NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 225 owner complaints for the 2018 Nissan Altima.
2Safety recalls
225Owner complaints
11Complaints citing a crash
0Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: latches, locks and linkages and backover prevention and rearview camera. Most-reported area: brakes (48 complaints, 21%; median mileage when it happened: 31,000).
2 safety recalls for the 2018 Nissan Altima
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
If the primary hood latch is inadvertently released, there is an increased likelihood that the secondary hood latch may corrode over time.
Risk: 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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2018 Nissan Altima 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."
Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
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.
NHTSA listing: ALTIMA.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 225 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Altima. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Brakes48 · 21%
Median 31,000 miles at failure (39 reports)
Electrical system37 · 16%
Median 31,700 miles at failure (20 reports)
Air bags36 · 16%
Powertrain23 · 10%
Forward collision avoidance15 · 7%
Most named: warnings (10); automatic emergency braking (5)
Engine13 · 6%
Exterior lighting13 · 6%
Most named: headlights (4)
Unknown or other60 · 27%
Median 37,000 miles at failure (35 reports)
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Nissan Altima recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2018 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2018 Altima drew the most (110).
Owner complaints
2018: 225 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Nissan Altima
Model year
Complaints
2016
553
2017
391
2018
225
2019
232
2020
179
2021
70
2022
30
2023
29
2024
41
2025
7
2026
0
Safety recalls
2018: 2 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Nissan Altima
Model year
Recalls
2016
4
2017
3
2018
2
2019
7
2020
6
2021
2
2022
0
2023
0
2024
1
2025
2
2026
0
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Nissan Altima 4 DR FWD
Rollover risk 10.3%
Questions
What are the most common 2018 Altima problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: brakes (48), electrical system (37), air bags (36). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2018 Nissan Altima safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2018 Nissan Altima earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Altima has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Nissan dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: ALTIMA.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.