The Nissan Maxima has been serving faithfully as the more luxurious and sportier alternative to the popular Altima sedan from the brand. The car carries a significant price tag considering its class and the inexpensive image for wearing the Nissan badge. Despite that, the current 2017 model has seen several issues arising due to poor quality of parts and fittings along with electrical and safety system issues as well. Officially, the sedan has 4 recalls and 61 complaints to date which are decent for the 67,627 Maximas sold for the current model year. The recalls were majorly regarding the brake fluid leak within the ABS pump and a few incidents of fire due to the faults were also reported by the owners. The Nissan Maxima competes with the Chrysler 300, the Kia Cadenza, and the Ford Taurus.
Nissan Maxima user complaints and problems
Engine problems
- Transmission slipping: A few owners have filed reports mentioning transmission slipping out from gears. One report states that while the car was parked and the owner used the automatic start feature to turn on the ignition and start the car, it rolled backward despite being in park mode. Another owner reports that he faced a shuddering issue with his vehicle’s CVT unit. While driving, the transmission shuddered and there were abnormal vibrations throughout the vehicle as well.
Safety problems
- Airbag failure: Some complaints have been filed regarding the failure of airbags while driving. The reports state that in scenarios where the affected vehicles were involved in crashes, the airbags failed to deploy. In one incident, the curtain airbags deployed after the rollover sensors detected a tilt despite all the wheels remaining in contact with the road.
- ABS fluid leak: A single owner has complained that his vehicle caught fire due to the ABS fluid leak. The report states that after the car was parked for some time after driving, it caught fire and was destroyed completely. Upon further inspection, it was found that the ABS unit was leaking brake fluid into the circuit board causing the fire.
- Airbag warning staying on: A couple of users complains that the ABS warning lights came on and stayed illuminated, indicating that the airbags were deactivated. One owner took his car to the authorized dealership but was told that the vehicle was not covered under the recalls regarding the same issue.
2017 Nissan Maxima recalls
|
S.No. |
Recall Date |
NHTSA Campaign ID |
Issues noticed |
Additional remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
April 26, 2016 |
16V244000 |
Passenger Air Bag may not Deploy due to OCS Error |
If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury. |
Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Airbag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. |
|
2 |
September 2, 2016 |
16V636000 |
Brake Fluid may leak into the ABS Pump and Ignite |
A brake fluid leak onto the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire. |
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. |
|
3 |
September 7, 2018 |
18V601000 |
Brake Fluid may Leak into ABS Pump and Ignite |
A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire. |
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 on October 29, 2018. |
|
4 |
November 8, 2019 |
19V807000 |
Brake Fluid Can Leak Into ABS Pump and Ignite |
A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire. |
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. |
Should you buy a used Nissan Maxima?
The Nissan Maxima emerges as a preferable option in its class and will woo the spirited drivers due to its sharp driving dynamics. Even though its rear seats might not be quite passenger-friendly due to lack of comfort, the abundance of features makes up for it to some extent. Going with a used example of the sedan would be a sensible idea since the major issues were resolved by the brand through successive recalls. Even then, do look out for the ABS fluid leak issue while buying a used Nissan Maxima.
