RoadVitals

2011 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.
106
Latest Jan 7, 2026
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.
0
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.
6
15 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 106 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2011 Nissan Maxima, most frequently naming the airbags, powertrain (other) and engine categories. 115 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

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

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

Steering
Filed Jan 7, 2026

My steering failed completely while driving, making it nearly impossible to turn.

NHTSA ID
11709444
Incident
Dec 15, 2025
Airbags
Filed Jul 15, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID
11602442
Incident
Nov 20, 2023
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jun 29, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID
11597730
Incident
Jun 27, 2024
Filed Aug 12, 2023

We are the original owners of a 2011 Nissan Maxima. The dashboard material is deteriorating, creating a sticky and shiny patch across the base of the windshield which is distracting and highly reflective creating glare from the sun and bright lights impeding the ability to safely drive. The dashboard is also cracking and releasing small parts of black dashboard material throughout the car and the passengers. Online research shows this problem has been reported by many Nissan vehicle owners, at our most recent Nissan service appointment, we asked for assistance to have the part replaced and was told we would have to call Nissan directly to request the repair as it was not a recall item. We called Nissan's Consumer Affairs and was told there is no support from Nissan to provide assistance and any repair we desired would be at our own cost. Additionally, in our online research there are pending class action lawsuits for this part to be replaced by the manufacturer. There is potential health hazards to the exposure of the deteriorating dashboard. We have NOT contacted our insurance company for a complaint or repair at this time. It was first noticed about 1 year ago while I was cleaning the car as the duster stuck to the dash in that area and we are now getting to the issue as it continues to further deteriorate.

NHTSA ID
11538097
Incident
Aug 1, 2022
EnginePowertrain (other)Steering
Filed May 5, 2023

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

NHTSA ID
11520699
Incident
Aug 17, 2022
Body & structureVisibility
Filed Mar 11, 2023

Dashboard is melting which is making it extremely sticky but the worst part is that it is causing a visibility issues while driving. The glare is really bad.

NHTSA ID
11511345
Incident
Mar 11, 2023
BrakesDriver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Jan 12, 2023

Hi I bought car Nissan maxima 2011 transmission not working well when I driving I stopped at the traffic after that car does not move forward

NHTSA ID
11501538
Incident
Jan 12, 2023
Airbags
Filed Nov 23, 2022

Passenger seat airbag sensor has failed

NHTSA ID
11494708
Incident
Nov 1, 2020

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
2011Viewing1060036.5
20102751038.8
20093391038.4
2008780140.7
20071291140.9
20065762044.8
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.