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.
2018 Nissan Maxima electrical problems
moderate 5 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $850 · see electrical across all vehicles →
Complaints
5
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$850
When does it fail?
Of the 5 electrical complaints filed for the 2018 Nissan Maxima, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 25,000-50,000 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 electrical 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 4 most recent
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…
Show me warning of obstruction on radar for emergency brake
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…
Had electrical 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 electrical problem on the 2018 Nissan Maxima?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 5 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $850 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the electrical typically fail?
Based on the 5 complaints filed, electrical issues most often appear around 30,729 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 $850 for electrical 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 electrical?
No active recalls currently cover electrical 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.