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:
9 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
47,658 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 lights problems

lights problem

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2013 Nissan Altima Owner Comments (Page 7 of 21)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #295

Jan 012018

Altima 4-cyl

  • 145,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the low beam headlight failed to produce adequate lighting while driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was 145,000.

- Wrightstown, WI, USA

problem #294

Jul 092019

Altima

  • 130,579 miles
Rear lower control a arm that holds spring rotted at welds and broke made tire drag down highway at 65mph almost crashed because of this.cost me 150 tow plus the part was few hundred too.🙁. lights suck so bad can't see at night. 30 feet if that, I have replaced bulbs (40)$ and still suck definitely something not right..they have been getting worse month by month. When I got the car at 30 K miles it was the best car I've ever owned. 11/09/2020

- Thompson, CT, USA

problem #293

Jan 162016

Altima

  • 80,000 miles
The low beam headlights have gotten so dim we cant even drive at night with out high beams this I feel is a safety issue and we are not the only ones having this problem with the same make and model from 2013 to 2015 Nissan should recall and replace them as this is a safety issue that started about 4 years ago

- Felton, DE, USA

problem #292

Oct 232020

Altima

  • 121,000 miles

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

The low beams for my 2013 Altima sl have become too dim for me to see at night. I have had to start using the high beams to see at night which could cause problems for other drivers, but if I didn't use them I could crash due to poor visibility.

- Marietta, GA, USA

problem #291

Nov 082016

Altima

  • miles
Low beam lights are horrible you cannot see 1ft in front of you this is a major saftey issue and someone is going end up getting in a major wreck if this issue is not recalled

- Lagrange, NC, USA

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problem #290

Oct 042020

Altima

  • 117,000 miles
The headlight slowly lost their ability to reflect light from the bulb. They started bright when I owned the car but slowly became more dim as time went on. I realize that halogen bulbs will do that, but this wasn't the result of the bulb. The reflective coating inside of the low beam projector had started to come off and the projector was not projecting light as it should. It became so dim that I could barely see at night, if the roads were not lit up. It wasn't much of a problem if I was driving through a lighted city, but if I was on back country roads, I couldn't see more than forty feet ahead. I have replaced both housings and I was able to see much further down the road. I tried putting a new bulb in the old housing, but it still failed to reflect the light. I have pictures of outside one of the headlights and a picture of inside the reflector. It shows where the reflective coating was coming off. This is a well known issue with Nissan Altima that have both halogen and xenon headlights. I attached the pictures to my complaint. This is not a one time incident, but rather an ongoing issue that progressive got worse until the faulty parts were replaced.

- Oxford, OH, USA

problem #289

Oct 302020

Altima

  • 0 miles

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

Headlights extremely dim causing night driving hazard. Issue is due to degradation of reflector in headlight housing. I had to replace both headlight assemblies to resolve safety issue with the car. This is apparently a pronounced problem with Nissan Altima per Nissan online forums. Photo shows replacement headlight on left and the original defective headlight reflector on the right.

- Oilville, VA, USA

problem #288

Oct 152020

Altima

  • 195,000 miles
Low beam headlights are too dim to safely see at night.

- Frederick, MD, USA

problem #287

Oct 152020

Altima

  • 60,000 miles
The headlight projector housing has "failed" after 6-7 years. The reflective coating in the projector housing no longer works properly, with absolutely no damage to them. Even with brand new headlight (lowlight) led bulbs pushing 10,000 lumens, the headlights barely project 30-50 feet in front of the car, and does not allow for proper lighting at night. This is a major safety hazard and Nissan needs to set a recall for this on all 2013-2015 Nissan Altima(s). Many people online are complaining about this, and Nissan's response is to charge people upwards of $1000 to replace the headlights completely. This needs to be forced as a recall, please!

- Durham, NC, USA

problem #286

Sep 252020

Altima

  • 55,400 miles
My headlights are so dim I am unable to drive my car at night for fear of getting into an accident. I've researched and found that this is a known problem with 2013-2015 Nissan however Nissan has not issued a recall for this problem which is clearly a safety issue. I should not have to drive at night with my high beams to be able to see which puts other drivers on the road at risk. And I should not have to pay out of pocket to correct an issue that stems from a defective/poor quality part within the headlamps.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #285

Dec 012019

Altima

  • 175,000 miles

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

The dim lights are so dim I can barely see at night. I have to use the bright lights to see., especially when passing another car. This is very dangerous. I've spent a total of $410 on bulbs recommended by a certified mechanic and they are still awful. Also one set was the highest lumens of led lights. Please re all these lights because this is so dangerous to owners as well as the drivers we meet on the roads at night. I've been dealing with this since 12/2019. Please do something about these light complaints.

- Gray, GA, USA

problem #284

Sep 302020

Altima

  • miles
The chrome in the low beam headlamps tends to burn out quickly which affects the projection. According to Nissan Consumer Affairs, this is a known costly repair with 2013-2017 but mostly affects the 2013. The repair costs is quoted at $1119.85. When the headlamps burn out the car is not drivable because it cannot pass inspection which is currently my issue. I can't afford to have this replaced which unfortunately affects my employment because I can't drive to work.

- Gastonia, NC, USA

problem #283

May 212018

Altima

  • 0 miles
The low beam on the headlights are so dim we cannot drive at night. Reading online it would seem this is a common problem however a bulb will not fix the issue. The entire headlight housing has to be replaced because of the interior portion where the bulb sets is deteriorating... started noticing this 2 years ago and it getting worse.

- Seffner, FL, USA

problem #282

Sep 272020

Altima

  • 85,000 miles
The low beam on the headlights are so dim we cannot drive at night. The bright lights are great... reading online it would seem this is a common problem however a bulb will not fix the issue. The entire headlight housing has to be replaced because of the interior portion where the bulb sets is deteriorating... started noticing this 2 years ago and it getting worse..

- Cape Coral, FL, USA

problem #281

Sep 142020

Altima

  • miles
The headlights on the 2013 Nissan Altima are a complete safety hazard. It is like I am driving without any lights when they are on and I cannot see at all unless I have on my high beams. Driving with my brights on all the time at night causes issues for the drivers around me. Someone is going to get seriously hurt or killed due to the lack of visibility. I have had the lights changed and that is not the problem. People are complaining of the issue all over the internet and it should be a safety recall by Nissan before they are sued!

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #280

Aug 042020

Altima

  • 120,000 miles
When turn signal is automatically cancelled as the steering wheel is straightened, sometimes (not always) it actuates the 'lane change' three-flash signal in the opposite direction. For example, after making a left turn, the signal cancels and signals three flashes in the right direction. This happens when turning in either direction. It has happened multiple times but does not happen at every turn. I feel it may be a malfunction of the turn signal arm.

- Franklin, NH, USA

problem #279

Sep 072020

Altima

  • 140,000 miles
Low beam headlights are dangerously dim. Fog lights are brighter than low beams. Must drive car with high beams on to see at night. Illegal to drive with high beams on - fear ticket for traffic violation. Fear causing an accident because of blinding another oncoming driver with high beams on. Had one low beam die while on a 250 mile trip and could not see at night with only one low beam on. I have heard of other complaints for 2013-15 Nissan Altima headlamps being too dim. (series 5-?) bought car new in 2014 and have had problems with lights for three years. Preliminary reports indicate plastic reflective bowl in headlamp is defective because materials degrade and wear out over time. Nissan has remained silent and dealership will check for moisture and state that headlamps are withing specs. These headlamps are defective and the ntsb should investigate and issue a recall.- before someone gets hurt or dies. I could not see pedestrians crossing the road last night while my low beams were on. My vision is fine and my speed was only 30 mph on a city street, but pedestrians crossing the road were not seen by myself or front seat passenger until it was almost too late. I just replaced the headlamps with upgraded sylvania bulbs not more than a week ago. Nissan should replace the front headlamp lenses on both the left and right side - without charge. A safety recall needs to be issued.

- Gloversville, NY, USA

problem #278

Jun 012017

Altima

  • 73,000 miles
I purchased this vehicle having never driven it at night. Upon my first time driving it at night, I learned that the low beam headlights are wildly ineffective and I could not illuminate the road more than 15 or so feet in front of me. This made driving extremely dangerous. I went to a dealer and had them replace the bulbs inside the assembly, but saw no change in the effectiveness. The inside of the headlight assembly has burned/deteriorated and no longer projects the light from the bulb. The only solution to allow safe driving in dark conditions is to replace the entirety of the faulty headlight assembly on both sides.

- Minneapolis, MN, USA

problem #277

Jul 012020

Altima

  • miles
The low beam headlights on my 2013 Nissan Altima are extremely dim! it is nearly impossible to drive at night without my brights on. This is a major saftey hazard for me and other drivers as well! my eyesight vision is considered to be better than average and even with that I can't drive at night unless I have my brights on. I have tried led and hid bulbs with no improvement. Please help fix this problem!

- Whiteland, IN, USA

problem #276

Aug 102017

Altima

  • miles
Head light beam is too low.

- Manteca, CA, USA

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