NissanMaxima2018Overview/nissan/maxima/2018/base/

2018 Nissan Maxima

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2018 Maxima.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic (AV-S7)

The 2018 Nissan Maxima is a passenger car requiring 5.1 quarts of 0W-20 engine oil and paired with an Automatic (AV-S7) transmission, carrying EPA fuel-economy ratings of 21 city, 30 highway, and 25 combined mpg. With only 36 total owner complaints and two recalls logged—Forward Collision Avoidance marking the top grievance area—the 2018 model sits near the bottom of the Maxima’s 1990–2023 complaint range, a span that reaches a high of 1,425 complaints in 2004 and a low of one in 2015. That positioning signals a model year that belongs among the more uneventful, and presumably more dependable, chapters in the nameplate’s long-running history.

Model year202320222021202020192018201720162014

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity5.1 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type0W-20OEM · verified
Lug nut torque83 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy21/30/25 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 35 · 550 CCA battery, OE oil filter 1520865F1E. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 35 · 550 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP245/45R18OEM · verified
Wheel / rim8.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter1520865F1E alt 1520865F0E
Engine air filter16546V0100
Spark plug22401EW61C
Front wiper blades288903TA0D alt 288903TA1B
Serpentine belt117206TA0A
Thermostat13050ZA000 alt 212009HP0A
Cabin air filter272773JC1C alt 272779NM0A

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (AV-S7)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length192.9 in
Overall width73.2 in
Overall height56.7 in
Wheelbase109.4 in
Curb weight3587 lb
Track (front / rear)62.2 / 62.2 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)61/39

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined21 / 30 / 25 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume98 cu ft
Cargo volume14 cu ft
Recommended fuelPremium Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Maxima of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

5.7–6.1 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 5.70 sec — 2017 Platinum
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2017Platinum 3.5L V65.70 sec14.20 sec300 hpFWD
2019Platinum 3.5L V65.80 sec14.30 sec300 hpFWD
2016Platinum 3.5L V65.70 sec14.20 sec300 hpFWD
2016Platinum 3.5L V65.80 sec14.30 sec300 hpFWD
2016SR 3.5L V65.80 sec14.30 sec300 hpFWD
2016SR 3.5L V65.90 sec14.40 sec300 hpFWD
2016SR 3.5L V66.00 sec14.50 sec300 hpFWD
2016SR 3.5L V66.10 sec14.30 sec300 hpFWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 5.1 qt of 0W-20 engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 83 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 25.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidNissan CVT fluid NS-3
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity8.6
Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantUse Nissan long life coolant
Engine Coolant Capacity9.7
Engine Oil0W-20
Engine Oil Capacity5.1 qt
Power Steering FluidNissan E-PSF

Engine torques

Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor Bolt(s)5.1 ft-lbs
Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Bolt(s)5.1 ft-lbs
Camshaft Sprocket and/or Gear Bolt(s)76.0 ft-lbs
Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Bolt(s)18.0 ft-lbs
Oxygen (O2S) Sensor Bolt(s)25.0 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts65.0 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts23 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug25.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts83 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub135.0

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-2-3-4-5-6
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)650 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)50 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (Secondary Under Load)650 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (Secondary Under Load)50 rpm
Spark Plug ManufacturerNissan
Spark Plug Gap.043 in
Spark Plug Torque14 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity3.40 oz
Standard BCI Group Number35
Standard BCI Cranking Performance550 cca

Service checks

RPM51.0
Engine Compression142

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier TorqueFront: 25; Rear: 32
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt TorqueFront: 107; Rear: 62
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness after RefinishFront: 1.024; Rear: .551
Variation from Parallelism Thickness Variation.0006
Maximum Rotor RunoutFront: .0016; Rear: .002

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs — tightening sequence 5 stages
1Bolts 7-1017 in
2Bolts 1-6104 in
3All bolts52 in
4Bolts 1-680–104 in
5Bolts 7-1074–91 in
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 2 stages
114.0-15.0 ft. lbs.14–15 ft. lbs
290.0-95.0
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
132.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 84 degrees-9032 ft. lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

Prep Lower: Step 1: 5.2 ft. lbs.

219.0 ft. lbs.; Upper Bolts: 8.019 ft. lbs
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 2 stages
126.0 ft. lbs.26 ft. lbs
290.0
Engine Valve Cover Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
11.5 ft. lbs., Step 2: 6.01.5 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 5,000 mi; spark plugs at 105,000 mi; coolant at 105,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 105,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 5,000 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 10,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Transmission Assembly (inspect fluid level)
Every 15,000 miCabin Air Filter (replace) · Keyless Entry Remote Battery (replace)
Every 20,000 miBrake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Drive Axle Assembly (inspect) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Steering Gear Box Assembly (inspect)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace)
At 40,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
At 105,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 180,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2018 Nissan Maxima marks a notable improvement in reliability within its generation, particularly when viewed against the federal record. Complaints dropped sharply from 142 in 2016 and 102 in 2017 to just 36 in 2018, while recalls also declined from 8 and 4 in those prior years to 2 in 2018. This trend continues into 2019 and beyond, with complaints falling further to 18 and recalls to 1, suggesting Nissan addressed key issues mid-generation. The 2018 model’s top complaint areas—Forward Collision Avoidance, Service Brakes, and Electrical System—are relatively low in volume (4 or fewer each) and lack a clear pattern of systemic failure, unlike earlier years with higher complaint spikes. With only one crash and one fire complaint reported, the data implies a more stable build quality for this model year. **Takeaway: the 2018 Maxima is a strong used buy, sitting at the sweet spot of its generation with minimal complaints, recalls, and no red flags in the federal record.**

2
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
164
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
36
Owner complaints
1 involved a crash · 1 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 36 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Forward Collision Avoidance4
Unknown Or Other4
Service Brakes4
Electrical System3
Visibility/Wiper2
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)2
Unknown Or Other,Engine1
Suspension1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

19V654000Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: CameraReported 12/09/2019

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… Remedy: 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…

19V807000Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited SlipReported 08/11/2019

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. These vehicles were previously recalled and… Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ABS actuator, free of charge. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available, currently expected to…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 164 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
NTB09-131C2026-04-13StructureCERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision…
NTB09-131C2026-04-13StructureCERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision…
NTB15-049CC2026-03-30Electrical SystemTELEMATICS SERVICE INFORMATION HINT: This bulletin applies to vehicles equipped with a 4G…
WBI/21-0022025-10-03Power TrainCAMPAIGN BULLETIN CVT Warranty Extension In an effort to assure customer satisfaction…
NTB19-042F2025-02-20Electrical SystemAUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING WARNING LIGHT BLINKING APPLIED SYSTEMS: Vehicles equipped…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Maxima. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2018 Maxima take?

5.1 qt of 0W-20 STARBURST, per the factory manual.

Does the 2018 Maxima have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Maxima get?

EPA figures are 21 city / 30 highway / 25 combined mpg.