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…
2018 Nissan Maxima brakes problems
severe 5 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $450 · see brakes across all vehicles →
Complaints
5
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$450
1fire
When does it fail?
Of the 5 brakes complaints filed for the 2018 Nissan Maxima, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
No new NHTSA brakes complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 6 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
What owners are reporting 3 most recent
Dashboard message appears intermittently while driving "unavailable front radar obstruction". The message relates to the system that automatically applies the brakes if it senses a collision danger.
Automatic emergency braking failure while moving on a daily basis at 39,000 miles.
Had brakes trouble with your 2018 Nissan Maxima?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the brakes problem on the 2018 Nissan Maxima?
It's a meaningful issue. 5 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $450.
At what mileage does the brakes typically fail?
Based on the 5 complaints filed, brakes issues most often appear around 30,508 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $450 for brakes repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to brakes?
No active recalls currently cover brakes issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2018/Nissan/Maxima.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.