Home · 2013 Nissan Sentra Nismo · Complaints

What 638 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Nissan Sentra Nismo

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (638)Crash / fire / injury (32)Transmission & drivetrain (311)Brakes (97)Airbags (96)Engine (87)Speed control (51)Electrical system (43)Fuel system (36)Steering (16)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (13)Seat belts (13)

96 of 638 complaints match · Airbags · clear filters · page 1 of 4

Jun 26, 2026Airbags

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 occupied. The contact stated that the dealer had previously repaired the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V244000 (AIR BAGS), and the contact was provided a letter stating that the vehicle was eligible for additional repairs for 15 years. The manufacturer was contacted, a case was filed, and the contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who failed to honor the letter and provided an estimate for the diagnostic test, and the contact declined. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer then closed the case. The failure mileage was approximately 16,050.

NHTSA ODI 11746802

Jan 4, 2026AirbagsSeat beltsSeats

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 safety defect persists. Specifically, the passenger seatbelt warning light remains illuminated when the passenger seat is empty, indicating the OCS sensor is incorrectly classifying seat occupancy. This malfunction directly impacts the vehicle's ability to correctly deploy or withhold airbags in a collision. The dealership refused to re-evaluate the failed repair without legal representation. Furthermore, the Multi-Point Inspection provided during this safety recall visit was falsified; a technician hand-wrote a failing brake measurement of '3mm,' yet the Service Advisor marked the system as 'Green/Safe' on the final document. This documentation fraud makes their certification of the recall repair unreliable. They have since refused to re-inspect the safety defect.

NHTSA ODI 11708671

Sep 12, 2024Airbags

The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds with the passenger’s side front seat occupied, the “Air Bag Off” warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where DTC code: B00A0 was retrieved. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that a software update was needed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 23,000.

NHTSA ODI 11614138

Oct 17, 2023Airbags

I went to get my car inspected and they noticed that my airbag light was on, and that even with a passenger in the seat, the airbag sensor wouldn’t work. I came across an article saying there was a recall for 2013 Nissan’s with airbag sensor problems, but when I went to go see if my car qualified, they said no.

NHTSA ODI 11550354

Mar 13, 2023Transmission & drivetrainAirbagsEngine

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON, SLOW TO ACCELERATE CVT IS ACTING UP

NHTSA ODI 11511648

Feb 24, 2023AirbagsCrash

Slid on black ice (luckily only going about 40mph) car hit a cement guard rail head on severally damaging the entire front of the car (waiting on if it's totaled) no injuries but air bags did not deploy. Well it wasn't super fast that hard of a head on hit they should have deployed.

NHTSA ODI 11508841

Jan 27, 2023Transmission & drivetrainAirbags

The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power and stalled. During the failure, the check engine and air bags warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 61,000.

NHTSA ODI 11503942

Jan 19, 2023Airbags

Passenger air bag turn off after being replaced from recall

NHTSA ODI 11502545

Aug 18, 2022AirbagsSeat beltsSeats

My complaint is that Clear Lake Nissan failed to properly repair a recall on my 2013 Sentra. The recall is located at: https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2013/NISSAN/SENTRA/4%252520DR/FWD#recalls. The Recall Campaign Bulletin # NTB13-032b / Campaign ID#: PC213 / NTSA#: 13V-069. It is located at: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2013/RCRIT-13V069-4312.pdf. The date of initial issue was 8/5/2022. Associate at Clear Lake Nissan committed to run repairs on CVT reprograming & repair of OCS recall to include sensor and seatbelt repair, parts, and labor. Clear Lake Nissan has not attempted to resolve the issue; instead told me they will have to charge me a diagnostic fee of $181 and then parts and labor to do the repair. I asked to speak to a supervisor or manager and was told they will reach out to me via a phone call, but I have yet to receive a call from either a supervisor nor a manager. Please see uploaded files to include a more detailed write up of complaint with specific recall details & explanation of events.

NHTSA ODI 11480089

Mar 23, 2022Airbags1 injury

On Saturday morning about 12:03, my son was in an accident. the car rolled over, there were a total of 4 people if the vehicle. the air bags didn't deploy. the 4 people had injuries consisting of concussion, a shattered foot, sprained wrist, and other injuries. I have an open claim with the insurance company. there were no other vehicles involved. The police came to the seen and the vehicle will be investigated further.

NHTSA ODI 11458078

Feb 3, 2022Airbags

The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the passenger’s side air bag warning light was flashing. Additionally, the warning light remained off with an occupant seated in the passenger’s seat. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer on two separate occasions for diagnostic testing and was informed that the issue was related to the seat wiring. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who notified her of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V681000 (Air Bags) however, the dealer informed her that her vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11450185

Jan 3, 2022AirbagsCrash1 injury

Unknown I don't have memory of incident.

NHTSA ODI 11446012

Oct 3, 2021Airbags

Both my driver and passenger seat airbag signals are on and say they the seat is empty, when someone is in the seat, meaning if I crash neither airbags would deploy. I took it to the dealership and they said my VIN wasn’t covered by any recalls.

NHTSA ODI 11435304

Sep 3, 2021SuspensionTransmission & drivetrainAirbags

2013 Nissan sentra sr 66,000 miles transmission blew out, while driving on the street it sputtered, choked and lost power and started making a loud clanking noise.

NHTSA ODI 11431570

Jun 12, 2021AirbagsCrash

I was in an accident a guy hit my front right side and insurance totaled it . My airbags never deployed

NHTSA ODI 11420675

Jun 4, 2021AirbagsEngineCrash1 injury

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. While driving at undisclosed speed, the contact was hit head-on by another vehicle causing damage to the front driver side of the vehicle. The air bag did not deploy. There was medical treatment at the scene. There was no one injured, however, the contact was unconscious for a minute and had some pain in their back but did not go to the hospital. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent body shop who did some repairs to the front driver side of the vehicle, and also inspected the vehicle and found issues with air bags and oil leakage to the engine but was not able to repair those issues. The vehicle was not fully repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage approximate was 210,000.

NHTSA ODI 11419699

Jan 28, 2020Airbags

THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE IN OCTOBER 2015. I CALLED THE NUMBER ASKED TO CALL AND WAS TOLD TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER CLOSE TO ME. WHEN I DID THAT I TOOK THE CAR TO NISSAN DEALS ON AUTOMOBILE BLVD IN SILVER SPRING, I WAS TOLD THAT SOMEONE HAS TO SIT ON THE PASSENGER SIT FOR THE AIRBAG LIGHT TO GO OFF. I ASKED WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN THE CAR IS DUE FOR INSPECTION . THE TECHNICIAN SAID THAT WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF BEFORE THE INSPECTION TIME. AS I WRITING THOS COMPLIANT, THE LIGHT IS STILL SHOWING AND ON GOING TO THE INSPECTION, I WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR HAS FAILED INSPECTION BECAUSE OF THE AIRBAG BEEN DISFUNCTIONAL. I HAVE CALLED NISSAN MOTOR AND THEY ARE GIVING ME THE GO AROUND AND NOT ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF THE RECALL THAT CAUSED MY CAR NOT TO PASS INSPECTION. PLEASE I NEED HELP AS THE RECALL ISSUE WAS NOT ADDRESSED WHICH HAS CAUSED THE PROBLEM NOW.FOR MY NISSAN SENTRA 2013.

NHTSA ODI 11302432

Dec 20, 2019Airbags

THE DRIVER AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON, ON THE DASHBOARD. IT TURNS ON WHEN I START THE CAR AND IT STAYS ON. ONE DAY IT WAS OFF WHEN I FIRST TURNED ON THE CAR, BUT AS I DROVE A COUPLE OF BLOCKS IT TURNED ON. I WENT TO A MECHANIC AND HE RAN A DIAGNOSTICS AND IT CAME BACK WITH CODE B00A0-00 OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM DATA 4 SENSOR - HISTORY FAULT. HE SUGGESTED I GO BACK TO NISSAN. NISSAN TOLD ME THERE ARE NO RECALLS AND I WOULD HAVE TO FIRST PAY $180.00 FOR THEM TO RUN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND THEN PAY FOR ANY REPAIRS. I AM CONCERNED AS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, I AM NOT SURE IF THE DRIVERS AIR BAG WILL DEPLOY. I HAVE NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT WITH THIS CAR AND IT HAS LOW MILEAGE ABOUT 12,200 MILES. ALSO, I HADE THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG STATUS LIGHT OPERATION RECALL FIXED IN 2016.

NHTSA ODI 11290324

Sep 21, 2019Airbags

AIR BAG CONTROL UNIT IS NOT OPERATING. OCS SENSOR IS NOT OPERATING

NHTSA ODI 11257090

Sep 1, 2019Transmission & drivetrainAirbags

TRANSMISSION DOESN'T SHIFT SMOOTHLY. JERKS AT HIGH OR LOW SPEEDS. RPMS REV UP PAST 5 WHICH REQUIRES ME TO RELEASE THE ACCELERATOR FOR VEHICLE TO SHIFT. AS OF JAN 3 2019. AIR BAGS WERE FIXED DURING RECALL. IN 2016. HOWEVER LIGHTS CAME ON IMMEDIATELY AND NEVER WENT OFF. DEALER CONTINUES TO WANT ME TO PAY FOR REPAIRS.

NHTSA ODI 11252701

Aug 12, 2019Airbags

DRIVER AIRBAG LIGHTS KEEP TURNING ON AND OFF ON THE DASHBOARD. IT TURNS ON WHEN I START MY CAR OR WHILE I'M DRIVING, AND STAYS ON. THERE ARE SOME DAYS WHERE IT DOES NOT COME ON IN THE MORNING, AND THEN IT WILL COME ON IN THE AFTERNOON. RIGHT NOW THE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR 2 DAYS IN A ROW.

NHTSA ODI 11243376

Jul 3, 2019Airbags

SUPPLEMENTAL AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WONT GO OFF. WAS IN MOTION ON I 95

NHTSA ODI 11229378

May 22, 2019Airbags

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V242000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ACME NISSAN (2050 US-130, MONMOUTH JUNCTION, NJ, (732) 821-9300) WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED BEFORE THE RECALL REPAIR COULD BE COMPLETED; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT DECLINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

NHTSA ODI 11209205

May 15, 2019AirbagsSeat belts

ONE DAY I GOT IN MY CAR WITH MY MOTHER AND IT TOLD ME THAT THE PASSAGER AIR BAG WAS OFF BUT SHE WAS SITTING IN IT. I HAD JUST TURNED IT ON AND THE DAY BEFORE THAT IT WAS FINE. ALSO THE ONE ON MY DASH SAID THAT THERE WAS A AIR BAG PROBLEM. IT WASN'T HIT OR TOUCHED IT WAS TRULY OVER NIGHT INFRONT OF MY HOUSE THEN THE LIGHTS FOR THE AIR BAG WERE ON WHEN I STARTED MY CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11207827

May 2, 2019Airbags

THE AIRBAG LIGHT REMAINS ON IN THE DASH BOARD AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT REMAINS ON EVEN A PASSENGER IS SEATED IN THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11205325

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Working with the data? Download all 638 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 21, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2013 Nissan Sentra Nismo verdict →