Problems · NHTSA complaints
2011 Nissan Maxima problems
Owners filed 106 complaints about the 2011 Nissan Maxima with NHTSA between Jan 2011 and Jan 2026. The most-cited component is air bags (23).
Complaints
106
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
5
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
15
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Air bags23
- Power train22
- Engine12
- Electrical system12
- Steering9
- Structure9
- Vehicle speed control5
- Visibility4
- Electronic stability control (esc)4
- Visibility/wiper3
- Service brakes3
- Suspension3
- Seats3
- Wheels2
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
3
5
3
12
11
10
13
15
9
9
6
3
4
2
0
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 5 |
| 2013 | 3 |
| 2014 | 12 |
| 2015 | 11 |
| 2016 | 10 |
| 2017 | 13 |
| 2018 | 15 |
| 2019 | 9 |
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Air bags
23 reports3 crashes
“Airbag warning came on. I took to dealership for diagnostic. There was malfunction with the passenger airbag. Seat coushin needed to be replaced so the “normal” wear and tear airbag would no longer be an issue. Nissan stated this is not a safety concern and all expenses were out of pocket.”
Power train
22 reports
“The transmission is slipping it’s a cvt and they’re known for being the worst transmissions. I was entering the highway on a on ramp and I could no longer accelerate past 55 I was near flooring it and you can hear the engine working but the rpm’s are all over the odometer going from 3k-6.5k over and over. The problem has not been diagnosed professionally. The vehicle has not been inspected professionally.There were no lights on the dash when this began happening and nothing occurred that led up to that situation it was just a normal drive for me and now this happens every other day.”
Engine
12 reports
“Cvt transmission jerking , engine is always idling hard sometimes wants to even shut off , accelerating sometimes takes a lil while to respond , rack and pinion assembly faulty I would like for nissan to fix my car or get a lump sum check for all faulty errors these cars have”
Electrical system
12 reports2 crashes
“I NOTICED THE CAMERA NOT WORKING WHEN I WAS BACKING INTO MY GARAGE AFTER WORK. THEN AGAIN THE NEXT DAY WHEN I WAS BACKING INTO MY PARKING SPACE AT WORK. IT COMES AND GO NOW. I'M NOT SURE WHY IT STARTED.”
Steering
9 reports1 crash
“S10 DIRECT REPLY - LETTER EXPRESSING SAFETY CONCERNS WITH THE 2011 NISSAN MAXIMA SAFETY, DEFECT, AND COMPLIANCE. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. CONTROLLING THE SPEED AND DIRECTION OF THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT. THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED LOOSELY AND BECAME UNRESPONSIVE. THE PASSENGERS RECEIVED LIFE THREATENING INJURIES. *JS SEE ALSO ODI 10816663. *DSY *TR”
Structure
9 reports
“My dashboard has been melted for some time now and it’s a safety hazard. When I drive at night, the light reflects on the dashboard and it makes it difficult to see, which is very dangerous with my kids in the car. I thought I could clean the dashboard but it’s very sticky. Apparently this is a common issue with certain models of cars because I saw a news report on it.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.