Problems · by component
2006 Nissan Maxima power train problems
393 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2006 Nissan Maxima cite power train, 68% of all 576 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
393
68% of all complaints
Crashes
4
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the power train
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“I BOUGHT THIS 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA SL WITH 137,806 MILES. I DROVE IT HOME. THE NEXT DAY, IT WOULD NOT START, I WENT AND BOUGHT A BATTERY, ON THE WAY THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON., THEN THE TCS AND SLIP LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC SHOP, HE KEEP IT ALMOST 4 WEEKS, AND THEN TOLD ME IT WAS NOT WORTH FIXING/REPAIRING IT. I COULD NOT BELIEVE, I JUST SPENT OVER $4,000.00 ON THIS CAR AND I ONLY DROVE IT HOME!!, I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER WELL KNOWN MECHANIC SHOP, HE TELLS ME THAT IT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION, MOTOR MOUNTS, SENSORS AND PROBABLY MORE. IT IS NOT WORTH FIXING IT. I AM A 57 YEAR OLD LADY AND I DONT HAVE THE MONEY TO BUY ANOTHER CAR AND I DONT HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT. I HEAR THAT THESE CARS HAVE ALOT OF TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND MORE. I WISH I HAD KNOWN THAT BEFORE BUYING IT.”
“TRANSMISSION SLIPPING FROM 2ND TO 3RD AND 3RD TO 4TH WITH A HARD KNOCK GOING FROM PARK TO DRIVE. WHILE DRIVING AND SLOWING TO 25MPH TO GO AROUND A TURN THE CAR JERKED AND HARD KICKED DOWNSHIFTING CAUSING ME TO ALMOST TO HIT FROM BEHIND.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY FAILED TO ACCELERATE AND BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS DOWN A SLIGHT INCLINE. AFTER RESTARTING THE ENGINE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT DRIVE FORWARD. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AND DID NOT SWITCH INTO THE CORRECT GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO KELLY NISSAN OF ROUTE 33 (3830 EASTON-NAZARETH HWY, EASTON, PA 18045, (610) 756-1442) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,854.”
“MY CAR WAS UNDER 90K MILES WHEN IT EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE, PREMATURE CLUTCH WEAR, OVERHEATING, AND OTHER PROBLEMS THAT ULTIMATELY RESULTED IN SERIOUS AND EXPENSIVE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLES TRANSMISSION.”
“TRANSMISSION JERKS INTO GEAR AND WHEN SHIFTING. ACCELERATION CAN BE SLOW AND HAS CAUSED ME TO NEARLY HAVE AND ACCIDENT WHEN I COULD NOT CLEAR AN INTERSECTION AS QUICKLY AS NECESSARY. SOMETIMES THE CAR WILL CLUNK INTO GEAR WHEN SHIFTING AND WHEN DRIVING. TRANSMISSION WILL STICK IN 5TH AND NEED TO SHIFT MANUALLY TO MOVE AT ALL. THIS IS A PROBLEM WAITING TO HAPPEN AS I MIGHT NEED TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC, OR A TRAIN, AND THE CAR WON'T MOVE. I HAVE READ MULTIPLE FORUMS WHERE OTHERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THEIR 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA. I HAVE HAD THIS CAR SINCE IT WAS NEW. NOW, 147,000 MILES. AMAZING THAT OTHER CARS CONTINUE TO RUN, SAFELY, WELL INTO THE 300,000 MILE RANGE. DISAPPOINTED WITH NISSAN FOR NOT HAVING A RECALL ON THIS TRANSMISSION.”
Showing 6 of 393 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 27, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.