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NHTSA-Verified · Common Problems

2010 Nissan Maxima
Common Problems

Ranked from 139 federal NHTSA complaints and 1 recalls. Every problem links to the complaint IDs behind it.

3
Safety
4
High severity
3
Medium
3 problems on this vehicle involve a crash, fire, or injury risk. If you are experiencing one, stop driving and have it inspected.

10 Common Problems

Ordered by how often owners reported each one to NHTSA. The bar shows how common a problem is relative to the most-reported on this vehicle. Expand any problem to see the federal complaint IDs.

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  1. 1

    Electronic Steering Column Lock Failure Preventing Vehicle Start

    71complaints
    Safety riskSteering

    The electronic steering column lock module fails, causing the vehicle to not start even with the key fob present. This leaves the driver stranded and requires towing to a dealership for repairs.

    $200–$1,500est. power-steering / eps repair · 1–6 hrs labor
    Get local quotes
  2. 2

    Cracked Strut Insulators and Suspension Failure

    16complaints
    High severitySuspension

    Strut insulators crack, causing metal-to-metal contact, violent shaking, and instability while driving.

    $500–$1,200est. strut/shock replacement (pair) · 2–4 hrs labor
    Get local quotes

    Related recall: 09V358000

  3. 3

    Brake Pedal Stiffness and Steering Wheel Lock During Start-Up

    15complaints
    Medium severityElectrical

    During start-up, the brake pedal becomes stiff and the steering wheel locks, preventing the vehicle from starting.

    $200–$1,500est. power-steering / eps repair · 1–6 hrs labor
    Get local quotes
  4. 4

    Engine Stalling and Power Loss

    12complaints
    High severityEngine

    Engine stalls unexpectedly while driving, causing loss of power steering and brakes.

    $150–$1,200est. stalling / shutdown diagnosis + repair · 1–5 hrs labor
    Get local quotes
  5. 5

    Passenger airbag warning light and non-deployment

    11complaints
    Safety riskElectrical

    The passenger airbag warning light illuminates intermittently and fails to deploy during collisions, risking occupant injury.

    $100–$250est. professional diagnosis · 1–2 hrs labor
    Get local quotes
  6. 6

    Dashboard Melting and Glare Issues

    9complaints
    Medium severityOther

    Dashboard material melts and becomes sticky under sunlight, causing glare and visibility issues.

  7. 7

    CVT Transmission Failure

    8complaints
    High severityTransmission

    CVT transmission stalls or fails during acceleration, causing sudden loss of power and unsafe driving conditions.

    $3,500–$6,500est. cvt replacement · 8–14 hrs labor
    Get local quotes
  8. 8

    Dashboard Warning Lights for Key Recognition Failure

    8complaints
    Medium severityElectrical

    A dashboard warning light illuminates indicating a key recognition failure, even though the key fob is functioning.

    $100–$250est. professional diagnosis · 1–2 hrs labor
    Get local quotes
  9. 9

    Sunroof Glass Shattering

    6complaints
    Safety riskOther

    Panoramic sunroof glass explodes or shatters while driving, causing injury risk.

  10. 10

    Unintended acceleration or throttle response issues

    5complaints
    High severityEngine

    The vehicle accelerates unexpectedly or fails to respond to acceleration commands, causing erratic behavior and requiring emergency braking.

Other years & sources

2011 Nissan Maxima2016 Nissan MaximaAll NHTSA complaints for this vehicle →

Data source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaints and recalls. Problems are clustered and ranked from the complaint record; occurrence counts reflect corroborating complaints, not total incidence. Vehicle image is illustrative. Repair-cost figures are typical U.S. independent-shop ranges (parts + labor) for the class of repair shown — actual quotes vary by region, engine, and diagnosis; always confirm with a local shop.