2013 Nissan Altima Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 505 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2013 Nissan Altima, 22% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 69,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “cvt transmission” (14% of reports).
- 505power train complaints
- 69,000median miles at failure
- 8mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $5,000typical repair cost reported by owners
- 30%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- CVT transmission: mentioned in 72 of 505 complaints (14%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2013 Nissan Altima at $5,000, and half of them between $3,250 and $5,550.
Based on 46 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2015–2023), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 433 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 505 complaints, 8 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 3 an injury.
Nissan Altima power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Altima | 1 | 14% | — |
| 2024 Altima | 4 | 10% | — |
| 2023 Altima | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2022 Altima | 4 | 13% | — |
| 2021 Altima | 3 | 4% | — |
| 2020 Altima | 17 | 11% | 14,500 |
| 2019 Altima | 9 | 4% | 82,000 |
| 2018 Altima | 24 | 11% | 12,105 |
| 2017 Altima | 133 | 34% | 66,000 |
| 2016 Altima | 235 | 42% | 64,700 |
| 2015 Altima | 161 | 17% | 61,500 |
| 2014 Altima | 209 | 19% | 70,000 |
| 2013 Altima | 505 | 22% | 69,000 |
| 2012 Altima | 149 | 35% | 92,800 |
| 2011 Altima | 68 | 28% | 100,200 |
| 2010 Altima | 73 | 19% | 54,964 |
| 2009 Altima | 95 | 6% | 120,000 |
| 2008 Altima | 80 | 8% | 110,000 |
| 2007 Altima | 62 | 13% | 103,000 |
| 2006 Altima | 79 | 10% | 55,500 |
| 2005 Altima | 115 | 11% | 65,749 |
| 2004 Altima | 17 | 6% | 61,500 |
| 2003 Altima | 34 | 4% | 59,000 |
| 2002 Altima | 39 | 4% | 80,000 |
| 2001 Altima | 6 | 4% | 453,400 |
| 2000 Altima | 9 | 6% | 36,000 |
| 1999 Altima | 7 | 8% | — |
| 1998 Altima | 6 | 5% | 164,500 |
| 1997 Altima | 8 | 7% | 131,000 |
| 1996 Altima | 7 | 8% | — |
| 1995 Altima | 27 | 15% | 83,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 2013 Nissan Altima. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The car feels unbalanced and shifting is bad
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a stop sign, the vehicle accelerated to approximately 15 MPH and then unexpectedly decelerated. The contact attempted to depress the accelerator; however, the vehicle lost automotive power and…
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the RPM became elevated, and the vehicle started accelerating unintendedly. The contact immediately depressed the brake pedal and entered a parking lot where the vehicle lost automotive power…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2013 Nissan Altimas have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 505 owner complaints about power train for the 2013 Nissan Altima (22% of the 2,313 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2013 Nissan Altima power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 69,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2013 Nissan Altima?
Owners report a typical cost of $5,000 (half paid between $3,250 and $5,550), from 46 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2013 Nissan Altima?
The most frequent phrase is “cvt transmission”, in 72 of 505 complaints.
Other 2013 Nissan Altima problems
- Air Bags problems (514)
- Exterior Lighting problems (442)
- Suspension problems (289)
- Electrical System problems (159)
- Engine problems (158)
- Structure problems (134)
- Steering problems (94)
- Latches/locks/linkages problems (60)
See all 2013 Nissan Altima problems or power train problems across all Altima years.