2004 NISSAN MAXIMA Problems
Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2004 Nissan Maxima. This model year has 1,425 NHTSA complaints — top issue: Transmission / Drivetrain.
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This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about the specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer rollbacks, and open recalls.
Worst 2004 Nissan Maxima Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Transmission / Drivetrain
Tire Issues
Engine Problems
Considering a 2004 Nissan Maxima?
This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about this specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud. Full report just $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2004 Nissan Maxima. A single complaint may appear in multiple categories.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 934 | 14 | 2 | — | |
| Tire Issues | 148 | 3 | — | — | |
| Engine Problems | 121 | 2 | 7 | — | |
| Suspension Failures | 102 | 2 | 1 | — | |
| Brake System | 71 | 2 | 4 | — | |
| Hydraulic | 61 | 2 | 3 | — | |
| Electrical Faults | 56 | — | 8 | — | |
| Structural Problems | 56 | — | 1 | — | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 38 | 7 | — | — | |
| Steering Defects | 37 | 1 | — | — | |
| Equipment | 33 | — | 1 | — | |
| Visibility | 30 | — | — | — | |
| Uncategorized Issues | 23 | — | — | — | |
| Seat-Related Issues | 15 | — | 5 | — | |
| Airbag Malfunctions | 13 | 11 | — | — | |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 9 | — | 1 | — | |
| Wheel Issues | 7 | — | — | — | |
| Door Lock Issues | 7 | — | — | — | |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 6 | — | — | — | |
| Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | 6 | — | — | — | |
| Electric | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Seat Belt Issues | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Traction Control System | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Fuel System | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Gasoline | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Child Seat | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Equipment Adaptive/Mobility | 1 | — | 1 | — | |
| Air | 1 | — | — | — |
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Complaint counts may exceed total complaints because one report can span multiple categories.
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2004 Nissan Maxima. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Showing 400 most recent complaints of 1,425 total. View all on NHTSA ↗
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormally loud popping sound, and the contact noticed that the sky view roof glass had shattered. The contact stated that pieces of shattered glass had fallen inside the vehicle. …
UNKNOWN - I recently purchased this vehicle today from a private seller on April 18, 2023. Previous owner had stated the driver seat adjuster motor(to move the seat forward and backwards) has never functioned properly and gets stuck in the far back position or rotates countercloc…
04V326000 ONE OF THE RECALL NUMBER THE OTHER IS 05V512000 NOT SURE WHAT TO DO AT THIS POINT I'VE CHANGED MY TIMING CHAIN ALSO ALREADY I ALSO RECEIVED A LETTER STATING IF I HAD TO REPLACE IT TO CONTACT NISSAN I BELIEVE I'M JUST GETTING THE RUN AROUND
TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. TIMING CHAIN WAS BAD FROM DAY ONE. SPENT NEARLY 4000 DOLLARS FOR REPAIR. THEN TO LOOK UP ONLINE AND FIND OUT MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAD PROBLEM. NOW A FEW YEARS LATER. SAME PROBLEM
FOR STARTERS I REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR THEN THE BATTERY AND THEN THE CRANKSHAFT SENOR AND THEN DORMAN THAT IS ON THE POSSESSIVE SIDE OF THE BATTERY. AND IT DOESN'T WANT TO START STILL. NOW JUST MAYBE YOU CAN HELP ME ON THIS.
WHEN IT RAINS THE BACK PASSENGER DOOR HAS WATER IN THE DOOR AND SOAKS THE BACK FLOOR
CAR FAILED SAFETY INSPECTION DUE TO RUSTING OF FLOORBOARDS ON DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. TURNS OUT THIS IS A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM WITH MODEL YEARS 2002-2006. HOW CAN THIS NOT BE A SAFETY ISSUE??
FRONT SUBFRAME COMPLETELY ROTTED OUT LOWER CONTROL ARM BECOME UNATTACHED, HAD TO REPAIR SUBFRAME AND ALL COMPONENTS, ABSOLUTELY A SAFETY RISK, MANY RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY DON'T HAVE ONE FOR THIS VEHICLE
ME AND MY BOYFRIEND WERE SOLD THIS CAR FOR 2500 AND THE CAR NEEDED A NEW BATTERY, A NEW CONVERTER . ONCE I BROUGHT THOSE ITEMS AND PUT THEM IN THE CAR STARTED HAVING COMPRESSION PROBLEMS TO THE POINT IT HAS A SLOW TAKE OFF , CANNOT GO UP HILLS , AND WE HAVE TO SHIFT GEARS JUST FO…
THE FLOOR BOARDS ON BOTH THE DRIVERS AND PASSENGER SIDE FRONT HAVE RUSTED OUT. MOST OF THE OTHER METAL/ FLOORING HAS NOT RUSTED OUT LIKE IT HAS IN THESE TWO SPOTS. THE RUST DOES SEEM TO LEAD UP CLOSE TO THE SUB FRAME WHICH WORRIES ME OF THE INTEGRITY OF THE FRAME. THE FLOORING HA…
THE BODY CONTROL MODULE KEEPS THE FRONT AND BACK LIGHTS FROM WORKING. THE TAIL LIGHTS ALSO NOT WORKING. THE LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS NOT WORKING COST FOR REPLACING WITH LABOR AND TAX IS OVER 1K IN CALIFORNIA. WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT I COULD NOT SEE THE ROAD. I HAD TO PULL OVER …
WHEN IN MOTION THE TRANSMISSION STARTS TO SLIP IN 1 AND 2 GEAR THEN 4 AND 5 GEAR JUMPS OUT OF GEAR THEN GOES IN TO LIMP MODE
CAR WAS FINE INITIALLY THEN STARTED CAR WHICH TOOK LONGER THAN NORMAL TO START AND CAR WOULD NOT HARDLY GO DUE TO IT NOT BEING IN 1ST GEAR. PUT THE TRANSMISSION INTO MANUAL MODE AND DOWNSHIFTED IT TO FIRST AND GOT A HARD CLUNK BUT CAR WOULD NOW GO UNDER ITS OWN POWER BUT WHEN YOU…
WHEN DRIVING THE CAR WIL LOSE POWER AND START JERKING BADLY, CUTTING BACK LIKE LOSING POWER. IT FEELS AS IF IT IS GOING TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I TOOK IT TO A WELL KNOW TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH SEVERAL NISSAN CARS INCLUDING MINE.…
WHENEVER I ACCELERATE AND THE SPEEDOMETER HITS 20 MPH THE TRANSMISSION JERKS OR IF I'M GOING 60 MPH ON THE FREEWAY AND START TO BRAKE AND AS MY SPEED IS DECREASING WHEN THE SPEEDOMETER HITS 20 MPH IT JERKS. THE TRANSMISSION MUST BE SLIPPING OR HAVE AN ISSUE.
THE FLOOR BOARDS RUSTED OUT ON BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES AND WE WERE NOT AWARE BECAUSE THE CARPET COVERED BUT YOU CAN FIT A FIST THROUGH EACH ONE! SHOULD NOT HAPPEN!!
THESE TRANSMISSION SHOULD OF BEEN RECALLED YEARS AGO I ALWAYS TEND TO FEEL A GEAR JUMP IN THE FIRST GEARS WHEN ABOUT TO START MOVING THE CAR OR BRAKING. THIS CAN BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WHEN YOU SUDDENLY NEED TO MAKE A HARD STOP AND THE TRANSMISSION WILL MAKE A HUGE JUMP THEN STOP A…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE AT THE CONTACT'S HOME, THE HOOD BLEW UP AND THE FRONT END BURST INTO FLAMES. THE CONTACT OPENED THE GARAGE DOOR AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. THE MAINTEN…
TRANSMISSION SLIPPING
ON SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018, IN THE MORNING AROUND A 11 AM, I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 MAXIMA AND IT STARTED TO LOOSE POWER AND TURNED OFF. I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO START IT, BUT IT WOULDN'T HOLD THE IDLE AND TURNED OFF AGAIN. NO NISSAN DEALERSHIP OR REPAIR SHOP WAS OPEN SO I CALLED THE …
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Real owner reports for the 2004 Nissan Maxima.
Recalls for 2004 Nissan Maxima
2 campaignsNHTSA recall campaigns for the 2004 Nissan Maxima. Recalls are free to fix at any authorized dealer. Run a VIN check below to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.
2004 Nissan Maxima — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2004 Nissan Maxima reliable?▾
Severe Issues. The 2004 Nissan Maxima has 1,425 NHTSA owner complaints, 33 crash-related, and 2 recall campaigns. The most reported issue is Transmission / Drivetrain (934 complaints). Source: NHTSA via VinSpector AI.
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Nissan Maxima?▾
#1: Transmission / Drivetrain (934 complaints). #2: Tire Issues (148 complaints). #3: Engine Problems (121 complaints)
At what mileage do problems start on the 2004 Nissan Maxima?▾
Mileage data is not available or insufficient for this model year.
How safe is the 2004 Nissan Maxima?▾
The 2004 Nissan Maxima has 33 crash-related complaints and 16 fire reports out of 1,425 total NHTSA complaints. 30 injuries were reported. For NCAP lab crash test star ratings, visit nhtsa.gov/ratings.
Does the 2004 Nissan Maxima have any recalls?▾
Yes — 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affect the 2004 Nissan Maxima. The largest issue: SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.
Should I buy a 2004 Nissan Maxima?▾
The 2004 Nissan Maxima has severe issues — review the top problems before buying. Pay particular attention to Transmission / Drivetrain issues. Always run a VIN check on the specific car you're considering to check for accident history, open recalls, and title brands.
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinSpector AI.
Wider context: See the full Nissan Maxima reliability report with year-by-year comparison.
Check Your Specific 2004 Nissan Maxima
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud. Full report just $4.99.