Nissan Maxima Exterior Lighting Problems
Owners have filed 128 complaints with NHTSA about exterior lighting problems on the Nissan Maxima across 22 model years. The 2003 model year has the most (26). The words owners use most often: “headlights stolen” (20% of reports).
- 128exterior lighting complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 22%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.
- Headlights stolen: mentioned in 25 of 128 complaints (20%)
- Low beam: mentioned in 10 of 128 complaints (8%)
- Headlight assembly: mentioned in 9 of 128 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems happen?
Based on 64 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 128 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 3 an injury.
Nissan Maxima exterior lighting complaints by model year
| Model year | Exterior Lighting complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Maxima | 1 | 20% | 2,700 |
| 2019 Maxima | 2 | 11% | 17,000 |
| 2017 Maxima | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2016 Maxima | 7 | 5% | 39,700 |
| 2014 Maxima | 19 | 20% | 90,000 |
| 2013 Maxima | 9 | 15% | 60,000 |
| 2012 Maxima | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2011 Maxima | 2 | 2% | 40,400 |
| 2010 Maxima | 2 | 1% | 55,816 |
| 2009 Maxima | 1 | 0% | 194,000 |
| 2008 Maxima | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2006 Maxima | 6 | 1% | 37,500 |
| 2005 Maxima | 3 | 0% | 98,465 |
| 2004 Maxima | 9 | 1% | 37,000 |
| 2003 Maxima | 26 | 13% | 18,000 |
| 2002 Maxima | 22 | 11% | 12,700 |
| 2001 Maxima | 4 | 2% | 164,424 |
| 2000 Maxima | 7 | 2% | 170,500 |
| 1998 Maxima | 1 | 1% | 130,000 |
| 1997 Maxima | 1 | 1% | 70,000 |
| 1996 Maxima | 1 | 1% | — |
| 1995 Maxima | 1 | 1% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists exterior lighting for the 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.
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…
I have a 2013 Nissan Maxima in my headlights are horrible when they are on dim you cannot see in front of you so bad that it's liable to cause a bad wreck I have to ride with my headlights on bright and it's not much better I have replaced the bulbs in both headlights twice it has not improved…
The power on the dashboard goes out and I have no way of knowing my speed, the milage, or any other information on how the vehicle is operating. The radio and other dashboard instruments are off the screens are black and I can't receive any information on how the vehicle is operating. Our safety is…
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights became inoperable. The contact stated that the headlights failed to function properly, and the lights were dim. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and…
The headlights are dim. I have replaced them with brighter H11 bulbs but I still cannot see. Others who have driven my car have indicated that the headlights are noticeably dimmer than normal. I literally cannot see the roadway. Also, I started having problems with the CVT shortly before…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Nissan Maximas have exterior lighting problems?
No. NHTSA has 128 owner complaints about exterior lighting 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 exterior lighting?
No recall currently lists exterior lighting for this vehicle.
What do owners say about exterior lighting problems on the Nissan Maxima?
The most frequent phrase is “headlights stolen”, in 25 of 128 complaints, followed by “low beam” (10).
Other Nissan Maxima problems
- Power Train problems (2,384)
- Electrical System problems (794)
- Steering problems (502)
- Air Bags problems (469)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (435)
- Engine problems (374)
- Suspension problems (321)
- Structure problems (315)
See all Nissan Maxima problems.