The Nissan Maxima has 34 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 1985–2020. On average a defect was admitted 8.37 years after the car was built, the slowest took 21 years. The most recalled system is Air Bags (6 campaigns). Owners also filed 5,310 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Nissan Maxima
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Air Bags 6 Read
What's wrong. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash
Risk. If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury
Fix. Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti…
What's wrong. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima vehicles manufactured January 3, 2013, to July 29, 2013, 2015-2016 Rogue vehicles manufactured October 14, 2014, to August 12, 2016, and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured June 4, 2015, to August 19, 2015. An incorrect Occupant Classification System (OCS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may have been installed in the front passenger seat. The incorrect ECU and seat combination may misclassify the front passenger seat occupant
Risk. If the front passenger seat occupant is misclassified, the air bag may deploy incorrectly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury
Fix. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ECU and update the OCS software free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261
What's wrong. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash
Risk. If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury
Fix. Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti…
Service Brakes, Hydraulic 5 Read
What's wrong. 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 unrepaired, or inspected and determined to not need a repair, under recall number 18V-601. In addition, this recall expands the previous population. The Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) actuator pumps may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal circuit board
Risk. A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire
Fix. 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 be during summer 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: If the ABS warning light remains illuminated for…
What's wrong. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Nissan Murano, 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2017-2018 Nissan Pathfinder, and 2017 Infiniti QX60 vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake (ABS) actuator pumps may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal circuit board
Risk. A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire
Fix. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the serial number on the ABS actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 29, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: When brake fluid has leaked onto the circuit board, the ABS warning lamp will…
What's wrong. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima vehicles manufactured February 10, 2015, to August 19, 2016 and equipped with Intelligent Cruise Control, 2015-2017 Murano vehicles manufactured August 22, 2014, to August 19, 2016 and equipped with Intelligent Cruise Control, and 2015-2016 Murano Hybrid vehicles manufactured August 22, 2014, to July 19, 2016. The affected vehicles have Anti-Lock Brake (ABS) actuator pumps that may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal electrical circuit board
Risk. A brake fluid leak onto the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire
Fix. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ABS Actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 12, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: When brake fluid has leaked onto the circuit board, the ABS warning lamp will remain illuminated…
Exterior Lighting 5 Read
What's wrong. Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors
Risk. Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash
Fix. Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on may 11, 2009. Owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589
What's wrong. Dope, inc. Is recalling 42,540 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors
Risk. Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash
Fix. Dope, inc. Will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on july 28, 2009. Owners may contact dope, inc. At 1-626-272-1798
What's wrong. Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors
Risk. Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash
Fix. Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on may 11, 2009. Owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589
Visibility 3 Read
What's wrong. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Altima, Maxima and Leaf vehicles. The rear window glass may not remain properly secured to the vehicle
Risk. Rear window glass that separates from the vehicle can increase the risk of a crash
Fix. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the back window glass, free of charge. The recall began November 4, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC752
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles equipped with skyview roofs, the glass for the roof may not have been quenched properly after the forming process, resulting in temper imbalance
Risk. This could create excessive internal stress in the glass and eventually cause the glass to shatter, creating a risk of injury
Fix. Dealers will inspect and replace the glass in the skyview roof. The recall began on september 7, 2004. Owners should contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261
What's wrong. There may be insufficient thickness of adhesive in the contact area between the bottom of the front windshield glass and the body. Consequence of defect: this lack of adhesive may cause the windshield to dismount in an accident, thus failing to comply with fmvss 212, windshield mounting and which may allow the occupants to be ejected out of the car, causing more serious injuries or death
Fix. Add more adhesive to bottom of front windshield glass
Fuel System, Gasoline 3 Read
What's wrong. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) notified the agency on July 31, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2016 Nissan Maxima vehicles manufactured February 10, 2015, to August 18, 2015. On October 14, 2015, Nissan expanded the recall to cover an additional 41,388 vehicles, including certain model year 2013-2015 Altima 3.5 vehicles equipped with a V6 engine manufactured March 30, 2012, to August 18, 2015 as well as the vehicles covered by the July 31, 2015 notification. In the affected vehicles, due to an improperly installed o-ring that may not have been seated correctly at the time of assembly, fuel may leak during a crash from the area where the fuel sending unit attaches to…
Risk. If fuel leaks from between the fuel sending unit and the tank, it may increase the risk of a fire in the event of a crash
Fix. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install a retainer ring between the fuel tank and the fuel sending unit. The recall began on September 28, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261
What's wrong. It is possible for a mixture of mud and salt to get trapped between the fuel filler tube and wheel housing. The trapped mud and salt can result in corrosion of the fuel filler tube and the wheel housing
Risk. Significant corrosion of the fuel filler tube may result in fuel leaks which in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire. In addition, the left rear seat belt retractor is mounted to the wheel housing and in the event of significant corrosion, and the mounting could fail in a vehicle crash
Fix. Dealers will inspect these vehicles and corrective action will be taken depending upon the extent of the corrosion
What's wrong. It is possible for a mixture of mud and salt to get trapped between the fuel filler tube and wheel housing. The trapped mud and salt can result in corrosion of the fuel filler tube and the wheel housing
Risk. Significant corrosion of the fuel filler tube may result in fuel leaks which in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire. In addition, the left rear seat belt retractor is mounted to the wheel housing and in the event of significant corrosion, and the mounting could fail in a vehicle crash
Fix. Dealers will inspect these vehicles and corrective action will be taken depending upon the extent of the corrosion
Suspension 3 Read
What's wrong. Nissan is recalling certain model year 2009 and 2010 altima and maxima passenger cars. The upper front strut insulators may have been manufactured out of specification resulting in a potential for the strut insulator to crack
Risk. If the strut insulator is cracked, there is a potential for the strut rod to come out of its mounting position, which could affect vehicle stability and increase the risk of a crash
Fix. Nissan will notify owners and dealers will replace both left and right side front strut insulators free of charge. The safety recall began october 2009. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-nissan1 (1-800-647-7261)
What's wrong. Nissan is recalling certain model year 2009 and 2010 altima and maxima passenger cars. The upper front strut insulators may have been manufactured out of specification resulting in a potential for the strut insulator to crack
Risk. If the strut insulator is cracked, there is a potential for the strut rod to come out of its mounting position, which could affect vehicle stability and increase the risk of a crash
Fix. Nissan will notify owners and dealers will replace both left and right side front strut insulators free of charge. The safety recall began october 2009. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-nissan1 (1-800-647-7261)
What's wrong. On certain vehicles, the rear subframe may have been manufactured incorrectly, which could result in a crack in a bracket which holds part of the rear suspension
Risk. If the bracket is cracked, the stability of the vehicle may be affected under severe driving conditions. This could lead to a loss of control of the vehicle which could result in a crash
Fix. Dealers will inspect the rear subframe to determine if it was manufactured incorrectly and replace it, if necessary. The recall began on february 27, 2006. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261
Back Over Prevention 1 Read
What's wrong. 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 Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)…
Risk. The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash
Fix. 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 activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200
What's wrong. 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 Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)…
Risk. The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash
Fix. 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 activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200
Steering 1 Read
What's wrong. Certain passenger vehicles equipped with an 'intelligent key' fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 114, "theft protection." during an inspection of some vehicles at the assembly plant, it was found that the steering wheel was locked with the ignition knob in the "off" position but the vehicle transmission not being in the "park" position
Risk. If the key is turned to the "off" position without the transmission being in the "park" position, it is possible that the steering wheel can lock when turned to the right
Fix. Dealers will inspect and replace the steering wheel lock assembly free of charge. The recall began on december 18, 2006. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261
Seats 1 Read
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles equipped with the driver preferred package, the wire harness from the driver's seat power lumbar support switch may be routed incorrectly and could be pinched under the driver seat
Risk. A pinched harness, in combination with driving vibration, may result in a short circuit in the harness that could lead to a fire in the seat
Fix. Dealers will replace the wire harness and route it correctly. The recall began on january 16, 2006. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles equipped with the driver preferred package, the wire harness from the driver's seat power lumbar support switch may be routed incorrectly and could be pinched under the driver seat
Risk. A pinched harness, in combination with driving vibration, may result in a short circuit in the harness that could lead to a fire in the seat
Fix. Dealers will replace the wire harness and route it correctly. The recall began on january 16, 2006. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles equipped with the driver preferred package, the wire harness from the driver's seat power lumbar support switch may be routed incorrectly and could be pinched under the driver seat
Risk. A pinched harness, in combination with driving vibration, may result in a short circuit in the harness that could lead to a fire in the seat
Fix. Dealers will replace the wire harness and route it correctly. The recall began on january 16, 2006. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261
Child Seat 1 Read
What's wrong. Certain vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." the lower anchorage brackets in the rear seats do not meet the location requirement in this standard. This may cause difficulty in attaching some child seats to these brackets
Risk. If a child seat is not properly secured, there is an increased risk of injury to the seat occupant in the event of a crash
Fix. Dealers will replace the lower anchorage brackets with modified brackets to ensure that the standard is met. The recall began on august 28, 2006. The infiniti q45 model vehicles are being campaigned under a separate recall (please see 05V374000). Owners should contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261 or infiniti at…
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 8.37 years |
| Slowest campaign | 21 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 63.9% |
| Campaigns on record | 34 |
Which Maxima years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Visibility | |
| 2019 | Back Over Prevention | |
| 2018 | Back Over Prevention | |
| 2017 | Air Bags | |
| 2016 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 2010 | Suspension | |
| 2009 | Suspension | |
| 2007 | Steering | |
| 2006 | Seats | |
| 2005 | Child Seat | |
| 2004 | Visibility | |
| 2003 | Engine And Engine Cooling | |
| 2002 | Power Train | |
| 2001 | Suspension | |
| 2000 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1999 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1998 | Electrical System | |
| 1997 | Electrical System | |
| 1996 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1995 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1994 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1993 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1992 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1991 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1990 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1989 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1988 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 1987 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 1986 | Visibility | |
| 1985 | Visibility |
Check your own car
A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
Go deeper
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Nissan Maxima have?
34 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 1985–2020. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my Maxima still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 8.37 years, and the slowest campaign came 21 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.