Nissan Maxima Problems — All Years, Common Issues & Reliability

Year-by-year breakdown of safety recalls, NHTSA owner complaints, reported deaths, injuries, crashes, and worst problem areas. Updated daily from federal databases.

33
Total Recalls
3470
Total Complaints
152
Total Crashes
175
Reported Injuries
5
Reported Deaths
2004
Worst Year
2023
Best Year
0
Poor
Overall Reliability Score (0–100)
Declining -80%
Complaint Trend
1 last 24mo vs 5 prior 24mo

Recent Safety Incidents — Last 5 Model Years

1
Fire Reported
1
Crash Reported
2
Injuries Reported

Own a Nissan Maxima? Check your specific VIN for a full history report.

Nissan Maxima — Year-by-Year Problem Comparison

YearVerdictRecallsComplaintsCrashesInjuriesDeathsTop Issue
2023BestExcellentFull report →
2022Excellent412EngineFull report →
2021Excellent1Engine And Engine CoolingFull report →
2020Excellent11421Forward Collision AvoidanceFull report →
2019Excellent1733Unknown Or OtherFull report →
2018Excellent12522Service BrakesFull report →
2017Good47554Unknown Or OtherFull report →
2016Good711046Power TrainFull report →
2015Excellent224Air BagsFull report →
2014Excellent67135Power TrainFull report →
2013Excellent35Power TrainFull report →
2012Excellent7048Air BagsFull report →
2011Excellent68Power TrainFull report →
2010Good120047SteeringFull report →
2009Good125446SteeringFull report →
2008Excellent4351Air BagsFull report →
2007Good8343EngineFull report →
2006Caution373139Power TrainFull report →
2005Avoid15612357Power TrainFull report →
2004WorstAvoid18441416Power TrainFull report →
2003Good3122771EngineFull report →
2002Good614419122Engine And Engine CoolingFull report →
2001Good510765Air BagsFull report →
2000Good225117172Electrical SystemFull report →

24 model years shown. Crashes, injuries, and deaths from NHTSA complaint filings. Click any year for full details.

Most Common Nissan Maxima Problems

Power Train
1158
Electrical System
328
Steering
247
Engine
192
Air Bags
183
Engine And Engine Cooling
179
Suspension
157
Unknown Or Other
150
Structure
134
Tires
107
Vehicle Speed Control
105
Service Brakes / Hydraulic
100

Based on 3,470 owner complaints filed with NHTSA across all model years.

Recent Owner Complaints

Direct reports filed with NHTSA by Nissan Maxima owners — 20222023 model years.

Service Brakes / HydraulicCRASH2 INJURIES06/21/2024

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 vehicle ahead and colliding with 3 light poles before coasting to a complete stop on the shoulder of the roadway. The air bags did not deploy during the impact, resulting in the driver sustaining minor injuries. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss by the insurance company. A police report was filed. The contact's granddaughter sustained nondescript injuries to her head and knees but did not seek medical treatment. The contact also stated that, though she was made aware that the driver of the other vehicle had reported injuries, the injuries and treatment were unknown. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Electrical System /Equipment03/12/2024

See attached document for complaint

Structure /Unknown Or Other05/30/2023

On February 10, 2023 I purchased a 2022 Nissan Maxima with a little over 19,000 miles on it. Which has a warranty for up to 104,000 miles. Currently at a little over 25,000 miles. Maybe a week later I noticed a noise coming from the rear, so I informed the Finance Manager, Paul. He then goes on to tell me that he's going to schedule a service appointment. The day I went to Barnes Crossing of Starkville they kept saying they didn't see anything or didn't know what was going on. So the finance manager scheduled an appointment with Nissan. When I get there is when I find out the rear end of the car has a lot of parts not connected. As the man at Nissan stated, it's a mess. Which he also took pictures of and sent them to me. Which I sent the pictures to the Finance Manager, Paul. He asks how much is the broken parts, which I had no clue due to it would have to go to a body shop. He mentioned that he would look for another Maxima, that he could trade me out. My complaints about this car startedHe mentioned I would have to take it was going to take a body repair shop. I then inform Barnes Crossing of Starkville. I was told by the finance manager the he would find a body repair shop but never did. Then because there's this strong odor in the car, I tried to get it clean cover it with air fresheners and still the smell is strong. So one day I go in the truck and pull everything out and to my surprise it's full of water. Which I have picture, not only is it full of water looks like mold spots, etc. I tried to clean it and some of the spots would not go. I informed him of this still he was saying they was going to find me another car, still no car. The trunk of the car is steady getting full of water. Nothing is being done, I reached back out and was told I'll have to do the whole process over again because a credit report is only good for 30 days. Which I've been complaining about this car a week after I received it.Mold and water keep appearing I’m sick

Unknown Or Other05/19/2023

Panoramic sunroof lining started to droop and hang on the back portion of the panoramic roof blocking my view before the car reached 2,000 miles. Dealership refuses to fix stating they would have a Nissan representative look at it and make the repair stating the cost would be over 3,000 dollars. After bringing my vehicle I’m twice and leaving at the dealership for over a week, it was never looked at and I was told to pick it back up and would be contacted once they speak to Nissan. After dozens of calls and no returned calls with my questions, my car now has 7900 miles and I am stuck with the fabric rolled up and taped to keep from blocking by view. This was done by the dealership prior to me picking up my car from Them. The back seat has the sun and glare constantly in the car due to me not being able to block the light. I’m Still fighting this issue with them. Nissan consumer affairs will not return my calls after the representative left me a message stating I could call them back anytime with any concerns or questions even though my several messages asked that a Nissan engineer or representative inspect my car. My dealership stated, prior to promising me Nissan would look at it, said that someone’s head or a heavy box could have put a dent in the framing around the sun roof from the inside of my car even though no one but my 73 year old mother has sat in the back seat ONE time. I don’t know what else to do to have this taken care of. My brand new car should not have a 3,000 issue I should have to cover the costs for. The steering wheel also rattles when driving and you can hear air flow coming through the back seat area from a window or the sunroof. I also mentioned the air noise issue to Nissan with no return call regarding this.

Exterior Lighting03/21/2023

The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle at night with the headlights illuminated, the driver’s side light beam had a dark shaded spot in the illuminated light field and the light field was directed approximately 35 degrees to the left creating both visibility hazard for the driver and a blinding hazard for oncoming traffic. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the driver side headlight assembly, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 2,700.

EngineFIRE11/03/2022

I'm investigating a fire in this vehicle. The owner was driving and noticed a smell of rubber or electrical burning. He parked the car and noticed a small amount of smoke from the passenger side of the hood area. It was dark out and he opened the hood and went to get a flashlight. he went about 100 yards to his truck and looked back and the engine compartment was on fire. The owner states the car has around 8000 miles on it and he has recently had an odor of something burning but finding nothing when investigating that. He states the vehicle has run fine and the last commute was approximately 5 miles before the fire. The car was a total loss because of the fire it was completely consumed. I am the fire marshal for this jurisdiction.

6 total complaints retrieved from NHTSA for 20222023. For older model years, see individual year pages.

Maxima Years to Avoid

2004 Maxima
844 complaints · 1 recalls · 14 crashes
Details →
2005 Maxima
561 complaints · 1 recalls · 23 crashes
Details →
2006 Maxima
373 complaints · 0 recalls · 13 crashes
Details →

Ranked by combined complaints, recalls, crashes, injuries, and deaths.

Best Maxima Years to Buy

2023 Maxima
0 complaints · 0 recalls
Details →
2021 Maxima
1 complaints · 0 recalls
Details →
2022 Maxima
4 complaints · 0 recalls
Details →

Years with fewest complaints and recalls.

Nissan Maxima Problems by Year

Select a year to see detailed complaints, recall notices, and safety incident data.

Frequently Asked Questions — Nissan Maxima Reliability

What year Maxima has the most problems?

Based on NHTSA data, the 2004 Nissan Maxima had the highest combined complaint and recall count — 844 complaints and 1 safety recalls. See the full 2004 report for specific defects.

Is the Nissan Maxima reliable?

The Nissan Maxima has accumulated 3,470 owner-filed complaints and 33 safety recalls across all model years in NHTSA's database. There have been 5 reported deaths associated with complaints. The 2023 model year shows the fewest reported issues. Always run a VIN check before purchasing any used Maxima.

What are the most common Maxima problems?

The most frequently cited problem areas are: Power Train (1158 reports), Electrical System (328 reports), Steering (247 reports), Engine (192 reports). Based on NHTSA complaints across all model years.

How do I check if my Maxima has an open recall?

Use the vehicle's 17-character VIN at VinCheckEngine.com. Our free VIN report pulls the latest NHTSA recall data along with auction history, odometer records, and 30+ intelligence signals.

Check a Specific Nissan Maxima VIN

Model-level data shows what can go wrong. A VIN-specific report shows what has gone wrong with a particular vehicle — including auction history, odometer discrepancies, open recalls, accident records, and 30+ intelligence signals.

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