Nissan Maxima Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems
Owners have filed 236 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the Nissan Maxima across 18 model years. The 2004 model year has the most (61). The words owners use most often: “abs sensor” (7% of reports).
- 236service brakes, hydraulic complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 16mention a crash
- 5mention an injury
- 5related recalls
- $2,300typical repair cost reported by owners
- 31%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.
- ABS sensor: mentioned in 16 of 236 complaints (7%)
- Rotors warped: mentioned in 12 of 236 complaints (5%)
- Anti lock: mentioned in 12 of 236 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical service brakes, hydraulic repair on the Nissan Maxima at $2,300, and half of them between $1,600 and $3,350.
Based on 26 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2004–2013), 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 service brakes, hydraulic problems happen?
Based on 151 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 236 complaints, 16 mention a crash, 5 a fire, 5 an injury.
Nissan Maxima service brakes, hydraulic complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Maxima | 1 | 20% | — |
| 2020 Maxima | 2 | 9% | 15,648 |
| 2018 Maxima | 1 | 3% | 51,533 |
| 2016 Maxima | 1 | 1% | 11,000 |
| 2009 Maxima | 1 | 0% | 4,400 |
| 2007 Maxima | 12 | 9% | 53,400 |
| 2006 Maxima | 40 | 7% | 60,000 |
| 2005 Maxima | 14 | 1% | 64,000 |
| 2004 Maxima | 61 | 4% | 61,500 |
| 2003 Maxima | 4 | 2% | 17,250 |
| 2002 Maxima | 17 | 8% | 30,975 |
| 2001 Maxima | 22 | 13% | 28,000 |
| 2000 Maxima | 26 | 7% | 25,500 |
| 1999 Maxima | 8 | 5% | 60,000 |
| 1998 Maxima | 10 | 9% | 24,000 |
| 1997 Maxima | 5 | 5% | 52,000 |
| 1996 Maxima | 4 | 4% | — |
| 1995 Maxima | 7 | 5% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (5)
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slipPark outside
Model years: 2016, 2017, 2018
Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Nissan Murano, 2016-2018 Nissan Maxima, and 2017-2019 Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and unrepaired, or inspected and determined to not need a repair, under recall number 18V-601. In addition, this recall expands the previous population. The Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) actuator pumps may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal circuit board.
Risk: A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ABS actuator, free of charge. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available, currently expected to be during summer 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: If the ABS warning light remains illuminated for more than 10 seconds after engine start up, owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and to not drive the vehicle.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slipPark outside
Model years: 2016, 2017
Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Nissan Murano, 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2017-2018 Nissan Pathfinder, and 2017 Infiniti QX60 vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake (ABS) actuator pumps may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal circuit board.
Risk: A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the serial number on the ABS actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 29, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: When brake fluid has leaked onto the circuit board, the ABS warning lamp will remain illuminated for more than 10 seconds after engine start up. If this occurs, owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and to not drive the vehicle.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Model years: 2016, 2017
Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima vehicles manufactured February 10, 2015, to August 19, 2016 and equipped with Intelligent Cruise Control, 2015-2017 Murano vehicles manufactured August 22, 2014, to August 19, 2016 and equipped with Intelligent Cruise Control, and 2015-2016 Murano Hybrid vehicles manufactured August 22, 2014, to July 19, 2016. The affected vehicles have Anti-Lock Brake (ABS) actuator pumps that may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal electrical circuit board.
Risk: A brake fluid leak onto the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ABS Actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 12, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: When brake fluid has leaked onto the circuit board, the ABS warning lamp will remain illuminated for more than 10 seconds after engine start up. If this occurs, owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and to not drive the vehicle.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Model years: 2016
Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016 Murano vehicles manufactured December 17, 2015, to February 11, 2016, and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured November 25, 2015, to February 12, 2016 and equipped with an antilock braking system (ABS) and Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC). The ABS actuator may have a damaged O-ring that may result in a lack of brake fluid pressure.
Risk: Insufficient brake fluid pressure may lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ABS actuator, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 16, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:caliper
Model years: 2016
Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2015 Altima and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured October 6, 2015, to October 7, 2015. The affected vehicles have front brake calipers whose mounting bolts may not be properly tightened.
Risk: If the bolts were not properly tightened, the caliper may detach and reduce braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will check the brake caliper mounting bolts, tightening them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 14, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while her husband was attempting to park and turn off the vehicle, the gear shifter failed to shift into park, the STOP button failed to respond, and the vehicle suddenly accelerated, crashed into a tree in the median strip, knocked…
The contact owned a 2022 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while her granddaughter was driving at 40 MPH and attempting to stop at a stop sign, with the brake pedal depressed all the way to the floorboard, the vehicle failed to stop. As a result, the driver swerved in an attempt to avoid a…
The contact's son owned a 2018 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated while the driver was driving 5 MPH, he noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The driver was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that the driver…
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving at 50 - 55 mph, the vehicle lost motive power, and the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) System, Slip indicator, and Rear Automatic Braking warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but the…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V807000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Nissan Maximas have service brakes, hydraulic problems?
No. NHTSA has 236 owner complaints about service brakes, hydraulic 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 service brakes, hydraulic?
Yes: 5 safety recalls list service brakes, hydraulic. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix service brakes, hydraulic problems on the Nissan Maxima?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,300 (half paid between $1,600 and $3,350), from 26 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the Nissan Maxima?
The most frequent phrase is “abs sensor”, in 16 of 236 complaints, followed by “rotors warped” (12).
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.