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:
1 / 5
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
85,250 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 engine problems

engine problem

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2004 Nissan Maxima Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #51

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 #50

Feb 012021

Maxima

  • 80,000 miles
Timing chain failure. Timing chain was bad from day one. Spent nearly 4000 dollars for repair. Then to look up online and find out many other people had problem. Now a few years later. Same problem

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

problem #49

Jun 032020

Maxima

  • 10 miles
Me and my boyfriend were sold this car for 2500 and the car needed a new battery, a new converter. Once I brought those items and put them in the car started having compression problems to the point it has a slow take off, cannot go up hills, and we have to shift gears just for it to move.. this car was sold to us like this and we almost fell off a cliff because of the compression problem and not being able to go up any hills.. the people who sold us the car said they will not fix the problem or refund our money.

- Wilkes Barre, PA, USA

problem #48

May 152018

Maxima

  • 96,149 miles

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

The contact owned a 2004 Nissan Maxima. While the vehicle was parked in the garage at the contact's home, the hood blew up and the front end burst into flames. The contact opened the garage door and extinguished the fire. There were no injuries or property damage. The maintenance indicator illuminated. The vehicle was driven to five star Nissan of florence (311 N cashua dr, florence, SC 29501, 843-628-0032) where it was diagnosed that the speed sensor failed. The contact stated that the insurance company totaled the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,149.

- Effingham, SC, USA

problem #47

Mar 042018

Maxima

  • miles
On Sunday, March 4, 2018, in the morning around a 11 am, I was driving my 2004 Maxima and it started to loose power and turned off. I tried several times to start it, but it wouldn't hold the idle and turned off again. No Nissan dealership or repair shop was open so I called the nearest pep boys shop to my home and they towed my car to their repair shop. They said my car was totally dead and needed a new battery even though my battery wasn't that old. I purchased a battery, still wouldn't start. Pep boys then said I needed a new alternator, so that was installed, still wouldn't start. They then said it must be the engine, so the next day, Monday, March 4, 2018, it was towed to the fairfield, ct Nissan dealership where it is currently until I can figure out what to do. After 3 days, of calling the Nissan dealership to find out what was wrong with my car, bet, in the Nissan service department told me that they had taken off the side of my engine and tried to manually turn the drive shaft, but it wouldn't turn and that it was the timing chain and that it would cost anywhere from $2,600 to $3,600 to repair my car. Please help with start a case, I can't afford this. I'm in school for paralegal studies and a ct licensed tax preparer

- Bridgeport, CT, USA

problem #46

Nov 112017

Maxima

  • miles
The contact owned a 2004 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated while the vehicle was unoccupied and it caught fire from the engine compartment. The fire department extinguished the fire. A fire report was not filed. A local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

- Blytheville, AR, USA

problem #45

Oct 282017

Maxima

  • 55 miles

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

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 #44

Apr 232017

Maxima

  • 140,383 miles
My 2004 Nissan Maxima shuts down while running, causing the transmission to default into 5th gear, (2-4 gears effectively disappear) and the all electricity, radio, A/C, and power steering to shut down. On straight highways one can keep driving by shifting into neutral immediately, and trying to restart the engine with the key. Usually it restarts and runs but in a deficient power mode. The vdc light appears, letting you know that the transmission will be stuck in 5th gear, with the option of manually starting in 1st gear. Either shifting from 1st to automatic or manually to another gear, defaults the car into gear 5. the car is drive-able in this condition, but one has at stoplights, to immediately shift into neutral, and manually with foot pedal, keep the rpms above 1100. Fortunately I was driving straight. If turning a corner, and not very strong, I'd have no control over my car. Without power steering working the wheel is very hard to turn. Finally one day, the car would not start on cold start. It would occasionally almost fire, make some revolutions, but then would only turn on power of the starter. The first mechanic gave an estimate of $3600 to replace the timing chain the problem originally did not exist when engine was cold, but after engine warms up, at the first time the RPM's fall below 1000, the engine shuts off... usually waiting for a cold engine again, causes the car to start up in original form.

- Newark, DE, USA

problem #43

May 012015

Maxima

  • miles
My car is jerking and bucking really badly while into gear also while coming to stops and driving along. The take off is slow and hesitant and it loses power at times while driving. While putting it in gear it jerks really hard as well. Please help! I can not afford to fix this problem and I need my transportation for work

- Leavenworth, KS, USA

problem #42

Feb 282017

Maxima

  • 100,300 miles
After 100,000 miles transmission started shoes of failure. Shifting past second grar would cause the car to stalll, then buck. Car would also buck when accelerating at high speeds. Also the car would stall and the accelerator would become unresponsive when shifting at high speeds. Forced to release the acceloratot and the press it again, until the transmission would shift correctly and "catch" the gear. Massive gas consumption caused by faulty transmission. Most errors caused when shifting in high speed or uphill. Specifically when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. Car would slow down and work harder to accelerate after driving at high speeds for any period of time. Transmission shifts would cause bucking and the body of the car to jerk and shake.

- Paterson, NJ, USA

problem #41

Jul 152016

Maxima

  • 150,000 miles

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

The timing chain tensioner that is made from plastic came apart and has caused my cars engine to fail.this is clearly a defective designed part. It will cost around $2000 parts and labor for the repair from the Nissan dealership.Nissan should step up and correct this design flaw for me and many others with this same problem.

- St. James, MO, USA

problem #40

Jun 202016

Maxima

  • 115,000 miles
My timing chain primary guide has broke ! this is a defective design assembly part! it's made of plastic and the plastic breaks and the chain looses tension! it cost 2000$ to repair. I'm driving the car. I can't go on the highway because if the chain fails the car will just stop!'dangerous Nissan has known of the defective part ! they notified all dealerships in 2004 tsb. Buyers avoid Nissan maxi as 04-08 models.

- Pompano Bch, FL, USA

problem #39

Dec 122015

Maxima

  • 188,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving at 65 mph, the brake pedal was depressed and the gear shift failed. The check engine warning indicator illuminated continuously. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the solenoid needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 188,000.

- Narberthta, PA, USA

problem #38

Jan 312015

Maxima

  • miles
I took my car in for an inspection, found out that the floor on the passenger side had rusted from the inside out and there was a good size hole. It cost me a couple hundred to fix because it wouldn't pass the inspection. The next thing was the slack timing chain, the car sounds like a truck. I've been told it would cost up to $3000 to fix. Then the biggest safety issue is the transmission, this one is really concerning. The jerking, bucking, kicking, clanging, the seconds of hesitation between drive and reverse and then suddenly it engages and the kick could give you whiplash. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a rodeo. When the car sits for awhile (overnight) there is no issue with the initial start but once it warms up that's it. You can't accelerate properly once the car slows down, or is making a turn, going around a bend or comes to a stop because it drops out of gear, then there is the hesitation and at that point it just revs, this happens 2 or 3 times before it engages again then there is a massive bang and the car lunges forward, by then the traffic is right under your rear bumper. After this happens a few times there is no more acceleration, the pedal has to be pushed to the floor for the car to move. The engine light came on a month or two ago and hasn't gone off. This is a real dangerous, safety issue. A few days ago another issue appeared, I cannot open the driver side door with the remote door opener or the electronic door opener on the inside of the door. At this point I've read many complaints about these issues, they are all manufacture problems but the timing chain and transmission is the biggest when it comes to safety because you do not know when the car will stop. Why hasn't Nissan done a recall"???" there are enough complaints.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #37

Jan 102015

Maxima

  • 120,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving about 20 mph, the vehicle shut off and the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle restarted. However, the failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.

- North Ridgeville, OH, USA

problem #36

Jun 202015

Maxima

  • 102,000 miles
1 cove court

- Glenwood, NJ, USA

problem #35

Mar 042015

Maxima

  • miles
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. While driving approximately 60 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. After restarting, there was a slight reduction in the engine power. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the cam shaft sensor would need to be replaced. The manufacturer issued a voluntary recall under reference number: R2022 (cam shaft) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was unavailable.

- Kansas City, MO, USA

problem #34

Mar 022015

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 161,000 miles
Transmission problems causes car to jerk very badly, acts as tho it does not want to go. Pulling off you will have to make sure no cars are coming at all because if you just go, you're likely to be hit.

- Montgomery, AL, USA

problem #33

Dec 102014

Maxima 4-cyl

  • 170,000 miles
I was inspecting under the hood and the radiator split at the top, spraying coolant everywhere. The cap was functioning. No injury but very dangerous. The radiator looks like it is made of some type of plastic. I have a photograph of the radiator. I contacted Nissan and they told me to take it to a dealer. I didn't ask for compensation. I asked that the Nissan engineering dept review the defect for safety reasons and received no reply. I replaced the radiator myself. This is a safety issue. I have the radiator in my garage. Thanks [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Newcastle, OK, USA

problem #32

Sep 252014

Maxima

  • 74,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. While driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,000. The VIN was unavailable.

- Ward, AR, USA

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