Your vehicle report
2018 Nissan Altima
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 226
- Received Sep 2018 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Automatic emergency braking applies without reason22 complaints · 9.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Airbag warning light stays on17 complaints · 7.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Headlights dim or fail at night10 complaints · 4.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #20V315000Nissan 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.
- Recall #19V654000Nissan 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."
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Airbag warning light stays onFirst signal: Jun 2021
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 11 crashes, 0 fires, 6 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 17 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
- Headlights dim or fail at night
- Ignition key sticks or will not turn
- Engine won't start or cranks intermittently
1 more problem
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 6 |
| 2019 | 57 |
| 2020 | 47 |
| 2021 | 34 |
| 2022 | 18 |
| 2023 | 14 |
| 2024 | 19 |
| 2025 | 18 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 13 |
| Total | 226 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 22 | 9.7% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 17 | 7.5% | 33.9× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jun 2021 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 1.2% |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 10 | 4.4% | 6.7× | |
| CVT transmission fails or loses power | 10 | 4.4% | – | |
| Rearview backup camera fails or goes black | 9 | 4.0% | – | NHTSA recall #19V654000 |
| Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off | 7 | 3.1% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 5 | 2.2% | – | |
| Brake lights fail or stay on | 5 | 2.2% | – | |
| Hood latch fails and hood flies open | 4 | 1.8% | 57.9× | NHTSA recall #20V315000 |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 4 | 1.8% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 4 | 1.8% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 4 | 1.8% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 4 | 1.8% | – | |
| Engine won't start or cranks intermittently | 4 | 1.8% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 3 | 1.3% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #20V315000May 28, 20201,831,818 vehicles affected
latches/locks/linkages: hood: latch
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.
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 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.
NHTSA recall #19V654000September 12, 20191,228,830 vehicles affected
back over prevention: sensing system: camera
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."
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2018 Nissan Altima.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN