2013 Nissan Sentra: Recalls, Problems & MPG
Here are the deets on the 2013 Nissan Sentra: 6 recalls, 638 owner complaints and up to 33 mpg combined.
Recalls
6 vehicle recalls from the manufacturer. Repairs are free. Check your VIN to see if one is still open on your car.
Airbags Vehicle recall #13V069000 · 2013 · 82,038 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: 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.
Fuel system Vehicle recall #13V068000 · 2013 · 392 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: A gasoline leak in the presence of an ignition source May lead to a vehicle fire.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tanks as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 1, 2013.
Electrical, Airbags Vehicle recall #14V138000 · 2014 · 989,701 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the ocs software, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2014.
Airbags, Airbags Vehicle recall #15V681000 · 2015 · 919 vehicles
What's wrong: 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…
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the ocs software, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2015.
Airbags Vehicle recall #16V244000 · 2016 · 3,296,947 vehicles
What's wrong: 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…
Why it matters: 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.
The 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 altima, maxima, murano, rogue, and sentra vehicles, and replace the ocs ECU in leaf, nv200, nv200 taxi,…
Airbags Vehicle recall #16V242000 · 2016 · 645,898 vehicles
What's wrong: 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…
Why it matters: 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.
The 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 on June 13, 2016. Owners are warned not to install a crs in the front seat.
Most-reported problems
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component. One complaint can list several components. 4 mention a fire, 20 injuries and 1 deaths were reported.
What owners describe
- Transmission & drivetrain (311): the most common themes are hard / delayed shifting (140), stalls / loses power (61), warning light on (49).
- Airbags (96): the most common themes are warning light on (24), fails to deploy (8).
- Brakes (95): the most common themes are noise or vibration (37), brake failure / soft pedal (29).
- Engine (87): the most common themes are stalls / loses power (27), warning light on (18).
The 2013 Nissan Sentra has 638 owner complaints, ranking #1 of 37 Sentra model years for complaints (4.0× the average Sentra year). Complaints peaked in 2018 (115 filed that year). The typical problem showed up when the car was about 5 years old, at a median of 61,000 miles. Neighboring years: 2012 (180 complaints, 0 recalls), 2014 (380 complaints, 5 recalls).
Engines & fuel economy (EPA)
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8 L 4-cyl | Automatic (variable gear ratios) | Front-Wheel Drive | 30 | 38 | 33 | Regular |
| 1.8 L 4-cyl | Automatic (variable gear ratios) | Front-Wheel Drive | 29 | 38 | 33 | Regular |
| 1.8 L 4-cyl | Manual 6-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 27 | 35 | 30 | Regular |
Want the full repair deets? Get the factory manual.
Recall and complaint data tells you what goes wrong. A service manual tells you how to fix it: torque specs, wiring diagrams, fluid capacities and step-by-step procedures for the 2013 Nissan Sentra.
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FAQ
Does the 2013 Nissan Sentra have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 6 vehicle recalls for the 2013 Nissan Sentra. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, no matter how old the car is. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common 2013 Nissan Sentra problems?
Owners have filed 638 complaints with NHTSA. The most-reported areas are transmission & drivetrain (311), airbags (96), brakes (95).
What gas mileage does the 2013 Nissan Sentra get?
EPA ratings run up to 33 mpg combined (1.8 L, Automatic (variable gear ratios)), across 3 engine and transmission combos.
Where can I get a 2013 Nissan Sentra repair manual?
eManualOnline sells downloadable manuals, Mitchell 1 DIY and ALLDATAdiy sell online access to factory repair data, and Haynes sells printed guides and online access. Pick a download if you want to keep it, or a subscription for wiring diagrams and TSBs.