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.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
10 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
6 / 0
Average Mileage:
42,374 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.

2013 Nissan Altima body / paint problems

body / paint problem

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2013 Nissan Altima Owner Comments (Page 4 of 6)

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problem #41

May 312017

Altima

  • 101,400 miles

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

Eastbound mass pike, construction barrel in left lane, struck with front left bumper. Fog light smashed & bumper cracked. Traveling around 45-50 mph, no construction site in this area.

- Dudley, MA, USA

problem #40

Mar 162017

Altima

  • 12,000 miles
Interior door handle breaks on vehicle. Vehicle has 12000 miles on it, and it just quit working when I tried to open the door. This results in a safety hazard as owner could not open the door in case of emergency. I did a search online and this seems to be a very common problem with these Nissan, and the company may have created a new part it appears.

- Dania Beach, FL, USA

problem #39

Jan 092017

Altima

  • miles
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the spare tire was faulty. The dealer was contacted several times, but the contact was unable to receive a response to determine if a replacement could be provided. In addition, the center console was unstable in the vehicle, the instrument panel/cluster shorted several times, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact was uncertain of what the dealer diagnosed and repaired. The contact no longer owned the vehicle. The VIN and failure mileage were not available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures.

- Torrington, CT, USA

problem #38

Mar 072017

Altima

  • 61,000 miles

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

I have already taken this vehicle back numerous times to the dealership for the same recalls and the notification / emergency lights still come on. This happens when driving at a stop light or when I turn the car on.

- Morgan Hill, CA, USA

problem #37

Feb 282017

Altima 4-cyl

  • 75,000 miles
I drove my car on February 28 from my garage in my house in bolton, MA to lexington MA at 9 am. Upon starting, I noticed a slight strange smell. It was a bit like oil or maybe chemical smells but I am not sure as I had not smelled this before. I rolled down the windows as I drove to clear it and kept an eye on the temperature gauge, which was normal. After 5 mins, the smell cleared, the heat temp was normal and I drove for about 40 mins while talking on my bluetooth. I parked in front of grace chapel in lexington on the street and as I pulled to a stop to park on the street in front of the church, I noticed some smoke. I immediately shut off the car. Within moments there were flames and I called 911 as I got out. I had only time to get my purse, my bag and the food in the trunk I was bringing for the pantry and moved away. Within 3 minutes, it was engulfed about 30% up to the windshield as the first police arrived. He moved the car parked right in front of mine, thank god. Two minutes later firemen came and about two minutes later they had water on the car but it was fully engulfed. They were able to keep the damage to only affect two other cars parked in the parking lot next to the street across from my car, separated by a sidewalk. The vehicle has been meticulously maintained by us. No accidents. No mechanical problems. All recalls followed. I drive normally. Oil changes are done regularly. No mechanical work has been done on the car. There are recalls on the V6 2013 Altima for possible fire issues. Mine is a V4. Here's one website but if you google 2013 Altima fires, you will find others. www.automotive-fleet.com/news/story/2015/10/Nissan-expands-2016-maxima-recall.aspx had I been trapped, I may have died before they got me out. Please protect others from this scary tragedy. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Bolton, MA, USA

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problem #36

Feb 152017

Altima

  • 109,500 miles
I had just checked the oil and what type of oil to buy for the car, and en route at a speed of 55, the hood flew up while accelerating to the posted limit - shattering the sunroof, cracking the windshield, warping the front left and right quarter panels near the windshield, and denting the hood and roof. It also dislodged the sunroof motor and pulled part of the roof lighting console wiring harness apart. I was not made aware of a recall by Nissan in either of the two campaigns on the hood latch issue - only by the insurance investigator after my claim.

- Leland, NC, USA

problem #35

Dec 212016

Altima 4-cyl

  • 20,000 miles

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

In late December 2016 our 2013 Nissan Altima was being driven in high point, North Carolina when the hood of the car flew open against the windshield causing zero visibility and the car was forced off the road causing it to be damaged. This incident involves a 2016 Nissan recall on this car for a hood lock assembly replacement that was never done properly to this car. There was body damage to this vehicle due to this accident. The driver has medical injuries from this accident. The car is having smells since the accident. Nissan assigned a case number and an arbitration specialist to this accident and the car is at the dealership under review. However, nobody from Nissan is authorizing repair, providing medical assistance or providing transportation until the car repairs are completed. Thank you for any assitance you can provide.

- Jamestown, NC, USA

problem #34

Dec 282016

Altima 4-cyl

  • 30,000 miles
Last week my daughter was driving her 2013 Nissan Altima at approximately 20 miles hours when the hood suddenly flew up and crashed into the windshield. Luckily there was no traffic around and she was able to close the hood back down and return the short distance to her home. When I inspected the vehicle the next day I discovered that the secondary hood latch did not work. Upon investigation I discovered that Nissan had recalls on this model for this specific issue. I contacted the NHTSA and reported the issue. I was told that the recall repair had not been done as per their records. I then contacted Nissan to inform them of the issue and they said that the recall repairs had actually been completed earlier this year by a Nissan dealer in Florida (we purchased the vehicle from a car lot in Florida in October of 2016). After a discussion with Nissan customer relations they towed the vehicle to one of their local dealers for inspection (12/30/16). Their investigation found that the replaced secondary latch had failed therefore allowing the hood to fly open. I am deeply concerned about the safety of this vehicle. If this had been in traffic, at a higher rate of speed or other conditions serious injuries would have been possible. How do I know that whatever new repairs that are done will solve this serious issue?

- Choctaw, OK, USA

problem #33

Aug 052016

Altima

  • 80,000 miles
I was in a accident where I hyroplanned and the back end hit a ditch and my car went onto the median on the freeway and I totaled my car and the airbags did not deploy

- Junction City, KS, USA

problem #32

Jun 012016

Altima

  • 25,000 miles
We noticed that our car's black dashboard was becoming sticky and shiny during the summer. This has developed into a serious safety issue because it affects my visibility when I'm driving. The melting dashboard creates a strong glare or reflection on the windshield which impedes my ability to see the road and my surrounds. I notified my local dealership and they refused to help me with this problem. I called Nissan Consumer Affairs which also denied my request to solve this issue. It appears that the dashboard material that is used was not properly tested for higher temperatures or that this is simply a defective part. The residue on the surface of the dashboard could also be a health hazard as the dashboard is clearly degrading and may be emitting fumes within the cabin. I also suspect that left untreated, this melting dashboard has the potential to impact the deployment of airbags within the vehicle. I expect that Nissan addresses these concerns and offers a solution to this manufacturing defect before it causes an accident.

- Tallahassee, FL, USA

problem #31

May 252016

Altima

  • 22,000 miles

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

This is to report and complain about recalls on my 2013 Nissan Altima recall: 16V-029 I traveled to my local dealer [kline Nissan, maplewood, mn] over a year ago for a similar recall fix to the hood latch'. my online record still shows it is needed (ntb16-011; external recall number: PC426) I did not receive notification of the above recall until months after the effective date. I went again for the above ref. Recall and was told that they did not have the part in stock and it could be "quite some time" and would call me. It has been over two month and no contact. I just received a second mailing on this recall stating that I had not taken care of it. This is a frustrating and a time wasting process. Recall: Passenger a.B. (ntb16-052" R1609" not clear from the online description what this is) I now see that my passengers have been at risk of an inoperable air bag. I have not yet received notice this third recall when looking up the other two recalls online. Thus I have not received the benefit of this safety feature that I paid for three years ago. Beyond the time and cost of traveling to/from and waiting for these errors to be fixed is the length of time our money has been wasted on a feature we paid for. There needs to be monetary compensation for these significant errors and please do not allow them to keep stating "at no cost" because there is cost in time and money to consumers. There is also an emotional cost when we were and are still at risk but the parts are not available.

- Mahtomedi, MN, USA

problem #30

May 222016

Altima

  • 38,000 miles
Without any warning at all, hood flew up while car was getting up to speed on 4 lane expressway at approximately 40 mph. It smashed against the windshield and completely blinded me. I was able to pull to shoulder. No injuries. Damage to body of car only. No one else in car. No other traffic nearby. I am not the owner, just the driver. Very frightening experience.

- Paducah, KY, USA

problem #29

May 012016

Altima

  • 69,000 miles
While driving at mere 25 mph, the hood flung open and rested parallel to the windshield. This unnatural position for the hood and the pressure it exerted on driver/passenger side corners opened them up like a can opener.

- Columbus, NJ, USA

problem #28

Apr 022016

Altima

  • 29,000 miles
My almost 14 year old son who is 106 lbs. Sits in the passenger seat as well as a male friend who is 220. The passenger air bag light remains "off" when it should be engaged. I took it to a Nissan dealer and they said that they reset it and my son may not be "heavy enough". I am very upset at how they handled it (they didn't) and I can guarantee if there is an incident that happens and these were defective, there will be issues. I have read online that numerous other people have the same problem and they said they have to restart the car to get it to go off. I am not doing that or buying it. I was told that if Nissan does not recognize this problem for this specific year and model, that the recall with not be covered. It is obviously an issue. Secondly, I made an appt 3 weeks in advance for my hood latch to be repaired to allow for the part to get it. I drove 1.25 hrs to get it replaced, sat there for 2 hours to be told that they were putting in it and then "did not have it in". they had me take a rental car home "to have a supervisor look at my airbag" as it was over the weekend. I got a disgusting car for 5 days to find out nothing had been repaired. I "need to stop in when I am in town sometime" to get my hood latch replaced. Really"??" I will never go back to billion Nissan in sioux city. Poor service. I would like both of these issues taken care of promptly. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

- Aurelia, IA, USA

problem #27

Mar 312016

Altima

  • 19,671 miles
This complaint is regarding the Nissan recall ref. 16V-029 related to the hood latch assembly. Nissan seems to have put in place a repair procedure that is different than what is advertised in the recall letter. This procedure is excessively burdensome, requiring the vehicle owner to schedule a first appointment to inspect the car, then a second appointment to perform the actual repair. The recall letter advertises a single appointment is needed to perform the repair, so this procedure runs contrary to the text of the recall letter. This seems to be known to dealers as: PC426 Altima hood latch ntb16-011

- San Francisco, CA, USA

problem #26

Mar 032016

Altima

  • 36,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at 20 mph, the hood inadvertently unlatched and flew open. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 16V029000 (latches/locks/linkages). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 36,000.

- Belport, NY, USA

problem #25

Oct 302015

Altima

  • 86,000 miles
Rear driver side floorboard accumulating water when it rains. No idea where it comes from. Currently at Nissan dealership to find out where water is coming from. This is the second time it has been in shop. It first happened about two months ago and at first, I thought a door had not been properly closed. I have driven and parked it in the rain so I dont have any idea when it comes in, all I know is that it does.

- Kingston, OK, USA

problem #24

Jan 022016

Altima

  • 44,000 miles
Hood flew open while traveling at 35 mph on the outskirts of town. This resulted in damage to the upper quarter panel on both sides of the vehicle near the hood hinges.

- Camden, NY, USA

problem #23

Dec 162015

Altima

  • 49,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 mph, the sunroof exploded and small particles of glass shattered outside of the vehicle. The sunroof sliding cover was closed when the failure occurred. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the entire sunroof was replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 49,000.

- Gurnee, IL, USA

problem #22

Oct 172015

Altima

  • 5 miles
While going around 55mph on the hwy 55, hood just popped without any warning, hitting the windshield and roof. This caused major body damage to both fenders, hood and roof. Before driving the car, I always walk around it to check tire inflated ok, hood/trunk/door close/latched. This happened oct17. Went to the Nissan dealership and also called Nissan customer service Monday Oct 19. Customer service said this damage would be covered by their hood latch recall that I was not aware of. It's been 2 week and still waiting for warranty claims to approve fix. Hood is vibrating when I go over 55mph and so afraid this nightmare might happen again.

- Bolingbrook, IL, USA

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