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
Over he past year we noticed our headlights getting significantly dimmer. Looking at them from the outside the plastic was clear and lights seemed to be bright a night. However after several months the lights would not light up the road any better than a good flashlight. We consistently had to drive with high beams just to see the road. One night we compared the fog lights to the headlights and found the fog lights…
ODI 11084246
Exterior Lighting
My low beam head lights are extremely dim, and a hazard to night driving. I have contacted my dealership. Along with nissan consumer affairs. They agreed to pay 70% to replace the head lamp system, but i feel this is a safety hazard, and if they agreed to pay 70%, then they feel it is not a consumer issue, it is a vehicle/manufacture issue, and i feel they should replace this for me at their cost, especially if they…
ODI 11139429
Exterior Lighting
Low beam lights project less than 20ft (measured parked in driveway, no streetlights or outdoor lighting). In rainy conditions, headlights do not appear to even be turned on. Bulbs have been replaced twice with different brands and no improvement. Upon removal of the headlight assembly, the metal reflector that projects light is deteriorated and blackened. Unknown at this time if oem replacement will deteriorate…
ODI 11281951
Exterior Lighting
The lights are too dim to drive at night. The beam does not reach me if i stand in front of either headlight. I have to use my high beams to feel safe driving on rural roads or highways after dark. I have had many near - accidents with curb dividers in the center lanes that are not well lit because my lights do not illuminate the road in front of me well enough! One incident about a year ago resulted in a collision…
Crash reported
ODI 11205719
Exterior Lighting
The low headlight beams have dimmed over the last several thousand miles. There is no problem with the brightness of the high beams. They are so dim that at night i am unable to drive at any appreciable speed without exceeding the range of the dim headlights, with the result that i must use the high beams in order to have effective lighting. The dealership has told me that there is a problem with the film coating…
ODI 11083759
Exterior Lighting
The low beam headlights have become so dim they do not illuminate the road any better than the parking lights. New bulbs do not solve the problem. Nissan claims there is a defect in the film coating of the projectors, but they will not fix the vehicle. This is an extreme safety problem.
ODI 11073975
Exterior Lighting
HEAD LIGHTS SET A LOW ARE EXTREMELY DIM.
ODI 11170718
Exterior Lighting
The headlights on this vehicle are very dim. They are ineffective in lighting the road. I took it in to the dealership and they told me that is just the way they are and to "just use my highbeams" . This does not seem like an effective solution. I have done some research and it appears this is a common complaint with this vehicle. This is the case any time the lights are put on.
ODI 11072356
Exterior Lighting
At approximately 50,000 miles the headlight low beams started to become dim. This condition worsened until 60,000 miles. I was nervous about driving at night. I called the dealer and was told i could replace the bulbs ($425)or the entire lighting assembly ($1120). Based upon reviewing various websites, i realized this problem was experienced by others and that the entire lighting assembly had to be replaced. I…
ODI 11097794
Exterior Lighting
Low beam lights are so dim that there is near no night time visibility, i am having to drive with high beams on and that is causing safety concerns for oncoming drivers.
ODI 11140286
Exterior Lighting
I do not feel safe driving my vehicle once headlights are required. Unless you are using the high beams, you cannot see more than a few feet ahead of you. This vehicle was purchased to be passed to my daughter as get first car. There is no way i would allow my child to be behind the wheel of this vehicle. I wouldn't feel comfortable with the safety of my child driving thus car, when i do not feel safe.
ODI 11102437
Exterior Lighting
Vehicles low beam headlight are dangerously dim. It is so severe that it is near impossible to drive the vehicle at normal highway speeds after dark. I installed new low beam bulbs in the car and this corrective action proves worthless. Upon closer inspection, the bulbs are not the problem at all. The material inside the headlight unit has deteriorated rendering the low beam lights useless. This is not an isolated…
ODI 11203995
Exterior Lighting
I filed a complaint with nhtsa in february of this year regarding a manufacturing defect that results in poor visibility due to low beam headlights not emitting enough light to adequately light the road ahead. In looking at the nhtsa data base, complaints on this issue started in 2013. Since then there have been hundreds of complaints of defective headlights on 2013, 2014 and 2015 nissan altimas. I contacted nissan…
ODI 11265210
Exterior Lighting
Well documented issue. "5th generation altima's low beam headlights are extremely dim" and unsafe for driving at night. Mine have become worse over time to the point where i now feel unsafe driving at night. As others have stated replacing the bulb with a brighter version does not help as the reflective material within the projector deteriorates to the point of making any bulb useless. Thankfully no accidents have…
ODI 11292051
Exterior Lighting
2013 nissan altima. The lights are so dim it is dangerous. Nissan says it is their part but they do not want to do a recall but want customers to pay 1000 to fix something that should have this issue with so many cars. A simple google search will show how many people mention this being a big dangerous issue. I have reported this for over two years and refuse to pay to fix the danger they are causing by not having…
ODI 11252140
Exterior Lighting
My 2013 altima head lights are very dim at night. I cannot see 50' in front. I have had the bulbs replaced thinking this was the problem. But that did not changed anything they are still dim. I have had to stop driving at night because of this problem. This has been going for a while.
ODI 11229601
Exterior Lighting
Have noticed that my dim lights have gotten so dim it is hard to see the road at night. I live in the country so traveling at night using low beams is out of the question, i use high beans. I have seen many complaints regarding the same problem and believe that this should be a recall problem. I have noticed the range of repair estimates go anywhere from $499 to $1,600. Since all complaints about the dim low light…
ODI 11228237
Exterior Lighting
Dimmers on headlight is extremely dim. This is while vehicle is idle or in motion. Can not see anything at night. Bright lights must be on to see at night
ODI 11197064
Exterior Lighting
Dim low beam headlights. Over the past 1.5 + years the headlights have been progressively been getting dimmer. It is to the point that driving is dangerous as it is difficulty to see the roadway and oncoming areas. I had this checked at dealership and was advised that the lenses are degrading. Was told that there was no recall or fix by nissan. Changing bulbs would not help. They quoted an approximate replacement of…
ODI 11165249
Exterior Lighting
Low beam headlamps are dangerously dim. Any speed over 30 mph is overdriving the low beams. Almost hit a deer that was 300' in front of me because i didn't see it.
ODI 11055504
Exterior Lighting
The lights are so dim it is like i don't have them on at night. Very hard to see driving at night. *dt the vin provided has no displayable records. *jb
ODI 11164270
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
We haven't driven the car in like 10 days and tried starting it and it wouldn't start. Got the car jump started and noticed that every time i turned the steering wheel the car bogged down the navigation system shuts off and the steering wheel becomes very difficult to turn. Also the same exact thing happens when i put the car in reverse and turn the steering wheel, the navigation system and the back up camera goes…
Crash reported
ODI 11048826
Exterior Lighting
Turn signal. When turn signal is automatically cancelled as the steering wheel is straightened, sometimes it actuates the 'lane change' three-flash signal in the opposite direction - presumably because the signal over-travels and momentarily travels in the opposite direction. For example, after making a right turn, the signal cancels and signals three flashes in the left direction. This has resulted in a person…
ODI 11046985
Exterior Lighting
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 nissan altima. The contact stated that while driving various speeds at night, the low beam headlights were extremely dim and the contact could not view the road ahead. A dealer was not made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 72,000.
ODI 11046634
Exterior Lighting
I think its sad that nissan has rec'd several complaints very poor visibility on the low beam headlights and will do nothing to replace these headlights for customers. I noticed that the lights projected far less than any vehicle i have ever owned. Nissan claims its oxidation but it is not. They refuse to fix, and i have had this issue with the car since about 60,000 miles. I dealt with it for a long time but it…
ODI 11046908
Catalog parts for this system
Catalog year/make/model rows for 2013 Nissan Altima.
Catalog fitment does not by itself prove OEM-equivalent compatibility.