Reliable Auto DB

2018 Nissan Altima reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 225 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Nissan Altima over 9 years — 37 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Altima years here — over the median of the other years, which is 23. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Latch and Camera.

2012 Nissan Altima
Photo by Elise240SX, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

225

Per year

37

Recalls

2

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (48 of 225), then Electrical system (37) and Air bags (36). Those filings include 11 that report a crash and 5 that report an injury.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Altima has 391 complaints, 23 per year, and the 2019 has 232 complaints, 26 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Nissan Altima. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall latches, locks, and linkages, hood, latch 2020-05-28 · NHTSA campaign 20V315000
Summary 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.
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.
Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2019-09-12 · NHTSA campaign 19V654000
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."
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.

Complaints by component (225 total)

Service brakes
48
Electrical system
37
Air bags
36
Powertrain
23
Forward collision avoidance
15
Engine
13
Exterior lighting
13
Latches, locks, and linkages
12
Steering
12
Electronic stability control (ESC)
11
Speed control
11
Suspension
4
Back-over prevention
3
Seat belts
3
Seats
3
Structure
3
Fuel and propulsion system
2
Visibility and wipers
2
Air brakes
1
Lane departure
1
Tires
1
Visibility
1
Wheels
1
Show 15 more Show less
Crash-flagged

11

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

5

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

62018572019472020342021182022142023192024182025122026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The passenger‑side airbag warning light first appeared within the first year of ownership. During that visit, the dealership did not repair the defect. They only reset the warning light and told me it was not a problem.…"
    Air bags · filed 2026-08-25
  • "While driving at regular road speeds, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic safety component failure. The primary hood latch disengaged, and the secondary safety backup latch failed to catch or secure the hood. This…"
    Latches, locks, and linkages · filed 2026-08-17
  • "I am currently experiencing CVT failure as of I have filed a case with the nissan consumer affairs unit, case number 56846043. I was advised that even though there was a class action suit in 2022 for CVT issues, my CVT…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-07-07
  • "So I have the 2.5L QR25DE engine with the exact exhaust failure from campaign PC717, and I need Goodwill Assistance because the part failed identically."
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-06-09
  • "Transmission stopped working on me in the highway cvt code that comes up is P17f0 was in the highway going 45 mph then dropped 5 mph very dangerous. Almost crashed"
    Powertrain, Unknown or other · filed 2026-05-28

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2018 Nissan Altima 4 DR FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Altima 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 27 38 31 MPG $2100
Altima 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (AV-S7) Front-wheel drive 22 32 26 MPG $2500
Altima SR 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S7) Front-wheel drive 26 37 30 MPG $2150

Specs and fitment

5th generation (L33), 2013–2018
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-20 (2.5L); 5W-30 (3.5L V6)
Tire size 215/60R16 to 235/45R18 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Nissan ran voluntary service campaign PC490 on certain 2013-2016 Altima (L33) vehicles to reprogram CVT software after hydraulic pressure could drop and allow belt slip (MIL P0776 and poor acceleration); Nissan states that campaign is not a safety recall. Separately, Nissan extended CVT assembly warranty coverage on 2013-2016 Altima (L33) to 84 months/84,000 miles. Safety recall 20V-315 covers certain 2013-2018 Altimas: if the primary hood latch is released, the secondary latch may corrode and bind unlatched so the hood can open while driving; dealers install a stronger release spring, a warning label, and an Owner's Manual addendum. Safety recall 18V-915 covers certain 2015-2017 Altimas previously remedied under 17V-040 whose rear door latch-lock cable may be misrouted and open the rear door when the window is lowered; dealers secure the cable.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Nissan Altima Next year 2019 Nissan Altima See every Nissan Altima model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Nissan Altima reliable?

Owners have filed 225 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Nissan Altima over 9 years — 37 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Altima years here — over the median of the other years, which is 23. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Latch and Camera.

What are common problems with a 2018 Nissan Altima?

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (48 of 225), then Electrical system (37) and Air bags (36). Those filings include 11 that report a crash and 5 that report an injury.

Is the 2018 Nissan Altima more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 Altima has 391 complaints, 23 per year, and the 2019 has 232 complaints, 26 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Nissan Altima been recalled?

The 2018 Nissan Altima has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Nissan Altima?

Owners have filed 225 complaints about the 2018 Nissan Altima with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Nissan Altima get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Nissan Altima is 29 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Altima take?

0W-20 (2.5L); 5W-30 (3.5L V6)

What does Nissan service campaign PC490 cover on the Nissan Altima?

Nissan ran voluntary service campaign PC490 on certain 2013-2016 Altima (L33) vehicles to reprogram CVT software after hydraulic pressure could drop and allow belt slip (MIL P0776 and poor acceleration); Nissan states that campaign is not a safety recall.

What generation is the 2014 Nissan Altima?

5th generation (L33) (2013-2018).