Problems · by component
2010 Nissan Maxima electrical system problems
79 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2010 Nissan Maxima cite electrical system, 29% of all 275 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
79
29% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
Reported by owners
What owners say about the electrical system
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKING ASSEMBLY WENT OUT AND I'M NOT ABLE TO CRANK MY CAR. APPARENTLY MY 2010 WASN'T AVAILABLE IN THE RECALL OR CAMPAIGN . IT QUIT WORKING IN MY DRIVEWAY”
“UNABLE TO PUSH START CAR IGNITION. A KEY SIGNAL SHOWS ON DASH AND CAR WILL NOT START AFTER SHUTTING DOWN ENGINE. THE KEY IS IN THE CAR AT THE TIME. MY DAUGHTER HAS BEEN STRANDED SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE SHE CAN'T GET PUSH START IGNITION TO START. I HAVE READ THAT OTHER OWNERS OF THIS MAKE AND MORE HAVE HAD SAME ISSUE.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START BECAUSE THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD LOCK UP. ALSO, THE KEY INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE CONTACT HAD TO TAKE OFF THE PANELING AND TAP THE STEERING COLUMN BOX TO GET THE STEERING COLUMN TO UNLOCK FOR THE VEHICLE TO START. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. THE STEERING COLUMN WAS REPLACED BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER AND THE DEALER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 173,247. *DT*JB”
“VEHICLE WON'T START AT TIMES. HAS STRANDED MY WIFE MULTIPLE TIMES. EACH TIME REQUIRED A JUMP. THOUGHT WAS BATTERY, SO REPLACED. CONTINUED TO FAIL. THIS LAST TIME WIFE TRIED TO TURN WHEEL A BIT WHILE LOCKED AND VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE STARTED AGAIN, SHE AVOIDED BEING STRANDED ONCE AGAIN. KNOWN ISSUE WITH NISSAN.”
“ATTEMPTING TO LEAVE AFTER WORK, MY CAR WOULD NOT START. I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A FLASHING YELLOW LIGHT AND I PLUGGED THAT INTO GOOGLE. IT APPEARED THAT IT WAS THE STEERING LOCK CONTROL MECHANISM AND IT WAS COMMON FOR THIS TO FAIL. I HAD TO GET MY CAR TOWED FROM WORK TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CHARGE WAS $900 FOR THE PART AND $250 FOR THE SERVICE. DOING RESEARCH, I NOTICED THAT THIS PART WAS RECALLED FOR 2009 ALTIMAS. I BOUGHT MY CAR IN 2009, BUT IT WAS A 2010 MODEL, SO IT IS MY ASSUMPTION THAT THIS WAS MADE WITH THESE 2009 PARTS. THIS PART IS VITAL APPARENTLY, AS IT CAUSES ALL OF THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS WITH THE STARTER TO DISABLE. I FEEL FORTUNATE THAT I WAS NOT TRAVELING AS I WOULD HAVE BEEN STRANDED. IT FEELS THAT NISSAN IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, HOWEVER, THEY ARE NOT FIXING IT AND CHARGING A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THE PART ALONE. THIS IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE FOR USERS OF NISSAN'S TO NOT BE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND NOT HAVE THIS PART FIXED IMMEDIATELY. NISSAN SHOULD DO THEIR PART AND OFFER A REPLACEMENT FOR FREE SO INDIVIDUALS HAVE FAITH IN USING THEIR SERVICES AGAIN.”
“GOT IN CAR LEAVING FROM GYM THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED COULD NOT MOVE IT. CALLED DEALER WHO TOLD ME TO HOLD KEY FOB OVER CAR IGNITION DID NOT RESOLVE SITUATION. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED . I GOT ON LINE TO RESEARCH ABOUT THIS LOCKING MECHANISM AND HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MILLIONS OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS TO THIS VERY ISSUE THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MILLIONS OF COMPLAINTS BEING FILED AGAINST NISSAN FOR THIS SITUATION. APPARENTLY THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL ON THIS INTERNAL STEERING WHEEL LOCK MECHANISM HOWEVER NISSAN HAS PASSED THE COST OF THE FAULTY COMPONENT ONTO THE UNEXPECTED CONSUMER. THIS COST ME $1000.00 . SHAME ON YOU NISSAN. THANK GOD I WAS NOT IN MOTION. *TR”
Showing 6 of 79 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.