KnownCarProblems2018 Nissan Maxima Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 36 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Nissan Maxima, most often about the other or unspecified (22% of complaints). It is 18th of 24 Maxima model years by number of complaints and has 2 recalls.
⚠ Safety advisory1 recall for this car came with a park-outside warning. See below and check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Most common 2018 Nissan Maxima problems
Other or unspecified
8 complaints · 22%Driving a rented Nissan Maxima I encountered an issue I am concerned with. While changing a radio station I accidentally hit something that brought up a menu. Trying to get back to the original screen I found myself on the ongoing lane. We should not be looking at a screen when driving. It should not exist. I am very…
Unavailable front radar obstruction. This alert happens at random times when driving, it puts the sensor in an unavailable mode which in turns does not allow the safety function to work properly. I have done searches online and this is happening not only to maximas but to other Nissan make/models. This is not a one…
Brakes
8 complaints · 22%Half of these problems showed up before 34,000 miles.
The contact's son owned a 2018 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated while the driver was driving 5 MPH, he noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The driver was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that the driver opened the hood, and…
Dashboard message appears intermittently while driving "unavailable front radar obstruction". The message relates to the system that automatically applies the brakes if it senses a collision danger.
Driver assistance
6 complaints · 17%Parts named most often: automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keep, sensing system.
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Maxima. While attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle braked suddenly. Hawkinson Nissan (5513 miller circle dr, matteson, il 60443, [phone]) and the manufacturer stated that there were no recalls. The failure occurred once. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure…
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Maxima. While driving various speeds, the collision avoidance system erroneously activated although no objects were present in front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to napleton Nissan (10964 page ave, st. Louis, mo) where the collision avoidance sensor wa recalibrated; however, the…
Electrical
5 complaints · 14%Unavailable front radar obstruction. This alert happens at random times when driving, it puts the sensor in an unavailable mode which in turns does not allow the safety function to work properly. I have done searches online and this is happening not only to maximas but to other Nissan make/models. This is not a one…
When is in motion on any type of street and also at a stop, when getting close to a vehicle or if someone cuts in front of me, or if there is a street sign directly in front of the car, this message appears very briefly "unavailable front radar obstruction" which also shows the icon of two front end of cars colliding.…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2018 Nissan Maxima recalls
Brakes: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Risk: A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ABS actuator, free of charge. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available, currently expected to be during summer 2020. Owners may contact nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: if the ABS warning light remains illuminated for more than 10 seconds after engine start up, owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and to not drive the vehicle.
Full defect summary
Nissan north america, inc. (nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2018 nissan murano, 2016-2018 nissan maxima, and 2017-2019 nissan pathfinder and infiniti qx60 vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and unrepaired, or inspected and determined to not need a repair, under recall number 18v-601. In addition, this recall expands the previous population. The anti-lock brake system (ABS) actuator pumps may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal circuit board.
Backup camera: camera
Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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."
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Rear suspension control arm failure
Summary
On july 29, 2019, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened ea19002 to investigate instances of alleged rear lower control arm failures in 2013-2018 nissan altima and 2016-2018 nissan maxima vehicles. At the time the investigation was opened odi had 91 consumer complaints alleging rear lower control arm failures in the subject vehicles.odi was concerned about these complaints because many of them alleged an increased steering effort or loss of vehicle control.at the time these complaints were received, odi was also aware of a proactive service campaign addressing 2013 nissan altima in salt-belt states for a similar concern. Since opening the investigation, odi has confirmed, based on
Questions about the 2018 Nissan Maxima
- What are the most common problems with the 2018 Nissan Maxima?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: other or unspecified (8 complaints); brakes (8 complaints, typically around 34,000 miles); driver assistance (6 complaints).
- How many recalls does the 2018 Nissan Maxima have?
- 2 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from November 8, 2019 (brakes). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2018 a bad year for the Nissan Maxima?
- It is 18th of 24 Maxima model years by number of complaints, with 36 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.