2018 Nissan Altima Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
GoodComplaint Index
33/100
#11 most-complained of 16 Altima years
The 2018 Nissan Altima has a complaint index of 33 and ranks 11th worst out of 16 model years, earning a "Good" verdict relative to other Altima years. NHTSA lists 225 complaints, 2 recalls, and no fires or deaths, with brakes as the top problem area.
- Complaints
- 225
- Recalls
- 2
- Crashes / fires
- 11 / 0
- Injuries / deaths
- 6 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 30
- 26 city / 37 hwy
Top 2018 Nissan Altima problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Other60 (27%)
- Brakes54 (24%)
- Electrical System49 (22%)
- Airbags36 (16%)
- Engine23 (10%)
- Transmission & Powertrain23 (10%)
- Structure & Body18 (8%)
- Collision Avoidance & Cameras16 (7%)
- Steering12 (5%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires6 (3%)
What owners report
- Brake pedal reportedly went to the floor with reduced stopping power, leading to a rear-end crash in one case around 59,000 miles.
- Owners describe brake light switch failures that caused the car to not shift into gear and disabled the brake lights, contributing to a rear-end collision.
- Airbags reportedly failed to deploy in frontal and rear-impact crashes, including one head-on collision that caused head trauma.
- A passenger-seat weight sensor was reported to fail, triggering an airbag warning light and raising concern that airbags would not deploy in a crash.
- Automatic emergency braking and forward collision systems reportedly activated unexpectedly or displayed a "front radar unavailable" warning during highway driving.
- Some owners with the 2018 model reported delays getting parts for the hood latch recall repair at dealerships.
2018 Nissan Altima recalls
2 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 20V315000May 28, 2020Structure & Body1,831,818 vehicles
Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2018 Nissan Altima vehicles. If the primary hood latch is inadvertently released, there is an increased likelihood that the secondary hood latch may corrode over time.
Risk: Corrosion to the secondary latch may cause it to bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed. If the primary latch is inadvertently released again and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install a stronger release spring in the hood release lever, a warning label near the secondary hood latch, and an OwnerÂs Manual addendum card with instructions on how to lubricate and maintain the secondary hood latch mechanism, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: Recall 16V-029 remains open for any unremedied 2013-2015 Altimas and this recall applies to all vehicles covered by 16V-029 even if those repairs have already been performed.
- NHTSA 19V654000Sep 12, 2019Collision Avoidance & Cameras1,228,830 vehicles
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200.
2018 Nissan Altima fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 26 MPG
- Highway
- 37 MPG
- Combined
- 30 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,150
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2018 compared with other Altima years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2018 Nissan Altima reliable?
- Relative to other Altima model years, the 2018 rates "Good," with a complaint index of 33 and rank of 11th worst out of 16 years tracked. It has fewer complaints than most other Altima years, based on NHTSA data.
- What problems does the 2018 Nissan Altima have?
- NHTSA complaints point to brakes (24% of complaints), electrical system issues (22%), and airbags (16%) as the top problem areas, with a median failure mileage around 34,455 miles for brakes.
- Does the 2018 Nissan Altima have any recalls?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2018 Altima: one for a hood latch issue (campaign 20V315000) and one for a back-up camera software update (campaign 19V654000). Neither is a do-not-drive recall.
- How does the 2018 Altima compare to other years?
- The 2018 Altima's complaint index of 33 is much lower than the worst years, such as 2013 (100) and 2014 (93), both rated "Avoid." It performs better than most years but not as well as later years like 2021-2023, rated "Best."
- What is the top complaint category for the 2018 Nissan Altima?
- Brakes are the top problem area, accounting for 54 complaints, or 24% of all complaints, with 4 crashes reported and a median failure mileage of 34,455 miles.