the damage to the reflector assembly and cloudy film on the lens is significant. nissan knows of the problem, they accept no responsibility now, but no doubt it is a serious safety issue which should be looked at again, nissan did not let all the owners know they may have an issue, heck i got more notices on a hood latch recall than anything else. this is a real serious safety issue, visibility at night is severely restricted."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2024-07-12
Complaint:
"the dim headlights dont work right so u cant see driving. it is very dangerous it could cause a accident. so you have to drive with your brights on so that you can see and then that could also cause accident because you're blinding the people coming towards you"
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2024-01-11
Complaint:
"headlights are dangerously dim, contacted manufacturer and were told that we missed the settlement on this issue. we purchased this vehicle after the settlement so of course we missed it. my son drives this car to and from college two and a half hours away. i cannot understand why nothing is being done. when he drives at night, he has to have high beams on and even then, they are not the brightest. i know we are not the only ones, i have researched it and seen countless complaints about the headlights."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2023-01-09
Complaint:
"the headlights are so dim it is dangerous. i had been riding with the brights on because of the dimness of the lights. i was almost in a serious accident due to the lack of visibility resulting from faulty headlights—even with the brights on. these are dangerous."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2023-04-09
Complaint:
"it was a recall on the headlights and nissan said the recalled expired. the previous owner passed away. you can’t see anything at night without driving with the high beams on i had the bulbs changed an it’s dim lighting. this is a safety issues that’s putting me and other people lives in danger."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2023-04-08
Complaint:
"headlights so dimmed you cannot see at night. without using my high beams. i have all ready received 3 verbal warnings for driving with high beams. my understanding there was a recall i missed out in due to lost mail i assume but nissan refuses to fix it and trying to charge me $2000 for there safety defect. i cannot afford to get this fixed out of pocket and it’s a safety issue. if it’s a recall that’s a safety issue it should be a nissan repair."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2024-08-08
Complaint:
"both front head lights (low lights) are very dim; right headlight may require re-wiring due to constant burning out of head light (low lights) and turning signal light. measures have been taken by owner to address the situation by careful step-wise cleaning of headlight covers. after cleaning of headlight covers, there was significant fogginess still noted as having a film like appearance. this film appeared to be on the inside portion of the head lamps. visibility was not improved after cleaning headlights. night time driving visibility is significantly affected, leading to issue of safety while driving. passengers have noted inability to distinguish whether headlights are turned on or off while driving at nght. issue has been brought up to multiple nissan car dealerships who refuse to further inspect or acknowledge the issue of defect in the 2013 nissan altima. the issue has previously been brought up in the case of rafael suarez, et al. v. nissan north america, inc., case no.3:21-cv-00393-wlc-an. dealership refuses to acknowledge case or issue in general."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2025-05-06
Complaint:
"my headlights have been dangerously dim for about a year now. according to the dealer is not a simple bulb replacement situation. they are telling me that i need to replace both headlamp assemblies and the cost will be about $1300 total. ($650 per headlamp). it is extremely difficult to drive at night with these dim headlights. a significant safety issue. yes. not yet. no warning lights or messages."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2022-09-06
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2013 nissan altima. the contact received notification of voluntary service campaign: pc861 (front combination lamps (headlamps) – halogen only). the contact stated that the front headlamps failed to illuminate. the dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that the voluntary service campaign had expired. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the voluntary service campaign had expired. the failure mileage was approximately 88,000. the contact stated that there isn't a failure mileage. while waiting for the parts to become available, the contact had become ill and had missed the deadline for the recall repairs. however, the contact claims that she was never notified that the parts were available or to come in for repairs. the contact is currently waiting for the manufacturer's recall department to approve the repairs past the deadline."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2022-01-08
Complaint:
"nissan is not supplying headlight assemblies to dealers in a timely manner (settlement of class action lawsuit for dimming headlights) yet is selling them as oem online. i have been waiting 10 months or more for them to come into my dealer. the only response is that the supply chain is the problem. these headlights have been gradually been dimming for years due to the deterioration of a coating inside the projection beam lens. a class action lawsuit settlement has nissan obligated to replace the complete assembly if one registered with the the class last march - september. this is on going issue and a safety issue. the lights are too dim and do not light up the road adequately. i had a close call with wildlife (deer) because you cannot see well."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2023-01-01

Recalls for the 2013 Nissan ALTIMA

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
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.
Remedy:

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 of charge. The recall began on February 17, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 14V-565 and 15V-116.

Component(s) Involved: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES > HOOD > LATCH
Date of incident: 2016-01-22
Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
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.
Remedy:

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 assembly will be replaced. This repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 20, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Component(s) Involved: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES > HOOD > LATCH
Date of incident: 2014-09-15
Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
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.
Remedy:

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 assembly will be replaced. This repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 14V-565.

Component(s) Involved: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES > HOOD > LATCH
Date of incident: 2015-02-27
Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
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.
Remedy:

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 Owner’s Manual addendum card with instructions on how to lubricate and maintain the secondary hood latch mechanism, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: Recall 16V-029 remains open for any unremedied 2013-2015 Altimas and this recall applies to all vehicles covered by 16V-029 even if those repairs have already been performed.

Component(s) Involved: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES > HOOD > LATCH
Date of incident: 2020-05-28

NISSAN Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

NISSAN ranks 5 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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