2018 Nissan Maxima Problems & Owner Complaints

Service Brakes 8 1 fire

“The contact's son owned a 2018 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated while the driver was driving 5 MPH, he noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The driver was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that the driver opened the hood, and noticed that there was fire under the hood. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. A fire department report was not filed. A police report was filed, but the police report information was not available. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, whe…”
NHTSA complaint #11586726, 2024 · fire

“In June 2019, while driving my 2018 Nissan Maxima, the vehicle suffered a sudden and violent mechanical failure. Without warning, the steering wheel jerked forcefully to the side, and the vehicle became uncomtrollabel leading to an approx 100-foot spin across a median. ​I have since verified this vehicle was subject to NHTSA Recall 19V-807 for an ABS Actuator leak that shorts the circuit board. This defect caused the crash, which resulted in a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) with extremy worsening memory loss 4mm spinal shift (L5-S1). I have comparative MRI scans (2015 vs. post-crash) confirming…”
NHTSA complaint #11716091, 2019

“I BOUGHT THIS CAR FOR MAY WIFE AND LONG TRIPS. IT WAS RATED SATISFACTORY BY CONSUMERS REPORT. I RECEIVED A RECALL FROM NISSAN THAT THE CAR COULD LEAK BRAKE FLUID AND CATCH FIRE. THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO FIX IT UNTIL SUMMER OF 2020. IN THE MEAN TIME IF THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON I SHOULD PULL IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALL NISSAN'S TOWING SERVICE THIS MAKES THE CAR UNSUITABLE FOR LONG TRIPS ESPECIALLY IF MY WIFE IS DRIVING. CALLING THE DEALER AND NISSAN AMERICA GOT NO RESPONSE BUT THAT IS THE WAY THINGS ARE. A WOMAN PULLING A CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AT NIGHT IS NOT SAFE.NOT HAVING PARTS TO…”
NHTSA complaint #11291252, 2019

Unknown Or Other 8

“I am submitting this as a formal complaint regarding an ongoing and unresolved safety issue with my 2018 Nissan Maxima (VIN: [XXX] ). Despite multiple attempts to have this issue diagnosed and repaired, the problem continues without resolution. The issue occurs after driving for approximately 30 minutes. The vehicle suddenly goes into limp mode, the gas pedal becomes unresponsive, and the RPMs begin to drop regardless of speed. After about five minutes, the vehicle slowly regains power. This creates an extremely dangerous situation, particularly while driving in traffic or on highways, as it…”
NHTSA complaint #11731774, 2025

“WHEN DRIVING TO WORK MY SUNROOF EXPLODED ON INTERSTATE SCARING ME.IT WAS A VERY LOUD NOISE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR ALL NISSAN OWNERS. WHEN BRINGING THE VEHICLE IN THEY STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SUNROOF EXPLOSION. WHEN GOING ON LINE THIS LOOKS LIKE IS BEEN ONGOING FOR AWHILE.”
NHTSA complaint #11374191, 2020

“WHEN CAR MAXIMA IS SITTING STILL IN IDLE IT LEAKS OUT A CLEAR FLUID. THE FLUID HAS NO COLOR AND NO SMELL.THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY AND IN IDLE.”
NHTSA complaint #11363682, 2020

Forward Collision Avoidance 6

“The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the "Front Radar Obstruction Unavailable" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle independently slowed down without depression the brake pedal. As a result of the failure, several electrical features including the Forward Collision and Lane Keep Assist safety features failed to operate as needed. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11515788, 2022

“Inappropriate function of the AEB system. Filed a prior complaint with you a couple of months ago about the cruise control sensor and the AEB. Cruise was fixed, but AEB keeps going off while using cruise inappropriately. Did not get fixed. Spent a lot of time working with Nissan consumer affairs and Vision Nissan in Webster NY and problem not found. There are numerous complaints on line about the same problem, but Nissan consumer affairs (NCA) keeps telling me there are no other complaints about this issue. The NCA told me that unless the service department has the AEB go off while they are tr…”
NHTSA complaint #11490826, 2022

“I purchased this vehicle used a couple of months ago. The automatic emergency braking initiates inappropriately while using ICC, it brakes without obstruction. Also, the distance sensor isn't working properly according to the dealer. When I use ICC, and sometimes when I am not using it, I get an "unavailable, front radar obstruction" message. The ICC stops working when this happens. It happens every single time I drive. The dealer I bought it from (not a Nissan dealer) won't address it. The Nissan dealer I had to pay $160 to diagnose it said it has a faulty Distance Sensor, which will be repai…”
NHTSA complaint #11475900, 2022

Electrical System 5

“The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that the instrument panel was intermittently dim upon starting the vehicle. The contact stated that while driving the instrument panel eventually brightened before returning to a dim setting. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions however, the technicians were unable to duplicate the failure. The failure persisted, and the contact stated that the instrument panel had gone blank before returning to a dim setting later. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where a diagnostic test was performed, and the contact was in…”
NHTSA complaint #11671034, 2019

“WHEN DRIVING A ERROR MESSAGE ON THE FRONT RADAR RANDOMLY APPEARS. IT SAYS "UNAVAILABLE FRONT RADAR OBSTRUCTION" AND AFFECTS THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL. THIS ERROR IS HAPPENING EVEN IN CLEAR ROAD CONDITIONS AND FOR NO REASON. OTHER PEOPLE ARE REPORTING SAME ERROR MESSAGE FOR NO REASON ALSO.”
NHTSA complaint #11291098, 2019

“WHEN IS IN MOTION ON ANY TYPE OF STREET AND ALSO AT A STOP, WHEN GETTING CLOSE TO A VEHICLE OR IF SOMEONE CUTS IN FRONT OF ME, OR IF THERE IS A STREET SIGN DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE CAR, THIS MESSAGE APPEARS VERY BRIEFLY "UNAVAILABLE FRONT RADAR OBSTRUCTION" WHICH ALSO SHOWS THE ICON OF TWO FRONT END OF CARS COLLIDING. THIS HAPPENED IMMEDIATELY AFTER PUCHASING MY 2018 MAXIMA. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT SAID A WORD ABOUT BEING AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM WHEN IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH CERTAIN NISSAN VEHICLES. THE COST TO BRING IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND FOR ANY REPAIRS AT THIS POINT WOULD BE OUT OF MY…”
NHTSA complaint #11258507, 2019

Electronic Stability Control (Esc) 2

“COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM CONTINUOUSLY DISENGAGES”
NHTSA complaint #11342903, 2020

“FRONT RADAR OBSTRUCTION UNAVAILABLE WARNING COMES ON VERY OFTEN AND REMAINS FOR A COUPLE MINUTES UP TO 15+MINUTES. WHEN USING CRUISE CONTROL THIS STOPS THE CRUISE CAUSING A SLOW DOWN. THIS HAPPENS WHEN IN MOTION AND VERY OFTEN.”
NHTSA complaint #11271646, 2018

Structure 2 1 crash 1 injury

“The contact owned a 2018 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, he became unconscious behind the wheel due to medication. The contact crashed into another vehicle however the air bags did not deploy causing his face to hit the steering wheel. The contact also stated that he fractured his back in 7 different locations as a result of the failure and required medical attention via ambulance. The vehicle was totaled and towed to his residence where Nissan came and towed the vehicle to the dealer. A police report was filed. The occupants in the other vehicle were not injure…”
NHTSA complaint #11442430, 2021 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“I RENTED A NISSAN MAXIMA 2018 FOR A ROAD TRIP. UNFORTUNATELY, I DIDN'T HAVE THE RENTER CAR INSURANCE COVERAGE I DECIDED TO GO WITH MY INSURANCE. HOWEVER, I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE EXPRESS WAY AND I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT THE SUNROOF EXPLODED WITH NO KNOWN EXPLANATION. I WAS DEVASTATED. THERE WERE GLASS FLYING ALL OVER ME AND MY FRIEND WHO WAS WITH ME AT THE TIME. I FEEL LIKE THE CAR WAS A DEFECTIVE CAR AND UNSAFE CAR! THEY ARE NOW MAKING ME RELIABLE IN ALL THE DAMAGE COST TO A VEHICLE THAT I HAD NO CONTROL OVER. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE WERE LAWSUITS FROM NISSAN KN…”
NHTSA complaint #11222054, 2019

Vehicle Speed Control 2

“SHOW ME WARNING OF OBSTRUCTION ON RADAR FOR EMERGENCY BRAKE”
NHTSA complaint #11245610, 2019

“I WAS DRIVING IN THE RIGHT LANE ON A FOUR LANE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WITH GOOD DRIVING CONDITIONS AND A 70 MPH SPEED LIMIT. THE CAR WAS AN ENTERPRISE RENTAL. ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL USES THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKES TO MAINTAIN A SAFE DISTANCE TO THE CAR AHEAD. IT IS DONE BY SENSING THE DISTANCE TO THE CAR AHEAD AT ABOUT 5 CAR LENGTHS THEN ADJUSTING THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKES AS NEEDED TO MAINTAIN THIS SPACING AND AVOID A REAR END COLLISION. THE FAULT IS SEEN IN CHANGING LANES. THE CRUISE WAS SET AT 70 MPH AND MY CAR APPROACHED A CAR AHEAD GOING 65 MPH. MY CAR'S ADAPTIVE CRUISE DECELERA…”
NHTSA complaint #11193892, 2018

Visibility/Wiper 2

“360 cameras have stopped working on my vehicle. I've seen where there was a recall on the same thing, but my vehicle is not coming up in the recall. I did buy the car used, but not being able to use the cameras is definitely a safety issue.”
NHTSA complaint #11625212, 2024

“PANORAMIC SUNROOF EXPLODED WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY @ 70MPH ON HOT SUNNY HUMID DAY. AFTER RESEARCH IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR NISSAN SUNROOFS WITH NUMEROUS CLAIMS RESULTING IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IN CALFORNIA. NISSAN HAS RESPONDED TO MY COMPLAINT THAT THEY AREN'T LIABLE EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE IS UNDER NISSAN WARRANTY WITH THE EXCLUSION THAT GLASS IS NOT COVERED UNLESS A KNOWN PRODUCT DEFECT IS DETERMINED. MY NISSAN CASE NUMBER IS [XXX]. I'VE TURNED TO MY INSURANCE CARRIER FOR REPAIRS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREED…”
NHTSA complaint #11326311, 2020

Air Bags 1 1 crash 1 injury

“The contact owned a 2018 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, he became unconscious behind the wheel due to medication. The contact crashed into another vehicle however the air bags did not deploy causing his face to hit the steering wheel. The contact also stated that he fractured his back in 7 different locations as a result of the failure and required medical attention via ambulance. The vehicle was totaled and towed to his residence where Nissan came and towed the vehicle to the dealer. A police report was filed. The occupants in the other vehicle were not injure…”
NHTSA complaint #11442430, 2021 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

Engine 1

“I am submitting this as a formal complaint regarding an ongoing and unresolved safety issue with my 2018 Nissan Maxima (VIN: [XXX] ). Despite multiple attempts to have this issue diagnosed and repaired, the problem continues without resolution. The issue occurs after driving for approximately 30 minutes. The vehicle suddenly goes into limp mode, the gas pedal becomes unresponsive, and the RPMs begin to drop regardless of speed. After about five minutes, the vehicle slowly regains power. This creates an extremely dangerous situation, particularly while driving in traffic or on highways, as it…”
NHTSA complaint #11731774, 2025

Engine And Engine Cooling 1

“The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that the engine, transmission, spark plugs, battery, and brakes were previously replaced by an independent mechanic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11474094, 2021

Lane Departure 1

“The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the "Front Radar Obstruction Unavailable" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle independently slowed down without depression the brake pedal. As a result of the failure, several electrical features including the Forward Collision and Lane Keep Assist safety features failed to operate as needed. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11515788, 2022

Latches/Locks/Linkages 1

“The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that the power door functions on the front driver’s door failed to operate on two separate occasions. Due to the failure, the contact had to enter the vehicle from the front passenger’s side before crawling over into the driver’s seat. The vehicle was initially taken to the dealer, and the front driver’s side door actuator was replaced. And on the second visit, the contact was informed that both the front driver’s side and rear passenger’s side door actuators were defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of…”
NHTSA complaint #11685105, 2022

Power Train 1

“I having problems with the transmission in the vehicle. The vehicle shakes during acceleration, you can see the gages on the dashboard shaking. When accelerating, the Gears won’t shift properly with a smooth flow. You can notice this in the RPM also when accelerating. I took the vehicle to the Nissan of St. Augustine Dealership and the diagnosis the vehicle with code P17F1 CVT Judder. The dealership stated I will need a new transmission totaling $6405.09. The vehicle maintenance is up to date and it have been very well taken care of. I noticed that this issue has been reported by many other pe…”
NHTSA complaint #11483922, 2022

Seat Belts 1

“THE SEATBELT LATCH ON THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WAS INSTALLED BACKWARDS. THE SEATBELT TWISTS WHEN LATCHED. THIS MAKES USING A CHILD CAR SEAT UNSAFE.”
NHTSA complaint #11234708, 2018

Suspension 1

“My rear passenger side coil spring broke. This is a dealer only item. I contacted the dealer and the item is on back order. It is my only means for transportation. I didn’t cause this break, and now I can’t even get it fixed until it comes in whenever that may be. The dealership doesn’t have an estimated time for delivery. I am financing my car and can’t even drive it.”
NHTSA complaint #11721046, 2026

Tires 1

“Four tires size 245/45/18 failed after 9 months and 6,500 miles. Tires were rotated after 5,000 miles. Dealer checked alignment at 6,500 miles all was ok. Two rear tires were bald, no tread, two front tires were worn to wear bar. Dealer sent tires for warranty 3/12/24 to date 4/22/24 Warranty information not received.”
NHTSA complaint #11584410, 2024

Wheels 1

“The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact started losing control of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the lug nuts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. The VIN was not available.”
NHTSA complaint #11614288, 2024