Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
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).
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while his son was driving at 35 MPH, he noticed that the rear passenger's side tire was not rolling smoothly. The contact stated that upon arriving at his destination and parking the vehicle, his son noticed that the rear passenger's side tire was pushed in. The contact's son was able to drive the vehicle to his residence. The contact stated upon inspecting the subframe, he noticed that the subframe was severely corroded and an unknown part had detached. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rear passenger's side lower control arm assembly was fractured due to severe corrosion and the rear driver's side lower control arm was severely corroded. The independent mechanic replaced the rear passenger's side lower control arm. …
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving out of the driveway, she heard an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact stated upon checking the vehicle, she noticed that the driver's side rear wheel was turned inward and that the control arm had detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the control arm was fractured, and the failure was related to an unknown recall. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed that the vehicle could not be repaired under the unknown recall as the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the manufactured date of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 92,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle began to wobble and almost crashed into another vehicle. The traction control warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park and noticed that the wheel was tilted inwards. The contact was informed by an independent mechanic that the control arm broke had fractured due to corrosion. The sub frame was also fractured. The contact stated that a second independent mechanic was notified of the issue and was referred to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where an unknown diagnosis was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 151,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the dealer had previously repaired the vehicle under Voluntary Service Campaign: P9324 (Rear Lower Link); however, the failure recurred after the repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became loose. The contact experienced a loss of vehicle control, causing the vehicle to sway from left to right. Additionally, there was a knocking sound coming from the rear of the vehicle while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, but no cause of failure was found. The vehicle was then taken to several independent mechanics who replaced the U-joint, steering column, calipers, shocks, and rear brakes, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle jerked to the right with the traction control warning light illuminated. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the rear passenger's side tire was tilted in. Due to the failure, the contact called a tow truck and it was discovered that the rear control arm had corroded. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who linked the failure NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V494000 (Steering, Suspension) and referred her to the dealer for assistance. The contact called the dealer and was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and a case was filed. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle veered to the right. The contact steered to the left and kept turning the steering wheel to the left in to bring the vehicle back into a straight lane. The contact stated that the traction control warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive back to the residence and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed that the passenger's side rear lower control arm had sheared off and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: EA19002 (Suspension). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, he heard an abnormally loud knocking sound coming from the rear passenger's side brakes. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was informed that the rear control arms and the bolts attached to the frame need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 165,000. Consumer wanted to include a link to Nissan's website where they say this is an issue but only in Canada due to high volume of salt being used. Wisconsin which is a state they say uses a high volume of salt.
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while parking the vehicle, he heard an abnormal sound. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated when exiting the vehicle, he noticed that the rear driver's side tire was slanted. The contact stated while inspecting under the vehicle, he noticed the rear lower control arm was disengaged. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact went to the local dealer and showed them pictures of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with Manufacturer recall number P9324 however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle began to drive rough; the contact felt that the steering wheel was disconnected from the front wheels whenever the vehicle would drive over slight bump in the road. The contact stated that the Traction and Stability warning lights were illuminated. The contact drove to her destination and observed that driver's side rear tire appeared to have separated from the rim. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the driver's side rear control arm had fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the passenger's side rear wheel started wobbling, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The contact stated that there was an abnormal sound while experiencing the failure. The contact pulled over safely and then drove back to the residence. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the passenger's side rear toe link had fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was 143,000.
Related recalls
Suspension
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Altima vehicles manufactured from May 10, 2012, through July 26, 2012. These vehicles may have been equipped with transverse link bolts and power steering rack bolts that were not torqued to proper specification.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the bolts to the proper torque specifications. The safety recall is expected to begin during November 2012.
NHTSA investigations
Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure
PE18-013 was opened on December 1, 2018, with 4 complaints to ODI alleging incidents of the lower control arm fracturing at a connection point to the vehicle chassis due to corrosion. ODI has received an additional 87 complaints since the PE was opened. During PE18-013, Nissan indicated model years 2013-2018 shared a common rear lower control arm design.
Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure
On July 29, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened EA19002 to investigate instances of alleged rear lower control arm failures in 2013-2018 Nissan Altima and 2016-2018 Nissan Maxima vehicles. At the time the investigation was opened ODI had 91 consumer complaints alleging rear lower control arm failures in the subject vehicles.ODI was concerned about these complaints because many of them alleged an…
Suspension complaints in other Altima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2013 Nissan Altima?
NHTSA has 289 complaints about the suspension of the 2013 Nissan Altima, 12% of the model year's 2,313 complaints. The component named most often is rear (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Nissan Altima suspension problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 12V-494 (suspension, Oct 10, 2012). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2013 Nissan Altima suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to suspension 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.