IllustrationI SMELL BURNED WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKE. I ISOLATED TO THE REAR CENTER BRAKE LAMP WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. BECAUSE THE SOCKETS WERE THE METAL CAN IN THE LAMP SOCKET MOVES OR SEPARATES FROM THE PLASTIC SOCKET HOUSING. IT IS VERY CLOSE TO THE RECALL 96V253004.
1990 Nissan Maxima
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1990 Nissan Maxima do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 99.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Maxima years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 11 of 106 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports3 fire reports5 injury reports
Exterior Lighting complaints
8 reportsTHE LOCAL DEALER SHOP PERSONNEL HAVE HEARD AND SEEN SIMILAR PROBLEMS. MR
REAR BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT LIGHT UP ON A REGULAR BASIS WHEN THE BRAKE PAD IS APPLIED. THE CONNECTORS THAT TOUCH THE LIGHT BULBS ARE VERY SENSITIVE. THE SLIGHTEST MOVEMENT CAUSES THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE BULB AND CONNETOR TO FAIL. I HAVE NOTICED THIS PROBLEM WITH NUMEROUS MAXIMAS ON THE ROAD. THIS PROBLEM EXISTS WITH THE REAR LIG…
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REAR BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT LIGHT UP ON A REGULAR BASIS WHEN THE BRAKE PAD IS APPLIED. THE CONNECTORS THAT TOUCH THE LIGHT BULBS ARE VERY SENSITIVE. THE SLIGHTEST MOVEMENT CAUSES THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE BULB AND CONNETOR TO FAIL. I HAVE NOTICED THIS PROBLEM WITH NUMEROUS MAXIMAS ON THE ROAD. THIS PROBLEM EXISTS WITH THE REAR LIGHTS AS WELL (NOT ONLY WHEN BRAKING). THE REAR 3RD BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY HAS CORRODED AND DOES NOT PERMIT THE BULB TO BE INSTALLED. THIS PROBLEM EXISTED SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR WITH 92,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER FROM A PRIVATE PARTY. ATTEMPS TO HAVE IT REPAIRED BY A LOCAL MECHANIC ARE IN VEIN BECAUSE THE PROBLEM REOCCURS WITHIN A COUPLE DAYS AFTER BEING 'REPAIRED'. SEEMS AS IF ONLY HALF OF THE TOAL CONNECTORS ARE IN EVERYDAY WORKING CONDITION. THE OTHER HALF TURN ON AND ON SPORADICALLY. THIS MAKES IT SEEM AS IF I HAVE SOME 'TAIL LIGHTS OUT'. THIS IN TURN GIVES POLICE OFFICERS A REASON TO CONTINUALLY PULL ME OVER AND LET ME KNOW ABOUT THE LIGHTING SITUATION. IN ADDITION, THE NON-WORKING CONNECTORS GIVE THE CAR A POOR APPEARANCE. LASTLY, THIS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE REAR LIGHTING MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENT IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS. NLM
WE NOTICED THE 3RD BRAKE LIGHT (HIGH MOUNTED STOP LIGHT) WAS BURNED OUT ON THIS VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION, THE HEAT FROM THE 2 LAMPS INSIDE THE UNIT HAD MELTED THE HOUSING HOLDING THE BULBS AS WELL AS THE RED LENS. THE MELTING WAS SERIOUS ENOUGH TO DEFORM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE UNIT. I ATTEMPTED TO LOCATE A REPLACEMENT UNIT AT A…
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WE NOTICED THE 3RD BRAKE LIGHT (HIGH MOUNTED STOP LIGHT) WAS BURNED OUT ON THIS VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION, THE HEAT FROM THE 2 LAMPS INSIDE THE UNIT HAD MELTED THE HOUSING HOLDING THE BULBS AS WELL AS THE RED LENS. THE MELTING WAS SERIOUS ENOUGH TO DEFORM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE UNIT. I ATTEMPTED TO LOCATE A REPLACEMENT UNIT AT AN AUTO WRECKING YARD, AND FOUND THAT THE ONLY UNIT AVAILABLE OUT OF ALL OF THE COMPATIBLE CARS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS MY CAR. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS IS EVIDENCE OF A WIDESPREAD FAILURE OF THIS NECESSARY SAFETY ITEM AND POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD. *AK
BACK LIGHT BULB HAD MELTED PLASTIC OF LIGHT ASSEMBLY AND BULB WAS LAYING SIDEWAYS IN HOUSING.
HEAT GENERATED BY HIGH MOUNTED BRAKE LAMP BULB MELTED THE AREA AROUND THE LIGHT BULB ALONG WITH THE RED LENS.
WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, 3RD BRAKE LIGHT USED EXTENSIVELY, HOUSING STARTED SMOKING, CAUSED BY PLASTIC HOUSING MELTING ON LIGHT BULBS, LOCAL SERVICE SATION DISENGAGED POWER, COULD HAVE CAUSED FIRE.*AK
THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT BULB IS SO HOT THAT IT MELTED THE PLASTIC COVER AND COULD CAUSE A PASSENGER COMPARTMENT FIRE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
Official recalls
195V244000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly:filler Pipe And Cap
Dec 15, 1995
IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A MIXTURE OF MUD AND SALT TO GET TRAPPED BETWEEN THE FUEL FILLER TUBE AND WHEEL HOUSING. THE TRAPPED MUD AND SALT CAN RESULT IN CORROSION OF THE FUEL FILLER TUBE AND THE WHEEL HOUSING.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: SIGNIFICANT CORROSION OF THE FUEL FILLER TUBE MAY RESULT IN FUEL LEAKS WHICH IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE. IN ADDITION, THE LEFT REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTOR IS MOUNTED TO THE WHEEL HOUSING AND IN THE EVENT OF SIGNIFICANT CORROSION, AND THE MOUNTING COULD FAIL IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THESE VEHICLES AND CORRECTIVE ACTION WILL BE TAKEN DEPENDING UPON THE EXTENT OF THE CORROSION.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.