2018 Nissan Maxima: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
36 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 36 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 4.5
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
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.
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 th…
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…
Recalls: 2 campaigns (1 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 19V807000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 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. |
| 19V654000 | Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera | 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. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a full-size car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 25 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,050
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Unknown Or Other8 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Service Brakes8 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Forward Collision Avoidance6 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Electrical System5 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Visibility/Wiper2 complaints · typical job: Wiper motor, linkage or windscreen replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$490–$1,200
- Structure2 complaints · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,070–$2,920
Other Nissan Maxima years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Nissan Maxima?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Unknown Or Other (8 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2018 Nissan Maxima a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 84/100, computed from 36 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2018 Nissan Maxima's most common problem?
8 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2018 Nissan Maxima sit in the Unknown Or Other group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is diagnosis and mixed repair: about 2.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $360–$940 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2018 Nissan Maxima cost to run per year?
About $4,925 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $24,628 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2018 Nissan Maxima have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for the 2018 Nissan Maxima, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 08/11/2019. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other fullsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2018 Nissan Maxima really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Thin evidence — 36 complaints, 2 recalls on record
- 36 NHTSA complaints on record (4.5/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (4.5/yr)
- 2 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality