2013 Nissan Sentra: engine and transmission complaints
VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
71%
388 of 545 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
71% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2013 Nissan Sentra are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.
Worse than 92% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 93 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 61%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
AIR BAGS,ENGINE06/04/2021CRASH1 INJURED
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at 45 mph when the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who inspected the vehicle and found no issue and could turn off the warning light, however, after a few days, the warning light illuminated again. …
POWER TRAIN12/16/20191 INJURED
SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED, PURCHASED THE CAR BRAND NEW FROM MIDWAY NISSAN, 11/2013, THEN 07/2014, WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, IT COMPLETELY STOPPED ON US. THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED AT FAULKNER NISSAN IN PA. ONCE AGAIN DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY IN MD, WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC, THE TRANSMISSION GIVES OUT, THESE RESUL…
POWER TRAIN08/10/20181 INJURED
BOUGHT THIS CAR, MY FIRST CAR ON 04/20/2018. I HAVE A SHORT COMMUTE TO WORK AND THE CAR SEEMED TO FIT MY PRICE RANGE AND DIDN'T SEE MANY DIRE COMPLAINTS ON THIS SPECIFIC MODEL OF CAR WHILE RESEARCHING BEFORE PURCHASING. UNTIL I SEARCHED RPM SPIKES AND TRANSMISSION SLIPS ON GOOGLE AFTER MY 60 DAY LIMITED WARRANTY RAN OU…
Three of 388 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (6)
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
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 …
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima and Pathfinder vehicles, 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra vehicles, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicle…
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
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…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2013 Nissan Sentra
Ask the seller whether the transmission has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many transmission faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the transmission.
6 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
