2013 Nissan Cube

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
27–28 mpgcombined; city 25–26, highway 29–30; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$11,600–$12,030U.S. average; Ohio $10,370–$10,750 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedlowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
1over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
3filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Cube. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by part of the car
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air bags1101
Engine1000
Unknown or other1000

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

  1. 2009101
  2. 201056
  3. 201131
  4. 201219
  5. 20133
  6. 20147

Every Cube year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2013 Cube over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.

Electrical system: ignition

NHTSA campaign 15V418000 · reported Jul 1, 2015 · 14,595 vehicles potentially affected

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014 Versa Sedan vehicles manufactured July 16, 2013, to January 29, 2014, 2013-2014 Cube vehicles manufactured July 3, 2013, to October 21, 2013, and 2013-2014 Juke vehicles manufactured July 3, 2013, to October 22, 2013. When exposed to hot temperatures, the affected vehicles have an engine start/stop button that may stick inside the button housing.

Risk: If the engine start/stop button gets stuck in the housing, road vibrations may cause the engine to shut off unexpectedly while the vehicle is being driven, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will modify the start/stop switch housing, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 95 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2013 Cube, the latest on Apr 13, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: electrical system (23), equipment (19), wheels (12), air bags (8), fuel system (8).

NHTSA defect investigations

Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.

InvestigationPartOpenedStatus
Engineering analysis EA21002
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture · covers 37 makes
Air bagsSep 17, 2021Open
NHTSA's record and documents

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2013 Cube.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Specs

EPA class: small station wagons. EPA greenhouse gas score: 7 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Cube
Front-Wheel Drive
1.8 L, 4 cylAutomatic (variable gear ratios)Regular Gasoline26 / 30 / 28
Cube
Front-Wheel Drive
1.8 L, 4 cylManual 6-spdRegular Gasoline25 / 29 / 27

Sources and dates

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data