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.
8.2
pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$2,530
Average Mileage:
107,350 miles
Total Complaints:
171 complaints
Most Common Solutions:
replace transmission (72 reports)
not sure (63 reports)
replace valve body (21 reports)
replace broken motor mounts (6 reports)
replace about 3/4 of your transmission fluid - NOT FILTER (3 reports)
Maxima.Org - Deals with issues concerning the maxima, especially the 6th gen
Federal Safety Recall Site - Please everyone with this issue go to this site and submit your complaint. there are already 600. We need A LOT to get nissan to finally open their eyes on this!!!
I bought a 2004 Nissan Maxima from a private owner it was her son's car but he passed away and she didn't want nothing to do with the car. The car seemed ok we test drove it but when I put the car in gear it jumped really hard. (My dad thought I made it do that). But as time went on its gotten WORSE !!!. I really think Nissan should be responsible for the cost to get this problem fixed.
I bought this car on 2013 because I heard was a really good brand and I love the style, but is so many issues since I got it. Transmission, sensors, problems with the abs modem, the speed sensor broke, lower mounts, and so much more. I have 2004 Nissan Maxima SE 3.5 v6
I'm just passing the words of another very upset owner of a Maxima, if you are looking to buy a car please do not do what we did.
NISSAN WILL NEVER STAND FOR THEIR CARS !!
We bought this car expecting it to be a long lasting dependable car. Respected the name Nissan as being long lasting and dependable!!!!!! We are very disappointed in the transmission of this car. We started having big problems with jerking and hesitating and recently completely stalled while driving.I have seen lots of complaints about the transmissions in the 2004 Maxima. My opinion is that there should be a recall !!!!
Update from Oct 27, 2015: for the people in the San Antonio Texas area , after a long time searching for a honest reliable shop to fix my transmission
I finally found a reliable Nissan Dealer capable to fix my problem and for much less than the other private shops
and with a warranty the place is ANCIRA NISSAN ask for Kneil ( nice guy australian accent) he took the car like it was a everyday common thing to fix . just came back from lubbock texas and drove very nice !!hope this help somebody out there and save some of the predicament i went trough !!
I just bought this car one month ago, pretty much with all the money I could muster up from my internship this summer. I'm only nineteen so I might be taking the bus back up to college now because I can't afford to fix my brand new (used) car.
This is bullshit that there are this many problems and Nissan hasn't acknowledged that there might be a problem with their transmission, just look at the stats from year to year. I work in the automotive industry, if one specific year on a specific model has thousands of problems on a single part... Then a recall is definitely in order! It just makes common sense because now they are losing thousands of customers who, prior to this issue, would have been lifelong customers! Bad move Nissan...
I'm not going to say how much it sucks to buy a car using all the money that you have and 2 months later find out that you have transmission problems. Especially when you work 2 jobs and still don't have money to fix it. I'm going crazy with this problem. Somebody must be responsible for this (Nissan) they should go to jail for stealing money from us.
- jimmy1,
KISSIMMEE, FL, US
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The transmission is definitely on its last legs. The motor races, like the transmission has down shifted, then it catches up and the car starts accelerating normally. More times now, when it catches up, there is a "clunk" and you can hear it and feel it bucking. We had heard that this year of Nissan Maxima had a transmission problem, but it has gotten worse in recent weeks.
The fact that Nissan won't take responsibility for these sorry transmissions in these cars really speaks of how much they value their customers. I will never ever own another Nissan.
We have had my Maxima since it debuted in 2003. It was purchased in July of 2003. We would drive it occasionally since we had other cars we were driving, which is why now in 2015, it only has 88,000 miles on it. A couple of months ago I noticed that when it would downshift, the transmission would slam into the gear. It would feel as if someone hit me from behind. I noticed that it would happen every once and a while and decided to look up what kind of issues might arise. I was shocked to see how many complaints were issued in regards to the transmission. After reading that the bad motor mounts may be an underlying cause of a transmission failure, I went and tested to see if my motor mounts were bad. I went several mechanics and I was informed that they were indeed bad. Being this is my main mode of transportation, I went and spent over $2200 to get them replaced.
3 motor mounts and a transmission mount later, the issue remains. I do not have the funds to replace my vehicle nor the funds to replace the transmission. From what I've read, transmission failure after 100,000 miles is inevitable and will cost me no matter what.
Nissan service advisers acknowledged to me that 2004-2005 Maxima transmissions are ones they've seen often as being problematic since they mated a Toyota transmission to a Nissan engine. I believe that Nissan should shoulder the majority of the responsibility of the cost for repairs on these vehicles. I believe its just coincidental that no one has reported an accident due to a failed transmission. I no longer feel safe on the road while driving this vehicle, but I have no choice but to drive it at this time.
After some research on the internet, I've realized I am NOT alone with the issues I'm having with my transmission. And, after all I've ready, I can't believe that A.) Nissan has not done a recall (HORRIBLE business ethics, if you ask me) and B.) The pending lawsuit... is STILL pending! Is there not enough proof from all the consumers?! This is extremely frustrating, stressful, and quite frankly, frightening. I live in an area, where having a car is extremely important. I should not have to worry about transmission failure, for no reason!
If my car has been regularly serviced and taken care of, there's no reason I should have to deal with these issues... and pay upwards of $3,000 to fix it. That's almost as much as the car itself is worth now! Come on Nissan! Step up your game...and take care of your customers! PLEASE!!!
The transmission constantly hesitates about 2 seconds and then jerks every time I shift in "D"! It is extremely frustrating and annoying! In addition, whenever I am in stop-n-go traffic daily on the interstate to and from my job, it shifts really hard at times, slips, jerks, etc... Overall I love the car, accept for the transmission problem! It drives me crazy! I am afraid to take it on any road trips anymore in fear that the transmission is going to completely go out on me!
Car looks great. I took it in to a Findlay, Ohio Nissan Dealer and they told me nothing is wrong with it! A few month's later, the same problem continues to happen and now it's getting worse. The car when slowing (or passing through 20 mph) has a big clunk and jerks violently. The other day the car literally start surging and jerking in the middle of traffic. I pulled over, turned the car off hoping it would reset the shift patter. However, it made many violent jerks all the way home. Going to take it to the shop soon. But I WILL NOT go to the Findlay, Ohio dealer. Those guys don't know anything! OR, they DO KNOW and they just don't want to tackle the job. Nissan should RECALL these transmissions because I've read many complaints and they all sound similar or exact to mine. Nissan...we have a problem!!
Worst transmission ever. Despite spending over $2000 CAD to fix the jerking problem of the transmission, this issue remains unresolved.
I have reported and complained both at my Nissan dealership and Nissan Canada, but of course, they claimed that the Maxima 2004 has no transmission issues, and only very few complains were ever filed. As a result, although I like the new Rogue VHS, I will never by a Nissan product again.
Started jerking in drive and seal leaking, had seal replaced and a new torque converter $700.00. Brought it home and it stated slipping and jerking real bad, ended up replacing transmission, another $700.00 cause it was a used one. I lucked up and found a good one, hopefully it will not do the same thing.
Also had to have sensors replaced $300.00 and new motor mounts $400.00.
Ever since I was young I always wanted a Nissan Maxima so in March 2008 I finally got my 2004 Nissan Maxima SE. I enjoyed it until I started having transmission problems. When I would shift from reverse or drive, out of park, there would be a hard jerk, and, my transmission was getting stuck in fifth gear. In August 2012, which was very depressing, so I took the Maxima back to the the Nissan dealership where it actually came from to let them check it. First they told me when they test drove it they couldn't find nothing wrong, that it drove fine.
So I drove it back home but a week later it started doing the same thing again as it was doing before, so I took it back to the dealership and they checked it again, but this time came back and told me that I had a bad transmission and that it was going to cost me around $3500 to get another transmission for the Maxima. So I just brought it back to my house and parked it because I don't have $3500 to get a transmission with.
Nissan needs to accept the fact that they made a mistake in building these transmissions and go fix these transmissions or get brand new transmissions for us that have these faulty transmissions and stop trying to hide from the problem. Because it's too many people having transmission problems in their Maximas.
Replaced the valve body. Problem is wasn't fixed for very long. (10k miles, maybe). Please let me know if you have any fix that doesn't involve a completely new transmission. Please help! I don't have another 4-5k to spend. Donations accepted to drive it through the window of the recall office! =)
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
I bought a 2004 Nissan Maxima from a private owner it was her son's car but he passed away and she didn't want nothing to do with the car. The car seemed ok we test drove it but when I put the car in gear it jumped really hard. (My dad thought I made it do that). But as time went on its gotten WORSE !!!. I really think Nissan should be responsible for the cost to get this problem fixed.
- Ebeny K., Albany, NY, US