Nissan Maxima Complaints (2017)

106 consumer complaints on file.

#11771157October 14, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am experiencing a severe safety defect regarding the door lock mechanisms on my 2017 Nissan Maxima. The electronic door lock actuators have failed, causing the doors to intermittently refuse to lock or unlock when using either the key fob or the internal door switches. This creates a critical safety hazard, as it leaves the vehicle vulnerable to theft when the doors fail to lock. More importantly, when the doors fail to unlock, it compromises passenger safety during an emergency, as occupants can become trapped inside the vehicle or unable to exit quickly. This is a known, widespread issue across multiple Nissan models from this era, and Nissan needs to be held accountable. I request that the NHTSA investigate the 2017 Nissan Maxima door lock actuators and force a safety recall to prevent potential injuries or entrapment.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11771247October 14, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Assessment: The driver reported that the vehicle did not provide any alert prior to the collision. The exact cause of the lack of alert is unknown at this time. Possible contributing factors may include system malfunction, sensor obstruction, or limitations in the vehicle’s alert technology.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11769555October 7, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I woke up the morning of 09/30/2026 and took my kids to the bus stop. All the lights on my dash lit up. We were headed out of town for the night so we parked the car and took my husband’s truck. That was at 9:42 am. At 9:16 pm our neighbor called and said the fire department was next door and that my car was engulfed in flames. We contacted Nissan and there is a recall for a fire hazard but it’s not attached to my VIN number.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11752845July 25, 2026
ENGINE
I was approaching an exit on 7/23/2026, and all of a sudden my engine light begans flashing very fast! Once I get to the red light at the exit, the engine light stops flashing and the car begins to shake profusely...... When the light turns green, I get on the accelerator and the shaking gets harder and the engine light begins to flash again.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11746526June 25, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Car was parked outside husbands work since 7 at 12:15 pm he was advised by a co worker that my car was on fire ! When I ran outside my his workers where trying to put out the fire with the fire extinguishers from the work warehouse ! The fire department ended up finish putting out the fire ! The whole engine compartment was burnt to a crisp and a huge hole was burnt through the hood on the passenger side along side the firewall of car !
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11744323June 15, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
The vehicle experienced a no‑start condition and was towed to a dealership. The dealership performed major engine and timing repairs without authorization and kept the vehicle for nearly four months. After the repairs, the vehicle still cranks but will not start, requires jump‑starts, and now has new electrical issues and a nonfunctional A/C system.The safety risk is that the vehicle can fail to start unexpectedly, stall, or lose electrical power, which could leave occupants stranded in unsafe conditions. The issue has been reproduced and confirmed by the dealership, but they were unable to diagnose or repair it. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership and a warranty company.There were no warning lights before the failure. The symptoms began immediately before the vehicle was towed and have continued after the dealership’s repairs.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740833May 29, 2026
POWER TRAIN, POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:INTERNAL:CVT
My vehicle repeatedly loses acceleration/motive power while driving. When I press the accelerator, the pedal may go down but the vehicle does not respond normally and begins to decelerate unexpectedly. This can happen even at low speeds, including around 20 mph, and creates a serious safety risk when entering traffic, turning, or accelerating with other vehicles nearby. Warning lights illuminate afterward as if the vehicle detected a crash or traction/ABS event. The issue resets temporarily after turning the vehicle off and back on, but it continues to happen repeatedly. Nissan advised that the vehicle was part of a CVT-related issue/settlement or warranty extension, but said coverage has expired. I am filing this as a safety complaint because unexpected loss of acceleration/motive power can cause a crash.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11721901March 4, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Car turning off while driving and can't turn the wheel to get out of the road. We had the car battery, fob battery and alternator replaced and still the same issue. We heard this has happened to another owner of the same vehicle that lives in or town. This is not safe and could cause an accident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712925January 23, 2026
STEERING, WHEELS, SERVICE BRAKES
My son was driving my car to work and this is his account of the incident On 1/17/2026 on I95 n, the steering wheel abruptly stopped controlling the wheels. It was as if it completely disconnected and he lost control and crashed into the median. It was a terrifying incident for my son. No other cars were involved. This accident has been reported to my insurance company. This car has been a smooth ride since I've had it. It has UNDER 70,000 miles even though it's a 2017 Nissan Maxima. There were no warning or messages on the dash. I have been ill so the process of getting the car appraised or considered for repairs has just begun. I incurred towing charges and rental fees. My son is having headaches and back pain since this incident. What made it extremely scary is that it happened suddenly.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11707062December 26, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
N/A
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11695770October 27, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
I had my car being repaired for a car accident I had on [XXX]. A piece of tire on the highway [XXX] went underneath the middle frame of my car. I picked up the car from the repair shop here in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, [XXX]. Beginning on the same day, I had a "check engine" light appear on my dashboard. On Sunday,; I went to my local Auto Zone store. They informed me that their test results was" Power Train System Secondary Issue: P1751 CVT Judder (C/V Inspection). Recently this year, I received a notice from Nissan Corporation concerning my Maxima. It was from a class action lawsuit over the engine. It extended the warranty on my car to 84,000 miles. My car has approximatelly a little over 82,000. About 2 to 3 weeks ago, I contacted Nissan Consumer Affairs concerning my vehicle. The female who I spoke to said my 2017 Nissan Maxima was not in their system. She informed me that an e-mail wiell be sent to me. When I reply back,; I was to attach one item of either my USAA car insurance identification card or copy of my Ohio BMV form. I did both. I then got an email stating to resend these items. I did, Today, I went by the Germain Nissan dealership located on Morse Road concerning the "check engine" light. The service director informed me that there was no "recall " on my vehicle concerning the engine. Therefore, Nissan needs to add me and my car into their system to include the extended warranty on my 2017 Nissan Maxima I purchased from Georgesville Nissan here in Columbus asap, INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691994October 8, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
Roof started to show lines that turn into cracks exposing the internal metal frame.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678954August 7, 2025
AIR BAGS
Air Bag sensor keeps turning on. After several resets, and it’s always a different airbag sensor that sets it off.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678496August 5, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My car has been "losing power" while driving. While driving and pressing the gas pedal, the car will stop accelerating and kind of goes into an idle state. Highly dangerous! It happened the other day while I was attempting to enter traffic. It has been happening off and on for the last 2 weeks and has been happening more frequently, meaning several times a day. It seems to happen more often when the temperature outside is hot (90+ degrees). Also, with the last few times, after it happens and I regain power, the ABS light comes on and remains on until I shut off the engine.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678635August 5, 2025
STEERING, SUSPENSION, WHEELS
My main issue that has caused major concern is while I was driving down the road.The steering all of a sudden jerked and I was almost in an accident. I immediately took it down to my mechanic and he stated that the control arm of the vehicle was bad. I did replace all four tires and got an alignment prior to this happening. Now,this was the most serious incident. I purchased this vehicle in 2022. I have had nothing but problems with it. The first two months I had it. I had to replace the mass airflow sensor not only once but twice. Then a couple months later the serpentine belt went out, replaced that, then of course it goes out again 6th months later. Replaced again!. In addition to that I have had several electrical issues, I think I replaced more tail lights, fog lights, and headlights on this vehicle than all my previous vehicles put together and I have owned many. The engine makes a funny sound every time I accelerate, I have yet to diagnose that one. The fuel door spring busted which results in my check engine light always on, the visor broke and won't stay up, had to replace that. I have been through 4 sets of tires since I purchased it. I only live a mile from work, I don't put a lot of miles on the vehicle. I have a disabled wife and I need reliable transportation. I have spent thousands of dollars to fix this car and the problems keep coming. I've almost spent more money on it than the car payment and insurance for 3 years. There is definitely something wrong with this vehicle and I think Nissan corporation should be held liable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11675488July 22, 2025
POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ENGINE
While driving on I-75 in Atlanta about a month ago, my 2017 Nissan Maxima suddenly stopped accelerating. The engine was revving, but the car wouldn’t respond when I pressed the gas. It was unexpected and dangerous in fast-moving highway traffic. The same issue happened again on July 22, 2024, while I was driving on I-85. Both times, the car lost acceleration without warning in the moment. Before these incidents, I noticed occasional hesitation from a stop and delayed acceleration, but nothing as extreme as losing power at highway speeds. I took the car to a Nissan dealership, and they pulled a P17F1 code related to the CVT transmission. Nissan has acknowledged this issue by extending the warranty for transmission repairs in other models, but they told me my vehicle is not covered. This failure creates a serious safety risk and should not be ignored.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671869July 8, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Component Failure: CVT transmission completely failed, requires full replacement. Failed unit available for inspection. Consistent with known manufacturing defect affecting multiple Nissan models, evidenced by $400+ million in class action settlements in the USA alone. Safety Risks: Sudden acceleration loss while driving, unpredictable lurching/jerking, complete loss of forward propulsion, risk of rear-end collisions, inability to safely merge or maintain highway speeds. CVT failures occur suddenly without adequate warning. Dealer Confirmation: Younker Nissan in Renton, WA confirmed complete CVT failure requiring replacement, estimated cost $8800. Manufacturer Inspection: None. Nissan declined inspection citing mileage over 84,000-mile limit, despite known manufacturing defect and my vehicle falling within [XXX] v. Nissan settlement model years (2016-2018 Maxima). Warning Symptoms: Initial: Shuddering and jerking while on highway. Within 1 hour: Intermittent hesitation, jerking during acceleration, transmission shuddering, whining noises, slipping, intermittent check engine light Within 2 days: More of the same, but worse. Completely stopped driving it. These match documented CVT failure patterns in Nissan settlements: hesitating, stalling, jerking, lurching, shaking, juddering, premature failure. Context: This systematic manufacturing defect acknowledged through multiple Nissan settlements totaling $400+ million in trhe USA alone. Failure at 106k miles well within expected transmission lifespan for properly maintained flagship sedan. Arbitrary 84k-mile settlement limits exclude well-maintained vehicles experiencing same inherent defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671780July 7, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
The 2 A pillar molding in the front flew off while driving on the highway and the 2 rear pillar moldings in the back are loose. It is available for inspection. This is an EXTREME safety concern as I was going high speeds and part of my car detached - I am thankful that it did not hit the cars near me but that doesn't mean that when I get it replaced with the faulty issue, that the new ones will not fall off. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer. There was no warning that the parts were falling off. The car has zero body damage and has never been in a wreck before. This is a KNOWN issue with the maxima and I am disappointed that nissian knows about this, has a service bulletin (Classification: BT19-011a; Ref: NTB19-079a) on how to fix this KNOWN issue but the manufacturer refuses to take any accountability for their poor design flaws leading to a major safety concern.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11662400May 21, 2025
SUSPENSION
Failure of rear control arms
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11610971August 26, 2024
AIR BAGS
Airbag warning light stays on at the dashboard. Passenger air bag light indicates airbag is off when someone is actually in the seat. This is incorrect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Nissan Maxima