- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 2
- on record
- MPG
- 26
- 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 Altima
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 2
- Owner complaints
- 223
- Complaints citing a crash
- 11
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 We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.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
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
2 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 20V315000high
Latches/locks/linkages · hood · latch
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.
Consequence
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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 Owners 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.
- 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.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2018 Nissan Altima.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 4 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 3 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 5 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 10.3%
- 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 Altima 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 10.3% 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 Altima, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
22
City
32
Hwy
26
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,350
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 347 g/mi
How this compares
At 26 MPG combined, the 2018 Nissan Altima ranks 13th of 24 midsize cars EPA rated for 2018 — 0.5 MPG short of the 26.5 MPG median for that group.
That places it squarely mid-pack for its class. Fuel cost is close enough to its rivals that other running costs will probably matter more.
EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $2,350, $250 less than the $2,600 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $11,750, a $1,250 difference against a class-median vehicle.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 347 grams per mile — about 5.2 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
223 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 223
- Total
- 11
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 6
- Injuries
Most reported components
- OTHER64
- BRAKES49
- AIR BAGS35
- ENGINE31
- ELECTRICAL19
Notable Issues
223 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 6 reports involve injuries. 11 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2018 Nissan Altima, newest first.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation EA19002
Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation AQ22003
Hertz/Vehicles Rented with Open Recalls
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation EA21002
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
- Recall
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.
- Recall
The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation PE18013
Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation EA19002
Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation PE18013
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
22
City
32
Hwy
26
Comb
- Annual cost
- $2,350
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Compare with
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation EA19002
Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation AQ22003
Hertz/Vehicles Rented with Open Recalls
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation EA21002
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
- Recall
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.
- Recall
The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.