AI Damage2018 Nissan Altima: common problems
Owners of the 2018 Nissan Altima filed 226 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and electrical system. The maker issued 134 service bulletins for this year. We found 1 repair videos on YouTube. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 226
- involving a crash
- 11
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 134
- YouTube repair videos
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 22% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 16% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 16% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 5 Forward collision avoidance 7% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 6% of all complaints
- 7 Exterior lighting 6% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 5% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 49 complaints (22% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 2.
- Electrical system: 37 complaints (16% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 47.
- Air bags: 36 complaints (16% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 4.
- Powertrain: 24 complaints (11% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 25.
- Forward collision avoidance: 15 complaints (7% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 2.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.5 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- CVTnamed in 13 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 226 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 49 | 4 | 2 |
| Electrical system | 37 | 1 | 47 |
| Air bags | 36 | 2 | 4 |
| Powertrain | 24 | 0 | 25 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 15 | 0 | 2 |
| Engine | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| Exterior lighting | 13 | 1 | 20 |
| Steering | 12 | 1 | 2 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 4 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Car would not start then after it started it would not go in gear nor would the brake lights turn on dealership repaired it. The Brake light switch went out again one year later while driving causing my brake lights not to turn on resulting in me getting rear ended after.
The collision company who did my work stated that the seatbelt should have restrained me and at least 1 airbag should have deployed. I contacted Nissan and I was told that the air bags and seatbelts are only suppose to work in a roll over to prevent from being thrown from the vehicle and that the airbags and seatbelts…
No warning lights illuminated. The contact nor the other driver did not sustained injuries. A police report was filed. The other vehicle was towed. The contact was advised by the police office was to use the emergency brake and drove the vehicle to his residence.
The problem is none of the impact devices deployed: air bags nor seat belts or anything deployed. She hit the steering wheel with her chest and knees went into dash and had to be taken to the emergency room and has rib, back, and neck pain for several days.
Before the complete failure, the vehicle had experienced hesitation, vibration, and difficulty accelerating. I am extremely concerned that this type of transmission failure can occur suddenly while a vehicle is operat
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.
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.
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.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 286 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Altima has 160 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 226, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other…
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label =…
- TELEMATICS SERVICE INFORMATION HINT
This bulletin applies to vehicles equipped with a 4G network compatible TCU. TCUs compatible with 3G network only are no longer supported. SERVICE INFORMATION The APPLIED VEHICLES that come equipped with a factory…
- INTELLIGENT CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE AND AEB/FEB WARNING LIGHT ON OR RADAR OBSTRUCTION MESSAGE DISPLAYED…
INTELLIGENT CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE AND AEB/FEB WARNING LIGHT ON OR RADAR OBSTRUCTION MESSAGE DISPLAYED WITH DTC C1A16 OR C2582 IF YOU CONFIRM IMPORTANT: The purpose of ACTION (on the next page) is to give you a…
- DTC B00A0-00 STORED This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. IF YOU CONFIRM DTC B00A0-00 (OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR UNIT) is stored, AND OCS zero point reset cannot be performed…
- INTELLIGENT KEY INITIALIZATION PROCEDURE STOPS OR WILL NOT CONTINUE This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Discard all previous versions of this bulletin.
- VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- CAN COMMUNICATION – NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- CAN COMMUNICATION CODES – DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- DTC P17F0 OR P17F1 STORED IN THE TCM This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Discard all previous versions of this bulletin.
- WINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- CVT/TCM CALIBRATION DATA “WRITE” PROCEDURE This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NHTSA lists 134 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Nissan Altima?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, electrical system, air bags. Total complaints: 226. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (21%), airbag warning light (9%), won't start (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2018 Nissan Altima?
NHTSA lists 134 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2018 Nissan Altima from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2018 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.