Your vehicle report
2006 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
- 576
- Received Feb 2006 to May 2024
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips178 complaints · 31% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Transmission fails or loses power while driving90 complaints · 16% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Unintended acceleration despite braking51 complaints · 8.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #06V046000On certain vehicles, the rear subframe may have been manufactured incorrectly, which could result in a crack in a bracket which holds part of the rear suspension.
- 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.
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: 21 crashes, 4 fires, 12 people injured, 0 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
- Tires blow out or tread separates
- Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed
- Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps
1 more problem
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 |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 10 |
| 2007 | 9 |
| 2008 | 16 |
| 2009 | 16 |
| 2010 | 88 |
| 2011 | 120 |
| 2012 | 63 |
| 2013 | 77 |
| 2014 | 62 |
| 2015 | 33 |
| 2016 | 41 |
| 2017 | 19 |
| 2018 | 9 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 576 |
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 | 178 | 31% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 90 | 16% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 51 | 8.8% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 45 | 7.8% | – | |
| Transmission will not engage reverse gear | 17 | 2.9% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 10 | 1.7% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 9 | 1.6% | – | NHTSA recall #06V046000 |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 9 | 1.6% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 8 | 1.4% | – | |
| Paint peels off roof and hood | 5 | 0.9% | – | |
| Timing chain fails and destroys engine | 5 | 0.9% | – | |
| Transmission shudders during acceleration at low speeds | 5 | 0.9% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 4 | 0.7% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 4 | 0.7% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 4 | 0.7% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 4 | 0.7% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 4 | 0.7% | – | |
| Vehicle rolls backward out of park | 4 | 0.7% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 3 | 0.5% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 3 | 0.5% | – |
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 #06V046000February 13, 2006759 vehicles affected
suspension: rear
On certain vehicles, the rear subframe may have been manufactured incorrectly, which could result in a crack in a bracket which holds part of the rear suspension.
If the bracket is cracked, the stability of the vehicle may be affected under severe driving conditions. This could lead to a loss of control of the vehicle which could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the rear subframe to determine if it was manufactured incorrectly and replace it, if necessary. The recall began on february 27, 2006. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
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.
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 2006 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