Nissan Maxima Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 469 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the Nissan Maxima across 25 model years. The 2009 model year has the most (43). The words owners use most often: “air bag” (41% of reports).
- 469air bags complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 148mention a crash
- 115mention an injury
- 4related recalls
- $2,050typical repair cost reported by owners
- 30%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.
- Air bag: mentioned in 191 of 469 complaints (41%)
- Passenger seat: mentioned in 68 of 469 complaints (14%)
- Bags deploy: mentioned in 35 of 469 complaints (7%)
- Side airbag: mentioned in 24 of 469 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical air bags repair on the Nissan Maxima at $2,050, and half of them between $770 and $2,650.
Based on 29 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2004–2023), 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 air bags problems happen?
Based on 270 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 469 complaints, 148 mention a crash, 4 a fire, 115 an injury.
Nissan Maxima air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Maxima | 2 | 9% | 25,000 |
| 2018 Maxima | 1 | 3% | 39,357 |
| 2017 Maxima | 18 | 17% | 28,000 |
| 2016 Maxima | 14 | 10% | 23,862 |
| 2015 Maxima | 1 | 100% | — |
| 2014 Maxima | 24 | 25% | 34,878 |
| 2013 Maxima | 16 | 26% | 4,350 |
| 2012 Maxima | 27 | 25% | 30,651 |
| 2011 Maxima | 23 | 22% | 26,022 |
| 2010 Maxima | 15 | 5% | 21,000 |
| 2009 Maxima | 43 | 13% | 81,000 |
| 2008 Maxima | 23 | 29% | 70,000 |
| 2007 Maxima | 18 | 14% | 98,240 |
| 2006 Maxima | 13 | 2% | 90,000 |
| 2005 Maxima | 9 | 1% | 99,505 |
| 2004 Maxima | 13 | 1% | 65,000 |
| 2003 Maxima | 35 | 17% | 94,300 |
| 2002 Maxima | 29 | 14% | 110,000 |
| 2001 Maxima | 29 | 17% | 124,239 |
| 2000 Maxima | 23 | 6% | 126,000 |
| 1999 Maxima | 18 | 11% | 88,423 |
| 1998 Maxima | 24 | 21% | 82,632 |
| 1997 Maxima | 10 | 10% | 64,139 |
| 1996 Maxima | 16 | 17% | 75,000 |
| 1995 Maxima | 25 | 16% | 138,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (4)
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Model years: 2001, 2002, 2003
Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and 2006-2010 M35 and M45 vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated, frontal passenger air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators with alternate desiccated inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 888-737-9511 or Infiniti customer service at 888-810-3715.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification
Model years: 2016
Problem: 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.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification
Model years: 2016, 2017
Problem: 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 Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.
Air bags
Model years: 2001, 2002, 2003
Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2001-2003 Nissan Maxima, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 and I35, 2003 FX35 and FX45, and 2001 I30 vehicles. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on June 15, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: On December 18, 2015 Nissan informed NHTSA of an amendment of this recall to remove 2004-2005 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 vehicles.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The 2016 Nissan Maxima (VIN: [XXX] ) I purchased in January 2025 has been confirmed by a certified mechanic to have no driver airbag installed and no passenger side curtain airbag installed, despite a previous airbag deployment shown on the vehicle history report. There is no record of any airbag…
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that the passengerâs side air bag warning light was illuminated. The air bag located in the seat failed to activate as designed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the passengerâs side seat sensor was…
Air Bag sensor keeps turning on. After several resets, and itâs always a different airbag sensor that sets it off.
Driving vehicle on road and the accelerator pedal no longer working vehicle. coasted to the side. Car had to be towed. Vehicle cranking without problem but will not accelerate pedal goes to floor. At consideration of purchase of vehicle, car fax and all details about vehicle were viewed for…
I can be going at a regular rate of speed and my car would stall completely the abs light comes on and it drains my battery causing my car to shut off.
Frequently asked questions
Do all Nissan Maximas have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 469 owner complaints about air bags for the Nissan Maxima. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Nissan Maxima air bags?
Yes: 4 safety recalls list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix air bags problems on the Nissan Maxima?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,050 (half paid between $770 and $2,650), from 29 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the Nissan Maxima?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 191 of 469 complaints, followed by “passenger seat” (68).
Other Nissan Maxima problems
- Power Train problems (2,384)
- Electrical System problems (794)
- Steering problems (502)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (435)
- Engine problems (374)
- Suspension problems (321)
- Structure problems (315)
- Tires problems (243)
See all Nissan Maxima problems.