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Active NHTSA advisory: park outside and away from structures until repaired. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

Nissan · Midsize Sedan

2018 Nissan Maxima

Gas

Midsize Cars
1 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

82 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

Recalls1 critical 2

Complaints1 crash · 1 fire · 1 injured reported 36

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 25 mpg

2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2018 Nissan Maxima is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize sedan. The most efficient version, the Maxima, is EPA-rated at 25 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 36 complaints, most often about the service brakes. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

2018 Nissan Maxima

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Maxima	Gas	FWD	3.5L 6-cyl	21	30	25	$3,300

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 39612.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Maxima	3 / 10	Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 / California LEV-III ULEV125	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Sedan/Saloon
Doors	4
GVWR class	Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	6
Displacement	3.5 L
Engine configuration	V-Shaped

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	2
Seating capacity	5 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain

4x2

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim. Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	192.9 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	73.2 in
Height	56.7 in
Wheelbase	109.4 in
Track, front	62.2 in
Track, rear	62.2 in
Curb weight	3,587 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	61/39

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here one configuration: 4-door Sedan. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database

!critical

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Park outside 391,479 vehicles 63% reported repaired built Feb 10, 2015 – May 22, 2018

Problem 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. Risk A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire. Fix 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.

Filed with NHTSARemedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 19V807000 reported Nov 8, 2019 Nissan North America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

○minor

Back Over Prevention

1,228,830 vehicles 80% reported repaired built Apr 1, 2018 – May 30, 2019

Problem 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) num Risk The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash. 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.

Filed with NHTSARemedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 19V654000 reported Sep 12, 2019 Nissan North America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

NHTSA defect investigations

Suspension:Rear — Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure closed

On July 29, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened EA19002 to investigate instances of alleged rear lower control arm failures in 2013-2018 Nissan Altima and 2016-2018 Nissan Maxima vehicles. At the time the investigation was opened ODI had 91 consumer complaints alleging rear lower control arm failures in the subject vehicles. ODI was concerned about these complaints because many of them alleged an increased steering effort or loss of vehicle control. At the time these complaints were received, ODI was also aware of a proactive service campaign addressing 2013 Nissan Altima in salt-belt states for a similar concern. Since opening the investigation, ODI has confirmed, based o

Opened Jul 29, 2019 · closed Jun 16, 2025 · action EA19002 · the investigation’s page →

Whether any of this applies to one specific Maxima

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2018 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Nissan publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Nissan’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2018 Nissan Maxima, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

36complaints filed

1 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported

8.1 per 10,000 built · Nissan reported 44,405 Maxima built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2018: 1 · 2019: 15 · 2020: 5 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 3

Most-cited components

Unspecified 8

Service Brakes 8

Forward Collision Avoidance 7

Electrical System 5

Vehicle Speed Control 2

Structure 2

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

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

Visibility/Wiper Nov 14, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11625212

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.

Wheels at 40,000 miles Sep 12, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11614288

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.

Service Brakes at 51,533 miles May 3, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11586726

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

Tires Apr 22, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11584410

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.

Forward Collision Avoidance Oct 25, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11490826

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

Electrical System at 32,000 miles Dec 24, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11291098

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Nissan itself: 1 death-or-injury claim on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 1 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 2.3 per 100,000 built. Every Maxima model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

When owners reported it

Reported at 39k

miles, typically

Half the 21 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 13,000 and 43,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.

Too few readings for a curve — the 21 on file: 5 under 10k, 1 10k–20k, 1 20k–30k, 6 30k–40k, 3 40k–50k, 2 50k–60k, 1 60k–70k, 2 90k–100k.

Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR FWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★★	10%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 165

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-04-13

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 165 service bulletins

Most often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Power Train, Engine, Visibility/Wiper.

NTB09-131C Service bulletin
2026-04-13 · Structure — Body
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides
NTB09-131C Service bulletin
2026-04-13 · Structure — Body
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides
NTB15-049CC Service bulletin
2026-03-30 · Electrical System
TELEMATICS SERVICE INFORMATION HINT: This bulletin applies to vehicles equipped with a 4G network compatible TCU. TCUs compatible with 3G network only are no longer supported. SERVICE INFORMATION The APPLIED VEHICLES that come equipped with a factory installed SOS switch, located near the overhead map lamp, also come equipped with a wireless communication device called a Telematics Communication U
WBI/21-002 Service bulletin
2025-10-03 · Power Train
CAMPAIGN BULLETIN CVT Warranty Extension In an effort to assure customer satisfaction, demonstrate our confidence in continuously variable transmissions (CVTs), and to address customer concerns including those expressed by customers in a class action, Nissan will extend the warranty coverage on the CVT. The warranty extension includes the CVT assembly and internal CVT components, gaskets, and seal
NTB19-042F Service bulletin
2025-02-20 · Electrical System
AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING WARNING LIGHT BLINKING APPLIED SYSTEMS: Vehicles equipped with a lane camera (see Figure 1) SERVICE INFORMATION If the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) warning light or is blinking (but not illuminated steadily) or the customer states it is blinking, and there are no related DTCs, inspect the windshield. A blinking AEB warning light may occur under the following condit
NTB19-033G Service bulletin
2025-02-20 · Electrical System
INTELLIGENT CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE AND AEB/FEB WARNING LIGHT ON OR RADAR OBSTRUCTION MESSAGE DISPLAYED WITH DTC C1A16 OR C2582 IF YOU CONFIRM IMPORTANT: The purpose of ACTION (on the next page) is to give you a quick idea of the work you will be performing. You MUST closely follow the entire SERVICE PROCEDURE as it contains information that is essential to successfully completing this repair.
NTB19-071D Service bulletin
2024-09-19 · Air Bags
DTC B00A0-00 STORED This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. IF YOU CONFIRM DTC B00A0-00 (OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR UNIT) is stored, AND OCS zero point reset cannot be performed, (continued on the next page)
NTB12-103I Service bulletin
2024-06-07 · Power Train
CVT/TCM CALIBRATION DATA “WRITE” PROCEDURE This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
P17F1 P17F1 on Nissan →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	10 bulletins · 1 owner report
P17F0 P17F0 on Nissan →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	10 bulletins
P0087 P0087 on Nissan →	Fuel rail pressure is below what the system commanded.	Equipment · Fuel pump →	4 bulletins
P0101 P0101 on Nissan →	The mass air flow sensor is reporting a figure the engine computer does not believe for the conditions.	Equipment · Mass air flow sensor →	4 bulletins
P0448 P0448 on Nissan →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	4 bulletins
P0456 P0456 on Nissan →	A very small leak in the evaporative emissions system.	Fuel/Propulsion System · Gas cap →	4 bulletins
P2008 P2008 on Nissan →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	4 bulletins
B130C B130C on Nissan →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	3 bulletins
B2EF0 B2EF0 on Nissan →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	3 bulletins
C1A03 C1A03 on Nissan →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	2 bulletins
C1A04 C1A04 on Nissan →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	2 bulletins
C1B01 C1B01 on Nissan →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	2 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 2.3%

failed emissions

1,140 initial inspections of 1,116 vehicles.

Measure	The 2018 Maxima	Every 2018 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	2.3%	3.0%	1,138
Failed the safety inspection	2.5%	1.9%	1,140
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0%	0.22%	1,140
Miles driven a year	9,574	10,002	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	79,032	82,833	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2018 vehicle” is every 2018 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

Maxima by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2023 A 0 1 24 mpg 2022 A 0 5 24 mpg 2021 A 0 3 24 mpg 2020 A 1 22 24 mpg 2019 A 1 18 24 mpg 2018 this page B 2 36 Park outside 2017 F 4 106 Park outside 2016 F 8 142 Park outside

Common questions about the 2018 Maxima

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2018 Nissan Maxima have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 2 recall campaigns for the 2018 Nissan Maxima, 1 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 19V807000, covering Service Brakes, Hydraulic. 1 of them was filed with no repair available at the time — NHTSA's file records what the manufacturer had in hand on the filing date, not what exists today. There is an active park outside advisory — act on it before driving. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2018 Nissan Maxima?

NHTSA gave the 2018 Nissan Maxima 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 5-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it B (82/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2018 Nissan Maxima?

For the 2018 Nissan Maxima, the best EPA combined figure is 25 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2018 Nissan Maxima?

Transport Canada measured it at 192.9 in long, 73.2 in wide (body, without mirrors), 56.7 in tall, on a 109.4 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,587 lb. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2018 Nissan Maxima?

Owners have filed 36 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Nissan Maxima, most often about unspecified, service brakes, forward collision avoidance. Of those, 1 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 1 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2018 Nissan Maxima?

The EPA smog rating for the 2018 Nissan Maxima is 3 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III ULEV125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2018 Nissan Maxima?

The manufacturer has filed 165 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2018 Nissan Maxima, most often covering electrical system, equipment, power train. The most recent is dated 2026-04-13. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2018 Nissan Maxima do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2018 Nissan Maxima failed the emissions check on 2.3% of first inspections — lower than the 3.0% for every 2018 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 2.5% (every 2018 vehicle: 1.9%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	1 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	1 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	2	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	36	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	1 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	165	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	1	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	10 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

JSON for this page · API

2018 Nissan Maxima

Specs & fuel economy

Emissions & certification

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Dimensions Exterior

Engine Basics

Fuel Economy

Seating

Transmission

Driver assistance

Dimensions & weight

Factory warranty running out?

Recalls (2)

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Back Over Prevention

NHTSA defect investigations

Whether any of this applies to one specific Maxima

Hear about a recall before the letter does

Parts & accessories for the 2018 Nissan Maxima

Owner complaints

Most-cited components

In owners' own words

When owners reported it

miles, typically

Crash ratings

Service bulletins & campaigns

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

At the New York inspection station

failed emissions

Maxima by model year

Common questions about the 2018 Maxima

Does the 2018 Nissan Maxima have any recalls?

How safe is the 2018 Nissan Maxima?

What is the fuel economy of the 2018 Nissan Maxima?

What are the dimensions of the 2018 Nissan Maxima?

What do owners complain about on the 2018 Nissan Maxima?

How clean is the 2018 Nissan Maxima?

Are there service bulletins for the 2018 Nissan Maxima?

How does the 2018 Nissan Maxima do at state inspection?

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Where to go next

Sources & method