Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: the numbers are mixed and the complaint record is worth reading before you commit.
Owners have filed 638 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Nissan Sentra, and it carries 6 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 238 | 37% |
| Service brakes | 64 | 10% |
| Air bags | 60 | 9% |
| Unknown or other | 34 | 5% |
| Engine | 31 | 5% |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 14 | 2% |
| Power train | 13 | 2% |
| Electrical system | 8 | 1% |
| Vehicle speed control | 8 | 1% |
| Power train | 8 | 1% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated, and the front passenger's side air bag warning light remained illuminated while the front passenger's seat was occ
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
Mileage (~124k) * RPM behavior * Loss of power uphill * Can cause a crash on highway with the cvt promblems nissian sentras sv has been cause of loss of power out of no where needs to be addressed as a recall maintenance
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
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
NHTSA complaint: Engine
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 safe
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
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 proble
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
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
NHTSA complaint: Fuel system
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 a
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
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
NHTSA complaint: Power train
NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2013 Nissan Sentra. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
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 Occup
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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
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
Risk: 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
Fix: 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
Risk: 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)
Fix: 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
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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 Alti
| Reliability | 58 | average |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 67 | good |
| Maintenance | 82 | excellent |
| Depreciation | 61 | average |
| Performance | 43 | below average |
| Efficiency | 53 | average |
| Safety | 80 | excellent |
Percentile ranks against other midsize & large cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 638 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and power train is the most reported area with 238 of them (37%). There are 6 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 58/100 (average) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density, adjusted for how many were sold so a popular model is not penalised for having more owners.
AVOIR scores its longevity 67/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2013 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: be careful, because the numbers are mixed and the complaint record is worth reading before you commit. Its overall ownership score is 65/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.