Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2013 Nissan Altima
NHTSA data on file today
The 2013 Nissan Altima has 12 NHTSA recall campaigns and 2,315 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
NCAP overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars, for the 1 NHTSA-tested trim.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #20V315000 Unintentional Release of Primary Hood Latch NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #16V911000 Air Bag May Not Deploy Due to Software Issue NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #16V244000 Passenger Air Bag may not Deploy due to OCS Error NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #16V029000 Secondary Hood Latch may Bind and not Latch NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #15V681000 Air Bag may not Detect Passenger in Seat NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #15V486000 Fuel Sending Unit may Leak Fuel NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #15V116000 Secondary Hood Latch may Bind and not Latch NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #14V565000 Secondary Hood Latch may Bind and not Latch NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #14V138000 Air Bag may not Detect Passenger in Seat NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #13V158000 Spare Tire may be Over- or Under-Inflated NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #13V069000 Occupant Detection System May Disable Pass Air Bag NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #12V494000 Loose Steering and Suspension Bolts NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Air Bags 514 complaints
- Power Train 506 complaints
- Exterior Lighting 442 complaints
- Suspension 290 complaints
- Unknown or Other 240 complaints
- Electrical System 159 complaints
Of the 2,315 complaints on file, 63 report a crash and 9 a fire; across all 2,315 complaints, owners report 48 injuries and 1 death (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Below average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $6,500–$12,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2013 Nissan Altima shows significant concerns with a high number of complaints (2,313) and recall campaigns (12), particularly regarding airbag issues, power train problems, and lighting. This data suggests reliability challenges.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| air bags | Unknown | $500–$1,500 | common |
| power train | Unknown | $1,000–$3,000 | common |
| exterior lighting | Unknown | $100–$300 | common |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Oil and filter changes
- Brake inspections and servicing
- Tire rotation and balancing
- Transmission fluid change
- Coolant system maintenance
- Air filter replacement
- Spark plug replacement
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Airbag warning light
- Transmission slipping
- Flickering headlights
- Steering wheel vibrations
- Hood latch issues
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2013 Nissan Altima at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.