RoadVitals

2006 Nissan Maxima

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
576
Latest May 17, 2024
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
2
Latest Feb 13, 2006
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
25
12 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 576 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2006 Nissan Maxima, most frequently naming the powertrain (other), transmission and engine categories. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 81 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

2 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
06V046000

SUSPENSION:REAR

Feb 13, 2006
759 units potentially affected
The defect: 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.
The risk: 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.
The 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.
NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.Manufacturer number PB016View on NHTSA.gov
05V512000

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST

Nov 7, 2005
102,551 units potentially affected
The defect: 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.
The risk: 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.
The 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.
NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.Manufacturer number PB011View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 576
ElectricalEngine
Filed May 17, 2024

This Vehicle is Severely Defective. This Vehicle is not safe to be on the road. This Vehicle has had several repairs for the same repair issue but the problem still exists. I have spent thousands on this Vehicle and this vehicle is still inoperative and not drivable. This Vehicle is a hazard for the road. VEHICLE IS UNSAFE! VEHICLE has still not been Repaired. Please I like to be Compensated and Reimbursed for the Loss I have suffered. Please compensate and/or reimbursed me for the $10,000.00 I lost in a Defective, Inoperable, and Unsafe Vehicle. Thank God My Child and I did not get seriously hurt while I was driving this vehicle. I remember one incident while I was driving this vehicle: Right in the middle of me driving this vehicle I was going about 40-45 mph on the highway, the vehicle just shut down all of a sudden. The entire Electrical System just Shutdown. That was very frightening! So, yes I like to be Fully Compensated for all my troubles with this vehicle.

NHTSA ID
11589401
Incident
Oct 1, 2017
Airbags
Filed Jul 18, 2023

The contact filed the complaint on behalf of the owner of the 2006 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stationary and being serviced with the engine running, the service technician closed the front driver's side door and moments later the front and rear driver's side curtain air bags deployed. The contact stated that during the failure, there was no one seated in the vehicle. The contact stated that there was no impact to the vehicle to cause the air bags to deploy. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 90,948.

NHTSA ID
11532953
Incident
Jul 17, 2023
Mileage
90,948 mi
BrakesElectricalOther / unspecified
Filed Apr 22, 2023

My brakes dont work unless my 3 dashboard lights come on. Slip, tcs and abs. Sometimes I forget and drive off. When I brake at the light you could here the wires buzzing as if there was a short circuit. Finally on my passenger side in the 'back, the tire was wiggling and noticed some lugs were missing plus the hubs lugs were loose. I haven' t taken to go get it inspected because I dont have money at the moment.

NHTSA ID
11518387
Incident
Mar 3, 2021
Suspension
Filed May 26, 2021
Crash reported1 injury reported

When you're driving in hazardous conditions the car loses stability and it caused me to go into a spin and hit a wall, anytime it rains you can feel that the car starts to lose grip of the road and I fear for my life every time it remotely starts to rain or the road is wet. And there's a recall on the Nissan Maxima regarding the rear suspension something and the effect of the recall on that vehicle is what's happening to my vehicle.

NHTSA ID
11418613
Incident
Aug 14, 2020
EnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Dec 11, 2020

WELL MY CAR WHILE DRIVING IT WILL COMPLETELY SHUT OFF IN ME WHILE IM DRIVING IT. AFTER IT CRANKS BACK UP IT IS VERY SLOW TO TAKE OFF

NHTSA ID
11383102
Incident
Sep 16, 2020
Mileage
200,000 mi
BrakesDriver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Sep 21, 2020

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.

NHTSA ID
11360137
Incident
Jul 23, 2020
Mileage
137,820 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Mar 28, 2020

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.

NHTSA ID
11319612
Incident
Mar 28, 2020
Mileage
153,200 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 19, 2019

I WAS DRIVING IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA AND SUDDENLY STEERING WHEEL GOT STIFF, BRAKES SEEMED TO BE ON, DASHBOARD LIGHTS APPEARED WITH "TCS OFF" "SLIP" AND "CHECK ENGINE " ALL APPEARED ON DASHBOARD. I ALMOST CRASHED DUE TO THIS.

NHTSA ID
11281178
Incident
Nov 18, 2019
Mileage
161,210 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

NTB09-131C

STRUCTURE:BODY

CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides an application form for such replacements. · The “VIN Plate/Label” (metal plate or vinyl label) is attached to the instrument panel or body on the driver side at the base of the windshield (see Figure 1). · The “Certification Label” (vinyl adhesive label) is located on the lower area of the driver side B-Pillar (see Figure 1).

NTB09-131C

STRUCTURE:BODY

CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides an application form for such replacements. · The “VIN Plate/Label” (metal plate or vinyl label) is attached to the instrument panel or body on the driver side at the base of the windshield (see Figure 1). · The “Certification Label” (vinyl adhesive label) is located on the lower area of the driver side B-Pillar (see Figure 1).

NTB13-027D

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CAN COMMUNICATION – NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

NTB13-107G

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

NTB10-066C

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CAN COMMUNICATION CODES – DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

NTB13-028I

VISIBILITY/WIPER

REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Nissan Maxima by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2023100—
2022500—
2021300—
2020211044.5
2019181050.4
2018362155.1
20171034162.5
20161428159.4
2015100—
2014950040.1
2013620034.2
20121070036.8
20111060036.5
20102751038.8
20093391038.4
2008780140.7
20071291140.9
2006Viewing5762044.8
20059482045.1
20041,4252149.3
20032064153.8
20022059159.5
20011727154.2
20003603051.0
19991654050.3
19981136057.5
19971026163.2
1996965054.9
19951525363.1
1994895052.5
1993786161.1
19921105262.7
1991764054.0
19901064053.2
1989624055.9
1988601263.3
19871761265.2
1986602270.7
1985542271.4
1984300251.1
1983502—
1982402—
1981000—
1980000—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.