- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 2
- on record
- MPG
- 25
- combined
Open recalls on record
2 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.
Vehicle Summary
2018 Nissan Maxima
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 2
- Owner complaints
- 36
- Complaints citing a crash
- 1
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
2 Recalls on Record
1 of these is high-severity. Contact a dealer to verify these have been completed.
Safety recalls
2 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 19V654000high
Rear-visibility system issue
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."
Consequence
The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 19V807000high
Brake system issue
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
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.
Consequence
A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2018 Nissan Maxima.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 4 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 4 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 9.5%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- No
What the ratings mean
NHTSA gives the 2018 Nissan Maxima 5 out of 5 stars overall, level with the 5-star median for the 16 comparable 2018 vehicles NHTSA rated in this class.
NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.
NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 9.5% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2018 Nissan Maxima, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
21
City
30
Hwy
25
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $3,050
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 364 g/mi
How this compares
At 25 MPG combined, the 2018 Nissan Maxima ranks 14th of 24 midsize cars EPA rated for 2018 — 1.5 MPG short of the 26.5 MPG median for that group.
That places it a little below the middle of its class. If annual mileage is high, the running-cost gap against a class-average rival compounds quickly.
EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $3,050, $450 more than the $2,600 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $15,250, a $2,250 difference against a class-median vehicle.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 364 grams per mile — about 5.5 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
36 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 36
- Total
- 1
- Crashes
- 1
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
Most reported components
- OTHER12
- BRAKES8
- ELECTRICAL4
- ENGINE3
- VISIBILITY2
Notable Issues
36 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 1 report involves injuries. 1 report involves a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2018 Nissan Maxima, newest first.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation EA19002
Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure
- Recall
A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Recall
The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation EA19002
Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- Midsize Cars
- Drive type
- Front-Wheel Drive
- Engine
- 3.5L 6-cyl
- Fuel type
- Unknown
- Transmission
- Automatic (AV-S7)
- Seats
- 0
Fuel economy
21
City
30
Hwy
25
Comb
- Annual cost
- $3,050
- Fuel
- Premium Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation EA19002
Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure
- Recall
A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Recall
The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation EA19002
Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure


