CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2004-2006 Nissan Maxima has widespread transmission problems. It starts with the vehicle jerking when shifting, & progresses to full-blown transmission failure.

Maxima owners report spending $3,000 to replace the transmission, typically around when the odometer hits 100,000 miles.

There's a class action lawsuit filed in late 2011, & it is still in the "discovery" stage. Apparently, these things take time ... far too much time.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 7
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
65,467 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2004 Nissan Maxima electrical problems

electrical problem

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2004 Nissan Maxima Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #47

Jun 012020

Maxima

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

04V326000 one of the recall number the other is 05V512000 not sure what to do at this point I've changed my timing chain also already I also received a letter stating if I had to replace it to contact Nissan I believe I'm just getting the run around

- Tampa, FL, USA

problem #46

Oct 052020

Maxima

  • 18,600 miles
For starters I replaced the alternator then the battery and then the crankshaft senor and then dorman that is on the possessive side of the battery. And it doesn't want to start still. Now just maybe you can help me on this.

- Whitney, TX, USA

problem #45

Nov 082020

Maxima

  • 167,000 miles
When it rains the back passenger door has water in the door and soaks the back floor

- Newark, DE, USA

problem #44

Jan 212020

Maxima

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The body control module keeps the front and back lights from working. The tail lights also not working. The license plate lights not working cost for replacing with labor and tax is over 1K in California. While I was driving at night I could not see the road. I had to pull over and get towed home.

- Galt, CA, USA

problem #43

Oct 282017

Maxima

  • 55 miles
Engine recall I was driving my car and while I was driving the car caught on fire. I was on highway 62 East in minneapolis mn going the speed limit 60 miles and I look and seen smoke coming from hood and the back of my car from the tail pipes.

- Minneapolis, MN, USA

problem #42

Oct 032017

Maxima

  • 175,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. While the vehicle was being serviced by an independent mechanic, the wiring underneath the driver's seat caught fire. The fire department was not contacted. An auto technician extinguished the fire. There were no injuries. The independent mechanic stated that a wire burned through, which likely caused the fire. The contact was unsure of what repairs were needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was previously serviced per NHTSA campaign number: 05V512000 (seats). The contact spoke with tim dahle Nissan (4528 state St, murray, ut 84107) who stated that they could not assist and advised the contact to speak with the manufacturer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that they were not liable since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The approximate failure mileage was 175,000.

- Salt Lake City, UT, USA

problem #41

Oct 052016

Maxima

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On October 5, 2016 my husband came home from pt and parked the car under our carport. When he got out of the car there was not signs of smoke or any warning lights on in the car. He came in the house and started to get dressed and about 10 minutes later our neighbor was knocking on the door" screaming your car is on fire". the fire department was called out to put out the fire and after it was out they found that the fire started in the engine and ruled it an electrical fire. I called nna and explained what happened, sent photos, the police report, and fire report and they stated that it would take 6 weeks for them to even decide if they would investigate and that they would not help with any fees to have the car preserved. We live on a military base so we had to have the car towed away so that military housing could assess the damage that was done to the carport and we can not afford to pay daily for having the car sit at a tow yard while Nissan decides if the will even investigate the cause of the fire. I really feel like there should be a class action against Nissan because with all these complaints this can't just be isolated incidents.

- Fort Hood, TX, USA

problem #40

Sep 222015

Maxima

  • 146,089 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. While driving approximately 65 mph, the horn failed to sound when engaged. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the horn assembly and horn switch were both replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The failure mileage was 146,089.

- Wathena, KS, USA

problem #39

Jul 152015

Maxima

  • 156,587 miles
Me radio and gps and air and hit is the problem 1 day work others day

- Chicopee, MA, USA

problem #38

Jan 082015

Maxima

  • 119,000 miles
I bought a 2004 Nissan Maxima SE a year and two months ago. It had 91,000 miles on it. The transmission started slamming gears a few months ago right around 100K miles. I had it looked at and no problem could be found. But then on 1/8/15 the transmission got stuck in 5th gear. It would go into park and reverse fine but in drive it went straight into 5th. I was able to get it to slowly drive to a friends house where I parked and left it over night and borrowed a vehicle from them. The next morning I came back cranked it and it was fine. So I drove it towards the repair shop. It dies as I pull in. They run a diagnostic and they say the cam sensor is bad. The really expensive warranty that supposedly covers my car from bumper to bumper is claiming that this part is not covered in my bumper to bumper warranty so now I'm suck with a really expensive repair bill if I want to drive my car again. The thing is I get on line and see that there are thousands and thousands of people who have had the same problems I'm having and Nissan is aware of the defect in the year model of car and are doing nothing to fix it and no ones warranties are covering the repairs. I'm a single mother and I make very little money so I don't have the extra income to fix this problem that clearly should be a recall in the first place. I hope that you will make Nissan accountable one day for their blatant screwing of their customers.

- Helena, AL, USA

problem #37

Sep 182014

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 100,030 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I bought used 2004 Nissan Maxima car at North shore auto mall on 9/18/14, the service tech. Drove car up to front of dealership w/car still running he test drove car w/me( didn't think anything about it at the time) I got in and we went for a test drive, car was great. Got back to dealer, gave the balance. Once I left dealer, while driving on highway the car started to skip & felt like it was going to stall, I pulled over to right lane, put hazards on w/traffic behind me, the car stalled, I almost caused a collision, cars were beeping, swerving out of the way, I couldn't get any acceleration with it in drive, so I put it in neutral & after 3 tries it started up w/much hesitation. I was scared for my life & others on the road, I took side streets to make it home & when I stopped at stop sign it stalled again, I repeated the same steps as above w/hazards on the whole ride home.now I know why the service tech. Took test ride w/me. I had a friend with me as my witness.this car wont pass inspection, the check engine light will not turn off, I called dealer he said make an appt, I said I only have 7 days for inspection sticker, he said, he has nothing to do with service and to call them. I called on Monday the 22nd &1st, available appt.wasn't til 9/25/14, my 7 days were up on that Thursday. He said he'll call me around noon, I waited til Friday 5pm, he nor anyone in serv. Called to update me & let me know car will be there over the weekend. What do I do & what's the time limit on fixing my car w/O any communication to me. Im sooooo upset at the lack of professionalism and ethics, im afraid if I say something derogatory, they will sabotage my car. Please help me..!!!!

- Lynn, MA, USA

problem #36

Feb 012013

Maxima

  • 115,000 miles
When ever I shift to reverse the car pauses and then jerks. I took it to the shop and had new motor mount put in to solve the problem. For a few days you could barely feel the jerking when switching to reverse. Literally by the next week it was bad all over again and the jerking returned. Also, sometimes when I am driving I can feel the car, to my knowledge, switching gears. For example, this morning I was driving to work and going only around 25mph and as I started to accelerate the car jerked and slowed down for about 5 seconds before it returned to my normal speed. Thirdly, the power locks are not consistent. When I lock my doors with the automatic lock on the keys or even by pressing the power locks on the door handle it will only lock the front right passenger and the back left passenger door. This can be very frustrating as I have left my car doors unlocked unknowingly.

- Bowie, MD, USA

problem #35

Sep 092013

Maxima

  • miles
I have a 2004 Nissan Maxima. When I was driving, the steering locked up and there was no way to steer. I don"T know how I did it, being petite and not so strong, but I managed to make the car move to the side, then it turned off automatically. I tried to turn on the car and it didn't start. I had to wait a few minutes and turn the key for a few seconds until the engine restarted. It becomes extremely difficult to pull over to the side, and I was saved the 5-7 times this happened to me. Luck was on my side! I didn't drive my car on the freeway, because I was terrified my car would stall and my son and I would die in a terrible car accident. I finally had to go to my shop and replace the two camshaft sensors with the following codes P3040 and P0345. With some searching, I found out that I?M not the only one with this issue. I stand by the former complaint: ?I found out that Nissan has a recall on Altima?S with this same issue, but will not cover and recall my vehicle. This is very dangerous and I do not understand why they would only recall certain makes when it is the same exact error code on both vehicles. It is a P3040 and P0345 cam sensor/cam shaft recall through Nissan. However, they say my make and model does not fall under this recall. Shouldn't they recall all vehicles with this same problem?" thank you for your help in this safety issue.

- Beverly Hills, CA, USA

problem #34

May 062014

Maxima

  • 135,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated while driving approximate 40 mph, the interior lights, power windows, and power seats failed to operate. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the body control module would need to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. There was a recall related to the failure under NHTSA campaign id number 05V512000 (seats). The manufacturer was notified and they informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The approximate failure mileage was 135,000. The VIN was unavailable.

- Paris, TN, USA

problem #33

Jan 102014

Maxima

  • miles
Woke up to a horn steadily beeping, went to my window to see what was going on and I see flames shooting about 15 ft high and knew my neighbor's car was on fire, after the fire the owner told me he had not driven the car that day, and that it melted the dashboard and quickly destroyed interior and engine compartment of the car, there could have been fatalities or injuries as the car had a full gas tank, and luckily did not reach gas tank, but if it had there would have been major property damage to several homes, and many lives put at risk.

- San Jose, CA, USA

problem #32

Jul 032013

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 172,000 miles
I was driving to work July 3rd, 2013 around 7:00am. I smelled smoke in my car so I pulled over, opened my hood and I didn't see anything. I got back in my car and continued to drive to work. I smelled smoke again, only this time to realize that my bottom was getting hot. I looked down to the right to see if my seat warmer was on and it wasn't. then my seat began to move forward & backward by itself about 3 times. I turned back around to the front and there was a cloud of smoke in my face & flames at my feet. I quickly grabbed my phone and my ipad, released my seat belt, pulled up my emergency brake, opened the door and jumped out of my car falling onto the ground, jump up, and called 911. While waiting on the fire department & the police I stood there crying hysterically, terrified and watched my car go up in flames.

- Durham, NC, USA

problem #31

May 222013

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 65,000 miles
Fire in drivers side dashboard...updated 07-05-13

- Parkville, MD, USA

problem #30

Mar 152013

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 170,000 miles
Cd player does not connect to speakers. Sound muffled.

- Wichita, KS, USA

problem #29

Apr 142013

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 167,300 miles
Anti-lock brakes engage almost every time brake is applied. Tsb says rust has to be cleaned out of the right rear wheel hub and a drain hole has to be added, right rear ABS($250 +) sensor has to be replaced, with possible replacement of ABS actuator($1000 +) required.

- Woodland, ME, USA

problem #28

Feb 012013

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 105,000 miles
I have a 2004 Nissan Maxima. Check engine light came on and within a few days problem began. When driving down an incline and turning one way or the other the car will die, steering will lock up and there is no way to steer. Unable to restart engine until you come to a complete stop, put in park then it takes multiple attempts to restart. You also cannot even steer over to the side of the road to get out of traffic. This almost caused me to have an accident on two different occasions. I found out that Nissan has a recall on Altima with this same issue, but will not cover and recall my vehicle. This is very dangerous and I do not understand why they would only recall certain makes when it is the same exact error code on both vehicles. It is a P3040 cam sensor/cam shaft recall through Nissan. However, they say my make and model does not fall under this recall. Shouldn't they recall all vehicles with this same problem? thank you for your help in this safety issue.

- Roseville, OH, USA

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