Owners have filed 5,310 complaints on the Nissan Maxima, covering 1982–2023. The system named most often is Power Train (1,581 reports). Worst years by volume: 2004, 2005, 2006; cleanest: 2023, 1983, 2021. 259 reports describe a crash, 255 a fire, 9 a death. On average the car was 6.0 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Nissan Maxima
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 5,310 Maxima complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Power Train 1,581 Read
On 11/13/2017 I used the automatic starter to start my car from inside the house and my car rolled back into my neighbor's SUV while still in park. When I went outside after hearing the sound of my car hitting the truck I got into my car and had to put it in drive to move the car back into my park. My car was park…
On august 13, 2016, the car stalled in the middle of the high-speed ramp going onto a highway (long island expressway) without any warning, putting us in extremely dangerous situation. Electrical system was still working, but motor shut off. I couldn't get the car moving after numerous attempts a/c also shut down…
My 2014 nissan maxima with my family and myself inside were in a near death situation when the car did not have power to cross train tracks that went across the road. We heard the train coming and the only reason we escaped death was because of a man in a pickup truck in back of us observed the situation and quickly…
Steering 382 Read
Headlights disabled in rain car varied right drastically and in park it still go in motion *ln
My son was driving my car to work and this is his account of the incident On 1/17/2026 on I95 n, the steering wheel abruptly stopped controlling the wheels. It was as if it completely disconnected and he lost control and crashed into the median. It was a terrifying incident for my son. No other cars were involved.…
Failure of multiple systems upon impact with a pothole causing the vehicle to light up brake warning light, traction control system warning light, and spin out with no steering capability, resulting in a total loss of the car, including the rear passenger tire and wheel to sheer off, snapped the tie rod, ripped off…
Air Bags 291 Read
Our 2002 nissan maxima has been totaled. We no longer have it, but our son was in a major fatal car accident on a major city street 2007, to we ourself do not know exactly what was the cause, our son fell asleep. No drugs or alcohol involved. Courts stated speeding without investigated proof. Our son is incarcerated…
Was at a four way stop. Other driver pulled out in front of me and I tried to not hit their vehicle but couldn’t avoid it. I was going around 15 miles per hour. The air bag discharged so hard it broke my windshield and injured my head, neck and lower back
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…
Electrical System 256 Read
Car was parked outside husbands work since 7 at 12:15 pm he was advised by a co worker that my car was on fire ! When I ran outside my his workers where trying to put out the fire with the fire extinguishers from the work warehouse ! The fire department ended up finish putting out the fire ! The whole engine…
In late november 2016 the ABS and other warning lights on my 2016 nissan maxima began intermittently appearing on the dashboard. I notified the dealership and was told to mention it during the next service appointment which was scheduled for december 27. At the appointment I was notified of several recalls and the…
Takata recall I was traveling down highway 121 at about 70 miles an hour cruise control is set the lady in front of me slammed on the brakes I intern slammed on mine and my car did not stop until hitting her the brakes seem to have that like they weren't stopping the brake pedal went all the way to the floor in the…
Engine And Engine Cooling 178 Read
Took maxima in for repair and nissan asked for paper work, mr. Graham sent it in and nissan continues to ask for more which graham does not have (95i-006)
On april 30, I was driving in the city, and as I was picking up speed (35-40mph). The driver side time broke causing the cv axle to give-out and me to loose control of my car. In addition, this is a brand new car that only has -4000 miles. I do not feel safe with this car because I am afraid that this is going to…
While driving approximately 65 mph, the gages on my instrument panel began to read erratic. Speedometer, fuel and tachometer drifted between zero and thier maximums. The instrument panel background lighting also began to flicker. The vehicle made it home. At home the dash was tapped a few times to see if it was a…
Suspension 171 Read
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated while the vehicle was being inspected by an independent mechanic, she was informed the vehicle was pulling to the left and the transmission fluid needed to be replaced. The contact was informed to contact the Toyota dealer where she bought the vehicle. The…
Cracked strut housings on my 2010 nissan maxima .. Badly. Feels unstable in motion
The contact owned a 2006 nissan maxima. While driving 45 mph, a popping sound came from the rear of the vehicle. The driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into another vehicle. The driver sustained injuries to the chest, neck, and both knees, which required medical attention. A police report was filed. The…
Structure 163 Read
There was a thermal combustion that caused a fire. Yes, the caught combusted at a local business. I had just entered the building and was told that my car was on fire. The police and Nissan inspected the car but refused to provide the inspection report. A light came on. I do not know the exact date that it appeared. I…
Car was parked in driveway. Moved out of gear on its own rolled across street crashed into car in another driveway
I have a 2006 nissan maxima. I was going 30 mph, I hit a truck that was stopped at a red light. My airbags did not deploy. $4870 in damage but my insurance company said there was not enough damage to be considered a total loss ($170 away from being considered a total loss)
Service Brakes 153 Read
The contact owned a 2022 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while her granddaughter was driving at 40 MPH and attempting to stop at a stop sign, with the brake pedal depressed all the way to the floorboard, the vehicle failed to stop. As a result, the driver swerved in an attempt to avoid a collision, side-swiping…
The contact's son owned a 2018 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated while the driver was driving 5 MPH, he noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The driver was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that the driver opened the hood, and…
Applied brakes in emergency situation. ABS system failed to operate and all four wheels locked and car slid into other vehicle. Also car equipped with brake assist it to failed to operate
Maxima years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Electrical System,equipment | — | — | |
| 2022 | Engine | 1 | 1 | |
| 2021 | Electrical System | — | — | |
| 2020 | Air Bags | 1 | — | |
| 2019 | Electrical System,engine | 2 | — | |
| 2018 | Air Bags,structure | 1 | 1 | |
| 2017 | Air Bags | 7 | 2 | |
| 2016 | Air Bags | 10 | 3 | |
| 2014 | Air Bags | 10 | 1 | |
| 2013 | Air Bags | 1 | 1 | |
| 2012 | Air Bags | 5 | 1 | |
| 2011 | Air Bags | 4 | 1 | |
| 2010 | Air Bags | 7 | 2 | |
| 2009 | Air Bags | 4 | 2 | |
| 2008 | Air Bags | 7 | — | |
| 2007 | Air Bags | 4 | 1 | |
| 2006 | Air Bags | 19 | 3 | |
| 2005 | Air Bags | 12 | 9 | |
| 2004 | Air Bags | 25 | 13 | |
| 2003 | Air Bags | 11 | 2 | |
| 2002 | Air Bags | 22 | — | |
| 2001 | Air Bags | 6 | 4 | |
| 2000 | Air Bags | 17 | 5 | |
| 1999 | Air Bags | 4 | 4 | |
| 1998 | Air Bags | 9 | 12 | |
| 1997 | Air Bags | 4 | 12 | |
| 1996 | Air Bags | 9 | 3 | |
| 1995 | Air Bags | 15 | 4 | |
| 1994 | Air Bags | 4 | 3 | |
| 1993 | Air Bags | 6 | 2 |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 833 |
| Average complaints per series | 6.4 |
| Worst single series | 110 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 6.0 years |
A model average of 6.4 hides a worst series at 110. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
- The original window sticker and factory options
- Full research report as a PDF for the pre-purchase inspection
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- No ads, no tracking — and much more
How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the Maxima?
By complaint volume, 2004, 2005, 2006 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which Maxima years are the cleanest?
2023, 2021, 2022 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Nissan Maxima have?
5,310 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 1982–2023. Of those, 259 describe a crash and 255 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.