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 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
20,363 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 wheels / hubs problems

wheels / hubs problem

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2004 Nissan Maxima Owner Comments (Page 1 of 4)

problem #61

Nov 152011

Maxima 6-cyl

  • miles

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

I took possession of this vehicle around the 14th of November and this vehicle has been returned back to the dealership 6 times within a two week period. I think this could possible be a flood car there is a smell of mildew and the visor are water damaged. To this day the vehicle has not been fixed and it is the 26th day of December 2011. The transmission seems to be slipping and I am afraid to enter traffic as the car stalls and then sticks upon accelerating. The check engine light as well as the brake and ABS lights are constantly on when the dealership stated that they had turned them off. I can smell fumes upon starting and driving this car. I am parent and I don't like to give my child or any other person a ride because of the smells. The tires were bald on the car and twice when it rained I almost has 2 major collisions when the vehicle veered into the other lane driving 45 in a 65 mph zone. I am filing a complaint because I don't think this car is a good car. I have contacted the finance company and they are stating this is out of there hands. I have taken pictures of the different item that seems to be water damaged. I also will be filing a complaint with the consumer law group regarding this matter.

- Manchester, CT, USA

problem #60

Oct 012009

Maxima

  • miles
I have a Nissan Maxima that I had to replace all tires because of a defect that came to me in the mail after I brought my new tires and was not reimbursed. I also had problem with front rotors that they kept replacing numerous times until my warrant ran out and than I had to replace them with high performance rotors so it would not happen again.now after all of that and more I am not able to drive my only transportation because out of nowhere my transmission blew up after my extended warranty ran out because of years not mileage and no matter where I went I was told that if I would replace it with a new or use transmission that I would have the same problem and no one wants to work on it.I was told by mechanics that only the 2004 has transmission problems.

- Newport News, VA, USA

problem #59

Jan 152009

Maxima

  • 134,000 miles
Car malfunction on transmission.

- Waukegan, IL, USA

problem #58

Feb 052009

Maxima

  • miles

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

Letter on behalf of constituent re his unsuccessful efforts to initiate a NHTSA defect investigation of a particular tire, despite his claims which suggest the need for the investigation. The consumer stated Goodyear produces the Goodyear Eagle rsa- 245-45R-18 tire that is used on various foreign and domestic cars. Nissan used the tire on their 2004 Maxima. All of the original tires on the consumers vehicle had cracked sidewalls or have blown out on the highway. On February 5, 2009 the front tire blew out on the consumers vehicle. The tire was purchased after the recall date and based upon the data at NHTSA and complaints to Goodyear, the tire was unsafe and should have been recalled. The consumer stated the original recall was inadequate and posses a safety problem.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

problem #57

Oct 012009

Maxima

  • miles
I have a 2004 Nissan Maxima with four Goodyear Eagle rsa tires. Two of which had sidewall cracking and had to be replaced. I put in a request to Goodyear regarding this safety hazard and was denied reimbursement/replacement. I now have a third tire that has gone flat due to sidewall cracking. Goodyear is failing to recognize this defect or its danger. I simply am asking for replacement as these tires are far from worn.

- Auburn, WA, USA

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problem #56

Apr 012005

Maxima

  • miles
2004 Maxima has had timing chain noise for years has been blowing oil for 2 years now transmission is banging and shifting very hard losing power etc. For 3 months now had trans flushed did not help at all tires were defective in the first year A/C has not worked for 2 years this car is very much a lemon.

- Baldwin, MD, USA

problem #55

Feb 052009

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 56,306 miles

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

The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. While driving 55 mph, the front driver's side tire blew out without warning. The vehicle was towed 10 miles away to a repair facility. The damage was so severe that the tire was unrecognizable and could have caused a fatal crash. Prior to the failure, the contact received a recall notice from Goodyear for tires with dot numbers with the 47th week and a range of 3104. The recall expired in December of 2007. Goodyear reimbursed him for two tires since the first failure occurred prior to December of 2007. The second failure occurred on February 5, 2009 with a replacement tire. The original and replacement tires were Goodyear Eagle rs-a, size 245/45/R18. The dot number was mga9cmdr0506. The low profile tires continue to fail due to the sidewall cracking. The contact is aware of the safety risk involved. He has photos and invoices. The NHTSA campaign id number was unknown. The tire failure mileage was 30,000 and the vehicle failure mileage was 56,306. Updated 6/01/09 updated 06/02/09. All of the original tires on the consumer vehicle had cracked sidewalls. Updated 10/07/09

- Seven Fields , PA, USA

problem #54

Jul 282003

Maxima

  • 55,000 miles
The car RPM drop down below 500, last year it led to service engine light and spend around a grand, but never fix, until today the dealer claim that this happened to Nissan maxim 04, and last year I start having steering shaking, the dealer told if I change my rims and tires it will fix it, and in Aug-2008 I have 4 new rim and good years tires, but the problem exit, I went in Jan to the dealer, and they told if they tightened some thing it will fix, but no I still have until today, car shakes if you exceed speed of 55 or 50 M/H. I am still having those problem until today.

- Jessup, MD, USA

problem #53

Feb 082009

Maxima

  • 65,000 miles
Im having safety issue with 2004 Nissan Maxima, the transmission get stuck in high gear and shift very hard, my car only has 65 K miles and this seen like a problem that has happened to a lot of maxim.

- New York, NY, USA

problem #52

Mar 152006

Maxima

  • 15,913 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima xe. The vehicle has Goodyear Eagle rs-a tires, size P245/45/R18. The contact observed that the inner and outer sidewalls of the tires exhibited excessive cracking on the two front and rear driver's side tires. The vehicle rode poorly on normal road conditions. Through research, the contact stated that there was a special tire replacement program for these tires. The vehicle was taken to the tire manufacturer for inspection; however, the tires were excluded from the program because it exceeded the expiration date. The contact was displeased to know that there was no prior notification of the "special tire replacement program" to take advantage of the remedy. The tires have not been replaced. The contact filed a safety complaint on the other three tires on the vehicle (ODI number 10259643). The dot number and VIN were unavailable. The failure mileage was 15,913 and current mileage was 34,800.

- Milddletown , CT, USA

problem #51

Feb 212009

Maxima

  • 34,800 miles

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

The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima xe. The vehicle has Goodyear Eagle rs-a tires, size P245/45/R18 (na). The contact observed that the inner and outer sidewalls of the tires exhibited excessive cracking on the two front and rear driver's side tires. The vehicle rode poorly on normal road conditions. Through research, the contact stated that there was a special tire replacement program for these tires. The vehicle was taken to the tire manufacturer for inspection; however, the tires were excluded from the program because it exceeded the expiration date. The contact was displeased to know that there was no prior notification of the "special tire replacement program" to take advantage of the remedy. The tires have not been replaced. The dot number and VIN were unavailable. The failure and current mileages were 34,800.

- Milddletown , CT, USA

problem #50

Dec 182008

Maxima

  • 50,400 miles
My 04 Maxima currently has just over 50,000 miles on it. I have noticed some hard shifts over the past few months, but they had been very intermittent. The other day however I noticed the service engine soon light was on and when accelerating from a stop I realized that I barely had any power! after engine shut off the acceleration was back to normal. The service engine soon light remained on. The code was pulled and reset. P 0797 pressure control solenoid, stuck on. Repair cost approximately 4000 dollars. Problem outstanding. The struts have also gone bad. Problem outstanding. I have also had to replace the battery. The front right rotor is warped and causes steering wheel shim when downhill braking. Problem outstanding. My car had begun to idle very low twice and actually died once. Problem outstanding. A weld on the heat shield of the catalytic converter has come loose and causes a noticeable vibration when accelerating when cold. This subsides once it's heated up probably due to metal expansion. Problem outstanding. I have also replaced the tires due too bad alignment camber on some and also castor I believe it was wearing the tires unevenly.

- Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, USA

problem #49

Dec 152008

Maxima

  • miles
I have 2004 Nissan maximum SE, I bought the car May 2008 and still driving. I have issue with transmission, it jerks when gear is changing from 2 to 3 and inverse too. The mileage on my car is about 61,000mi, the manufacture warrant is 60,000mi on transmission, however, I took the car to Nissan dealer at 59,000mi, and they told me that no problem detected on my transmission and I have to pay $106. The car still jerks on changing gears. This thing disappoints me and it is frustration. Please advice.

- Clarkston, GA, USA

problem #48

Oct 022008

Maxima 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 62,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. On approximately six occasions, the engine revved while approaching a stop. The brake was being depressed at the time of the failures. The ABS actuator had to be replaced at 62,000 miles. Two of the Goodyear tires cracked and had to be replaced. The current mileage was 63,000 and failure mileage was 62,000. Updated 12/1/08 the consumer also stated there was a problem with the transmission. Updated 12/05/08.

- Irvington, NJ, USA

problem #47

Oct 152008

Maxima

  • 70,723 miles
4 Goodyear assurance comfortread tires are worn out at 31,000 miles. These are advertised and warranty for 80,000 miles. The tires were balanced and rotated periodically at sears where the tires were purchased. Car's alignment was periodically checked. Car was used primarily for non-city driving. Sears indicates that the tires are worn out and it is not caused by vehicle problems as they are uniformly worn on all 4 tires.

- Black Forest, CO, USA

problem #46

Oct 192008

Maxima

  • 43,700 miles
As I wa driving on I-495, I heard a noise from the right rear. Within a few seconds, the tire went flat and I was able to pull over to the shoulder. On removing the tire, I found that the inner sidewall had completely separated fro the tread and crack was almost perfectly circular and about midway up the sidewall. This was definitely not caused by any foreign object intrusion as these tires are almost new (replaced under recall last year).

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #45

Mar 192008

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 45,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan maxma. The vehicle has Goodyear Eagle rs-a tires, size P245/45R18. The contact stated that all four of her tires were replaced under a recall. A few days later, she felt a vibration when driving various speeds. The tire dealer stated that the failure was due to the road conditions. In March of 2008, she took the vehicle to the dealer for a tune-up and noticed that the steering wheel was shaking uncontrollably. The dealer stated that the failure was due to the replacement tires. The contact went back to the tire dealer and they replaced two more of the tires. After the replacement, the tire dealer stated that the vehicle would still drive "roughly" due to the road. In June, after a long road trip, the steering wheel shook so much that the contact could visibly see it shaking. She took the vehicle back to the tire dealer and they changed one more tire. She spoke with the vehicle manufacturer and was referred to the tire manufacturer. The tire manufacturer began compiling a case for her based on the failures. The recall number was unknown. The current mileage was approximately 47,150 and failure mileage was approximately 45,000. Updated 09/24/08 the consumer stated the issue was resolved. Updated 10/01/08.

- Loganville, GA, USA

problem #44

Apr 132007

Maxima

  • 45,000 miles
Car was being driven on atlantic city expressway in New Jersey when a recalled Goodyear tire blew out. Kept control of the car. Went to get a new tire a found that all four tires that were recalled were ready to blow out. Bought four new tires. The recall deadline for these tires was December 2007-which we missed. How do you put a deadline on a recall. If there was an accident it could have been very bad and we would be pursuing a lawsuit against the tire manufacturer.

- Erial, NJ, USA

problem #43

Mar 292008

Maxima 4WD 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 27,000 miles
I purchased a 2004 Nissan Maxima, on February 27 2007 with only 24,000 miles. Three months later, the vehicle started to fail. I notice some jerking when I slowed down and then hit the gas, as well as a metal rattling noise (when I give it gas). I took it to the dealer which they stated that they didn't feel it jerk and they didn't hear the rattling noise. The noise has become worse. Now a year later the engine light came on and my car wouldn't start. I took the car to the shop where they diagnose that my ignition coil went bad. (had to replace all six) cost $1000. To this point the car still remains in the shop due to ignition coil. Finally, the rotor went bad which had to be replaced for the amt $380. I have done some research on this vehicle where there have been numerous complaints. I highly believe that an investigation should be place to get this on the recall list.

- Camden, NJ, USA

problem #42

Jun 012004

Maxima 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 87,000 miles
I have had problems with my 2004 Nissan Maxima since purchasing it brand new. Within 60 days of purchasing the car, I had to take it back to the dealership due to a malfunction with the brakes. I have spent over $1,500 since keeping the brakes and rotors repaired. I am on my fourth set of tires and have had three alignments and my front end inspected. I have had to replace an engine mount. In 2006 my air conditioner went out and I spent over $500 having that repaired. Now I am in need of a new transmission because there is internal damage due to the clutch slipping even though it is an automatic car. I have two friends with the same model/year car and they have experienced similar or the same problems. Once of my friends just replaced his transmission in his 2004 Maxima. This car has cost me at least $5,000 in repairs since I have purchased it and I have never ever received a recall notice on anything. I know that Nissan is well aware of the defects in the 2004 Maxima, but are not owning up to their responsibility in taking care of all of the problems that I have read about and talked about with different 2004 Maxima owners. I have also had the battery replaced twice. The body style of the car is beautiful, but the car itself is a piece of crap due to poor mechanics.

- Laporte, TX, USA

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