CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2013 Nissan Altima has multiple problem trends including the CVT transmission, and now that this model is out of warranty, it earns our "Avoid Like The Plague" badge.
In the dead of mid-west, humid, summer, the A/C air box actuator in my car decided to get stuck. I did not know it at the time this was what was causing it but I switch the vents from blowing on my face to face/feet but it would get stuck blowing out only at my feet. Even when I cycled through it would not move. I would turn the car on and off and still nothing. Only after repeatedly hitting the button the change over and over would it finally move when it decided (No rhyme or reason to it).
Took it into Nissan, they charged me the normal $90 diagnostic fee but then an additional $140 to take the dash apart to fully diagnose the problem. They couldn't figure it out so they sent me back home with it.
All the while, my A/C compressor was failing also (reported in a separate complaint) so they were testing that as well. It would intermittently blow hot air when I would stopped at stop lights, etc. They couldn't duplicate the issue, however, the extended warranty company knew of the compressor issues with this car, so they authorized a replacement. They tried telling me (probably because I'm female and they were done hearing me gripe) that fixing the compressor, would fix the air box actuator issue too. I knew it was a load of crap considering they are 2 totally different components of the car, but whatever you say Nissan service adviser, I don't have common sense or anything.
I let them fix the compressor without touching the actuator & naturally, when I got the car back from the compressor repair, it was blowing cold as ice but stuck at my feet as I expected it would. I made them take the car back, they tested the actuator again and found that was the issue. The warranty company authorized the repair but this was now the fifth time I had taken the car into them in 3 months.
This car was built with intentions to be great but with poor craftsmanship on many fronts. This is only the beginning of several A/C issues I've had with this car. I've made sure to report them all separately to Car Complaints so they can accurately see how many issues it has.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
In the dead of mid-west, humid, summer, the A/C air box actuator in my car decided to get stuck. I did not know it at the time this was what was causing it but I switch the vents from blowing on my face to face/feet but it would get stuck blowing out only at my feet. Even when I cycled through it would not move. I would turn the car on and off and still nothing. Only after repeatedly hitting the button the change over and over would it finally move when it decided (No rhyme or reason to it).
Took it into Nissan, they charged me the normal $90 diagnostic fee but then an additional $140 to take the dash apart to fully diagnose the problem. They couldn't figure it out so they sent me back home with it.
All the while, my A/C compressor was failing also (reported in a separate complaint) so they were testing that as well. It would intermittently blow hot air when I would stopped at stop lights, etc. They couldn't duplicate the issue, however, the extended warranty company knew of the compressor issues with this car, so they authorized a replacement. They tried telling me (probably because I'm female and they were done hearing me gripe) that fixing the compressor, would fix the air box actuator issue too. I knew it was a load of crap considering they are 2 totally different components of the car, but whatever you say Nissan service adviser, I don't have common sense or anything.
I let them fix the compressor without touching the actuator & naturally, when I got the car back from the compressor repair, it was blowing cold as ice but stuck at my feet as I expected it would. I made them take the car back, they tested the actuator again and found that was the issue. The warranty company authorized the repair but this was now the fifth time I had taken the car into them in 3 months.
This car was built with intentions to be great but with poor craftsmanship on many fronts. This is only the beginning of several A/C issues I've had with this car. I've made sure to report them all separately to Car Complaints so they can accurately see how many issues it has.
- Lauren D., Saint Louis, US