2005 Nissan Maxima Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Maxima years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 948 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Nissan Maxima. That ranks 2nd out of 29 Maxima model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (777 complaints, 82%), typically at around 85,000 miles. Complaints mention 16 crashes, 10 fires, 29 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 948owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 16complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2005 Nissan Maxima problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 777 | 82% | 85,000 | “1st 2nd” (15%) | $5,400 |
| Engine problems | 61 | 6% | 93,500 | “timing chain” (11%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 40 | 4% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 38 | 4% | 79,562 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 33 | 3% | 101,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 27 | 3% | 112,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 25 | 3% | 97,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 17 | 2% | 99,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 17 | 2% | 32,732 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 14 | 1% | 64,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 13 | 1% | 82,800 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 13 | 1% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 13 | 1% | 59,250 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 9 | 1% | 99,505 | — | — |
| Wheels | 9 | 1% | 51,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 8 | 1% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 5 | 1% | 98,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 5 | 1% | 92,600 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 1% | 153,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 0% | 98,465 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 0% | 35,655 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 0% | 71,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 0% | 118,500 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 2 | 0% | 101,922 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 0% | 90,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2005 Nissan Maxima recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seats:front assembly:power adjust
Problem: 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:latch strap
Problem: 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 1-800-662-6200.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
While driving my car down the road the vehicle randomly shut off lost power and I had to quickly pull into a plaza but was almost hit, looking through many different Nissan forums a lot of mechanics and owners are saying that the original crankshaft/camshaft position sensors on the Altima/maxima…
On June 6th. 2019 my 2005 nissan maxima struck a disabled vehicle left in the middle lane of the Long Island Expressway (a 3 laned highway). Although I was traveling at 60 mph when the collision occurred and struck the disabled vehicle from the rear, the passenger airbag never deployed. This…
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that the power steering would fail to operate. The steering wheel would require excessive force in order to steer the vehicle. The contact would frequently replenish the steering fluid however, the failure persisted. The dealer nor the…
Vehicle makes clunking, jerking noises and bad clunking sounds when you put it into gear or shift gears, digital gear display shows vehicle is in 5th gear all the time, accelerates very slowly.
I have an 05 nissan maxima and the transmission is shifting hard and erratically
Other Nissan Maxima years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 Maxima | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 Maxima | 5 | 0 |
| 2021 Maxima | 3 | 0 |
| 2020 Maxima | 22 | 1 |
| 2019 Maxima | 18 | 1 |
| 2018 Maxima | 36 | 2 |
| 2017 Maxima | 106 | 4 |
| 2016 Maxima | 142 | 8 |
| 2015 Maxima | 1 | 0 |
| 2014 Maxima | 96 | 0 |
| 2013 Maxima | 62 | 0 |
| 2012 Maxima | 107 | 0 |
| 2011 Maxima | 106 | 0 |
| 2010 Maxima | 275 | 1 |
| 2009 Maxima | 339 | 1 |
| 2008 Maxima | 79 | 0 |
| 2007 Maxima | 129 | 1 |
| 2006 Maxima | 576 | 2 |
| 2005 | 948 | 2 |
| 2004 Maxima | 1,426 | 2 |
| 2003 Maxima | 206 | 3 |
| 2002 Maxima | 205 | 6 |
| 2001 Maxima | 172 | 3 |
| 2000 Maxima | 360 | 0 |
| 1999 Maxima | 165 | 0 |
| 1998 Maxima | 113 | 1 |
| 1997 Maxima | 102 | 1 |
| 1996 Maxima | 96 | 0 |
| 1995 Maxima | 152 | 0 |
See all Nissan Maxima problems by year, every Nissan model, or the Nissan VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Nissan Maxima?
Owners most often report power train, engine, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 777 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Nissan Maxima?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2005 Nissan Maxima a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Maxima model years, the 2005 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.