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.
Be warned: the 2014 & 2015 Nissan Altima appears to share these same problems.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
7 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 1
Average Mileage:
53,584 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
I had driven the car less.than one half mile when car stalled.. When I tried to restart the car it continued to stall When I shifted to drive. No prior warning was given
My 2013 Nissan Altima has serious electrical problems and continues to drain my battery, leaving me seeking alternative transportation to and from home, work, etc. The headlight low and high beams are dangerously dim! I have replaced the bulbs several times and the problems continues to get worse. I have seen litigation online with numerous people involved. I thought NTSB would have acted by now" I have also had numerous problems with the AC not working" I am getting estimates currently looking at a $2,000 problem. This car seems very unsafe and any action form your agency would be greatly appreciated! Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The lights on this car have always had an issue ever since I bought it off the lot in 2014 new with 35 miles on the car. The first couple of years I continued to return to the dealer where I bought the car to have them replace the lights but I got tired of dealing with returning to not get favorable results. It for sure is a Nissan issue. The cosmetic light strips on the rearview mirrors on both sides of the vehicle also had condensation visibly in the strips as well. I had those also supposedly replaced as well. The issue is still there all these years later just got annoyed with returning to the dealer and wasting lots of time with no results. I have pictures of the issue dated a few weeks after buying the car in 2014, May. The headlights look pretty dull and not bright when driving. I am on this website to see in fact if there is a recall on the lights but apparently there is not.
The gear shifter in my 2013 Nissan Altima will not shift. I turn on the vehicle. I then place my foot on the brake and push the button to shift gears and nothing happens. The unit is locked I cannot shift to any gear. I has to tow the vehicle home. I did not find out until later that a plastic piece can be popped out and a screwdriver or key could be pressed on the mechanism inside the hole to release the gear shifter to shift. In recent times there have been random shootings and car jackings in and around the Chicago area. I am very concerned with this for I or a family member could become a victim if the situation is presented. With no way to shift gears, we cannot avoid a potential emergency situation.
- Chicago, IL, USA
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Gear shift stays stuck in Park and takes 10 minutes to get out of Park if the safety button works. This is a known problem with Nissan's all over social media and youtube has videos about this issue with the gear shift going out and not functioning.Please add this to the recall please take the time so consumers can drive safely again.
On Sunday August 29th 2021 my hood came up while I was driving and broke the front window glass and damaged both sides of the side hood due to the latch not being secured and lose and not being applied the right way.
Component malfunctioned - Driver sun visor comes down randomly & always over bumps. 2013 Altima is available for inspection. Risk factor - Visor came down randomly while I was driving in rush hour beltway traffic and hit me in the nose, blurred my vision and put me and my passenger at severe safety risk. Problem confirmed by independent service center No other inspections No warnings. First started in 2018 but has gotten progressively worse to the point of almost causing accidents due to hindering my vision while driving and/or hitting me in the face.
I went to recall for Altima hood latch no repair, alt rge cvt p0766 ntb16-121, max alt rg mur ocs ntb16-052 and altima hood latch ntb16-011. There were no safety issues with vehicle operation before the recall. The KatyNissan called me on June 7th to notify me that they fried the components during the computer diagnosis. The KatyNissan told me that they will charge Nissan USA for it. I went to the KatyNissan to pick up my car on June 8th, the transmission and i-key warning lights appeared on the head-up display. I called the person in charge and said, "Why is this happening?" He asked me to pay $100 to re-synchronize the car keys because he reprogramed the car computer due to the fry up, and the car jerks violently when shifting the gear. After the pickup, I got a new state registration tag and went back home. MIL warning sign appeared on the head-up display. On the next day morning on June 9th, I brought my car to the dealer for repair. The KatyNissan explained this situation to Nissan USA and Nissan USA stated that they are not responsible for the fry-up during the computer system diagnosis so the KatyNissan and I should split up the expenses in 50:50. I believe this statement is unreasonable, the dealer should take full responsibility.
My vehicle Altima 2.5 S Nissan 2013, I only drove to work very only 67k miles but lately the gear shifter stuck every time I started, I had to stick a key or screw driver into the shrift lock to make it released it, very dangerous to drive with gear shifter stuck all the time... never happened to me with most cars I bought.. this gear shifter stuck supposed to recall back to fix it right for me, this is second car I purchased from Nissan.
The passenger side door handle will not open the door, I heard and felt a crack when trying to get out of the vehicle. You have to open by using the outside door handle. If this car was too be in an accident the passenger could become trapped inside. This happen while parked.
2013 Nissan Altima just went dead while driving on street. Got it towed to garage, garage said cvt dead, transmission needs replacement, $$$$$, very unhappy
Unable to shift into gear when engaging foot brake when starting vehicle. Shift is stuck in park. Have to use tool in shift lock release to move between gears to drive car. I was driving and was stopped at a railway crossing. Put car in park. Once train had passed I tried to put car in drive position and was unable to do so. After reading manual I discovered that if a fault occurs you must use a tool on the shift lock button release to move vehicle. Very dangerous.
Can't shift out of park. Multiple Nissan vehicles of this exact model year have the same issue. Over 500+ complaints have been made about the shift lever getting stuck in park, and the issue is due to a weak plastic bit that breaks on the inside of the center console. This would be a major issue for someone trying to move their car when stuck in traffic after putting in park, only to realize they can't take it out of park. I contacted my local Nissan dealer, to which quoted me 400$ for the repair costs and then let me know of multiple people who have called with the same complaint. This typically happens around 75,000 miles. This can be a major safety concern, and should be recalled due to the number of issues that owners have had with the exact model.
Out of know where my car will not go into drive, stuck in park. So I been having to push in the shift lock. I need to be able to goto and from work again without doing this. What do I
On route 414 heading South going about 49, my hood popped open and busted my windshield. Nissan told me that there was no fix for the problem and that they could not help me with fixing, refunding or trading for another car. I am extremely frustrated that they will not help get me in a safer car. I also asked about a loaner until this could be fixed and they said no.
My 2013 Nissan Altima sl keeps stalling on me without any warning. The decoder stated it was the max air flow sensor, I replaced it, I'm still having the same problem. I had a tune up done even though I have low miles. No engine light is on. I read some reviews and I'm not the only person with the the same car or year having this issue. You take it to the dealer and they tell me nothing is wrong with it.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Warwick, RI, USA