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ProblemsByVin Index / 2018-NISSAN-MAXIMA / COMPLAINTS
Full complaint record · NHTSA

2018 Nissan Maxima owner complaints

36 complaints filed with NHTSA on this vehicle , including 1 reporting a crash, fire, injury, or fatality. Showing the 300 most recent — grouped by category for scanning.

other 8 complaints shown

11/11/2020 ODI #11374191.0

When driving to work my sunroof exploded on interstate scaring me.it was a very loud noise. This is a safety issue for all Nissan owners. When bringing the vehicle in they stated that they were not responsible for the sunroof explosion. When going on line this looks like is been ongoing for awhile.

10/28/2019 ODI #11271646.0

Front radar obstruction unavailable warning comes on very often and remains for a couple minutes up to 15+minutes. When using cruise control this stops the cruise causing a slow down. This happens when in motion and very often.

10/25/2022 ODI #11490826.0

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. Spent a lot of time working with Nissan consumer affairs and Vision Nissan in Webster NY and problem not found. There are numerous complaints on line about the same problem, but Nissan consumer affairs (NCA) keeps telling me there are no other complaints about this issue. The NCA told me that unless the service department has the AEB go off while they are trying it out, they won't do anything. If I want the second opinion they are recommending, it has to be out of pocket cost for me. I have had it happen and drove to the dealer without turning the vehicl

10/10/2020 55,000 mi ODI #11363682.0

When car maxima is sitting still in idle it leaks out a clear fluid. The fluid has no color and no smell.this happens when the vehicle is stationary and in idle.

09/19/2019 40,000 mi ODI #11256582.0

Tl* the contact owns a 2018 Nissan maxima. While driving various speeds, the collision avoidance system erroneously activated although no objects were present in front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to napleton Nissan (10964 page ave, st. Louis, mo) where the collision avoidance sensor wa recalibrated; however, the failure continued. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided case number: 2170186. The failure mileage was 40,000.

09/04/2025 ODI #11685105.0

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, the contact was informed that both the front driver’s side and rear passenger’s side door actuators were defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer unrepaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

08/03/2020 61,000 mi ODI #11342903.0

Collision avoidance system continuously disengages

07/26/2022 ODI #11475900.0

I purchased this vehicle used a couple of months ago. The automatic emergency braking initiates inappropriately while using ICC, it brakes without obstruction. Also, the distance sensor isn't working properly according to the dealer. When I use ICC, and sometimes when I am not using it, I get an "unavailable, front radar obstruction" message. The ICC stops working when this happens. It happens every single time I drive. The dealer I bought it from (not a Nissan dealer) won't address it. The Nissan dealer I had to pay $160 to diagnose it said it has a faulty Distance Sensor, which will be repaired if I pay over $1000. I only have $13,000 miles on this vehicle, and it was 11,000 when I bought it. This has a Nissan service bulletin easily found online, a known issue to Nissan which is a safet

electrical 4 complaints shown

5 total in this category · moderate · avg repair $850 · see electrical cluster analysis →
12/24/2019 32,000 mi ODI #11291098.0

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.

09/27/2019 39,950 mi ODI #11258507.0

When is in motion on any type of street and also at a stop, when getting close to a vehicle or if someone cuts in front of me, or if there is a street sign directly in front of the car, this message appears very briefly "unavailable front radar obstruction" which also shows the icon of two front end of cars colliding. This happened immediately after puchasing my 2018 maxima. The dealership has not said a word about being aware of this problem when it is a known problem with certain Nissan vehicles. The cost to bring it into the dealership and for any repairs at this point would be out of my pocket since the car is no longer under warranty. This faulty radar compromises the emergency braking system in the car.

08/21/2019 ODI #11245610.0

Show me warning of obstruction on radar for emergency brake

08/06/2019 42,531 mi ODI #11242058.0

Unavailable front radar obstruction. This alert happens at random times when driving, it puts the sensor in an unavailable mode which in turns does not allow the safety function to work properly. I have done searches online and this is happening not only to maximas but to other Nissan make/models. This is not a one time and done occurrence it happens often. When we purchased the car safety was one of our biggest concerns leading us to believe Nissan provided safe cars, apparently, that is not the case. In my opinion, this should be a recall fix, this is a safety issue!

brakes 3 complaints shown

5 total in this category · severe · avg repair $450 · see brakes cluster analysis →
12/26/2019 ODI #11291252.0

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 especially if my wife is driving. Calling the dealer and Nissan america got no response but that is the way things are. A woman pulling a car to the side of the road at night is not safe.not having parts to replace a safety defect is unconscionable

08/06/2019 5,400 mi ODI #11241918.0

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.

07/29/2019 39,000 mi ODI #11240459.0

Automatic emergency braking failure while moving on a daily basis at 39,000 miles.

airbags 1 complaint shown

12/02/2021 39,357 mi Crash ODI #11442430.0

The contact owned a 2018 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, he became unconscious behind the wheel due to medication. The contact crashed into another vehicle however the air bags did not deploy causing his face to hit the steering wheel. The contact also stated that he fractured his back in 7 different locations as a result of the failure and required medical attention via ambulance. The vehicle was totaled and towed to his residence where Nissan came and towed the vehicle to the dealer. A police report was filed. The occupants in the other vehicle were not injured. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 39,357.

visibility 1 complaint shown

11/14/2024 ODI #11625212.0

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.

wheels 1 complaint shown

09/12/2024 40,000 mi ODI #11614288.0

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. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. The VIN was not available.

powertrain 1 complaint shown

09/11/2022 ODI #11483922.0

I having problems with the transmission in the vehicle. The vehicle shakes during acceleration, you can see the gages on the dashboard shaking. When accelerating, the Gears won’t shift properly with a smooth flow. You can notice this in the RPM also when accelerating. I took the vehicle to the Nissan of St. Augustine Dealership and the diagnosis the vehicle with code P17F1 CVT Judder. The dealership stated I will need a new transmission totaling $6405.09. The vehicle maintenance is up to date and it have been very well taken care of. I noticed that this issue has been reported by many other people who owns Nissan Maxima’s. This issue needs to be fixed please.

seatbelts 1 complaint shown

07/25/2019 ODI #11234708.0

The seatbelt latch on the rear passenger side was installed backwards. The seatbelt twists when latched. This makes using a child car seat unsafe.

Showing 300 of 36 total complaints. The full federal record is available at nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2018/Nissan/Maxima#complaints.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaint database. Last synced 2026-06-14. Complaints are owner-submitted and unverified — the existence of a complaint is not proof of a defect, but a pattern of complaints around the same component is a signal worth weighing. Verify any specific filing at nhtsa.gov.
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