YearToAvoid

2013 Nissan Altima Engine Problems

NHTSA lists 206 engine-related complaints for the 2013 Nissan Altima, 9% of the 2,312 total complaints filed for the year. Owners reported failures at a median of 60,000 miles, with 6 fire reports and no related recall on file.

Engine complaints
206
9% of 2,312
Crashes reported
5
Fires reported
6
Injuries reported
3
Median mileage
60,000 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical engine symptoms owners report

  • Owners report smoke or fire from the engine compartment shortly after an oil change, sometimes followed by the vehicle being declared a total loss.
  • Some describe the engine failing outright at highway speed, with all warning lights illuminating and a burning odor before the vehicle lost power.
  • Several owners noticed overheating paired with transmission slipping or jerking, in some cases after a software reprogramming update.
  • Others report the transmission causing acceleration problems in motion, with the check engine light coming on and a mechanic tracing the issue to the transmission.
  • One owner reported the speedometer failing without warning at 47,000 miles, requiring dealer replacement.

When 2013 Nissan Altima engine complaints were filed

First complaint Aug 22, 2012, latest Aug 20, 2026.

2013 Nissan Altima engine complaints: complaints filed per quarter122012 Q32014 Q12015 Q32017 Q12018 Q32020 Q12021 Q42023 Q4
206 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2012 Q3 to 2026 Q3; peak 2018 Q4 (12).

Engine recalls for the 2013 Nissan Altima

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Engine complaints by Altima model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 201070 (18%)
  2. 201147 (20%)
  3. 2012105 (25%)
  4. 2013206 (9%)
  5. 2014100 (9%)
  6. 201595 (10%)
  7. 2016127 (23%)
  8. 201773 (19%)
  9. 201823 (10%)
  10. 201964 (28%)
  11. 202043 (27%)
  12. 20217 (10%)
  13. 20227 (23%)
  14. 20237 (24%)
  15. 20245 (12%)
  16. 20250 (0%)

Frequently asked questions

How many engine complaints does the 2013 Nissan Altima have?
NHTSA lists 206 engine-related complaints for the 2013 Altima, which makes up 9% of the 2,312 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for the 2013 Nissan Altima engine?
No related recall is listed in NHTSA data for this engine problem area on the 2013 Altima.
At what mileage do 2013 Nissan Altima engine problems usually happen?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this problem area is 60,000 miles.
Did the 2013 Nissan Altima engine problems cause fires or crashes?
NHTSA data tied to this problem area includes 6 fire reports, 5 crashes, and 3 injuries.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.