9 complaints reported

2013 Nissan Maxima Exterior Lighting

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
9
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Dec 2025

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 over by the police or anything but I have to ride with my headlights on bright and I know it blinds people sometimes I think there needs to be a recall because I have a lot of friends that have Nissans and they have the same problem

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Dec 2025
Nov 2023

1. Both headlights on dim are so dim that you cannot drive safely, they do not project in front of the car far enough to see at night, dawn or dusk. I am concerned if other cars I meet can even see me approaching. My flashlight shines brighter and farther. I have replaced the bulbs for the dim lights and it did no good. 2. Drove to California and was in west Texas after dark, could not see the road after dark. 3. My relative is a mechanic and he has confirmed the defective illumination with my dim lights. 4. It has not been confirmed by any officials such as insurance or police. 5. I noticed this problem about 1 year ago. I have been having to run bright lights if I must drive after dark. This is dangerous, illegal if meeting another car, etc. This is a seriously dangerous problem. I have researched on the internet for several weeks looking for a solution. I finally ran across your website. I did see that the Nissan Altima had a recall for their defective headlights. This should also be a recall for the Maxima. I have driven Nissan's for many years and never had this defect. I don't know how recalls are initiated but if it is through the nhtsa it should be investigated promptly as this issue could cost someone's life. If this is the agency that initiates a recall this should happen NOW. All of us Maxima drivers who are having this issue of which according to my research are many, would appreciate any help. I'm sure many Maxima drivers are not aware there is a complaint procedure, I didn't. I am going to have to go to an auto parts retailer, buy two headlight assemblies and use a body shop to install and this will be very expensive. Thank you for your help.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: May 2022
Jun 2023

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 of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 120,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2020
Feb 2021

THE DIM LIGHTS APPEAR NOT TO BE ON WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT OR EARLY MORNING. I HAVE TO DRIVE WITH MY BRIGHT LIGHTS ON. I THOUGHT THE BULB CASE WAS CLOUDY BUT THAT IS NOT THE SITUATION. THE DIM LIGHTS SIMPLY DO NOT SHINE AS THEY SHOULD. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS TO MYSELF AND OTHER DRIVERS THAT I APPROACH. I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY OWNER OF A NISSAN MAXIMA WITH THIS PROBLEM BUT, I AM NOT. MY FRIEND IS HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2020
Aug 2020

BOTH HEADLIGHTS ARE VERY VERY DIM LIGHT CAN ONLY BE SEEN 1 FOOT AWAY FROM THE HEADLIGHTS I HAVE EVERYTHING INCLUDING CHANGING THE H11 LIGHT BULBS

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Aug 2019
Feb 2020

THE LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHTS DO NOT REFLECT HARDLY ANY LIGHT ON THE ROAD AT NIGHT. IT IS DANGEROUS AS YOU CAN NOT SEE THE ROAD AT NIGHT. MY FOG LIGHTS GIVE OFF MORE LIGHT THEN MY LOW BEAMS. I HAVE REPLACED THE LIGHTS AND IT MAKES NO DIFFERNCE. I HAVE TRIED 4 DIFFERENT LOW BEAM LIGHTS AND IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE IN THE LIGHT OUTPUT. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BY NISSAN, THERE ARE MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ONLINE REGARDING THIS SAME ISSUE! IT'S VERY DISAPPOINTING THAT THE DEALER SHIP WANTS 1000 DOLLARS TO CHANGE THE WHOLE LIGHT ASSEMBLY. NO OTHER CAR NEEDS THIS DONE, YOU CHANGE A LIGHT BULB. WHY DO I NEED TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY BECAUSE I DRIVE A NISSAN MAXIMA? THE DEALERSHIP SAYS IT'S A KNOWN ISSUE THAT THE REFLECTOR LENS IN THE LOW BEAMS DECAY. THAT'S A MANUFACTURER DEFECT.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Apr 2020
Dec 2019

THE DIM HEADLIGHT SETTING IS SO DIM THAT CAR CAN NOT BE SAFELY OPERATED AFTER DARK WITHOUT TURNING ON THE BRIGHT LIGHT SETTING. IT IS A SAFETY HAZZARD! I HAVE BEEN A MECHANIC FOR 30 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH POOR HEADLIGHTS. I HAVE CHANGED THE BULBS BUT IT HAS MADE NO DIFFERENCE. I HAVE READ SEVERAL FOUMS ABOUT THE ALTIMA MODEL HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM. THEY SHOULD BE RECALLED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THEY ARE DANGEROUS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2017
Mar 2019

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE SO DIM THEY CREATE A SAFETY HAZARD.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Mar 2019
Sep 2018

THE DIM HEADLIGHT SETTING IS SO DIM THAT CAR CAN NOT BE SAFELY OPERATED AFTER DARK WITHOUT TURNING ON THE BRIGHT LIGHT SETTING. IT IS A SAFETY HAZZARD! I HAVE BEEN A MECHANIC FOR 30 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH POOR HEADLIGHTS. I HAVE CHANGED THE BULBS BUT IT HAS MADE NO DIFFERENCE. I HAVE READ SEVERAL FOUMS ABOUT THE ALTIMA MODEL HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM. THEY SHOULD BE RECALLED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THEY ARE DANGEROUS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2017

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2013 Nissan Maxima has 9 Exterior Lighting complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.