Nissan Maxima Problems by Year
NHTSA has 6,046 owner complaints and 23 safety recalls on file for the Nissan Maxima, across 29 model years (1995–2023). The 2004 model year has the most complaints (1,426). The most reported problem area overall is power train.
Nissan Maxima years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Maxima year: 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 2004 Maxima: 1,426 complaints, 2 recalls
- 2005 Maxima: 948 complaints, 2 recalls
- 2006 Maxima: 576 complaints, 2 recalls
Model years with the fewest complaints
- 2015 Maxima: 1 complaint, 0 recalls
- 2023 Maxima: 1 complaint, 0 recalls
- 2021 Maxima: 3 complaints, 0 recalls
Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how long each year has been on the road, so newer and less popular years naturally have fewer complaints. Use them to spot problem patterns, not as a safety ranking.
Most common Nissan Maxima problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 2,384 | 25 | 38 |
| Electrical System problems | 794 | 27 | 9 |
| Steering problems | 502 | 24 | 20 |
| Air Bags problems | 469 | 25 | 148 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 435 | 21 | 6 |
| Engine problems | 374 | 25 | 11 |
| Suspension problems | 321 | 22 | 15 |
| Structure problems | 315 | 27 | 13 |
| Tires problems | 243 | 19 | 10 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 237 | 24 | 37 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 236 | 18 | 16 |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 128 | 22 | 4 |
| Service Brakes problems | 115 | 20 | 16 |
| Seats problems | 108 | 18 | 4 |
| Visibility problems | 101 | 20 | 1 |
| Equipment | 75 | 17 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 62 | 16 | 3 |
| Wheels | 55 | 17 | 5 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 54 | 14 | 1 |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 52 | 18 | 2 |
| Seat Belts | 42 | 18 | 10 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 37 | 16 | 0 |
| Visibility/wiper | 31 | 12 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 23 | 6 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 16 | 6 | 1 |
| Traction Control System | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| Fuel System, Other | 8 | 6 | 1 |
| Child Seat | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| Interior Lighting | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| Parking Brake | 6 | 6 | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Back Over Prevention | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Lane Departure | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Nissan Maxima problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
- 2010: steering (158) · electrical system (79)
- 2009: steering (168) · electrical system (79)
- 2006: power train (393)
- 2005: power train (777) · engine (61)
- 2004: power train (934) · tires (141) · suspension (102) · engine and engine cooling (70) · service brakes, hydraulic (61) · electrical system (56) · structure (56) · engine (51)
- 2003: engine and engine cooling (54)
- 2000: electrical system (171) · engine and engine cooling (72)
- 1999: electrical system (83)
All Nissan Maxima model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Maxima | 1 | 0 | 5★ | Electrical System | |
| 2022 Maxima | 5 | 0 | 5★ | Unknown or Other | |
| 2021 Maxima | 3 | 0 | 5★ | Electrical System | |
| 2020 Maxima | 22 | 1 | 5★ | Forward Collision Avoidance | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2019 Maxima | 18 | 1 | — | Unknown or Other | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2018 Maxima | 36 | 2 | 5★ | Unknown or Other | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2017 Maxima | 104 | 4 | 5★ | Unknown or Other | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2016 Maxima | 142 | 8 | 5★ | Power Train | More complaints than other years |
| 2015 Maxima | 1 | 0 | — | Air Bags | |
| 2014 Maxima | 96 | 0 | 4★ | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2013 Maxima | 62 | 0 | 4★ | Power Train | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2012 Maxima | 107 | 0 | 4★ | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2011 Maxima | 106 | 0 | — | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2010 Maxima | 275 | 1 | — | Steering | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2009 Maxima | 339 | 1 | — | Steering | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2008 Maxima | 79 | 0 | — | Air Bags | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2007 Maxima | 129 | 1 | — | Structure | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2006 Maxima | 576 | 2 | — | Power Train | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2005 Maxima | 948 | 2 | — | Power Train | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2004 Maxima | 1,426 | 2 | — | Power Train | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2003 Maxima | 206 | 3 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | More complaints than other years |
| 2002 Maxima | 205 | 6 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | More complaints than other years |
| 2001 Maxima | 172 | 3 | — | Air Bags | More complaints than other years |
| 2000 Maxima | 360 | 0 | — | Electrical System | Far more complaints than other years |
| 1999 Maxima | 165 | 0 | — | Electrical System | More complaints than other years |
| 1998 Maxima | 113 | 1 | — | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 1997 Maxima | 102 | 1 | — | Electrical System | About as many complaints as other years |
| 1996 Maxima | 96 | 0 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | About as many complaints as other years |
| 1995 Maxima | 152 | 0 | — | Air Bags | More complaints than other years |
More from Nissan: all Nissan models · Nissan VIN decoder
Frequently asked questions
Which Nissan Maxima years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 2000 (360), 2004 (1,426), 2005 (948), 2006 (576), 2009 (339), 2010 (275) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Maxima year. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the Nissan Maxima?
Power Train, with 2,384 complaints across 25 model years.
How many recalls does the Nissan Maxima have?
23 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.