Photo: User3204 / CC BY 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
2018 Nissan Altima: common problems and reliability
One of the better Altima years.
226 owner complaints, most about service brakes. 2 recalls.
Should I buy a 2018 Altima?The 2018 Nissan Altima has 226 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 2 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are service brakes and electrical system. Owners most often flag cvt transmission failure: catastrophic failure requiring full replacement, often between 80,000-150,000 miles; symptoms include jerking, shuddering, loss of acceleration, lurching at low speeds, and inability to rev beyond a certain rpm. associated with multiple class-action lawsuits, especially for 2010-2020 models.
Safety record for the 2018 model year
Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2018 Nissan Altima vehicles (US, public record).
The Year Score compares this year with other Altima years only. How we score it
Is 2018 a good year for the Altima?
Across the 31 Altima model years we track, complaint volume runs from 20 (2022) to 3,148 (2009). With 226 complaints, the 2018 Altima sits below the model's median of 276.
These are raw NHTSA complaint totals, not adjusted for how many cars sold or how long each model year has been on the road. Older and higher-selling years accumulate more complaints.
Where owners report problems
Recalls affecting the 2018 Altima
latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch
Campaign 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.
back over prevention: sensing system: camera
Campaign 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."
What owners say across generations
Extremely negative sentiment regarding long-term reliability, dominated by widespread and severe criticism of the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).
- Very frequentCVT transmission failure
Catastrophic failure requiring full replacement, often between 80,000-150,000 miles; symptoms include jerking, shuddering, loss of acceleration, lurching at low speeds, and inability to rev beyond a certain RPM. Associated with multiple class-action lawsuits, especially for 2010-2020 models.
Owner insights cover all generations of the Altima. See the full Altima owner picture and every model year.
Typical used price
Used Altima listings typically run $9,439–$20,988.
Other Altima model years
Compare every Altima year side by side to see how 2018 ranks against the rest.
Compare the Altima against its rivals
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