Nissan Altima 2018 recalls, problems, complaints and safety

NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls issued for the Nissan Altima 2018 and 226 complaints filed by owners. It has 29% more complaints than the average Nissan Altima from 2016–2025 (175 per year).

These are recalls issued for this model and year, not for your specific car. A car may already be repaired or may not be included. Confirm with your VIN on NHTSA.

Recalls issued for the Nissan Altima 2018

Latches and locks
NHTSA campaign 20V315000 · 2020-05-28

What happens

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.

Consequence

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 Owner’s 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.

The repair is free at any dealer of the brand.

NHTSA 20V315000

Backup camera and sensors
NHTSA campaign 19V654000 · 2019-09-12

What happens

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."

Consequence

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.

The repair is free at any dealer of the brand.

NHTSA 19V654000

Complaints from other owners

226 complaints filed with NHTSA by owners of this model.

11 with a crash · 6 injuries

Most reported problems on the Nissan Altima 2018

• Brakes: 48 (21% of complaints)
• Electrical system: 33 (15% of complaints)
• Air bags: 31 (14% of complaints)
• Powertrain and transmission: 24 (11% of complaints)
• Forward collision avoidance: 15 (7% of complaints)

Complaints are written by owners and NHTSA doesn't verify each one. They're useful to spot trends.

What to check before buying a Nissan Altima 2018

• Confirm by VIN on NHTSA that the recalls on this list were repaired.
• Brake hard somewhere safe: the car shouldn't pull to one side and the pedal shouldn't sink; check rotors and pads.
• Test lights, windows, locks, the screen and dashboard warning lights; have trouble codes scanned.
• The air bag light should come on for a second at start-up and go off. Confirm by VIN that air bag recalls were done.
• Get an inspection from an independent mechanic before paying.

Safety rating (NCAP)

Nissan Altima recalls by year

• 2016 : 4 recalls · 553 complaints
• 2017 : 3 recalls · 391 complaints
• 2018 : 2 recalls · 226 complaints
• 2019 : 7 recalls · 232 complaints
• 2020 : 6 recalls · 179 complaints
• 2021 : 2 recalls · 70 complaints
• 2022 : 0 recalls · 20 complaints
• 2023 : 0 recalls · 29 complaints
• 2024 : 1 recalls · 41 complaints
• 2025 : 2 recalls · 7 complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many recalls does the Nissan Altima 2018 have?

NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls issued for the Nissan Altima 2018. That doesn't mean every car has them open: confirm with the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The repair is free at the dealer.

What is the most common problem with the Nissan Altima 2018?

In complaints filed with NHTSA, the most mentioned component is: brakes (48 of 226 complaints). Complaints aren't verified one by one, but they show trends.