2013 NISSAN SENTRA — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

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4/5

★★★★

Safety Rating

866

Owner Complaints

35 Crashes 6 Fires 2 Deaths

6

Recalls

ACTIVE RECALL

54

Service Bulletins

1

Investigation

Overview of the 2013 NISSAN SENTRA

The 2013 NISSAN SENTRA has received a total of 866 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 8 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION. 54 technical service bulletins have been issued by Nissan North America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Power Train (308 complaints), Air Bags (95 complaints), and Service Brakes (95 complaints).

Recalls for the 2013 NISSAN SENTRA

NHTSA has recorded 8 recalls for the 2013 NISSAN SENTRA, potentially affecting up to 6,006,515 vehicles.

Recall 16V242000 — AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

| 645,898 vehicles affected

Defect: 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...

Consequence: If the frontal passenger air bag deploys in the event of a crash when a child seat is installed in the front passenger seat, there will be an increased risk of injury to the child in the CRS.

Remedy: 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...

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Recall 16V244000 — AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

| 3,296,947 vehicles affected

Defect: 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...

Consequence: If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.

Remedy: 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...

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Recall 15V681000 — AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

| 919 vehicles affected

Defect: 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...

Consequence: If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger air bag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.

Remedy: 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.

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Recall 15V681000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

| 919 vehicles affected

Defect: 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...

Consequence: If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger air bag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.

Remedy: 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.

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Recall 14V138000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

| 989,701 vehicles affected

Defect: 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.

Consequence: If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger airbag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.

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.

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Recall 14V138000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

| 989,701 vehicles affected

Defect: 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.

Consequence: If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger airbag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.

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.

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Recall 13V069000 — AIR BAGS

| 82,038 vehicles affected

Defect: 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.

Consequence: If the vehicle is involved in a crash necessitating airbag deployment and the passenger airbag is suppressed, there may be an increased risk of personal injury.

Remedy: 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.

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Recall 13V068000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

| 392 vehicles affected

Defect: 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.

Consequence: A gasoline leak in the presence of an ignition source may lead to a vehicle fire.

Remedy: 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.

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Owner Complaints for the 2013 NISSAN SENTRA

866 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2013 NISSAN SENTRA. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.

Power Train
Complaints: 308 1 Crash 2 Injuries
Air Bags
Complaints: 95 11 Crashes 12 Injuries
Service Brakes
Complaints: 95 9 Crashes 5 Injuries
Engine
Complaints: 86 2 Crashes 3 Fires 2 Injuries 1 Death
Unknown Or Other
Complaints: 63 2 Crashes 2 Fires 4 Injuries
Vehicle Speed Control
Complaints: 51 2 Crashes 1 Injury
Electrical System
Complaints: 41 2 Crashes 1 Fire 1 Injury 1 Death
Fuelpropulsion System
Complaints: 33
Steering
Complaints: 16
Electronic Stability Control Esc
Complaints: 13 1 Crash 2 Injuries
Seat Belts
Complaints: 12 1 Crash 1 Injury
Suspension
Complaints: 7
Wheels
Complaints: 7
Engine And Engine Cooling
Complaints: 4
Exterior Lighting
Complaints: 4
Structurebody
Complaints: 4 3 Crashes 2 Injuries
Seats
Complaints: 3
Visibilitywiper
Complaints: 3
Fuel System Gasoline
Complaints: 2
Power Trainautomatic Transmission
Complaints: 2
Air Bagsfrontal
Complaints: 1
Electrical System Instrument Clusterpanel
Complaints: 1
Electrical System12v24v48v Battery
Complaints: 1
Electrical Systemwiring
Complaints: 1
Forward Collision Avoidance Warnings
Complaints: 1
Fuel System Gasolinedeliveryfuel Pump
Complaints: 1
Fuel System Otherstoragefuel Gauge System
Complaints: 1
Latcheslockslinkages
Complaints: 1
Seat Beltsfrontwarning Lightdevices
Complaints: 1
Service Brakes Hydraulic
Complaints: 1 1 Crash 2 Injuries
Service Brakes Hydraulicantilocktraction Controlelectronic Limited Slip
Complaints: 1
Structure
Complaints: 1
Tirespressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems
Complaints: 1
Traction Control System
Complaints: 1
Visibility
Complaints: 1
Visibilitysunmoon Roof Assembly
Complaints: 1
Visibilitywindshield Wiperwasher
Complaints: 1

Most Recent Complaints

#11708671 | AIR BAGS | | N/A miles
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.
#11708671 | SEAT BELTS | | N/A miles
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.
#11708671 | SEATS | | N/A miles
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.
#11706628 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | | 173,000 miles
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.
#11706519 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | | N/A miles
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.

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Safety Rating for the 2013 NISSAN SENTRA

The 2013 NISSAN SENTRA received an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).

Test Category Rating
Overall Rating ★★★★ (4/5)
Frontal Crash ★★★★ (4/5)
Side Crash ★★★★★ (5/5)
Rollover ★★★★ (4/5)

Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.

Technical Service Bulletins for the 2013 NISSAN SENTRA

Nissan North America, Inc. has issued 54 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2013 NISSAN SENTRA. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.

NTB18-058F — POWER TRAIN

ENHANCED DIAGNOSTIC LOGIC FOR CVT This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

NTB22-007A — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)

2013-2016 ALTIMA AND SENTRA; REAR OXYGEN SENSOR VOLTAGE INSPECTION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

NTB16-063A — EQUIPMENT

WORN IGNITION KEY WILL NOT TURN THE IGNITION SWITCH This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

NTB17-034i — POWER TRAIN

2013-2017 SENTRA AND VERSA SEDAN, AND 2014-2017 VERSA NOTE; CVT JUDDER AND/OR P0746/P0965/P17F0/P0846 STORED This bulletin applies only to vehicles equipped with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

NTB18-058b — POWER TRAIN

2013-2017 SENTRA; ENHANCED DIAGNOSTIC LOGIC FOR CVT This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

NTB18-051 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2013-2017 SENTRA; ECM REPROGRAM This bulletin applies only to vehicles equipped with a non-turbo engine. INTRODUCTION Nissan is conducting this voluntary service campaign on certain specific model year 2013-2017 Sentra vehicles that are currently registered in the states of Arizona or Nevada. 2013- 2014 Sentra vehicles will...

NTB16-086b — EQUIPMENT

2013-2014 SENTRA; ENGINE TURNS OFF OR HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP DURING HOT AMBIENT TEMPERATURES (100°F OR MORE) This bulletin has been amended to update Table A. No other changes were made. Discard previous versions of this bulletin.

NTB15-069a — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2013-2014 SENTRA, 2012-2014 VERSA SEDAN, AND 2014 VERSA NOTE; CVT REPROGRAMMING This bulletin has been amended. The Service Procedure has changed. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

NTB16-086a — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

2013-2014 SENTRA; ENGINE TURNS OFF OR HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP DURING HOT AMBIENT TEMPERATURES (100°F OR MORE) This bulletin has been amended to update the Applied Vehicles, Claims Information, and other changes on pages 2 and 5. No other changes were made. Please discard previous versions of this...

NTB17-059a — EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

2013 ? 2016 SENTRA; OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM RETROFIT This bulletin has been amended. The CLAIMS INFORMATION section has been revised. No other changes have been made. Please discard all previous versions of this bulletin.

Showing 10 of 54 technical service bulletins.

NHTSA Investigations for the 2013 NISSAN SENTRA

NHTSA has opened 1 investigation into potential safety defects in the 2013 NISSAN SENTRA.

Investigation PE14014 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER Closed

Opened:

Excessive Brake Pedal Travel

Other Model Years of the NISSAN SENTRA

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