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.

Owners complain about vibration and transmission failure related to the CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission), a whining noise from the power steering pump, and constant windshield problems that appear to be the result of poor design.

Be warned: the 2014 & 2015 Nissan Altima appears to share these same problems.

8.2

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$90
Average Mileage:
56,050 miles
Total Complaints:
11 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (5 reports)
  2. replace door handle (5 reports)
  3. zip tie did not last so bought $30 nissan part (1 reports)
2013 Nissan Altima accessories - interior problems

accessories - interior problem

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2013 Nissan Altima Owner Comments

problem #11

Jan 272017

Altima S 2.5L

  • CVT transmission
  • 65,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

This is ridiculous. Nissan should not make a part out plastic especially when it gets used significantly! It should be made of STEEL. I called Nissan to see how much the part would cost and they said $25.00 with $220.00 in labor. This is the fleecing of America again! Shame on you NISSAN!

I found a u-tube video that shows how to drill a hole and use a zip tie to hold the ball that is at the end of the cable in place. You will need another person to help you. Good Luck.

Update from Jun 12, 2019: Door latch on the passenger side has now broke as well.

Bought a new $30 part from Nissan .....Errrr. One would think that a part that gets used multiple times a day should be made out of metal! CUSTOMER FLEECING at its best! Nice job Nissan.

- Diane G., Cold Spring, MN, US

problem #10

Nov 212016

Altima

  • Automatic transmission
  • 80,000 miles

This is the third time the door broke, three different doors, three different people opening them. First time it was fixed under warranty. Now I have to pay to fix the other two. This needs to be a recall. How about if you need to exit the car in an emergency???

- Rita S., South Plainfield, NJ, US

problem #9

Oct 242016

Altima

  • Automatic transmission
  • 63,000 miles

The interior door handle is broken and I have to, embarrassingly, roll down my door window and reach around to the exterior door handle to let myself out of my own car. 4 days later the same thing happens to one of the rear seat door's interior handle. I only have 2 functioning car doors. What a joke.

- Carrie B., Kingwood, TX, US

problem #8

Jul 222016

Altima SL 3.5L

  • CVT transmission
  • 42,087 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

UGHHHH! As I read more & more of these exact complains I really feel for all of you. My driver side door handle just decided to take a sh*t one day and not let me out. Do you have any idea how much it sucks and how embarrassing it is to have to roll down the window to let yourself out of your own car!!? Wait, yes, a lot of you do, sadly.. I took my altima into nissan for an oil change about a week after the handle broke, serice tech looked into it & turns out I would have been covered if I was under the 36k miles mark. FML! Are you kidding me? They wanted to charge me $130/hour to "DIAGNOSE" the issue-- as if we could'nt clearly see what the issue was, c'mon! Absolutely ridiculous. How about after I paid for my oil change and was outside waiting for my car to be brought to me I see a lady pulling into the drop-off lane in an Altima and rolls down her window and asks the service tech receiving her to please open her door, she was in just because of her driver's side door handle. This is clearly not a coincidence... Nissan, you need to get your sh*t together!!!

- mandy_alexx, Beverly Hills, CA, US

problem #7

Jul 082016

Altima S

  • Automatic transmission
  • 64,000 miles

Now my car drivers door handle does not open my door. I had to open window to open my car door from the outside. I work in a fancy office and this is very embarrassing. I google the problem and read other people with the same trouble. And as Im reading the complaints, it looks like this is going to be happening more than once. I am very disappointed that this car is starting up with all these problems.

- Marianna P., Rancho Cucamonga, CA, US

problem #6

May 152016

Altima

  • Automatic transmission
  • 62,000 miles

Same problem, no solution. Second door handle to break in my 2013 Nissan Altima. This is a CROCK. Getting expensive not to mention how dangerous it can be not to be able to get out of your car. Open your eyes before someone dies from being locked inside the car. Pretty sure you wouldn't want to have to roll your window down and reach outside every time you need to get out of your car.

- lrutledgelr, Batesville, AR, US

problem #5

Feb 152016

Altima

  • Automatic transmission
  • 60,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

You seem to think all this is a joke. It's NOT funny when it is sleeting, snowing and raining and you have to roll down the window and reach your hand out to open your door. I had a 2001 Altima that I loved. I kept it 9 years.This one has been nothing but trouble. I hate every thing about it. This door handle issue is VERY SERIOUS and as funny as you think it is, this could be a fatal flaw. If you happen to have some emergency and can't get out of your car things suddenly cease to be a joke as implied in your website. This was the driver interior door handle. Now the passenger handle is broken. Obviously this is a serious flaw yet you seem to have no intention of recalling. Is it going to take someone burning to death in the car before you take it seriously? What if it was your husband, wife, child or grandchild driving this vehicle. Would you be so flip about your response? We are senior adults so this has not been mistreated as suggested by you. (Try another excuse please) I personally think you know this should be a recall but it would be too expensive to fix. I have also read where you pay for some to get this fixed and others you do not. Can you tell me how to get on the list of people you like???

- lrutledgelr, Batesville, AR, US

problem #4

Feb 132016

Altima

  • CVT transmission
  • 58,495 miles

I have only had my 2013 Nissan Altima for 7 months and it has been the worse. I previously had an 2007 Nissan Altima that was totaled which lead me to believe that they were pretty good reliable cars but boy was I wrong. Since having my 2013 it sounds like the car is growling, it has stalled while in drive while I pushed the petal to the floor with my kids inside.

Now yesterday my driver side door handle break. This is embarrassing to have to roll the window door to get out the car or have someone open it on the outside. I have not checked to see how much this cost for repair but the fact that this car is not even 3 years old makes my blood boil to pay for an the the malfunction due to the poor make of the car from the dealer.

- Shanel F., Ellenwood, GA, US

problem #3

Sep 152015

Altima

  • Automatic transmission
  • 70,000 miles

I have a 2010 Nissan Altima and love it, which is why I bought my 2013 Nissan Altima. The 2010 Nissan Altima has had far less problems than my 2013 Nissan Altima. I was on my way to the airport to go out of state when my door handle broke. I am 51 years old and have had many cars including old "junk" cars and new cars. My door handle has NEVER broke in any car except my 2013 Nissan Altima. While it seems like a relatively minor issue, if I had been in an accident, it could have turned into a significant issue if I was injured and could not get out of my vehicle easily. I took it to the dealer and assumed it would be fixed free of charge. It had about 70,000 miles so Nissan didn't fix it. Door handle was around $20 and Nissan wanted to charge about $130 for labor. Wow! Had it fixed elsewhere.

As of this past weekend, my 2013 Nissan started dying/stalling, etc. It did this a few months ago and I thought I had a bad batch of gas. I put in fuel injector cleaner and a new batch of gas then and the problem went away. I'm still on the same batch of gas since the weekend, but now, in addition to the stalling/dying, my car is taking awhile to move when I put it in reverse/drive, etc. My check engine light is now on. Went to Auto Zone and had them check it and got a code of P0776 "Pressure Control Solenoid "B" performance." I will address this as a separate complaint once I know more.

Really upset with Nissan!

- Gina G., San Antonio, TX, US

problem #2

Mar 092015

Altima SL

  • Automatic transmission
  • 16,815 miles

Well, second time around for the broken driver's door handle. What a pain! Now the dealership says when I open the door not to let the handle flop back in place but gently guide it back in place. Huh! Who does that? When I open the door, I don't think about being gentle and thoughtful enough to guide my door handle back into place. All I'm thinking is I've opened hundreds of doors on cars and never had this problem once, much less twice on the same vehicle.

- Jean F., Kannapolis, NC, US

problem #1

Jun 182014

Altima

  • Automatic transmission
  • 35,000 miles

Door latch broke x3, can't open door from inside, 3 different doors.

- Debby I., Ypsilanti, MI, US

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