Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Nissan Altima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
When a passenger sits in the front seat the airbag light on the dashboard indicates the airbag isn't armed. I have had a Nissan dealer "fix" it three times and it starts again in a few weeks. First time dealer said a connection came loose when the seat was adjusted. Same thing the second time and the third time they said they secured the connection. the light came on in a matter of weeks again . I will take the car back for a fourth time soon. I asked the dealer service rep if there were any service bulletins regarding this problem, he said there weren't any, I feel that I can't have the only car with this problem. Whenever there is a passenger in the front seat I worry about being involved in an accident and their airbag not deploying.
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, [redacted]
Unknown, but the issue is beneath the passenger seat where it seems a wire has shorted out and even became disconnected and i am unsure but pretty positive that it has something to do with the passenger side airbags because shortly after a diagnostic scan shows several airbag fault codes. Also since then my car's performance has changed and now i am receiving diagnostic trouble codes for different electrical components such as mas air flow sensor low voltage and its causing my car to stall at random times while driving and even on freeways. It also has caused my car to slow down while fully accelerating on the pedal. Very big safety concern as im driving on the freeway with my family in the car as well.
OCS System for Passenger Airbag is not working properly. Went to two dealerships and they said it was not covered under the recall 16V-244. I spoke with Nissan Consumer Affairs and they said that the recall was addressed in the past but was not able to provide when and where. The dealerships I go to for servicing do not have any history of the OCS ever being repaired which means that it was probably repaired sometime with the original owner. Assuming it was actually replaced in the past, with replacement, the part is still failing and not having reached the 15 year mark for the car or the actual recall itself is alarming.
Front passenger door lock actuator fails to unlock door when driver's, passengers or key fob to unlock is activated. All other doors (3) work as they should. This creates a safety issue as the door must manually be unlocked which during a panic situation may not be easily accomplished. I am in the process of having the mechanism inspected & repaired. Part failed with no notice. It may have failed earlier, but July '26 was the 1st I noticed.
The headlights on low beam do not put out enough light to see what is in front of the car and I still have them. It is unsafe to drive a care with inadequate low beam lighting. Yes, dealer confirmed it but said 4/25/2022 was the last date to report the problem to have it replaced as part of the settlement. The dealerships are well aware of this problem. No warning, the lights just gradually got dimmer over time.
Sometimes when I'm driving the car starts idling as if I'm going fast that's how it sounds and I'm making a turn and it's sounds like it's accelerated but it won't go as much as I step on the gas it will not go so I got to pull over to the side wait for a little bit turn off the car and let it sit and then I'll go back tomorrow and it's every time this light turns on the dashboard with a car with the swively lines
Purchased car May of 2013, pre-owned certified and only 21000miles. From onset of ownership, brakes made noises, "cyclop brake light in rear window would blink constantly, dash lights would go from dim to bright all the time. The car would hesitate when leaving stop position, pushing electronic start button would not work often. Dealership always said that the situation could not be duplicated. On dec. 2nd, 2015 while driving home I was approaching a stopped car in the middle of the road and tried to slow below the 20mph I was driving and the brake pedal went all the way to the floor and all dash lights went blank and the car stalled resulting in a collision. The car would not start for over 2 hours. The dealership asked about the key fob location and battery condition and the batteries were good and key fob was on front seat where it always was. …
I was turning right to park my 2013 Nissan Altima and I pushed on the brake to slow down the car to stop and the car suddenly accelerated and jumped over the concrete curb stop. It continued to run upslope to the bushes and over three big rocks while I was trying to avoid hitting the fence in the front and braking it. I continued to press on the brake and the car continued to drive forward and I kept turning the wheel to the right to avoid a fence. The car ran over the curb stop of another parking space about five spaces on the right. The bolt in the concrete stop punctured my oil pan and the rocks ribbed off the plastic shields underneath. I was finally able to stop the car by pumping the brake and wind up in the opposite direction. I checked my foot was still on the brake. My car had approximately 43000 miles on the odometer. …
Tl* the contact owned a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to respond when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact also stated that the air conditioning unit failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The contact was informed that the transmission and air conditioning unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. While driving and pulling into a parking space, there was an abnormal electrical odor coming through the air condition vents. The vehicle caught fire. While trying to exit the vehicle, the door handle failed to work. The contact was able to exit the vehicle through the driver side window. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 31,898....updated 01/07/16
Related recalls
Electrical system › Software
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Electrical complaints in other Altima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2013 Nissan Altima?
NHTSA has 159 complaints about the electrical system of the 2013 Nissan Altima, 7% of the model year's 2,313 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Nissan Altima electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 14V-138 (software, Mar 25, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2013 Nissan Altima electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 40,000 miles, and 38% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 4 fires and 8 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.