Nissan · Sentra · 2013
6
Recalls
635
Complaints
4/5
Safety Rating
The 2013 Nissan Sentra has 6 recalls and 635 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Overall safety rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Most reported issue: power train (237 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
Frontal Crash Test

Side Crash Test

Overall Frontal Rating
Driver and Passenger Assessment
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Overall Side Rating
Side Barrier and Side Pole Tests
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Rollover Resistance
12.1% rollover risk in single-vehicle crash
Safety Features
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, Sentra, and Infiniti JX35 vehicles. Sensors within the passenger Occupant Detection System (ODS) may have been manufactured out of specification. This may cause the system to malfunction and permanently suppress the passenger airbag.
Remedy Status
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ODS sensors and replace them as neccessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 6, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Sentra vehicles manufactured from September 11, 2012, through October 4, 2012. Some fuel tank assemblies were not properly sealed during the manufacturing process. As a result, a small amount of gasoline may leak from the tank when it is full.
Remedy Status
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tanks as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 1, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Sentra vehicles manufactured June 4, 2012, to April 9, 2016. The front passenger seat belt bracket may become deformed if it is used to secure a Child Restraint System (CRS). The deformed seat bracket may cause the Occupant Classification System (OCS) to incorrectly classify the installed CRS, resulting in the front passenger air bag to not be turned off as designed when a CRS is in the seat.
Remedy Status
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reinforce the seat belt bracket as well as reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU), free of charge. The recall began on June 13, 2016. Owners are warned not to install a CRS in the front seat. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima and Pathfinder vehicles, 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra vehicles, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles, 2014-2015 Infiniti QX60 vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles received an incorrect occupant classification system (OCS) control unit during a repair. These OCS control units may incorrectly classify the front passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
Remedy Status
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
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. In the affected vehicles, the occupant classification system (OCS) software may incorrectly classify the passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
Remedy Status
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.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.
Remedy Status
Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.
I am reporting a failed remedy for Recall R1608 (Occupant Classification System). My 2013 Nissan Sentra was serviced at Nissan of Van Nuys for this recall. Despite the dealership marking the recall as completed, the safety defect persists. Specifically, the passenger seatbelt warning light remains illuminated when the passenger seat is empty, indicating the OCS sensor is incorrectly classifying seat occupancy. This malfunction directly impacts the vehicle's ability to correctly deploy or withhold airbags in a collision. The dealership refused to re-evaluate the failed repair without legal representation. Furthermore, the Multi-Point Inspection provided during this safety recall visit was falsified; a technician hand-wrote a failing brake measurement of '3mm,' yet the Service Advisor marked the system as 'Green/Safe' on the final document. This documentation fraud makes their certification of the recall repair unreliable. They have since refused to re-inspect the safety defect.
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while attempting to refuel the vehicle, fuel started spewing out of the fuel filler neck. The contact waited until the fuel level was almost empty and slowly pumped gasoline into the fuel tank. The vehicle was taken to three separate mechanics and was informed that the issue was related to the oxygen sensor; however, two mechanics also stated that the issue could be related to a defect with the EVAP system. The contact then stated that while driving at highway speeds, the vehicle began to lose power while depressing the accelerator pedal, as the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate above 40 MPH and pulled over. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle several times but was unsuccessful. The contact called the mechanic, who advised the contact to restart the vehicle in neutral(N). Once the vehicle was in neutral(N), the contact was able to restart the vehicle and resume normal operation. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that there was a Nissan recall for the rear O2 sensor under NISSAN ID: P1A25. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for service; however, the dealer refused to service the vehicle due to the check engine warning light and other issues that the dealer claimed would affect the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 173,000.
While driving, the start/stop button was pressed and the vehicle turned off while in motion. WHILE IN D, THE VEHICLE TURNED OFF WHILE IN TRAFFIC, IN MOTION, DUE TO THE STOP/START BUTTON BEING PRESSED. It should not be able to shut off while in drive. The safety feature should not allow that.
The CVT transmission has a serious problem it does this jerking movement and could lead to an accident or serious bodily injury to occupants in the vehicle I am filing a complaint regarding the CVT transmission failure in my 2013 Nissan Sentra (VIN: [XXX] ). The vehicle began showing symptoms such as jerking, hesitation, and loss of power while driving. These are serious safety concerns, especially when merging or accelerating. After researching the issue, I discovered this is a well-documented and widespread defect in Nissan CVT-equipped vehicles from this generation. Many other owners have experienced premature transmission failure, and Nissan has issued extended warranties in the past on certain models. However, despite clear signs of defective transmission design, my vehicle has not been covered under any warranty or recall. I believe this defect poses a serious safety hazard and should be addressed by Nissan through a recall or formal investigation. Transmission failure while driving could easily lead to a crash. I urge the NHTSA to open an investigation and compel Nissan to take accountability for this widespread transmission failure. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Transmission has failed. The car will not change speed when pressing on gas. Causing danger on the road when driven. The issue has been confirmed by an independent auto service. No warning lamps or identifiers has been present with this issue. The vehicle itself has only 97000 miles. This transmission issue with this vehicle is a known problem and many owners of this vehicle has reported this exact issue.
The car was stalled and wouldn’t go without warning and no indication issues were present. When it stalled driver put at risk of being hit and caused multiple cars to swerve to miss the car. Thankfully able to get the car off the road and toed. Transmission completely failed.
Vehicle loses power fails to excellerate while traveling on the freeway Cvt transmission is very difficult to work on or check fluids
It's slipping in the transmission
2013 Nissan Sentra that I bought brand new in 2014 with only about 15 miles on it. December 2024 In the middle of traffic the vehicle would not accelerate forward, even when almost flooring the gas pedal. This would only Rev up the engine as if I was in park. I was able to drive in reverse to a park in a lot next to where the vehicle stalled. There were not any warning lights at anytime prior to the incident. The mechanic did take a look at it and believed it was a transmission issue. The first time this happened was about 2018 with the same type of scenario. The transmission was replaced $4000+ later by Nissan but when they gave the car back the AC did not work and I had to replace the compressor. They denied any wrong doing at the Nissan dealership but it was fine before I dropped it off except the transmission.
Fuel tank leaks gas
Erractic rpms. Shakes/hesitant on take off from stop. Accelerator can be pushed all the way and it goes 5mph. Shifting takes a good minute with shakiness. Can not drive in rush hour traffic almost got accident many times.
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds with the passenger’s side front seat occupied, the “Air Bag Off” warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where DTC code: B00A0 was retrieved. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that a software update was needed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 23,000.
The problem with my 2013 Nissan Sentra relates to the transmission which was serviced April 22, 2024 at Passport Nissan in Suitland, M D. Two months later, June 12, 2024 my car was serviced again for transmission problelms. The CVT transmission unit was replaced because of internal malfunction on the transmission assembly. My car is currently unsafe 1 year and six months later with transmission problems. The recent diagnosis requires removing the existing transmission assembly and installing a new one to ensure proper functioning of the drivetrain. The cost is $7,509.41. My contention is that the transmission is still faulty and unsafe after multiple paid service attempts. Nissan service management informs that service is outside of the warranty by one month because of their recent policy change. Please assist with transmission repairs at no cost to me since it has not been serviced properly and is unsafe to me and my family. I would appreciate knowing what if anything can be done to help with transmission repair at no additional cost to me. Thank you.
The car has stalled or completely become unresponsive during traffic. I notified dealer but nothing was done. No warning lights the problem started about three years ago around 60000 miles. Just recently took to independent auto shop and was told it's a bad transmission
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that similar model year vehicles were recalled for the transmission failure; however, the VIN was not included in a powertrain recall. The failure was a recurring failure. The contact stated that the vehicle had been parked in the backyard for over a year and was no longer driven due to safety concerns. The failure mileage was not provided.
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost automotive power and failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 65,000.
Feb 26th, 2024 i drove my car for the first time since having surgery on Jan. 11, 2024. I was going about 35 mph when extremely fast the car radio turned off it felt as if the engine was also turned off but within a blink of your eye the car was turned back on , all by itself, a tiny jerk, nothing major. I instantly looked at the temp gauge, made sure the key was in ignition correctly. There was nothing to signal a problem. The next day i didnt leave my home. On Feb. 28, 2024 i drove the car about 7 miles and it did this same glitch twice .Again all gauges read normal, i got out of the car this time popped the hood. No smoke , no burning smell or any smell at all. I checked the fluids, the belt, the battery connections everything was fine. Later that night a family member had someone try breaking into their home. Very upset i decided to leave my home and drive over to be if some comfort. I drove a total of 21 miles, as i was turning into the driveway the car fid it again however this time i had to get it in park and restart my car. Again no over heating no smoke no burning or fuel smells. I parked the car went inside. About 7 minutes later , definitely no more than 10 minutes, i heared a loud bang. I look outside and my entire motor was on fire and the tire had already blown!! In under ten minutes!! I tried putting the fire out with the water hose but 911 dispatch heard the second tire blow and repeatedly asked me to stop and go inside the home that fire fighters were on their way . I had let my insurance go since i had emergency surgery and was unable to drive or work and pay for it. I bought this car in aug. 2020 and had to replace the cvt transmission nov. 2022. And now no car. This could have been a tragedy if anyone had small children and had ran back inside because they forgot a coat or a book bag, please look into this for other customers safety. Firefighters said it was so burnt they couldn't begin to tell how or where the fire started.
CVT Transmission, available for inspection any time. I was driving in a public area that’s heavily trafficked when this happened. My car gave out and would not continue in drive. All the other gears worked at the time besides driving forward. This could’ve ended very badly to other people on the road. I had to take it to a shop twice. Nissan automatically told me it’s a transmission issue and several recalls with CVT transmissions, took it for a second opinion just to make sure and the second shop also said it’s the CVT transmission. My dash did not have any warning lights to show what was the problem.
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that several years ago an unknown recall notification was received; however, the dealer failed to complete the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
My car doesn’t accelerate. I was driving and a car behind me almost hit me because I pressed on the gas but it didn’t go
Showing 1–20 of 25 complaints
The 2013 Nissan Sentra has 6 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 635 owner-reported complaints for the 2013 Nissan Sentra.
The 2013 Nissan Sentra received an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars from NHTSA.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2013 Nissan Sentra are power train (237 reports), service brakes (64 reports), air bags (59 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 6 recalls on record for the 2013 Nissan Sentra. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
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This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.