ABS braking system failure and actuator defect; ABS system sensors and hubs previously replaced in August 2009 after notification to Nissan. Nissan has failed to notify public of an ABS system design defect and to issue a recall although it has known about the problem in its vehicles since approximately 2004 and the dealers have been issued an advisory. Failure of these components can lead to failure in proper braking, significant reduction of engine power, loss of speedometer, and reportedly fire. Nissan also has been notified of re-ocurrence by complainant and refused to take responsibility for repair.

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Maxima. While driving approximately 65 mph, the ABS warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact stopped the vehicle on the shoulder of the road. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing, but the dealer was made aware of the failure and advised that the failure could have been caused by corrosion of the ABS sensors. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised that they would not assist with the cost of the diagnostic test or the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.

- Des Moines, IA, USA

Purchased this car in 2006 brand new! 90K miles the ABS went.........at 120K miles the ac went and you have to keep putting freon all summer long! now at 130K miles the car jerks sporadically when driving it switches gears and takes about 5-8 seconds to switch gears. Truly a dissatisfied customer. I paid for a transmission flush, which had I known at the time would not have done it because the problem remains!

- Medford, NY, USA

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that the ABS light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the sensor for the rear brakes needed to be replaced. The VIN was not available. The failure and the current mileage was 91,000.

- Chicago, IL, USA

I have had recurring issues with the antilock brakes. The first incident was April 2008 when I needed the ABS sensors replaced. April 9 2009, Nissan replaced the rear hub assembly. October 2009 Nissan removed the ABS sensor and clean the contacts. Then in May 2011, I brought my car in because the ABS was activating but they said nothing was wrong. In February 2012 Nissan replaced the ABS sensor and actuator at a cost of 3K. They said they could not do anything for me price wise since all my previous work was under warranty and there was no recall.

- Lawrenceville, NJ, USA

My 2006 Maxima has 27,474 miles on it. The car started making a clunking sound when the brake was applied. There was no indication of anything going wrong. No warning lights. I took it to a Nissan dealer who told us that the brakes were fine, but we needed tires. Two weeks later, the sound was louder and constant when the car was moving. I took it into a different Nissan dealer and was told that it probably was the ABS brake because this is a "common problem" with the 2006 Maximas. Diagnosis is as follows: No codes stored. Sensors not tripped. After test driving, verified ABS turning on without touching brakes. The technician indicated it was safe to drive the car home, but that it should not be driven once we arrived home. Repair recommendation: Start by replacing both rear hubs and ABS sensors. Quoted price of $1,097.08. Possibility car may also need ABS actuator. If ABS actuator needed quoted price of $1787. My request for assistance from Nissan for these repairs was flatly denied. Even though this vehicle only has 27,000 miles on it, Nissan denies any responsibility and refused to assist a loyal customer, who has been without a vehicle for at least 4 weeks now. I have owned 7 previous Nissan vehicles. I thought and was told they would cover this expense through their "loyalty" warranty. This vehicle should have been recalled for this problem. No more Nissan for me!

- Sterling Heights, MI, USA

I purchased a 2006 Nissan Maxima in February 2011..when I purchased the car it appeared to be in good running condition..there were a few visible problems such as the headlights, running light, power seats, or windows weren't working properly..that problem was fixed and the owner agreed to fix the brakes and the remainder of the problems however almost a year later my anti brake light is still on & the dealership have not made any attempt to fix my car. 4months after having the car the speedometer stopped working and the odometer, the gas gauge goes back & forth, the service engine light remains on and the car jerks while driving and sometimes when shifting the car out of drive into reverse it jerks hard. I have quite a few friends who have Maxima's also and have the same problem with their cars..it's obvious it's a defect with the transmissions, speed gauge & so many other defects with these cars. Somewhere there has to be someone who can help myself as well as others who are experiencing these problems. I have read far too many complaints about these particular cars. The cost to repair these cars are expensive & not to mention the cost to have your transmission replaced & on top of all that you are still responsible for paying your car note. Hopefully soon there will be a solution to this problem. Thanks in advance!!!

- Donaldsonville, LA, USA

My anti-lock brake system kept activating on dry pavement. I was past my warranty so I took it to my mechanic. They indicated that the left rear wheel speed sensor needed replaced ($350). We replaced it, then 14 months later it started again. This time it was the right rear wheel speed sensor ($350). My mechanic replaced it and a couple of weeks later the anti-lock brake pumped started running non-stop. Even when in park. The mechanic then stated the anti-lock brake controller needed replaced ($1300). Now it has been 10 months and it's starting again. If I drive on dry pavement the anti-lock brakes kick in non-stop. There obviously is a design malfunction somewhere in the anti-lock brake system.

- Minster, OH, USA

I felt ABS system actuating via pumping sensation in my brake pedal while I was driving on dry pavement. It performed worse when going uphill, at low speeds and on flat surfaces. Error codes were generated and "dummy" lights went on. The braking was not very effective as a result of the ABS kicking in erroneously. Thankfully I was keeping a safe following distance and was able to brake with some room to spare but if I had regular brakes without the ABS malfunctioning, I would have stopped more quickly. Thankfully nobody was hurt this time. Mechanic investigation indicated this is a known problem. The service bulletin: Ntb07-016B has the information you need to fix the ABS problem. However, it was not caught in time to help me avoid a failed actuator.

- Clinton, NJ, USA

I was exiting a highway on an offramp when my brake light, ABS, traction control and slip light came on. I applied my brake and there was a load crunch noise and my brake pedal sunk to the floor. It took an extended period of time for the car to slow down as the brakes were grabbing and letting go continuously. Luckily this occurred during mid day, as this could have caused a serious accident during rush hour as the ramp would have had backed up traffic on it. I need a ABS actuator replaced at an estimated cost of $2,500. This is a known issue at Nissan as many people have complained online of the actuator failing around 40,000 miles. Some people have even turned off their anti-lock brakes due to the high cost of fixing the ABS actuator.

- Lewis Center, OH, USA

I have had to replace the brakes in my car over three times within a two year span. Brakes continue to scrub and squeal. Dealer says that they have done all they can do as they have changed multiple parts, costing me "an arm and a leg". you are a afraid to make a hard emergency stop because due to the sound, you aren't sure if they could "go out" in time. Transmission: Care literally jerks into gear when backing up or taking off. You can't park too close to another vehicle or stop because car literally leaps into gear possible causing you to hit another car in front of you. (feels like someone has rear ended you).

- Dublin, GA, USA

My wife was driving home in our Maxima from work and when she pushed the brake pedal it felt very soft and the pedal travel was a lot more than normal. She was afraid to drive the car and stopped at a friends house and called me at work to come and look at the car. I drove it and noticed also that the brake pedal was much softer and the brake pedal went farther to the floor. No warning lights were on in the car. The car would stop when I braked hard so I decided to drive about 5 miles to our Nissan dealer. While driving there I heard a clunk/thump sound several times from under the car and the car would slow down and shudder a bit. I had to push the gas pedal down a lot more than normal to get the car up to 50 mph. The Nissan dealer found that the both rear ABS sensors were failing. They said the ABS sensors were rubbing on debris which had accumulated in the hub cavity. They had to clean out the drain for the cavity and replaced both damaged ABS sensors. It seems to me that the hub cavity design was a faulty one if it let debris accumulate and jeopardize an important safety feature like the ABS system. There apparently was a technical service bulletin related to this issue- but no recall had taken place. I wasn't real happy about the $975 repair bill.

- Wheaton, IL, USA

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Maxima. The contact was driving 25 mph when the vehicle began to slip gears and stalled. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the dealer stated that the transmission would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact also stated that the front brakes were wearing prematurely at very low mileage and were replaced three times within one year. The contact stated the vehicle is very unsafe to drive. The failure mileage was 60,000.

- Corona, CA, USA

While driving under 30 mph on a local street my brakes started to make a "thumping" noise. The thumping continued on and off for a few weeks gradually getting worse. I thought my brake pads were worn or I had a bad rotor. I replaced my brake pads and inspected the rotors. The next day the sound was back. I took the car into midas to have the rotors replaced. The guys from midas told me the issue was my anti lock brakes and the noise I was hearing was the anti lock breaks activating. They also indicated there was a service bulletin from Nissan on the ABS actuator due to the number of issues seen with the ABS actuator. When I got home I was shocked to see how many issues were being reported on the Nissan Maxima ABS actuator. A few days later while driving home my brakes went out completely. I had to shut the car off and pump the brakes to regain pressure. The next morning I took the car into the Nissan dealership. It cost me $1000 to repair the ABS rear sensors. The dealership also noted that they routinely have people come in for this problem and have to come back in to have the actuator fixed after the sensors are fixed. The actuator is an additional $2000. I contacted Nissan (1-866-799-1690) and spoke to david and sheena. Very poor service and I actually had to "convince" them that my brakes going out was a big deal. I asked why a technical bulletin had been put out for the ABS actuator, but no recall had been issues. I was told "there are technical bulletins for fixing engines but that means nothing". I asked to be reimbursed and it took them over a week to get back to me. I never got reimbursed. Very concerning that the breaks can go out with this issue....and no recall? Nissan case number [xxx]. information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Brownsburg, IN, USA

2006 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SE. ABS actuator failure, tbs, ABS, brake lights on. No other damage to the vehicle has ever occurred. Replacement part price exhorbant, unrealistic. This part should be recalled.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

I guess there have to be an accident or somebody gets killed before you (Nissan) will take some action. It saddens me to know that the car manufactures don't care about the citizens that are purchasing there vehicles. Sad situation!!!!!!

- Michigan City, IN, USA

Had my car put on a diagnostics machine to find out why my ABS, slip, engine & brake light was on. After the results came back here again is there another technical bulletin put out by Nissan for my vehicle. My vehicle is making grinding sounds and triggers the ABS braking system to malfunction. The brakes will suddenly pulsate when engaged. I was told this is happening because: Due to corrosion entering the rear tires. I was also informed that Nissan has a known failure of the ABS for this model vehicle.

- Michigan City, IN, USA

The weep hole in my rear axle hub became plugged and caused a failure of the ABS system. The rear sensors had to be replaced ($900). I was lucky? I somehow avoided the failure of the main sensor ($2,500). The Nissan service technician said there is no maintenance to prevent this and acknowledged it as a design flaw. This is a safety and cost issue. It is well known. The bulletin boards are rife with people who disconnect their ABS because they can't or won't pay the huge repair bills. There is even a recommended procedure for preventing a recurrence after the repair on the internet. Why isn't there a recall to get it retrofitted before the system fails?

- Hudsonville, MI, USA

While driving at interstate highway speed, vdc, slip, ABS and traction control lights came on and stayed on. Car was able to still be driven with no issue. Upon taking car to the dealership, we were informed the actuator needed to be replaced. We declined the $2000+ repair as the car was still drivable. Upon searching google for this issue there were multiple incidents of this happening for other consumers and even a Nissan repair bulletin noting a design flaw in how the wheel hub can not drain causing the ABS sensor and actuator problems.

- Bellevue, NE, USA

Just driving along, my boyfriend as the driver, and I as the passenger, and as he applied the brakes, there was a loud clanging/rapping sound out of the blue, whereas it scared me so, that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. It would then happen again and again. Then I started to notice a low hum (ABS controller), just prior to this happening. So I researched this on the internet, and suspected the ABS. I then entered 2006 Nissan Maxima ABS, and bam...all over the net were testimonies of ABS failure (where debris gets trapped in the rear hubs, with no escape). Living in pa, with harsh winter road conditions, an accident waiting to happen...this scares me! Nissan is aware of this serious and expensive defect, and a tsb was sent to the dealership service departments. A Nissan certified tech said to stop driving the vehicle, so I did until I got it to my mechanic. I downloaded the tsb for my mechanic to follow. He cleaned out the rear hubs, but did not drill any holes, nor mess with any sensors. I have had my car back for 2 days now, and 'the problem' happened twice. I purchased this (expensive) luxury vehicle, and as of today, I have one payment left. This makes me sick! there is no doubt that this a manufacturer defect, and I do not understand why there has not been a recall on this serious matter. I do not know where to turn next.

- Gibsonia, PA, USA