Home · 2013 · Nissan
2013 Nissan Maxima
Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.
62 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 14, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Why buy?
Transmission & drivetrain problems dominate (39% of complaints).
Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.
Complaints are overwhelmingly minor: almost none involve crashes, fires, or injuries.
Zero recalls, rare for a car this age.
The math, shown
Full methodology →Complaints filed per year
Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.
How it crashes
NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.
4/5 overall
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating · 2013 Nissan Maxima 4 DR FWD
Rollover risk in a single-vehicle crash: 10%
No open NHTSA defect investigations on file.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.
The road ahead
What breaks on a 2013 Nissan Maxima, plotted where owners report it happening.
Also reported (mileage varies): Transmission & drivetrain (24) · Airbags (16) · Lights (9)
Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.
Transmission & drivetrain
39%24 complaints
“The transmission is failing in my car it doesn't want to go. stalling out shuttering,jerking.”
Airbags
26%16 complaints
“NO 'TAKATA RECALL' AT THIS MOMENT BUT I WAS INJURED BECAUSE AIRBAG FAILED IN MY CHEST”
Lights
15%9 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years
“The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated while driving at night, the driver’s, and passenger's side headlights were very dim, failing to properly illu…”
Engine
6%4 complaints
“The transmission is failing in my car it doesn't want to go. stalling out shuttering,jerking.”
Recalls (0)
No recall campaigns on file for this model year.
Before you hand over money
Check the VIN for open recalls
NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.
Free NHTSA VIN check ↗Get a pre-purchase inspection
A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2013 Nissan MAXIMA beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2013? See how every Maxima model year scores →
Cross-shopping? Compare the 2013 Nissan Maxima against another car →
What owners say
Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.