MY 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHEN YOU CHANGE FROM PARK TO DRIVE IT JUMP INTO GEAR HARD. WILE DRIVING IT SHIFT HARD FROM 1 GEAR TO 2 . I TAKE IT TO THE AUTO SHOP THEY SAY IT'S MY TRANSMISSION. IT COST ME $1900.00 TO REPLACE IT.I SEE ALOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND NISSAN IS DOING NOTHING TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. *TR
2004 Nissan Maxima
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Maxima years
Owner complaints for the 2004 Nissan Maxima are substantially higher than 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
1,189 reports with mileage · 236 unknown
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.
- Power Train. Review the 934 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 141 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 102 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Power Train complaints
934 reports2004 NISSAN MAXIMA SE 3.5L V6 TRANSMISSIONS- JERKING, KNOCKING AND STICKING IN GEAR. MANY DEALERS ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM. INTERNET SEARCHES HAVE SHOWN THE SAME RESULTS OF CONSUMERS HAVING ISSUES. THE NORMAL COST FOR REPLACEMENT IS ALMOST 50% OF THE CAR VALUE. DEALERSHIPS WILL NOT REPAIR THE PROBLEM ONLY SUGGEST FOR THE P…
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2004 NISSAN MAXIMA SE 3.5L V6 TRANSMISSIONS- JERKING, KNOCKING AND STICKING IN GEAR. MANY DEALERS ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM. INTERNET SEARCHES HAVE SHOWN THE SAME RESULTS OF CONSUMERS HAVING ISSUES. THE NORMAL COST FOR REPLACEMENT IS ALMOST 50% OF THE CAR VALUE. DEALERSHIPS WILL NOT REPAIR THE PROBLEM ONLY SUGGEST FOR THE PLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION $3800! IF THE CAR IS ENGAGED IN 5TH GEAR (LIKE THIS ONE) COULD CAUSE OTHER VEHICLES TO CRASH INTO IT DUE TO POOR ACCELERATION. *TR
I HAVE A 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA. IT HAS 97.000 MILES ON IT AND THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN GIVING ME PROBLEMS SINCE I BOUGHT IT. IT WON'T GO INTO DRIVE FROM PARK WITHOUT A 3-5 SECOND DELAY, IT DOSEN'T DOWN SHIFT PROPERLY WHEN COMING TO A STOP. IT'S TO THE POINT NOW THAT WHEN I COME TO A STOP IT DOWN SHIFTS SO ERRATICLY THAT THE TIRES…
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I HAVE A 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA. IT HAS 97.000 MILES ON IT AND THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN GIVING ME PROBLEMS SINCE I BOUGHT IT. IT WON'T GO INTO DRIVE FROM PARK WITHOUT A 3-5 SECOND DELAY, IT DOSEN'T DOWN SHIFT PROPERLY WHEN COMING TO A STOP. IT'S TO THE POINT NOW THAT WHEN I COME TO A STOP IT DOWN SHIFTS SO ERRATICLY THAT THE TIRES CHIRP. I LOOKED ONLINE AND THERE ARE OVER 150,000 PEOPLE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE IT, WHICH I THINK IS A FALSEHOOD. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THERE CLEARLY IS A DEFECT WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS AND NISSAN NEEDS TO RECALL THEM. THE FOG LIGHTS SHORT OUT AND BURN OUT AFTER LIMITED USE. I HAVE SPEND HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ON FOG LIGHTS, NOW I JUST GAVE UP AND LEAVE THEM BURNED OUT. THE FRONT STRUTS WERE DEFECTIVE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TR
CAR MALFUNCTION ON TRANSMISSION. *TR
ABOUT 12 MONTHS AGO WITH $165,000 MILES ON MY 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA BEGAN TO JERK WHEN DOWNSHIFTING FROM HIGHER GEARS. VEHICLE ALSO HAD TROUBLE ENGAGING 3RD AND 4TH GEARS WHEN ACCELERATING. TOOK VEHICLE TO NISSAN, WHO SUGGESTED A TRANSMISSION FLUSH, HAD THIS DONE BUT THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURRED BUT LESS FREQUENTLY. ONCE THE PROBLEM …
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ABOUT 12 MONTHS AGO WITH $165,000 MILES ON MY 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA BEGAN TO JERK WHEN DOWNSHIFTING FROM HIGHER GEARS. VEHICLE ALSO HAD TROUBLE ENGAGING 3RD AND 4TH GEARS WHEN ACCELERATING. TOOK VEHICLE TO NISSAN, WHO SUGGESTED A TRANSMISSION FLUSH, HAD THIS DONE BUT THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURRED BUT LESS FREQUENTLY. ONCE THE PROBLEM BECAME FREQUENT AGAIN THE PROCEDURE WAS REPEATED. INQUIRED IF A RECALL WAS OPEN FOR THIS ISSUE BUT NISSAN SAID NO, BUT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON LINE AND FOUND THAT NUMEROUS OWNERS WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM AND FELT I NEEDED TO REPORT MY SITUATION. I AM CURRENTLY SAVING MONEY TO PURCHASE THE NEW TRANS BEFORE REPLACING. *TR
MY 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA JERKS/BANGS WHEN CHANGING LOW GEARS. IT MAKES MY ENTIRE CAR BANG LOUDLY AND JERK FORWARD CAUSING ME TO JERK FORWARD AS WELL. I HAVE BANGED MYSELF ON THE STEERING WHEEL NUMEROUS TIMES. I READ ONLINE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME ISSUE. THE DEALERSHIPS TRY TO TELL ME ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS NEED TO …
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MY 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA JERKS/BANGS WHEN CHANGING LOW GEARS. IT MAKES MY ENTIRE CAR BANG LOUDLY AND JERK FORWARD CAUSING ME TO JERK FORWARD AS WELL. I HAVE BANGED MYSELF ON THE STEERING WHEEL NUMEROUS TIMES. I READ ONLINE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME ISSUE. THE DEALERSHIPS TRY TO TELL ME ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS NEED TO BE FIXED, BUT I KNOW FROM ALL THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ITS A FAULTY TRANSMISSION IN THESE CARS AND IT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED!!! *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35-45 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO JERK VIOLENTLY OUT OF THIRD GEAR WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE THE ERROR CODES WERE …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35-45 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO JERK VIOLENTLY OUT OF THIRD GEAR WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE THE ERROR CODES WERE RESET. THE FAILURE RECURRED SIX MONTHS LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE SAME FAILURE AND THE TECHNICIAN RECOMMENDED THAT THE TRANSMISSION BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE RESULTING IN THE TRANSMISSION NOT BEING ABLE TO SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000.
I OWN A 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA 3.5 SE WITH 74,000 MILES, AND FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEGUN SLIPPING AND JERKING FROM 1ST TO 2ND AND 2ND TO3RD. BUT THE BIGGEST PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED TWICE NOW; WHERE THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING IDLE AT A STOP LIGHT, THE TRANSMISSION HAS SLIPPED OUT OF 1ST GEAR, AND WHEN THE LIGHT…
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I OWN A 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA 3.5 SE WITH 74,000 MILES, AND FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEGUN SLIPPING AND JERKING FROM 1ST TO 2ND AND 2ND TO3RD. BUT THE BIGGEST PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED TWICE NOW; WHERE THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING IDLE AT A STOP LIGHT, THE TRANSMISSION HAS SLIPPED OUT OF 1ST GEAR, AND WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN THE CAR WOULD NOT REV UP AND I WAS STUCK HOLDING UP TRAFFIC UNTIL I PUT THE CAR IN PARK, WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN RPMS AND THEN PUT THE CAR BACK IN DRIVE. *TR
2004 NISSAN MAXIMA TRANSMISSION TROUBLES. THE TRANSMISSION ON THE AUTOMATIC 5 SPEED MAXIMA GET STRUCK AND OFTEN TAKES MORE THAN 5 SECONDS TO GET IN TO GEAR. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND IT SEEMS WIDESPREAD AMONG THE 6TH GENERATION MAXIMAS. WE HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM FOR QUITE A WHILE NOW AND IT SEEMS NISSAN ONLY WANT TO …
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2004 NISSAN MAXIMA TRANSMISSION TROUBLES. THE TRANSMISSION ON THE AUTOMATIC 5 SPEED MAXIMA GET STRUCK AND OFTEN TAKES MORE THAN 5 SECONDS TO GET IN TO GEAR. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND IT SEEMS WIDESPREAD AMONG THE 6TH GENERATION MAXIMAS. WE HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM FOR QUITE A WHILE NOW AND IT SEEMS NISSAN ONLY WANT TO CHARGE CUSTOMERS FOR A REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION. THIS IS SO WIDESPREAD, AMONG MAXIMAS OF VARYING MILEAGE, IT BEGS THE QUESTION ON WHETHER THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT THAT NEEDS TO BE SYSTEMATICALLY ADDRESSED. NISSAN (CORPORATE) AND DEALERS ARE UNRESPONSIVE TO THESE CONCERNS AND IT'S NOT FAIR THAT CONSUMERS HAVE TO FOOT THE BILL FOR WHAT APPEARS TO BE A FACTORY ISSUE. *TR
WHILE DRIVING, OUT OF THE BLUE, AT STREET SPEED, 10-25 MPH, A SUDDEN "CLUNK" IS HEARD AND THEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILS CAUSING THE CAR TO STOP SUDDENLY AND LEFT WITHOUT ANY POWER. IF CAR RESTARTS, THE TRANSMISSION IS LEFT IN 5TH GEAR WITH NO ABILITY TO CHANGE GEARS AT ALL. ONLY 44000 MILES ON THE CAR, BUT WE HAVE BEEN COMPLAIN…
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WHILE DRIVING, OUT OF THE BLUE, AT STREET SPEED, 10-25 MPH, A SUDDEN "CLUNK" IS HEARD AND THEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILS CAUSING THE CAR TO STOP SUDDENLY AND LEFT WITHOUT ANY POWER. IF CAR RESTARTS, THE TRANSMISSION IS LEFT IN 5TH GEAR WITH NO ABILITY TO CHANGE GEARS AT ALL. ONLY 44000 MILES ON THE CAR, BUT WE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING/DOCUMENTING TO THE NISSAN DEALER EVERY SERVICE, SINCE WE BOUGHT THE CAR NEW. ALL THEY DO IS "ADD TRANSMISSION OIL", OR JUST TELL US "THERE IS NO PROBLEM FOR THIS IS NORMAL." *TR
Official recalls
205V512000 · Seats:front Assembly:power Adjust
Nov 7, 2005
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
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.
04V326000 · Visibility:sun/moon Roof Assembly
Jul 7, 2004
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SKYVIEW ROOFS, THE GLASS FOR THE ROOF MAY NOT HAVE BEEN QUENCHED PROPERLY AFTER THE FORMING PROCESS, RESULTING IN TEMPER IMBALANCE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD CREATE EXCESSIVE INTERNAL STRESS IN THE GLASS AND EVENTUALLY CAUSE THE GLASS TO SHATTER, CREATING A RISK OF INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE GLASS IN THE SKYVIEW ROOF. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
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
1PE04035 · Glass Roof Shattering
Opened Apr 12, 2004 · Closed Jul 13, 2004
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility:sun/moon Roof Assembly
THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION ON APRIL 12, 2004, BASED ON FIVE REPORTS INDICATING THAT THE SKYVIEW GLASS-PANELED ROOF, WHICH IS STANDARD EQUIPMENT IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA VEHICLES, WOULD SUDDENLY SHATTER WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN USE.FIVE INJURIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO ODI, RESULTING IN CUTS TO THE HEAD, HANDS, ARMS, OR FACE.NISSAN DISCOVERED THAT THEIR SUPPLIER FOR THE SKYVIEW GLASS PANELED ROOF DID NOT PROPERLY QUENCH (COOL) THE GLASS AFTER IT WAS FORMED.THE RESULTING TEMPER IMBALANCE COULD CREATE EXCESSIVE INTERNAL STRESS IN THE GLASS AND CAN EVENTUALLY CAUSE THE GLASS TO SHATTER.NISSAN REPORTS THAT GLASS PRODUCED BEGINNING OCTOBER 23, 2003 WAS PROPERLY QUENCHED.NISSAN HAS INFORMED THE AGENCY THAT IT WILL RECALL 32,100 MY 2004 NISSAN MAXIMAS BUILT FROM THE BEGINNING OF PRODUCTION THRU DECEMBER 17, 2003.IT REPORTS THAT VEHICLES BUILT AFTER DECEMBER 17 ARE NOT AFFECTED.TO CORRECT THE CONDITION NISSAN WILL REPLACE THE EXISTING SKYVIEW GLASS WITH NEW PROPERLY QUENCHED GLASS.NISSAN WILL BEGIN OWNER NOTIFICATION ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2004.ODI IS AWARE OF ONLY ONE COMPLAINT AND NISSAN REPORTS NO COMPLAINTS OF SKYVIEW GLASS PANELED ROOF BREAKAGE ON VEHICLES BUILT AFTER THE DECEMBER 17 DATE.THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED, HOWEVER THE AGENCY WILL MONITOR COMPLAINTS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION AS APPROPRIATE.
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