2018 Nissan Altima: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings
EPA rates the 2018 Nissan Altima at 26–31 mpg combined across 3 versions. NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 226 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.
Safety recalls
2
EPA combined mpg
26–31
NHTSA overall rating
5/5
Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT
Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Nissan dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.
2018 Nissan Altima recalls
NHTSA's recall file lists 2 safety recalls for the 2018 Nissan Altima, newest first.
Latches/locks/linkages: Hood: Latch
NHTSA 20V315000Reported May 28, 2020
Filed by
Nissan North America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. R20A7)
Units affected
1,831,818 (estimate)
Problem
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.
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.
Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.
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2018 Nissan Altima fuel economy by version
EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.
Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.
EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.
2018 Nissan Altima crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
2018 Nissan Altima NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Rollover risk
Forward collision warning
2018 Nissan Altima 4 DR FWD
5 stars
5 stars
5 stars
4 stars
10.3%
Standard
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.
Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.
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2018 Nissan Altima owner complaints
Owners have filed 226 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Nissan Altima, most recently on Oct 4, 2026. 11 mention a crash, 0 a fire, 6 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.
Most-cited components in 2018 Nissan Altima complaints
Component named in complaints
Mentions
Unknown or other
60
Service brakes
48
Air bags
36
Electrical system
36
Power train
22
Engine
14
Steering
12
Electronic stability control (ESC)
11
Vehicle speed control
11
Forward collision avoidance: Warnings
10
Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.
