IllustrationENGINE MAKES NOISE, EITHER PULLIES FOR TIMING BELT OR VALVE. YH
1992 Nissan Maxima
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1992 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: 12 of 110 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.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
15 crash reports3 fire reports11 injury reports
What owners actually said
110 reportsBRAKES PULL TO ONE SIDE PADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. ENGINE IS NOISY AND ROUGH. CRANKSHAFT WAS DESTROYED WHILE DRIVING ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. ENGINE MAKES A KNOCKING NOISE. HEAT FROM AC WOULD COOL DOWN AFTER 15 MINUTES. ROUGH IDLE. STEERING WHEEL SHAKES VIGOROUSLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND DURING BRAKING. …
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BRAKES PULL TO ONE SIDE PADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. ENGINE IS NOISY AND ROUGH. CRANKSHAFT WAS DESTROYED WHILE DRIVING ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. ENGINE MAKES A KNOCKING NOISE. HEAT FROM AC WOULD COOL DOWN AFTER 15 MINUTES. ROUGH IDLE. STEERING WHEEL SHAKES VIGOROUSLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND DURING BRAKING. TWO BOLTS FROM EXHAUST MANIFOLD BROKE WHILE DRIVING. OLD ENGINE HESITATED AND THE REPLACEMENT DOES THE SAME. SOMETIMES THERE IS A SLOW ACCELERATION. AUTOMATIC AC CIRCULTION CUT OF AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES. REAR POWER WINDOW FAILS TO OPERATE ATLEAST TWICE. POWER LOCK FAILS TO OPERATE ATLEAST ONCE A MONTH. FUEL PUMP AND FILTER WERE BACKED UP BY SAND. FRONT END SUSPENSION IS EXTREMELY WEAK
LEFT FRONT AXLE BOOT SPLIT OPEN AND ALL GREASE WAS LOST. REPAIR WORK WAS DONE AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. CURRENTLY, ON THE RIGHT SIDE THE SAME THING HAPPENED. DEALER CONTACTED, NOT AWARE OF THE SECOND INCIDENT. *AK
VEHICLE CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. TOOK IN FOR REPAIRS,. TOOK DEALER APPROXIMATELY 4MONTHS TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM AND TO FIND THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE. REPAIRS MADE AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE. *AK.
BRAKE MALFUNCTION. GRINDING NOISE AND POOR PERFORMANCE, USUALLY IN WET, COOL WEAHTER. NOISE SEEMS TO COME FROM REAR OF VEHICLE.
EA93-024; CONSUMER WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, TRAVELING ABOUT 5 TO 10 MPH, WHEN VEHICLE HIT A PLANTER BOX IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, RESULTING IN INJURIES TO THE DRIVER. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON FREEWAY DOOR LOCKS POPPED OUT FOR NO REASON. CONSUMER IS VERY CONCERNED FOR SAFETY. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILED.
CAR WAS TAKEN UPON MOVE TO THE NETHERLANDS. NISSAN USA AND NISSAN NETHERLANDS GIVE ME RUN-AROUND ON THIS STRANGE PROBLEM. I ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT SEATS MUST WITHSTAND BIG FORCES IN CASE OF A ACCIDENT, NOT FAIL WHILE CRUISING! AT THIS POINT THE CAR IS STILL AT A DEALER TO BE LOOKED AT BY SEVERAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE NETHERLANDS. …
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CAR WAS TAKEN UPON MOVE TO THE NETHERLANDS. NISSAN USA AND NISSAN NETHERLANDS GIVE ME RUN-AROUND ON THIS STRANGE PROBLEM. I ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT SEATS MUST WITHSTAND BIG FORCES IN CASE OF A ACCIDENT, NOT FAIL WHILE CRUISING! AT THIS POINT THE CAR IS STILL AT A DEALER TO BE LOOKED AT BY SEVERAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE NETHERLANDS. MY GOAL IS TO MAKE THIS PROBLEM AWARE TO ALL MAXIMA DRIVERS AND SOLVE THE PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY DUE TO FACT THAT WE DRIVE MORE THAT 1 NISSAN! I DO NOT WANT MONEY COMPENSATION.
ENGINE SOPS WHILE IN MOTION AND PARKING.
Official recalls
295V244000 · 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.
94V007000 · Air Bags:frontal
Jan 12, 1994
IN SOME UNDERBODY IMPACTS THE AIRBAG SENSOR ACTIVATES AND SENDS A SIGNAL TO THE AIRBAG, LOCATED IN THE CENTER OF THE STEERING WHEEL, CAUSING THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG TO INFLATE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: AIRBAG INFLATION MAY OCCUR WHEN IT IS NOT NEEDED TO PROTECT THE DRIVER AND MAY RESULT IN MINOR INJURIES TO THE DRIVER FROM THE INFLATING AIRBAG.
Remedy: A TUNNEL SENSOR OF DIFFERENT DESIGN WILL BE INSTALLED ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES.
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
2EA93024 · Inadver.air Bag Deployment
Opened Oct 8, 1993 · Closed Jan 25, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags
There is no summary currently available
PE93063 · Inadver.air Bag Deployment
Opened Jul 12, 1993 · Closed Oct 8, 1993
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags
There is no summary currently available