2013 Nissan Altima Exterior Lighting Problems
- 216
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 216 stored complaint records:
- 6 indicate a crash
- 1 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- high beams · 36 records
- beam headlights · 30 records
- drive night · 30 records
- replaced bulbs · 18 records
- safety issue · 12 records
- head lights · 10 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 60 |
| 100–150k mi | 31 |
| 30–60k mi | 28 |
| 1–30k mi | 17 |
| 150–400k mi | 6 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Exterior Lighting
I bought my 2013 nissan altima 2.5 brand new in 2012. Over the past 7 years, my low beam headlights have gotten progressively dimmer, to the point that i cannot tell my lights are even on. I can no longer drive my car at night because i cannot see 5 feet in front of the car. If it rains, i am in bad shape because you can't see anything in front of you. When i took my car to the dealership for 90,000 mile service,…
ODI 11302460
Exterior Lighting
Low beam head lights have extremely low output. Difficult to drive at night.
ODI 11300144
Exterior Lighting · Visibility/Wiper
The headlights are getting dimmer over time to the point you are unable to see at night to safely operate the vehicle. The reflective material inside the headlight assembly appears to be deteriorating and replacing the bulb does not help.
ODI 11297074
Exterior Lighting
This vehicles headlamps are so dim to the point of extreme safety hazard and can cause an accident and injury as a result. This appears to be a known defect and nissan is not standing behind the safety of their owners. The fix is not a bulb, but replacing both headlamp assemblies at a hefty price tag to the owner
ODI 11297028
Exterior Lighting
Low-beam headlights have dimmed over time. I purchased car brand new and cannot see without fog lights being on. Replaced bulbs but problem is with the reflective coating inside the headlamp assembly. Many other people having the same problem with their vehicles also.
ODI 11296742
Exterior Lighting
Headlights are too dim--where i can only see 4 ft in front of my car at nite. It's a very dangerous safety issue.
ODI 11292076
Exterior Lighting
The head lights on my car when on dim are dangerous. I can't see more than 20-30 feet ahead. I've changed the bulbs with no help or improvement. I've installed new halogen bulbs and contacted the dealership regarding this issue. They tell me my lights are working properly, but they haven't driven m car at night. This seems to be a widespread issue with this model.i can't safely operate my car at night and especially…
ODI 11288715
Exterior Lighting
Difficult seeing in the night very bad visibility lights are not bright enough , i changed the lights but there was no improvement, i have to use my high beam lights
ODI 11287827
Exterior Lighting
Low beam headlights are very dim. When i first bought the car they were so bright that i was getting brights flashed at me with people thinking i had my high beams on. Now they barley are bright. It is very hard to see at night unless i have my high beams on. I thought it was the head lamp itself but i have replaced them. I have also had to replace my low beams 4 times since i've owned the car for them burning out.…
ODI 11291634
Exterior Lighting
In recent weeks the car's headlights have been extremely weak especially when using low beams. In a dark area i can barely see the road even a few feet in front of the car. When i checked the lights, both are working, just not working well enough to function. It's becoming very dangerous to drive at night.
ODI 11289394
Exterior Lighting
I recently replaced my low beams, again, and it didn't make a difference. My fog lights are brighter than my low beams. When i replaced my bulbs initially in november 2018 it wasn't until my fog lights went out that i noticed my headlights were dim. I replaced them with the brightest halogen bulb. In october they appeared to be out but were so dim the only way they were visible was standing within feet of the car. I…
ODI 11282892
Exterior Lighting
The headlights are not "strong" enough to actually light the road or anything in front of the car. Verified not bulb issue. These headlights are not safe to drive at night as there really isnt any visibility. Ive been dealing with this and fighting this issue for years but just realized i was able to make this complaint since nissan wont address issue. *tr
ODI 11281383
Exterior Lighting
I purchased my altima from a dealership as a certified used vehicle. The first time i drove at night i noticed that the headlights were dangerously dim. The headlights were so dim, that (while the car was stationary) i turned the headlights on and off, and there was no difference in visibility. I returned to the dealership within a week, where they charged me to install upgraded bulbs. This did not fix the problem-…
ODI 11279862
Exterior Lighting
Low beam headlights have been getting dimmer over the past few years to the point i need to ride with my high beams on. My passengers ask me if i have my headlights on. I would expect to see a recall since this is a safety issue.
ODI 11279343
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting · Visibility/Wiper
Head light low beams are extremely dim. Even, i cannot see 2 meters in front of the car at nights. And this problem is not related with the light bulbs. It is related with the headlight projector housing (confirmed from different auto shops and internet complaints) that is losing its effectiveness by the time. Also, repairing this problem is very costly. Basically, both headlight assemblies have to be changed. We,…
ODI 11279321
Exterior Lighting
Low beam headlights are to dim to be safe, changing the bulb does not solve the problem. This problem is unsafe on a normal night and worse on a dark rainy night. On a remote highway this is very bad and even in town with street lights it is not safe.
ODI 11282060
Exterior Lighting
The low beam headlights are dangerously dim creating hazardous driving conditions when operating the vehicle after dark. This appears to be a common problem with the altima related to the deterioration of the reflector bowl in the lamp assembly. As a safety concern i am requesting nhtsa to order nissan to recall the affected vehicle's for repair.
ODI 11277935
Exterior Lighting
Headlight enclosures deteriorate causing dangerously low light from headlights creating limited sight distance at night
ODI 11277774
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting · Visibility/Wiper
Factory lighting is dim, cannot see at night. The projection is not strong enough for nyc night time. I need to use high beams and those arent even that good. It is not the light bulb
ODI 11280362
Exterior Lighting
The low beam headlights are dangerously dim. As the car has gotten older, the problem has become worse. The range is now probably less than 100 ft. New bulbs and restoring the lens has not helped.
ODI 11277555
Exterior Lighting
2013 nissan altima, the headlights on the vehicle are poor quality. It is difficult if not impossible to see at night when utilizing the low beams. Visibility improves if you utilize the high beams.
ODI 11269749
Exterior Lighting
Addendum to my previously submitted complaint about dim low beam headlights and not being able to see at night. Please don't think it's because my headlight covers are cloudy with age. My headlight covers are crystal clear and clean and owners of newer models of this car report the same problem. The high beams are fine.
ODI 11269939
Exterior Lighting
The low beam headlights are dangerously dim. Driving at night anywhere other than in town is frightening. Recently i was forced to drive 100 miles of secondary country roads after dark. The only way i new where to steer was following another vehicle. When that vehicle turned off i was forced to leave my high beams on which is dangerous for oncoming drivers. So i was on and off with them. It was a miracle i didn't…
ODI 11269880
Exterior Lighting
LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHT TOO DIM CAN NOT SEE AT NIGHT
ODI 11269124
Exterior Lighting
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 nissan altima. While driving at dusk, the headlamps failed to project adequately enough for safe driving. The vehicle was taken to uftring nissan (7400 n allen rd, peoria, il 61614, [redacted]) where it was diagnosed that the low beam headlamp bulbs needed to be replaced. The headlamp bulbs were replaced; however, the failure persisted. Upon a second visit to uftring nissan, the contact…
ODI 11281586
Catalog parts for this system
Catalog year/make/model rows for 2013 Nissan Altima.
Catalog fitment does not by itself prove OEM-equivalent compatibility.