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U.S. public vehicle records

2018 Nissan ALTIMA problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

225 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

36,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2018 model year. Data snapshot: . 110 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Unknown Or Other is the most frequently named component, appearing in 60 of 225 complaints (26.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Braking behavior5926.2%
Transmission and shifting2310.2%
Steering behavior146.2%
Electrical and battery issues104.4%
Engine operation20.9%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Unknown Or Other
60
Service Brakes
48
Air Bags
36
Electrical System
36
Power Train
21
Engine
13
Steering
12
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)
11
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Unknown Or Other60
Service Brakes48
Air Bags36
Electrical System36
Power Train21
Engine13
Steering12
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)11

Unknown Or Other: 60; Service Brakes: 48; Air Bags: 36; Electrical System: 36; Power Train: 21; Engine: 13; Steering: 12; Electronic Stability Control (Esc): 11

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
42
25,000 to 49,999
43
50,000 to 74,999
20
75,000 to 99,999
4
100,000 to 149,999
1
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,00042
25,000 to 49,99943
50,000 to 74,99920
75,000 to 99,9994
100,000 to 149,9991
150,000 and above0

Under 25,000: 42; 25,000 to 49,999: 43; 50,000 to 74,999: 20; 75,000 to 99,999: 4; 100,000 to 149,999: 1; 150,000 and above: 0

25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (43). 115 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2018
6
2019
57
2020
47
2021
34
2022
18
2023
14
2024
19
2025
18
2026
12
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20186
201957
202047
202134
202218
202314
202419
202518
202612

2018: 6; 2019: 57; 2020: 47; 2021: 34; 2022: 18; 2023: 14; 2024: 19; 2025: 18; 2026: 12

Pattern summary

Unknown Or Other leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 59 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 23 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 14 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 11161087 · 2018-12-13 (December 13, 2018)

AEB WILL NOT APPLY BRAKE WHEN NARROWLY MISSING A CAR THAT RAN A STOP SIGN.THE AEB "AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING" DOES NOT WORK AT ANY TIME, OR ANY SITUATION. DEALERSHIP IN SHELBY,NC. NISSAN ,REFUSES TO FIX NOT EVEN JAD IT A MONTH YET. SINCERELY, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 11161087 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11161700 · 2018-12-15 (December 15, 2018)

CAR WOULD NOT BRAKE AND HIT A POLE. THE VEHICLE IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE EMERGENCY BRAKES, BUT DID NOT WORK. OFTEN WOULD GET A MESSAGE ACROSS MY DASHBOARD SAYING IT WAS UNAVAILABLE.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11161700 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11206476 · 2019-05-09 (May 9, 2019)

DRIVING ALONG INTERSTATE SLOWED DOWN FOR TRAFFIC LIGHT AND WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS TO ACCELERATE, VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO EVEN IF THE ACCELERATOR WAS ON THE FLOOR COULD NOT GET ABOVE 40MPH AND RPM WERE BETWEEN 4&5 WAS ALMOST REARENDED BY OTHER TRAFFIC. HAPPENED TWO MORE TIMES ON THE HIGHWAY. ALSO WHEN DRIVING THROUGH SLOW TRAFFIC FEELS AS IF TRANSMISSION IS JERKING AND POWER IS LOST.

Owner-reported narrative. 20,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11206476 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11280707 · 2019-11-18 (November 18, 2019)

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, DURING THE MORNING, MY CAR ACTIVATED THE BRAKES ON ITS OWN, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENS THE FIRST TIME I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND ASKED FOR THE SENSORS TO BE REMOVED, AND KEPT IT FOR A WHOLE DAY AND APPARENTLY NOTHING WAS DONE, SECONDLY THE (FRONT RADAR OBSTRUCTION) IS BECOMING ANNOYING. ANOTHER OF THE ISSUES I ENCOUNTERED WITH THIS MY ALTIMA IS THE SHIFTING, FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR IT FEELS AS IF THE GEARS WERE STUCK, ALSO TOOK IT IN THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THIS COULD NOT BE TRUE BECAUSE MY ALTIMA DOESN…

Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11280707 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11144892 · 2018-11-02 (November 2, 2018)

BROUGHT VEHICLE TO PETERS NISSAN IN NASHUA N.H. ON OCTOBER 10TH WITH 7,000 MILES ON IT DUE TO HEARING A POPPING SOUND COMING FROM THE RIGHT FRONT TO HEAR THE SOUND IT WOULD BE TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL AND ACCELERATING, GO OVER BUMPS PUTTING ANY KIND OF FLEX ON THAT RIGHT FRONT. TECH FOUND OUT AFTER CALLING TECH LINE THAT I HAVE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT FRONT STRUT TOWER AND HOOD HOLDER WHICH CAME FROM FACTORY LIKE THIS. STATED THAT THE BODY MOUNTS WHERE LETTING GO AND THE WELDS HAVE SEPARATED AND EXPLAINED THAT IF ONE MACHINE WAS NOT OR…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11144892 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11170755 · 2019-01-18 (January 18, 2019)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT PURCHASED A LEMON (2017 NISSAN VEHICLE) AND SWAPPED IT OUT FOR A 2018 ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL IN THE 2018 ALTIMA MADE CLICKING AND POPPING NOISES WHEN TURNED, WHICH POSSIBLY WERE CAUSED BY THE LINKAGE IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SEVERAL UNKNOWN NISSAN DEALERS, BUT THEY CLAIMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING TO REPAIR. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE ORIGINAL DEALER (DON DAVIS NISSAN, 1320 I-20 FRONTAGE ROAD, ARLINGTON, TX 76018, [phone removed]) WAS COND…

Owner-reported narrative. 3,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 11170755 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11190328 · 2019-03-20 (March 20, 2019)

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PROCEED AFTER A STOP SIGN WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON DASH INCLUDING THE BATTERY LIGHT. I PUT ON MY HAZARD LIGHTS. WHEN I PRESSED THE GAS THE CAR MADE NO ACCELERATION NOISE AND DID NOT MOVE. THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE. I MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO MOVE FORWARD, BUT THE LIGHTS REMAINED AND THE CAR DID NOT MOVE. I HAD A FULL TANK IF GAS AND A RECENT OIL CHANGE. I THEN PUT THE CAR IN PARK, AND USED MY PUSH BUTTON TO TURN OFF THE CAR. I WAITED A FEW SECONDS AND RESTARTED THE CAR. IT DID START AND I WAS ABLE TO ACCELERATE NORMALLY. I WAS ON A…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11190328 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11269272 · 2019-10-17 (October 17, 2019)

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, NOTIFICATION OF "FEB: UNAVAILABLE FRONT RADAR OBSTRUCTION" COMES ON AND STAYS ILLUMINATED FOR UPWARDS OF 5 TO 10 MINUTES BEFORE TURNING OFF. THIS OCCURS WHEN THERE ARE NO VEHICLES IN FRONT OF MINE AND NO ROAD HAZARDS THAT WOULD HAVE TRIGGERED IT TO TURN ON. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE WAY THE CAR IS DESIGNED TO STOP WHEN IT DETECTS A HAZARD. THIS STARTED OUT RANDOMLY OVER THIS PAST SUMMER AND IN THE LAST WEEK, HAS BEEN A DAILY OCCURRENCE. WHEN I SPOKE TO THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT IT, THE SOONEST THEY HA…

Owner-reported narrative. 19,575 miles reported. Look up ODI 11269272 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11364054 · 2020-10-13 (October 13, 2020)

BASICALLY I WAS AT THE STORE CAME OUT TO GO HOME AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START THEN AFTER A WHILE IT STARTED UP BUT THEN WHEN I WENT TO DRIVE IT AGAIN IT WAS GIVING ME A HARD TIME TO START AND AFTER I WAITED A WHILE AND TRIED AGAIN IT STARTED UP BUT WOULD NOT SWITCH GEARS OUT OF PARK AT ALL AND IT HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM I WENT TO NISSAN AND WHEN I GOT THERE THEY TOLD ME TO CHANGE THE KEY FOBS IN WHICH I DID AND IT STARTED UP WITH NO PROBLEM BUT AFTER A FEW WEEKS THE SAME PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED THEN IT FEES LIKE THE VEHICLE STALLS TO DRIVE OFF …

Owner-reported narrative. 61,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11364054 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11544537 · 2023-09-14 (September 14, 2023)

The transmission would shift into neutral while driving down the road, loosing power to the drive train. This happened multiple times on the interstate at higher speeds in the left lane. Cars following came close to hitting me because of the sudden loss of power and speed. Talking with multiple transmission shops and a dealership they stated it was a common problem in the Nissan Altimas. Brought it into a independent transmission repair. First try was a flush and fluid replacement, after a day the issue returned. Next they replaced the tr…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11544537 at NHTSA ↗