2013 Nissan Maxima: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
62 NHTSA owner complaints · 0 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 62 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 4.77
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
I have a 2013 Nissan Maxima in my headlights are horrible when they are on dim you cannot see in front of you so bad that it's liable to cause a bad wreck I have to ride with my headlights on bright and it's not much better I have replaced the bulbs in both headlights twice it has not improved anything I think it is a very dangerous thing in could call someone to get hurt because no one can see I've not been pulled o…
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart on the third attempt however the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine, the crankshaft, and the cylinder heads needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repair…
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 illuminate the roadway, causing a visibility hazard for the driver. The contact stated that the light bulbs were replaced but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified…
Recalls: 0 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
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What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a full-size car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 22 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,450
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Power Train24 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Air Bags16 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Exterior Lighting9 complaints · typical job: Headlamp assembly or lighting-module replacement (1.5 h labour + parts)$360–$1,380
- Unknown Or Other8 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Engine4 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Structure2 complaints · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,070–$2,920
Other Nissan Maxima years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Nissan Maxima?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (24 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2013 Nissan Maxima a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 87/100, computed from 62 NHTSA complaints and 0 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2013 Nissan Maxima's most common problem?
24 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2013 Nissan Maxima sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is transmission service or clutch-pack repair: about 7.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,290–$4,040 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2013 Nissan Maxima cost to run per year?
About $5,890 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $29,452 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Compare with
Other fullsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2013 Nissan Maxima really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 62 complaints, 0 recalls on record
- 62 NHTSA complaints on record (4.8/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (4.5/yr)
- 0 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems