Your vehicle report
2004 Nissan Maxima
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 1,426
- Received Oct 2003 to Sep 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips468 complaints · 33% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Transmission fails or loses power while driving224 complaints · 16% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Tires blow out or tread separates96 complaints · 6.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #05V512000On certain passenger vehicles equipped with the driver preferred package, the wire harness from the driver's seat power lumbar support switch may be routed incorrectly and could be pinched under the driver seat.
- Recall #04V326000On certain passenger vehicles equipped with skyview roofs, the glass for the roof may not have been quenched properly after the forming process, resulting in temper imbalance.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 33 crashes, 16 fires, 30 people injured, 2 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 3 |
| 2004 | 69 |
| 2005 | 61 |
| 2006 | 73 |
| 2007 | 75 |
| 2008 | 191 |
| 2009 | 242 |
| 2010 | 188 |
| 2011 | 195 |
| 2012 | 82 |
| 2013 | 90 |
| 2014 | 46 |
| 2015 | 45 |
| 2016 | 26 |
| 2017 | 18 |
| 2018 | 6 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 8 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 1 |
| Total | 1,426 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 468 | 33% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 224 | 16% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 96 | 6.7% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 85 | 6.0% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 37 | 2.6% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 36 | 2.5% | – | NHTSA recall #04V326000 |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 34 | 2.4% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 32 | 2.2% | – | |
| Alloy wheel rims crack and lose air | 28 | 2.0% | – | |
| Suspension struts and shocks wear out early | 26 | 1.8% | – | |
| Transmission will not engage reverse gear | 23 | 1.6% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 16 | 1.1% | – | |
| Timing chain fails and destroys engine | 15 | 1.1% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 14 | 1.0% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 14 | 1.0% | – | |
| Transmission shudders during acceleration at low speeds | 14 | 1.0% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 13 | 0.9% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 11 | 0.8% | – | |
| Manual clutch wears out or fails early | 10 | 0.7% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 9 | 0.6% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #05V512000November 7, 2005102,551 vehicles affected
seats: front assembly: power adjust
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with the driver preferred package, the wire harness from the driver's seat power lumbar support switch may be routed incorrectly and could be pinched under the driver seat.
A pinched harness, in combination with driving vibration, may result in a short circuit in the harness that could lead to a fire in the seat.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the wire harness and route it correctly. The recall began on january 16, 2006. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
NHTSA recall #04V326000July 7, 200432,100 vehicles affected
visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with skyview roofs, the glass for the roof may not have been quenched properly after the forming process, resulting in temper imbalance.
This could create excessive internal stress in the glass and eventually cause the glass to shatter, creating a risk of injury.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the glass in the skyview roof. The recall began on september 7, 2004. Owners should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2004 Nissan Maxima.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN