Both two-door and four-door Nissan Altimas have safety recall notices from their manufacturer. There are twelve 2013 Nissan Altima safety recall notices, one for the electrical system, one for the fuel system, four related notices for safety latches, one each for steering, tires, and suspension, and five related notices for the passenger airbag system.
Some of the airbag problems may be related to the massive 63 million-vehicle Takata airbag recall, but in 2016, Nissan recalled 3.2 million vehicles because of a faulty passenger-side airbag sensor. 2013-2016 Nissan Altimas were affected. You can check your recall status by entering your car’s VIN on Nissan’s special recall website, or by entering your VIN on the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s VIN check website.
Primary Hood Latch Recall
The most recent recall notice for 2013 Altimas was issued May 28, 2020 by Nissan, involving an unintentional release of the primary hood latch. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) number for this recall is 20V315000, and the recall affects over 1.83 million vehicles. There is still no official remedy for this problem, and Nissan has provided a notice to owners to instruct them on how to safely close their hoods until repair parts are made available in 2021. The recall is an update of an original recall notice issued January 22, 2016 involving the primary and secondary hood latches.
Front Passenger Airbag Safety Recall
In 2016, Nissan recalled over three million of its North American vehicles, including 2013 Nissan Altimas, because of sensor problems in the front passenger seat that could cause the airbag to fail to deploy when needed. The sensor was designed to prevent the airbag from deploying when a child is in the seat, a potentially serious danger in an accident. The sensor was configured so that an adult could be misidentified as a child.
2013 Nissan Altima dashboard lights can indicate this is a problem for your model because they have a yellow dashboard light that illuminates when a light-weight item or passenger is in the seat. If the light stays on permanently, you can know that it’s not sensing when adults are seated in the passenger area. If an accident occurs, the airbag will not deploy.
Nissan Altimas made between January 3, 2013, to July 29, 2013 are affected by this software and sensor-related recall. Nissan began officially repairing vehicles February 13, 2017. Dealers will replace the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) that’s causing the problem and update the Occupant Classification System (OCS) at no charge.
Leaking Fuel Sending Unit Recall
On October 14, 2015, Nissan expanded an earlier recall of some 2015 vehicles to include 2013-2015 Altima 3.5 vehicles with V6 engines that were made between March 30, 2012 and August 18, 2015. The recall is due to an o-ring that may have been sealed incorrectly during manufacturing. The improperly installed o-ring could leak fuel from the fuel sending unit’s attachment to the fuel tank, leading to potential fires during crashes.
The recall work started as of September 28, 2015. Dealers will repair the problem with a retainer ring between the fuel sending unit and the fuel tank.
Over- or Under-Inflated Spare Tire
Nissan issued a recall for over 123,000 Altimas made between March 21, 2012 and March 26, 2013 because their spare tires could have been either over- or under-inflated. Dealers will check spare tire pressure and ensure they are properly inflated free of charge.
Loose Steering and Suspension Bolts
Nearly 14,000 Altimas with 2012 and 2013 model year designations made between May 10, 2012 and July 26, 2012 were recalled on October 10, 2012. The transverse link bolts and power steering rack bolts on these vehicles may not have been torqued to proper specifications. Nissan notified owners of the problem, and dealers were instructed to tighten the bolts to appropriate torque specifications.
2013 Nissan Altimas aren’t part of the official Takata airbag recall, which affected over 63 million vehicles worldwide, but if you are concerned, you can always check your vehicle’s status on the Nissan recall website. Like other manufacturers, Nissan must make recall repairs for free. The NHTSA reports that car manufacturers are supposed to issue a recall notice and make repairs if any part of the vehicle or its equipment doesn’t meet safety standards or is a serious safety risk.
You should have received a recall notice in the mail for any of the 2013 Nissan Altima recalls. Nissan, like other automakers, uses vehicle registration information to send its recall notices. The automaker also has a recall lookup tool on its website which covers 2013 Nissan Altimas and other model years.
Auto dealers must fix recall problems for free. You can also use the NHTSA’s VIN recall lookup tool to see which recalls affect your 2013 Nissan Altima. If you have a serious recall problem that will take a long time to repair, dealers are also supposed to provide you with alternative transportation.
Don’t ignore a recall notice if you receive one. You could be endangering yourself, passengers, and others on the road. You also run the risk of invalidating your vehicle’s warranty and being liable for other repairs resulting from the part or component that led to the recall. Manufacturer’s don’t need to fix recall problems after cars are ten years old, so keep an eye on recall notices for your 2013 Nissan Altima and keep driving safely.
