2011 Nissan Maxima Owner Complaints

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

NHTSA ID

11709444

Incident

Dec 15, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

Passenger seat airbag sensor has failed

NHTSA ID

11494708

Incident

Nov 1, 2020

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.

NHTSA ID

11463933

Incident

Jan 1, 2020

Transmission failed on my vehicle at 40,000 miles while I was in the middle of traffic. My car stopped accelerating without warning and I nearly got into an accident

NHTSA ID

11447961

Incident

Nov 6, 2021

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS MELTING. COASTAL NISSAN (8519 OCEAN HWY, PAWLEYS ISLAND, SC 29585) WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INSPECTED THE VEHICLE BUT OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVER THE WARRANTY COVERAGE. NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,376.

NHTSA ID

11413528

Incident

Feb 1, 2021

Mileage

115,376 mi

THE DASHBOARD IS MELTING, BECOMING STICKY AND EMITTING TERRIBLE ODOR; SURELY THAT IS PROBABLY HAZARDOUS TO HEALTH AS IT IS A SICKENING SMELL. WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS ISSUE ADDRESSED AS IT IS AN ODOR THAT IN UNBEARABLE FOR DRIVING LONG DISTANCE.

NHTSA ID

11413217

Incident

May 1, 2020

Mileage

40,000 mi

MY CAR IS VERY RELIABLE UNTIL NOW WITH ONLY 105,000 MILES? MY PROBLEM STARTED ABOUT SEPTEMBER 2020 WHEN I STARTED TO HEAR MY CAR MAKE A ROUGH SOUND SUDDENLY, LIKE A WINDING NOISE WHEN I ACCELERATE AND WHEN I LET OFF THE GAS AS WELL. I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT UNTIL I TOOK IT TO A NISSAN DEALER TO HAVE THEM CHECK IT OUT. THEY CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY TELL ME I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AND ITS GOING TO BE AROUND $5,500. WHICH I DON'T HAVE ESPECIALLY IN THIS PANDEMIC. ALSO THEY TOLD ME IF I GET THE NEW TRANSMISSION IT ONLY COMES WITH 1 YEAR WARRANTY. NISSAN ONLY COVERS IT UNTIL 60,000 MILES WHICH I DON'T BELIEVE PEOPLE BUYING A NEW NISSAN EXPECT IT TO GO FURTHER THEN THAT! MY ISSUE IS THAT NISSAN IS PUTTING IN THESE FAULTY TRANSMISSIONS KNOWING THAT IT WILL FAIL SOON AND ONLY GIVE YOU 1 YEAR WARRANTY IF YOU DO REPLACE IT AFTER PAY 5,500?

NHTSA ID

11405881

Incident

Sep 15, 2020

Mileage

95,000 mi

ON THE NIGHT OF FEBRUARY 16, MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING MY 2011 NISSAN MAXIMA WHEN SHE CAME TO A STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, SHE MOVED HER FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AND BEGAN TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE VEHICLE ALL OF A SUDDEN WOULD NOT MOVE. SHE APPLIED HER FOOT TO THE ACCELERATOR SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE VEHICLE STILL WOULD NOT MOVE. AFTER SEVERAL MORE ATTEMPTS, THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD IN A VIOLENT MANNER BUT LUCKILY, THERE WAS NO OTHER CAR AHEAD OF HER OR I'M AFRAID A MORE SERIOUS EVENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. THIS ALL HAPPENED RATHER ABRUPTLY, WITHOUT ANY ADVANCE WARNING OR INDICATION OF A POTENTIAL PROBLEM. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL NISSAN SERVICE CENTER TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED ME A CODE INDICATED 'TRANSMISSION FLUID PRESSURE LOW' (EVEN THOUGH IT CONTAINED PLENTY OF FLUID) AND ADVISED A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT WAS NEEDED AT A COST OF $7,138. THIS WAS THE DIAGNOSIS DESPITE NO DASHBOARD WARNING OR SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT INDICATOR, AS I INDICATED ABOVE. UPON RETURNING HOME AND RESEARCHING THE ISSUE ONLINE, I DISCOVERED THAT THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE VERY COMMON. I LEARNED THAT NISSAN HAS HAD MAJOR ISSUES WITH THE CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION (CVT), INCLUDING SEVERAL CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS AND OTHER LEGAL MATTERS WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY RESULTED IN NISSAN EXTENDING THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY ON 2003-2010 NISSAN VEHICLES AND SETTLING OTHER LAWSUITS FOR NEWER MODEL VEHICLES. HOWEVER, MODEL YEARS 2011 AND 2012 WERE NOT COVERED UNDER THESE SETTLEMENTS DESPITE HAVING THE SAME EXACT CVT. I HAVE REACHED OUT TO NISSAN NORTH AMERICA BUT THEY HAVE NOT ACKNOWLEDGED LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY. SUCH A SHAME BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAS NOT HAD ANY ISSUES UNTIL THIS INCIDENT. IT ONLY HAS 106,000 MILES BUT NOW I'M WORRIED ABOUT WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF IT IS BEING DRIVEN.

NHTSA ID

11405810

Incident

Feb 16, 2021

Mileage

106,000 mi

MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 113,500 MILES AND STARTED LOSING POWER AND COASTING, THE SPEED WOULD FLUCTUATE AND SOMETHING SOUNDS LOOSE IN THE ENGINE. I TOOK IT TO LITHIA NISSAN IN FRESNO CA ON BLACKSTONE AND THEY TOLD ME THE CVT BELT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED THEREBY CAUSING THE CAR TO NEED A WHOLE NEW TRANSMISSION AT $5738.96. THE CAR WAS IN MOTION.

NHTSA ID

11399057

Incident

Mar 3, 2021

Mileage

113,000 mi

THIS IS MY THIRD NISSAN MAXIMA AND THEY ALL HAD THE SAME IDSUE WITH THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR. SET OFF CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND MAKES CAR HESITATE WHEN ACCERLERATING. MY MOM OWNS A 2013 MAXIMA 45000 MILES AND HAS THE SAME ISSUE WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT.

NHTSA ID

11386730

Incident

Dec 24, 2020

Mileage

74,000 mi

IT'S HOT IN FLORIDA AND MY DASHBOARD IS MELTING

NHTSA ID

11375785

Incident

Nov 12, 2020

Mileage

103,756 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11372511

Incident

Oct 21, 2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LANDERA NISSAN DEALER, LOCATED AT: 371 E. GOODMAN RD, SOUTH HAVEN, MS 38671 WHERE THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE CANNON NISSAN OF BLYTHEVILLE DEALER, LOCATED AT: 305 N SERVICE RD, BLYTHEVILLE, AR 72315, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID

11351390

Incident

Aug 31, 2016

THE PASSENGER OCCUPANT SENSOR FAILED, I WAS IN A AUTO ACCIDENT THAT REQUIRED MY FRONT BUMPER, AC CONDESOR AND RADIATOR TO BR REPLACED. AFTER GETTING IT FIXED I NOTICED MY SEATBELT LIGHT WAS BLINKING, I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WOULD GO AWAY. I GOT IT SCANNED TURNS OUT THE PASSENGER OCCUPANT SENSOR WENT OUT AND CAUSED ALL THE AIRBAGS TO TURN OFF.

NHTSA ID

11343681

Incident

May 17, 2020

Mileage

138,000 mi

TRANSMISSION BELT DISINTEGRATED. LOTS OF POWER IN DRIVE. SHAKING, HESITATING WHEN DRIVING. FINALLY WOULD BARELY MOVE.

NHTSA ID

11342652

Incident

Jan 14, 2019

Mileage

111,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, MY TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY STARTED SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR. THIS CAUSED THE CAR TO SUDDENLY SLOW, ALMOST BEING REAR ENDED BY THE CAR BEHIND ME. NISSAN KNOWS ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS, BUT REFUSES TO FIX ALL OF THEM. THEY HAVE SETTLED THOUSANDS OF CLAIMS OUT OF COURT FOR THIS PROBLEM. THEY STILL CLAIM THEIR CVTS TRANSMISSION IS NOT DEFECTIVE.

NHTSA ID

11341952

Incident

Jul 21, 2020

Mileage

112,000 mi

MY DASH HAS BEEN STARTING TO MELT THE LAST TWO YEARS AND NOW THE SHINE FROM THE MELTING DASH ON THE WINDSHIELD MAKES IT VERY HARD TO SEE THUR WINDSHIELD WITH THE SHINE THAT IS ON IT

NHTSA ID

11340582

Incident

Sep 21, 2018

Mileage

51,000 mi

DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 65 MPH AROUND 7:00 AM, THE CAR STARTED TO SHAKE AND WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL, THEN STOPPED SHAKING AND THE TIRE LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS ABLE TO GET VEHICLE TO DISCOUNT TIRE. TIRE WAS SHREDDED AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. TIRE WAS THE PIRELLI CINTURATO STRADA AS 245/45 R18 100V

NHTSA ID

11340235

Incident

Jul 18, 2020

Mileage

91,085 mi

MY DASHBOARD IS MELTING. IT'S EXTREMELY STICKY AND I IF I TOUCH IT, OR PUT SOMETHING ON IT, BLACK STUFF GETS EVERYWHERE. *TR

NHTSA ID

11321120

Incident

Apr 9, 2020