Model year 2018 · Midsize Cars

2018 Nissan Maxima: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2018 Nissan Maxima at 25 mpg combined across 1 version. NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 36 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

25

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 Maxima recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 2 safety recalls for the 2018 Nissan Maxima, newest first.

Service brakes, hydraulic: Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip

NHTSA 19V807000 Reported Nov 8, 2019 Park outside
Filed by
Nissan North America, Inc.
Units affected
391,479 (estimate)
Problem
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.
Risk
A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy
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 recall record on nhtsa.gov

Back over prevention: Sensing system: Camera

NHTSA 19V654000 Reported Sep 12, 2019
Filed by
Nissan North America, Inc.
Units affected
1,228,830 (estimate)
Problem
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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2018 Nissan Maxima 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.

2018 Nissan Maxima EPA fuel economy
VersionEngineTransmissionDriveFuelCity/Hwy/CombFuel cost/yrCO2 g/mi
Maxima3.5L 6-cylCVT (7 modes)Front-Wheel DrivePremium21/30/25 mpg$3,300364

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 Maxima 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 Maxima NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicleOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover riskForward collision warning
2018 Nissan Maxima 4 DR FWD5 stars4 stars5 stars5 stars9.5%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.

2018 Nissan Maxima owner complaints

Owners have filed 36 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Nissan Maxima, most recently on Apr 17, 2026. 1 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 1 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2018 Nissan Maxima complaints
Component named in complaintsMentions
Unknown or other8
Service brakes7
Electrical system5
Forward collision avoidance: Automatic emergency braking3
Electronic stability control (ESC)2
Forward collision avoidance: Adaptive cruise control2
Structure: Body2
Vehicle speed control2
Visibility/wiper2
Air bags1

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Nissan Maxima model years

Nissan Maxima by model year
YearCombinedRecallsComplaintsOverall rating
2023 Maxima24 mpg015/5
2022 Maxima24 mpg055/5
2021 Maxima24 mpg035/5
2020 Maxima24 mpg1225/5
2019 Maxima24 mpg118—
2017 Maxima25 mpg41065/5
2016 Maxima25 mpg81425/5

All Nissan Maxima years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2018 Nissan models

2018 Nissan 370Z2018 Nissan Altima2018 Nissan Armada2018 Nissan Frontier2018 Nissan GT-R2018 Nissan Kicks2018 Nissan LEAF2018 Nissan Murano2018 Nissan NV200 Cargo Van2018 Nissan NV200 NYC Taxi2018 Nissan Pathfinder2018 Nissan Rogue2018 Nissan Sentra2018 Nissan Titan2018 Nissan Versa

Sources

  • Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
  • Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
  • Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
  • Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
  • NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Nissan.