The 2013 Nissan Altima is being recalled due to a problem with the secondary hood latch.
Nissan issued a recall for 1.83 million Altima coupes and sedans built between 2013 and 2018 due to a faulty secondary hood latch.
The fifth-generation Altima has had repeated problems with the latch, which can fail due to corrosion. The campaign includes the two- and four-door models. In short, it’s basically the entire production run of the vehicles in the U.S.
According to Nissan, the problem is that rust can develop on the secondary hood latch, which is the little arm or lever that is somewhat hidden from view under the hood or in the grille and you pull it up to release the hood.
(Nissan conducting “service action” on 2013 Altimas.)
The rust can cause it stick or freeze in the open position and closing the hood might cause it to bend. If that happens, the latch won’t work properly, allowing the hood to possibly open. The primary latch, the lever on the inside of the car, will still work, but the secondary latch is the one that it ensures it remains closed while driving.
Five model years of the Nissan Altima – 2013 to 2018 – have been plagued with the hood latch issue.
The lack of the backup latch is what forced Nissan to issue the recall.
As of this moment, the automaker doesn’t have a solution to the problem. The recall won’t take effect until June 22. Owners will receive directions about how to secure their hood in the meantime. Nissan noted that cars that have already been in to repair the problem will need to return again.
(Nissan recalling 846K Altimas due to hood issues.)
It’s not the first time Nissan’s attempted to resolve the problem. The company repaired 220,000 Altimas built between March 2012 and February 2013 to fix a similar issue to the current problem. In 2015, Nissan expanded the recall to cover 625,000 vehicles from model years 2013 to 2015. In 2016, it announced the final tally stood at 846,000 cars built from March 2012 to December 2014.