1990-2023 Nissan Maxima Problems: 17 Known Issues

The 4th-gen Maxima's 4-speed automatic (shared with the I30) is the drivetrain's known weak point. Neglected fluid-and-filter service lets debris and metal shards accumulate, leading to slipping, harsh or delayed engagement, failure to move in Drive, and eventual first-gear or full transmission failure. Owners widely report this unit as failure-prone when maintenance is skipped, making fluid history critical when buying one of these cars.

On the 2016-2023 Maxima's CVT, the transmission can judder (a shake, shudder, single or multiple bumps, or vibration) and the transmission control module stores code P17F0 or P17F1. Nissan's repair flow inspects the control valve (valve body) and the CVT chain, then replaces the valve body or the CVT sub-assembly depending on the code and what the inspection finds. Nissan bulletin NTB17-039R covers 2016-2023 Maximas (A36) with the 3.5L V6 (VQ35DE) and CVT when judder is reported and P17F0 or P17F1 is the only stored code. Separately, Nissan extended CVT coverage on US 2016-2018 Maxima.

Owners of seventh-generation (A35, 2009-2014) Maximas with the 3.5L V6 and Xtronic CVT report the transmission slipping. Engine RPM rises or stays high while the car gains little speed, and some owners hear a whine. One owner lost power climbing a highway grade at 75 mph and found the car stuck in one ratio. Another said the car barely responded to the throttle until about 35-40 mph. The owner reports on CarComplaints were filed at mileages from about 44,000 to 126,000 miles. Some owners had the transmission rebuilt or replaced. One 2010 owner logged a P1778 code, and a 2011 owner with a whine logged P0826.

The front passenger Occupant Classification System can, in rare ways of getting into the seat or unusual seating postures, classify an adult as a child or the seat as empty, which switches the passenger airbag off. If the seat is classified as empty the passenger airbag light does not come on, and the airbag may not deploy as designed in a crash. It affects 2016-2017 Maximas (A36) built February 10, 2015 to April 7, 2016 (NHTSA 16V-244; Nissan campaign R1609, bulletin NTB16-052). Check your VIN.

The front passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS), also called the occupant detection system, can store code B00A0-00 (occupant detection sensor unit), and the OCS zero-point reset cannot be performed. It applies to 2016-2021 Nissan Maxima (A36) models with B00A0-00 stored and an OCS zero-point reset that cannot be completed, per Nissan bulletin NTB19-071A (March 5, 2021), which replaced NTB19-071.

The A34 Maxima offered the SkyView roof, a long fixed tempered glass panel running lengthwise over the front and rear seats (a conventional power sunroof was optional in its place). NHTSA opened a defect investigation into 2004 Maxima SkyView roofs after reports of the glass breaking with no impact. The tempered glass on affected panels was not cooled properly after forming, leaving excessive internal stress in the panel; that residual stress can release later, shattering the panel spontaneously - sometimes while parked, sometimes at speed - and showering the rear seat with glass. Nissan issued a recall covering the affected 2004 build range.

The crank and cam position sensors are a well-documented weak point on the 4th-generation VQ30DE Maxima. Internal solder joints and the sensor's electronics degrade with heat and age, producing intermittent or lost signal. This is the same failure mode Nissan later formally recalled on the 2002-2003 Maxima (NHTSA 03V455000) for improper solder joints; 1995-1999 owners experience identical symptoms without recall coverage. (Note: unlike the earlier VG30 engines, the A32 VQ30DE is distributorless with coil packs; the crank position REF sensor sits near the oil filter, the POS sensor at the rear of the oil pan, and the cam sensor at the front timing cover.)

The Maxima uses four engine/transmission mounts: front and rear on the center crossmember, a passenger-side engine mount, and a driver-side transmission mount. The rubber cracks and separates with age and heat; the front and rear crossmember mounts fail most often, transmitting the V6's vibration into the cabin and producing clunks on shifts and acceleration.

The VQ35DE engine in the 6th and 7th generation Maxima is prone to ignition coil failure. Coils typically fail one at a time, causing misfires on the affected cylinder. The rear bank (cylinders 1, 3, 5) coils fail more frequently due to heat soak from the firewall proximity. Coil failure is especially common after 60,000-80,000 miles and is one of the most reported Maxima issues.

The molded rubber gasket and the integral spark plug tube seals in the VQ valve covers harden and take a compression set. The rear (firewall-side) cover fails first because it runs hotter and is the hardest to access. Oil weeps down the back of the block and burns off on the exhaust - the classic hot-oil smell with no drip on the driveway - and oil fills the spark plug tubes, most often cylinder 5. Oil in the well soaks the coil boot, causing a misfire that is routinely misdiagnosed as a failed coil. On the later plastic covers the plug tube seals are molded into the cover and cannot be serviced separately.

The distributor on the 3rd-generation VG30E Maxima seals to the head with an O-ring. That O-ring hardens and cracks with age, letting oil seep into the distributor and coat the cap and rotor with oily black powder, causing misfire and driveability problems. Excess crankcase pressure from a clogged PCV valve pushes oil into the distributor and accelerates the problem. (This applies to the distributor-equipped VG30E engines, so it covers the GXE in all years and the SE only through 1991; the 1992-1994 SE's VE30DE and the 1995-1999 VQ30DE are distributorless with individual coil packs and do not have this failure mode.)

The 2004-2008 Nissan Maxima (6th generation, A34) develops power steering fluid leaks from the steering rack seals, high-pressure hoses, and pump seals. The rack and pinion seals deteriorate from heat cycling and age, causing fluid seepage that progressively worsens. As fluid level drops, the power steering pump whines, groans, and eventually fails from running dry. Leaking power steering fluid can contact hot exhaust components, creating a fire hazard. Loss of power assist makes the vehicle difficult to steer, especially at low speeds and during parking maneuvers.

Owners report a clunk or pop from the suspension over bumps, sometimes worse when the car is cold. In the owner reports linked here, the noise was traced to a strut, strut mount or strut bushings; in some cases dealers also replaced the stabilizer connecting rods. It affects the 2016-2023 Nissan Maxima (A36); the owner reports linked here are from 2016 Maximas (Platinum and SV). Front and rear locations were both reported.

A pop or clunk can come from the rear of the car, especially when driving over bumps, when the nuts on the rear suspension stabilizer connecting rod are loose on the left side, the right side, or both. It affects all 2016 Nissan Maxima (A36) vehicles and 2017 Maxima built before May 16, 2017 (VIN before 1N4AA6AP*HC431432), per Nissan NTB17-107.

The 3rd-generation (1989-1994) Maxima's VG30-series injectors are prone to failing electronically rather than from dirt, and the lower injector seals can fail to seat, leaking fuel into the cylinders. Owners report recurring failures causing rough running and fuel-fouling.

Nearly every high-mileage 4th-gen Maxima eventually sets a P0400 (EGR flow insufficient) code. The root cause is almost never the EGR valve itself; instead the small EGR pipe and the port where the EGR temperature sensor sits pack with carbon, so exhaust gas can no longer flow past the sensor and the ECU reports low EGR flow. It commonly appears alongside a P0325 knock-sensor 'ghost' code. This is a classic emissions-inspection failure item on these cars.

Owners of sixth-generation Maximas report check-engine code P0420 traced to a failed bank 1 catalytic converter mounted at the exhaust manifold, which they replaced. It affects 2004-2008 Maximas (A34) with the 3.5L VQ35DE V6; the owner reports include a 2006 Maxima.