2018 Nissan Altima: problems, recalls and what it’s worth
NHTSA has 2 open defect investigations (not a recall). Known weak spot on this generation: CVT transmission (Jatco). 2 recall campaigns to confirm with a dealer. A lot of owner complaints, 22% about brakes.
Cold test drive: hesitation off the line, judder under light throttle at 30–45 mph, a whine that rises with speed, or the tach flaring without acceleration. Look for a CVT replacement or reprogram in the service history.
Known problems on the 2018 Nissan Altima
CVT transmission (Jatco) $3,300–$5,000 to fix
The Jatco CVT on this generation is a documented failure point — shudder around 30–45 mph, RPM flare, whining, then failure, frequently 60k–120k mi. Nissan extended the powertrain warranty to 84 mo / 84k mi on many of these and settled class actions.
Check for: Cold test drive: hesitation off the line, judder under light throttle at 30–45 mph, a whine that rises with speed, or the tach flaring without acceleration. Look for a CVT replacement or reprogram in the service history.
Basis: NHTSA complaint clusters; Nissan CVT extended-warranty program; multiple class-action settlements
Known patterns for this year and model, not findings about one car. A well-kept example may already have had the fix. Costs are rough US shop prices.
2018 Nissan Altima recalls
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2018 Nissan Altima. Repairs are free at a dealer for the brand, and a dealer can confirm by VIN which were already done.
- Doors & latches
Corrosion to the secondary latch may cause it to bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
Details 20V315000
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2018 Nissan Altima vehicles. If the primary hood latch is inadvertently released, there is an increased likelihood that the secondary hood latch may corrode over time.
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.
- Driver-assist systems
The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Details 19V654000
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) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
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.
2018 Nissan Altima safety investigations and free repairs
Under investigation (not a recall):
- Hertz/vehicles rented with open recalls since Dec 2022
- Desiccated air bag inflator rupture since Sep 2021
Ask the seller if the car has had this problem.
Free repairs to ask about (warranty extensions):
- Transmission: CVT Class Action Owner Notification In mid-December, current and former owners and lessees of the following vehicles will receive a postcard from a…
- Lights: Halogen Headlamp Class Action Owner Notification Beginning October 25, 2021, current and former owners and lessees of certain 2013-2018 Altimas will…
- Suspension: Rear Lower Suspension Link Warranty Extension Dealer Notification In October 2019, Nissan launched a Voluntary Service Campaign (P9324) on MY2013…
A dealer for the brand can check these by VIN.
Source: NHTSA, Sep 24, 2026.
2018 Nissan Altima safety and fuel
From NHTSA’s crash tests and the EPA’s fueleconomy.gov.
What owners complain about
225 complaints filed with NHTSA for this year and model, which is a lot.
Share of complaints that mention each area. One complaint can mention several.
Other Nissan Altima years
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
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