Model year guide

2013 Nissan Sentra

Recalls, most-reported problems, crash-test ratings, fuel economy and what a 2013 Nissan Sentra is worth — from official NHTSA and EPA data. 1,295 on record.

2013 Nissan Sentra — representative photo
Representative photo · via Wikimedia Commons

2013 Nissan Sentra at a glance

Safety recalls6
Owner complaints638
Overall safety4 / 5 ★
Combined32 mpg
Typical price$11,430

Free: specs, open recalls for that exact car, build sheet and fair price.

2013 Nissan Sentra recalls 6

Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification NHTSA Campaign #16V242000 · 26/04/2016

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 …

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. Owners may contact N…

Air Bags:frontal NHTSA Campaign #15V681000 · 20/10/2015

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 p…

Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Electrical System:software NHTSA Campaign #14V138000 · 25/03/2014

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.

Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification NHTSA Campaign #16V244000 · 26/04/2016

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 veh…

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,…

Air Bags NHTSA Campaign #13V069000 · 01/03/2013

Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, Sentra, and Infiniti JX35 vehicles. 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.

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. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.

Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly NHTSA Campaign #13V068000 · 01/03/2013

Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Sentra vehicles manufactured from September 11, 2012, through October 4, 2012. 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.

Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tanks as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 1, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.

Source: U.S. NHTSA. A recall applies to a model year, but only a VIN check shows whether a specific car has had the repair done.

2013 Nissan Sentra common problems

The most-reported problem areas from 638 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — and what to check before you buy.

Power Train
Drive through every gear: watch for slipping, hard or delayed shifts, and shudder. Check for transmission/driveline leaks and noises.
Air Bags
Confirm the airbag light turns on then off at startup — if it stays lit there's a fault (costly, and a safety risk). Check for signs of prior deployment.
Engine
Listen for knocks or ticking, check for leaks and blue/white exhaust smoke, and make sure it doesn't overheat. No check-engine light should be on.
Lane Departure
Have a trusted mechanic inspect this system as part of a pre-purchase inspection.
Seat Belts
Check that every belt latches, retracts and locks under a sharp tug, and that none are frayed.
Seats
Have a trusted mechanic inspect this system as part of a pre-purchase inspection.

2013 Nissan Sentra safety ratings

Overall★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side crash★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), tested as the 2013 Nissan Sentra 4 DR FWD. Ratings can differ by body style and drivetrain.

2013 Nissan Sentra MPG & running costs

Combined32 mpg
City29 mpg
Highway37 mpg
Est. annual fuel cost$1,917

Source: U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov, averaged across trims.

What's a 2013 Nissan Sentra worth?

Low
$9,500
Typical price
$11,430
High
$13,400

From 1,289 comparable 2013 Nissan Sentra listings.

Estimated 5-year cost to own

A rough guide to what running a 2013 Nissan Sentra costs over five years and 75,000 miles.

Fuel (5 yrs)$9,585
Depreciation (5 yrs)$6,950
Total$16,535
Per mile$0.22

How this is estimated: fuel is the U.S. EPA annual cost at 15,000 miles a year. Depreciation compares today's typical asking price for this model year ($11,430) with the same model 5 model-years older ($4,468), from CarLogs listing data. Not included: insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, registration and finance costs. Treat it as a comparison guide, not a quote.

2013 Nissan Sentra trims & engines on record

Trims
SV · SR · S · SL · FE+ SV · FE+ S
Engines
1.8L 4-cyl

2013 Nissan Sentra vehicles on record

Other Nissan Sentra model years

2013 Nissan Sentra — frequently asked questions

Does the 2013 Nissan Sentra have any safety recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls for the 2013 Nissan Sentra. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

What are the most common problems with the 2013 Nissan Sentra?

Based on 638 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most-reported problem areas are power train, air bags, engine.

What is the 2013 Nissan Sentra safety rating?

NHTSA gives the 2013 Nissan Sentra an overall crash-test rating of 4 out of 5 stars (frontal 4★, side 5★, rollover 4★).

What gas mileage does the 2013 Nissan Sentra get?

The U.S. EPA rates the 2013 Nissan Sentra at about 32 mpg combined (29 city / 37 highway).

How much is a 2013 Nissan Sentra worth?

Comparable 2013 Nissan Sentra listings run roughly $9,500–$13,400, typically around $11,430 (from 1,289 vehicles).

Sources: NHTSA (recalls, complaints, crash tests), U.S. EPA (fuel economy). Vehicle data only — CarLogs never shows owner information.