2013–2018 Nissan Altima headlight installation

Tools published guides use

CarParts.com’s 2013–2018 Altima headlight tutorial uses a 10 mm socket, a ratchet, an extension, a Phillips screwdriver, and a trim fork. That chapter says ten rivets hold the plastic cover under the hood, and four bolts hold the headlight after the bumper cover is off. Treat that as the tutorial’s count. If the car has a different fastener, follow the car. None of the sources give a torque.

Does the bumper or the grille have to come off?

Yes for the bumper cover. The headlight tutorials for this generation do not pull the lamp from the engine bay the way an F-150 does. CarParts.com states that you remove the front bumper cover to get full access to the 2013–2018 Altima headlight. ScegliAuto says to unscrew the fasteners on the top of the front bumper and detach the bumper at the junction with the headlight so the side screws are reachable. A bumper-removal outline for the L33 Altima (the 2013–2018 body) starts with the upper trim panel, the pins along the top of the bumper, the fender liners, and one bolt each side where the bumper meets the fender, then pulls the cover forward with a helper.

The grille is part of that bumper cover on this car, not a separate truck-style grille you lift off first. CarParts.com’s bumper tutorial removes the grille assembly from the cover after the cover is off the car, which is bumper-cover work rather than a shortcut around it. Plan on the cover coming off, at least far enough to reach the lamp bolts. The CarParts.com headlight steps take the cover all the way off, with a second person, after the fender screws and locating pins are free.

2013–2015 and 2016–2018 sedans are different housings in our catalog. Order the pair that matches the car’s years. The coupe is not the sedan lamp. Factory HID xenon, where the listing calls it out, is a different assembly. The 2013–2015 pair does not include bulbs. The 2016–2018 pair’s supplier page says bulbs are included, and that listing is sold out until it is restocked. Confirm which car you have before the bumper comes off.

General steps

Open the hood. Remove the rivets in the radiator support cover and lift that cover off. Release the fasteners along the top of the bumper, the screws in the wheel arches, and the bolts that hold the bumper ends to the fenders. Unplug fog lamps or side markers before the cover is fully free. Pull the cover forward with a helper so a clip does not tear the paint.

With the cover off, CarParts.com removes four headlight retaining bolts and pulls the housing’s pin out of the fender, then unplugs the connectors. Install the new housing, pin first, then the bolts. Put the bumper cover back in the fender slots before you tighten it, and reconnect every plug you separated. Test the lights before the car leaves the driveway.

Aiming after the install

The Altima tutorials describe removal. They do not give a wall distance or a cutoff height. The lamp comes out of the fender on a pin and four bolts in the CarParts.com count, so the beam can change. Have the aim checked after the bumper is back on. Driving with the beam aimed too high is the failure mode this step is meant to prevent.

Why a professional install is the better default

This is a bumper-cover job, not a pair of bolts under the hood. Clips along the fenders, the washer-fluid side, and the locating pins are easy to break, and the cover is awkward alone. The two sedan years use different parts, so a wrong pair shows up only after the bumper is off. We recommend a body shop or a mechanic who can remove the cover, install the correct pair, and aim the lamps.

Matching parts

• 2013–2015 Nissan Altima sedan halogen headlights
• 2016–2018 Nissan Altima sedan halogen headlights

Sources

1. CarParts.com — 2013–2018 Nissan Altima headlight assembly — Says the bumper cover comes off, then lists four headlight bolts.
2. CarParts.com — 2013–2018 Altima front bumper cover — Cover rivets and the screws that free the bumper. The grille comes off the cover after the cover is removed.
3. ScegliAuto — 2013–2018 Altima headlight — Upper bumper screws, then the cover is eased off at the headlight to reach the side screws.
4. L33 Altima front bumper removal outline — Upper panel, fender liners, and one bolt each side before the cover pulls forward.