CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2007 Nissan Maxima has a significant trend of timing chain problems, which can ruin the engine.

Nissan used an "interference" design where the valves pop out into the path of the cylinder heads. Normally the timing chain keeps the valves opening at all the right times, but when Nissan's timing chain breaks or "jumps time", the cylinder heads smash into open valves & cause thousands of dollars of engine damage in one very quick & surprisingly unimpressive "PPPRRRRING!" sound.

Nissan Maximas from 2004-2006 have a widespread transmission defect, but judging from our complaint data, Nissan managed to fix the transmission problem for the 2007 model. The engine timing chain problems are a serious concern though.

1.6

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
102,850 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.

2007 Nissan Maxima drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2007 Nissan Maxima Owner Comments

problem #13

Oct 262019

Maxima

  • 129,000 miles

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

When driving the car would loose power and not accelerate. Driving onto on ramp to highway and car would not accelerate and started to loose speed while merging. No lights came on dash or anything. Seems like the car went into limp mode or something.

- Decatur, IN, USA

problem #12

Apr 282019

Maxima

  • 114,000 miles
It started with the car not going over 40 mph the first few minutes of driving and then it would be ok. I didn't get check engine light or any warning signs, so I drove it like that for 5 months until the car stopped accelerating, and it won't go over 20 mph. Still no check engine light. I took it to the dealer and was told the engine timing chain was out along with the transmission. The repair cost was over $8000. A 12 year-old car with 114,000 miles is headed to the junk yard. I was the first and only owner of the car and took really good care of it but sad to see it go so soon.

- Tuxedo Park, NY, USA

problem #11

Jun 252016

Maxima

  • 120,000 miles
The cvt trans has never worded like it should I reported it years ago I have babied this car for years they said trans was replaced but years later it was not just some parts replaced. Dont want money just want help with cvt trans

- Middletown, OH, USA

problem #10

Jul 172018

Maxima

  • 85,000 miles

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

I had to replace my transmission Jan 2018 with no assistance from Nissan. Not even a break on replacement pricing. 2007 Maxima with 78000 not driven hard or on the highway for very long until 2 years ago. Now the replacement transmission is whining and fluctuation in RPM's. last month I was pulling into a shopping center across 3 lanes and my car accelerated to 2-3 miles and hour and no faster. I was thankful I left a lot of room otherwise this would have been a nasty accident. I only have 7000 mile on the replacement transmission and it needs to be replaced again. Nissan Consumer Affairs was not helpful at all, the lady I spoke with seems quite indifferent in our conversation. I'm sure she gets a lot of angry calls. I spoke with a transmission repair shop that told me these transmissions fail all of the time even the replacement transmission. Price gouging and selling bad parts just to increase their profit margins knowing no intervention will happen.

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #9

Aug 012016

Maxima

  • 139,000 miles
The cvt transmission had to be replaced in August 2016. The car was jerky and then wouldn't go into any gear once I pulled it over to the side of the road. Nissan knew there were problems with the cvt's - and had extended the warranty from 5 years and 50,000 miles to 10 years and 100,000 miles. The cvt in my car went at 9 years (under the 10 years) but over the 100,000 miles. Since Nissan knew there were problems, they should have recalled the transmissions instead of extending the warranty. It cost me over $3,000 - when it should have been handled with a recall. Nissan also states that they will lower the cost of the refurbished cvt and the repairs if out of warranty - yet the price was $3,119.60.

- Northport, NY, USA

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problem #8

Oct 232015

Maxima

  • 60,000 miles
My car has approximately 60,000 miles on it. When I took it to the dealer for a squeaky noise in the engine, they told me the timing chain was failing and needed to be replaced. My hood and roof also have the clear coat peeling up and fading. Since timing chain is a safety issue, I paid 2,000 for them to fix this. I contacted their Consumer Affairs and since my car is out of warranty, they cannot help me.

- Freehold, NJ, USA

problem #7

Oct 052015

Maxima

  • 120,200 miles

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

On 10/05/2015 the car started to shift funny and felt like loss of fuel on starts and turning corners.

- Fredericksburg, VA, USA

problem #6

Feb 122014

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 55,203 miles
My ABS/traction control system failed. Due to the system failing the vehicle transmission malfunctions. This happened while I was driving on the highway traveling at the recommended speed. Due to the ABS/traction control system failing my vehicle decelerated quickly causing a unsafe environment for me, my passenger and the vehicles behind me. Fortunately the vehicles behind me was at a safe distance and no accident was caused. I had to have the vehicle towed to safe location because this malfunction causes the transmission to not shift from a low gear. This problem with my vehicle is unsafe and I have just found that it is a common problem. Yet there has been no responsible action taken by Nissan. Please investigate this issue.

- Warren, OH, USA

problem #5

Jun 202013

Maxima

  • 79,000 miles
The car makes a knocking sound when the engine is running. I took the car to the dealer and they stated it was the timing chain and tensioner. The cost for repair is 2500. This is the first time I have ever heard of a timing chain going bad with a car with this mileage. I am very upset looked the problem up on the internet and noticed alot of people are having a problem with this on their cars. I feel Nissan should replace this at their cost.

- Trumbull , CT, USA

problem #4

Jan 012013

Maxima

  • 140,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, vehicle speed decreased although the acceleration pedal was depressed. Also, the contact stated that the service engine soon warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000 and the current mileage was 140,200.

- Eau Claire , WI, USA

problem #3

Nov 122012

Maxima

  • 124,000 miles

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

When driving H the vehicle had a loss of power when there was a hill and the temperature outside was less than 35 degrees Fahrenheit. This has happened multiple times and has been to a Nissan mechanic and was told they could not duplicate the problem. The rpms on the vehicle will bounce between 2000 to 4000 RPM or more but the vehicle will still not accelerate any further. This is very dangerous on the road. The problem is recurring and has not been fixed. The Nissan mechanic said they couldn't do anything until there was a code sensor to look at. We were also informed to buy new tires with the thinking that might be the problem.

- Plattsburg, MO, USA

problem #2

Jul 262012

Maxima

  • 96,500 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Nissan Maxima. The contact was driving 65 mph when the speed began to decrease despite the accelerator pedal being depressed. The vehicle was towed to the contacts home and then to the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 96,500.

- Jonesboro, GA, USA

problem #1

Dec 312011

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 75,150 miles
While driving onto the highway from an off ramp, the power in my car failed. The RPM's were very high, but there was no power. After pressing and releasing the gas several times, the power picked up and the car drove normally. On January 3, while trying to drive 30 mph to work, the car felt as if it was shifting between gears on its own. No matter how I was pressing on the gas pedal, the car sped up and slowed down on it's own. It was very scary having the car speed up on it's own. I took the car to a mechanic and I was told that I need an entirely new transmission. The car had less than 15 miles on it when I bought it in 2007, needing a new transmission is unacceptable and having the car speed be out of control is an undoubted safety hazard.

- Stevens Point, WI, USA

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