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:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
124,070 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.

2006 Nissan Maxima drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2006 Nissan Maxima Owner Comments (Page 12 of 14)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #46

Jun 232011

Maxima 6-cyl

  • miles

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

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

problem #45

Oct 012010

Maxima 6-cyl

  • miles
I was happy driving home with new rims after buying my 2006 Maxima and was turning into my parking spot and needed to back-up because of space restrictions. I placed the vehicle back into drive and it did not go into gear, there was lag and a clunk back to 1st gear. Happy to sad in less than 1 second, I became. The vehicle hesitated at times and now it does it more often. Even when I drive it clunks into the lower gears and now the car feels like the transmission disengages from the motor. The rpms flare up to 8000 then catch gear which makes my tires chirp causing my head to go back by the sudden acceleration change.

- Antelope, CA, USA

problem #44

Dec 012011

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 70,000 miles
I was first told that the cataylic converter was gone, had that replaced, then was told 2 motor mounts were gone, had them replaced and still have the same problem, with the car jerking with a hard knock into 1 and 2nd gear and now it is accelerating while driving and jerking into gear. Nissan needs to recall the transmission on these 2006 Maximas there are so people having the same problem.

- Coral Springs, FL, USA

problem #43

Nov 022011

Maxima

  • 68,000 miles

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

I bought the car after it was inspected by a Nissan dealersip at 60,000 miles. The inspection showed it to be in "excellent" condition. After purchasing the vehicle, 8,000 miles later the transmission fails while I'm driving. After that I left and took the car to the mechanic when he informed me that many Maxima's from 2004-2006 had the same issues. I did research and found out the majority of the Maxima's had transmission malfunctions as early as 35,000 miles. I contacted the Nissan dealership and told them exactly what the problem was and even gave them the codes for the malfunction given to me by a certified mechanic. They stated no matter what happens I must get a diagnosis ran from a Nissan dealership. After I did the diagnosis they told me they couldn't help me because the car was out of warranty, as if I didn't know that. I told them I should receive financial assistance being that they are selling a product that does not function properly, I told them about my past, very old, Nissan which ran without any issues even one reaching 200,000 miles before I decided to upgrade to a newer model, and they basically kept saying they couldn't help me. They need to take responsibility for they're actions and do a recall because it is obvious that the Maximas transmission does not function properly. I also had to pay out of pocket for the diagnosis, pay to tow the car various times due to them demanding me take it to they're dealer, and I had to pay a storage fee from they're dealer. I went with Nissan because I thought they were trustworthy, I would not recommend them at all. I am very dissappointed in Nissan dealership buy a Camry or a Accord, you'll be much better off without Nissan stealing from the poor. I've had about 5 Nissan's and my fiance was making payments on a Nissan, I am turning it in and getting a Camry. Will update and add the VIN# soon

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #42

Sep 222011

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 70,800 miles
My 2006 Nissan Maxima, has 74000 miles and has started showing signs of what may be serious transmission problems. 1. takes about 5 seconds to click into gear after the shift lever is put in "D" 2. very hard jerky shifts between 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 1st and accompanied by loud clunking noise. 3. transmission slips out of gear during regular driving allowing the engine to rev freely then jerking back into gear with a loud clunk. There should be a recall on this type of problem, Nissan knows about this problem on 04-06 models. Here are some reviews in this link :X.nissanhelp.com/forums/Maxima/9183-05-Maxima-transmission-shifting-problems.html also: www.aboutautomobile.com/complaint/2006/Nissan/Maxima/automatic+transmission.

- Hemet, CA, USA

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problem #41

May 022011

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 89,000 miles
Transmission failure under normal driving.

- Mobile, AL, USA

problem #40

Aug 012011

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 99,150 miles

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

The transmission slips, jumps out of gear between gears. Often it will go to shift then it revs up not in gear instead of shifting then after a few seconds it slams hard into gear. This is not a daily constant issue it is random and sometimes will go weeks between having the issue pop up. When it pops up it will happen during that entire drive. The next time it is driven even that same day even just 15 minutes later it will not have shifting issues sometimes it does. There are many many many customers complaining about this issue with Nissan transmissions.

- American Fork, UT, USA

problem #39

Jul 012011

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 75,000 miles
From a stopped position, slowly accelerating forward or reverse, the engine speed increases without any vehicle movement when the transmission suddenly shifts or engages with a violent jolt. Suddenly propelling the vehicle in a forward or reverse direction. Unless immediately braking occurs the vehicle may collide with another vehicle or end up going through the rear wall of the garage. This problem has happened on numerous occasions and is now becoming much worse. A search on the internet for 2006 Maxima transmission shows this to be a common problem. While it is not known if any serious accident or injury has occurred it does appear to be a safety issue.

- Dacula, GA, USA

problem #38

Dec 052011

Maxima

  • 78,000 miles
I was looking at purchasing a Nissan Maxima. I found one that is an 2006, test drove it and everything checked out to be a perfect car. No accidents and I received and clean car fax on the car. I purchased this vehicle with 78K miles and the day I purchased it and drove it off the lot, I started experiencing jerking with the shifting of the gears. When I test drove this vehicle twice on different days I never experienced any jerking with the car. As the day went on, I started to experience more frequent and harder shifts, then it started to slam really hard into gears or rev the engine up to 4rpm then slam into gears like someone had hit me. So, I immediately took the car back the same day I purchased it only a few hours later, come to find out the transmission went out. It has been a week today that I have been without my new car that I purchased and still won't get it back until the end of the week, because the dealership I purchased the car from was trying to figure out what to do. Finally, came to conclusion to replace the transmission for me.I am a very unhappy customer and will not purchase a Nissan ever again because, this problem is not being addressed properly. I am really upset about after I find out about having to replace the transmission that I find several reviews on the 04-06 model Nissan Maximas experience this same exact problem around 60K miles and conveniently right after their warranties expire. Since this is a major issue with these models apparently, there should be a recall.

- Mobile, AL, USA

problem #37

Dec 052011

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 77,500 miles
Catastrophic failure of the transmission and torque converter. This was an oem transmission. Service was maintained on the unit since purchasing the vehicle in 2009.

- Plano, TX, USA

problem #36

Aug 012011

Maxima

  • 94,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Maxima. The contact was driving 35 mph when the vehicle failed to shift gears proplery. The vehicle also stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who confirmed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not contacted and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 94,000 and the current mileage was 98,000.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #35

Nov 282011

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 80,000 miles
Same problem as others are reporting. 2006 Maxima with 80K miles and now getting transmission slipping going from 1st to 2nd and from drive to reverse with a delay of about 5 seconds before it shifts. No problems show on dashboard. Took it to my known mechanic as I don't trust dealers as they try to upsell me nonsense and was told the tranny failing, it will happen on and off but will eventually have to have it replaced at major thousands of dollars. Not a happy Nissan customer and feel being ripped off that Nissan are not hearing these complaints (and sad to say most won't complain and will pay thinking it is their own fault). Shame shame on you Nissan!

- Baytown, TX, USA

problem #34

Aug 012011

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 95,000 miles
The transmission is slipping badly in my car between 10 and 25 mph. It is a safety hazard if I am on a budy roadway because the car will stall and not move at all for several seconds sometimes. I am afraid it is going to cause me to get rearended. The problem does not happen all of the time and I really cannot pinpoint when it will happen. I have also noticed some very bad jerking when I am shifting from reverse to drive. Again not all of the time and no way to figure out why it happened sometimes and not others. I have seen hundreds on complaints on the internet about the same problems in Maximas between 20074 and 2006. I absolutely cannot afford to have the transmission replaced.

- Warner Robins, GA, USA

problem #33

Nov 102011

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 101,000 miles
While driving on the highway in Chicago traffic last Thursday my 2006 Maxima began jerking and when I lightly pressed on the gas the RPM's would sky rocket, scaring me and my daughter who was a passenger. It was a very unsafe situation as it was difficult to control the speed of the car. I managed to drive at a lower constant speed to get us to our destination. I dropped the car off at my mechanic that night. He says that I need a new transmission which will cost $3,300. I have maintained my Maxima according to the dealer guidelines since my husband and I purchased the car, including a recent 100K tune a few weeks ago. My mechanic says there is a technical service bulletin out on this problem but Nissan is not taking any financial responsibility. It is a widespread problem with the automatic transmissions of the newer Maximas. There must be an apparent engineering defect as Nissan requests that the old transmission be sent to them and the replacement transmission they will send my mechanic was previously some else's transmission in which the problem has been corrected. Only a limited 12 month/12K miles warranty is offered on the replacement transmission. We can not drive this unsafe car. Without the repairs, the car is of little value. I am very disappointed that Nissan is taking no financial responsibility for this unsafe, lemon of a car. This is our 3rd Nissan and we had previously been happy customers.

- Hawthorn Woods, IL, USA

problem #32

Oct 032011

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 90,000 miles
Transmission is jumping out of gear. Transmission is slipping and making a hard jerk between 20-40 mph.

- Hampton, GA, USA

problem #31

Mar 092011

Maxima

  • 97,289 miles
I bought a 2006 Nissan Maxima milage 68000. After driving it for few months (milage around 97000) the transmission went bad, and started skipping and hard shifting while changing gear from 2nd to 3rd there is hard shifting (jerking) and while shifting from 3rd to 4th gear it skips and the RPM increase while the car does not accelerates at that time. When I googled this issue I found that alot of Nissan Maxima owners have this issue. I think Nissan has a faulty transmission built into these cars. Nissan needs to come up with a solution to fix this issue, a recall hopefully !. thanks

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #30

Oct 032011

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 83,000 miles
As numerous others have reported, Nissan has a serious flaw with their transmissions that needs to be addressed. My transmission failure happened at approximately 83,000 miles. Replacing my transmission and engine mounts is going to cost me $4,000.

- Southlake, TX, USA

problem #29

Jun 152011

Maxima

  • 54,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the vehicle started to shift in and out of gear abnormally. The contact mentioned that there was a sudden increase in engines rpms. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the valve body was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in any recalls. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 54,000 and the current mileage was 59,000.

- Harrisburg , PA, USA

problem #28

Aug 162011

Maxima

  • 82,500 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Maxima. The contact was driving 35 mph when the vehicle stalled. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer where the dealer diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The failure mileage was 82,500.

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

problem #27

Oct 222011

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 52,200 miles
My vehicle began to shift violently (car would jerk roughly) from 1st to 2nd, and subsequent gear shifts (2-3, 3-4, etc.) would shift very slowly (the car's RPM's would race as the transmission delayed shifting into the next gear, then jump very hard into gear). Also, when slowing to a stop, the car would remain in a higher gear without downshifting, then once stopped for a few seconds the car would violently downshift, which would cause the car to lurch forward. Shifting from park or neutral to drive or reverse would take 5-10 seconds to engage, and would cause the car to again jerk and lurch violently. The final issue occurred on Saturday, October 22, when the car was in drive, but no longer engaged the gear while stopped at a stoplight in busy traffic. I shut the car off and let it sit for a minute and started it again. When I did this, I was able to get first gear to engage enough to roll to a parking lot. Once in the lot, the gear stopped working and no gear would engage again. I had to have the car towed to the dealership, in which they advised that the transmission would need to be replaced at my expense ($3300-3500 was the estimate) as my warrantee had expired "3 months ago". this is unacceptable, and judging by the thousands of complaints that I am seeing on the internet with the exact same issues, I am disgusted that Nissan is not recalling for this issue, nor extending the warrantee coverage for a clearly defective transmission, as they did for the cvt that they offer in the newer model year Maximas. These issues all occurred within a one month period. The transmission fluid was checked and found to be at the correct level and color/consistency.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

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