Nissan Maxima Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 794 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the Nissan Maxima across 27 model years. The 2000 model year has the most (171). The words owners use most often: “ignition coils” (16% of reports).
- 794electrical system complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 9mention a crash
- 5mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $1,350typical repair cost reported by owners
- 29%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.
- Ignition coils: mentioned in 126 of 794 complaints (16%)
- Steering lock: mentioned in 44 of 794 complaints (6%)
- Service engine: mentioned in 44 of 794 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical electrical system repair on the Nissan Maxima at $1,350, and half of them between $1,100 and $1,650.
Based on 106 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2002–2018), 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 electrical system problems happen?
Based on 555 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 794 complaints, 9 mention a crash, 60 a fire, 5 an injury.
Nissan Maxima electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Maxima | 1 | 100% | — |
| 2021 Maxima | 1 | 33% | 100 |
| 2020 Maxima | 2 | 9% | 54,600 |
| 2019 Maxima | 2 | 11% | — |
| 2018 Maxima | 5 | 14% | 35,975 |
| 2017 Maxima | 11 | 10% | 43,000 |
| 2016 Maxima | 31 | 22% | 55,900 |
| 2014 Maxima | 8 | 8% | 74,000 |
| 2013 Maxima | 2 | 3% | 7,200 |
| 2012 Maxima | 20 | 19% | 53,791 |
| 2011 Maxima | 12 | 11% | 112,000 |
| 2010 Maxima | 79 | 29% | 67,500 |
| 2009 Maxima | 79 | 23% | 68,493 |
| 2008 Maxima | 6 | 8% | 77,000 |
| 2007 Maxima | 5 | 4% | 113,000 |
| 2006 Maxima | 26 | 5% | 77,000 |
| 2005 Maxima | 38 | 4% | 79,562 |
| 2004 Maxima | 56 | 4% | 75,662 |
| 2003 Maxima | 17 | 8% | 134,850 |
| 2002 Maxima | 22 | 11% | 91,875 |
| 2001 Maxima | 27 | 16% | 61,500 |
| 2000 Maxima | 171 | 48% | 52,728 |
| 1999 Maxima | 83 | 50% | 70,500 |
| 1998 Maxima | 24 | 21% | 130,498 |
| 1997 Maxima | 39 | 38% | 94,000 |
| 1996 Maxima | 8 | 8% | 202,288 |
| 1995 Maxima | 19 | 13% | 131,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator
Model years: 1997, 1998
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, one of the diodes used in the alternator may have been damaged when built. This can eventually result in failure of the diode and an electrical short which could melt the plastic housing.
Risk: If the combustible gas emitted by the melting plastic does not disperse due to air flow through the engine compartment, it could ignite and in turn ignite the fan guide in the alternator.
Fix: Dealers will replace the alternator. Owner notification began july 29, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261 or infiniti at 1-800-662-6200.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Car was parked outside husbands work since 7 at 12:15 pm he was advised by a co worker that my car was on fire ! When I ran outside my his workers where trying to put out the fire with the fire extinguishers from the work warehouse ! The fire department ended up finish putting out the fire ! The…
The vehicle experienced a noâstart condition and was towed to a dealership. The dealership performed major engine and timing repairs without authorization and kept the vehicle for nearly four months. After the repairs, the vehicle still cranks but will not start, requires jumpâstarts, and now…
My 2019 Nissan Maxima (approximately 70,000 miles) displayed a hazard warning indicating a vehicle failure and began stalling without warning. The vehicle was brought to Mossy Nissan on May 28, 2025, where it has remained for over 11 days. The dealership has been unable to identify or repair the…
I was driving at night when I got a headlight system error message on my instrument panel and I noticed my driver side headlight was not on. A few seconds later the light came back on and a minute or so later it went off again and came back on and I got the error message again. It came back on and…
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Nissan Maxima. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a dealer sale. The contact stated that the mileage on the title was not available. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 150,000. The…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Nissan Maximas have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 794 owner complaints about electrical system 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 electrical system?
Yes: 1 safety recall list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix electrical system problems on the Nissan Maxima?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,350 (half paid between $1,100 and $1,650), from 106 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the Nissan Maxima?
The most frequent phrase is “ignition coils”, in 126 of 794 complaints, followed by “steering lock” (44).
Other Nissan Maxima problems
- Power Train problems (2,384)
- Steering problems (502)
- Air Bags problems (469)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (435)
- Engine problems (374)
- Suspension problems (321)
- Structure problems (315)
- Tires problems (243)
See all Nissan Maxima problems.