Nissan Maxima
Problems & Worst Years
Every reported problem for the Nissan Maxima, model year by model year — ranked from 243 federal NHTSA complaints across 2010–2016.
Complaint totals for the Maxima are modest in both years present in this data set — 69 occurrences in 2011, 77 in 2016 — but 2016 carries a notably heavier recall history, with five separate NHTSA campaigns on file: 15V733, 16V193, 16V636, 18V601, and 19V807. That volume of recall activity alone makes 2016 the year where confirming completed recall repairs on a specific VIN matters most.
On the complaint side, 2011 spreads its heaviest-reported issues across three separate problems: dashboard melting and stickiness, transmission slipping and jerking, and airbag malfunction each logged 20 occurrences, rated low, medium, and medium severity respectively. A more serious passenger-side airbag malfunction, rated safety severity, was reported 3 times, and a sunroof explosion — an unusual but specific complaint — was reported twice at high severity.
2016 shifts the emphasis toward the transmission and electrical systems: transmission issues causing loss of power lead at 14 occurrences, rated high severity, followed by general electrical system issues (12 occurrences), engine stalling while driving (10 occurrences, high severity), acceleration issues tied to the transmission (7 occurrences), and brake system failure (6 occurrences, high severity). One of the year's 12 distinct problems is rated safety severity, though it falls outside this top five.
Given how many recall campaigns apply to the 2016 model year specifically, and how the top complaints that year point toward transmission and engine stalling concerns, a pre-purchase inspection should prioritize a test drive that includes sustained acceleration and checks for hesitation or stalling, plus confirmation that all five recalls have been addressed. For 2011, the passenger airbag complaint is the one item worth flagging directly with a mechanic. As always, these are owner-filed reports to NHTSA rather than a precise failure rate, and service history and a hands-on inspection matter more for any individual Maxima than the model year printed on the title.
Nissan Maxima problems by year
Complaint volume by model year (bar = relative to the worst year). Theworst yearsare the most-complained-about, weighted by safety-risk problems.
| Year | Complaint volume | Problems | Safety / High | Most common problem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010worst | 139 | 10 | 3/4 | Electronic Steering Column Lock Failure Preventing Vehicle Start Steering · 71 complaints |
| 2011worst | 45 | 7 | 1/2 | Dashboard melting and becoming sticky Other · 20 complaints |
| 2016worst | 59 | 12 | 1/4 | Transmission Issues Causing Loss of Power Transmission · 14 complaints |
Data source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaints and recalls, 2010–2016. Problem clustering and year rankings are derived from the complaint record; complaint volume reflects reports filed, not total incidence or fault rate. Vehicle image is illustrative.