AI Damage2018 Nissan Maxima: common problems
Owners of the 2018 Nissan Maxima filed 36 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and forward collision avoidance. The maker issued 114 service bulletins for this year. We found 1 repair videos on YouTube. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 36
- involving a crash
- 1
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 114
- YouTube repair videos
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 22% of all complaints
- 2 Forward collision avoidance 17% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 14% of all complaints
- 4 Visibility 6% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 6% of all complaints
- 6 Electronic stability control 6% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 6% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 3% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 8 complaints (22% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 3.
- Forward collision avoidance: 6 complaints (17% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 9.
- Electrical system: 5 complaints (14% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 52.
- Visibility: 2 complaints (6% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 10.
- Structure: 2 complaints (6% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 7.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- CVTnamed in 1 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 36 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 | 8 | 0 | 3 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 6 | 0 | 9 |
| Electrical system | 5 | 0 | 52 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| Structure | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Electronic stability control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 20 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 11 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Lane departure | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The contact crashed into another vehicle however the air bags did not deploy causing his face to hit the steering wheel. The contact also stated that he fractured his back in 7 different locations as a result of the failure and required medical attention via ambulance.
The vehicle suddenly goes into limp mode, the gas pedal becomes unresponsive, and the RPMs begin to drop regardless of speed. After about five minutes, the vehicle slowly regains power.
My rear passenger side coil spring broke. This is a dealer only item. I contacted the dealer and the item is on back order. It is my only means for transportation. I didn’t cause this break, and now I can’t even get it fixed until it comes in whenever that may be.
Without warning, the steering wheel jerked forcefully to the side, and the vehicle became uncomtrollabel leading to an approx 100-foot spin across a median. I have since verified this vehicle was subject to NHTSA Recall 19V-807 for an ABS Actuator leak that shorts the circuit board.
Due to the failure, the contact had to enter the vehicle from the front passenger’s side before crawling over into the driver’s seat. The vehicle was initially taken to the dealer, and the front driver’s side door actuator was replaced.
The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions however, the technicians were unable to duplicate the failure. The failure persisted, and the contact stated that the instrument panel had gone blank before returning to a dim setting later.
360 cameras have stopped working on my vehicle. I've seen where there was a recall on the same thing, but my vehicle is not coming up in the recall. I did buy the car used, but not being able to use the cameras is definitely a safety issue.
There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the lug nuts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure.
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 1,004 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 48% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Maxima has 42 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 36, about average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Forward collision avoidance. Radar and camera: calibration after bumper or windshield replacement.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
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…
- CAMPAIGN BULLETIN CVT Warranty Extension In an effort to assure customer satisfaction, demonstrate our…
CAMPAIGN BULLETIN CVT Warranty Extension In an effort to assure customer satisfaction, demonstrate our confidence in continuously variable transmissions (CVTs), and to address customer concerns including those…
- AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING WARNING LIGHT BLINKING APPLIED SYSTEMS
Vehicles equipped with a lane camera (see Figure 1) SERVICE INFORMATION If the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) warning light or is blinking (but not illuminated steadily) or the customer states it is blinking, and…
- 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…
- DTC C1A17-49 OR C2580-49 STORED IN LASER/RADAR This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- 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.
- AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING WARNING LIGHT BLINKING This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NHTSA lists 114 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 Maxima?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, forward collision avoidance, electrical system. Total complaints: 36. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: driver assists: adaptive cruise, lane keeping (14%), smoke, burning smell, fire (8%), warning lights, check engine (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2018 Nissan Maxima?
NHTSA lists 114 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 Maxima 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.