2004 Nissan Maxima Engine Problems
Owners have filed 51 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2004 Nissan Maxima, 4% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 102,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “timing chain” (16% of reports).
- 51engine complaints
- 102,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $3,750typical repair cost reported by owners
- 24%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Timing chain: mentioned in 8 of 51 complaints (16%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine repair on the 2004 Nissan Maxima at $3,750, and half of them between $2,600 and $4,800.
Based on 7 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2012–2021), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 42 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 51 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 5 a fire.
Nissan Maxima engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Maxima | 1 | 20% | — |
| 2020 Maxima | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2019 Maxima | 4 | 22% | 43,500 |
| 2018 Maxima | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2017 Maxima | 8 | 8% | 43,908 |
| 2016 Maxima | 18 | 13% | 29,066 |
| 2014 Maxima | 9 | 9% | 56,000 |
| 2013 Maxima | 4 | 6% | 56,277 |
| 2012 Maxima | 11 | 10% | 42,950 |
| 2011 Maxima | 12 | 11% | 67,000 |
| 2010 Maxima | 20 | 7% | 66,475 |
| 2009 Maxima | 18 | 5% | 83,000 |
| 2008 Maxima | 5 | 6% | 86,162 |
| 2007 Maxima | 18 | 14% | 84,500 |
| 2006 Maxima | 47 | 8% | 100,500 |
| 2005 Maxima | 61 | 6% | 93,500 |
| 2004 Maxima | 51 | 4% | 102,000 |
| 2003 Maxima | 43 | 21% | 122,500 |
| 2002 Maxima | 19 | 9% | 136,412 |
| 2001 Maxima | 7 | 4% | 140,000 |
| 2000 Maxima | 9 | 3% | 80,000 |
| 1999 Maxima | 2 | 1% | 130,000 |
| 1998 Maxima | 2 | 2% | 175,882 |
| 1997 Maxima | 2 | 2% | 138,000 |
| 1996 Maxima | 1 | 1% | 100,300 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the 2004 Nissan Maxima. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
04v326000 one of the recall number the other is 05v512000 not sure what to do at this point i've changed my timing chain also already i also received a letter stating if i had to replace it to contact nissan i believe i'm just getting the run around
Timing chain failure. Timing chain was bad from day one. Spent nearly 4000 dollars for repair. Then to look up online and find out many other people had problem. Now a few years later. Same problem
Me and my boyfriend were sold this car for 2500 and the car needed a new battery, a new converter . Once i brought those items and put them in the car started having compression problems to the point it has a slow take off , cannot go up hills , and we have to shift gears just for it to move…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2004 Nissan Maximas have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 51 owner complaints about engine for the 2004 Nissan Maxima (4% of the 1,426 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Nissan Maxima engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 102,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine problems on the 2004 Nissan Maxima?
Owners report a typical cost of $3,750 (half paid between $2,600 and $4,800), from 7 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2004 Nissan Maxima?
The most frequent phrase is “timing chain”, in 8 of 51 complaints.
Other 2004 Nissan Maxima problems
See all 2004 Nissan Maxima problems or engine problems across all Maxima years.