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2005 Nissan Maxima

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Maxima years

Owner complaints for the 2005 Nissan Maxima are substantially higher than the model-year median of 99.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

822 reports with mileage · 126 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 777 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 61 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

16 crash reports10 fire reports19 injury reports

What owners actually said

948 reports
107,000 miles · Dec 10, 2017
Power Train

TRANSMISSION FAILED.

NHTSA ODI #11053731

72,000 miles · Oct 9, 2017
Power Train

CAR WOULD STAY IN 5TH GEAR WHEN TURNED. IT WOULD MOVE BUT AT SLOW RATE. NOW IT WILL MOVE ABOUT A 100 FEET THEN GEAR WONT ENGAGE. YOU CAN GIVE IT GAS BUT IT JUST WONT MOVE. ILL LET IT COOL DOWN AND IT MOVE AGAIN BUT WILL RESUME PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI #11032334

Mileage unknown · Oct 3, 2017
Power Train

TRANSMISSION FAILING DELAY IN GEAR SELECT FOLLOWED BY A HARD THUMP HARD SHIFTING AFTER 30MIN DID NOT EXPECT THIS FROM A CAR WITH 108K MILES WELL TAKEN CARE OF.

NHTSA ODI #11031450

Mileage unknown · Sep 19, 2017
Steering

POWER STEERING GEAR

NHTSA ODI #11024209

160,000 miles · Jun 15, 2017
Unknown Or Other

CAR JERKS WHEN ACCELERATING, SLIPS GEARS, HESITATING WHEN ACCELERATING AND SOMETIMES WILL NOT GO OVER 20 MPH (WHILE DRIVING DOWN A 50MPH ROAD!)

NHTSA ODI #10995283

90,000 miles · Jun 14, 2017
Electrical SystemEngine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE PROGRESSING FROM THE VEHICLE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS, BUT THERE WAS NO SERVICE CAMPAIGN OR MANUFACTURER RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAIL…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE PROGRESSING FROM THE VEHICLE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS, BUT THERE WAS NO SERVICE CAMPAIGN OR MANUFACTURER RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED NO SOLUTION. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000...UPDATED 08/31/17 *BF *CN

NHTSA ODI #10995185

45,699 miles · Jun 4, 2017
Power Train

SUDDEN TOTAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 45,699 MILES ON MAXIMA 2005. PUT CAR IN REVERSE, BACKED OUT PUT IN DRIVE IT STALLED OUT. CAR DID NOT WANT TO START, I WAS IN MIDDLE OF STREET. CAR HAS NEVER EVER GIVEN ME ISSUES PRIOR. SUDDEN "SERVICE ENGINE" LIGHT, (NEVER ILLUMINATED BEFORE. PUT ACCELERATOR TO FLOOR TO START THEN CAR W…

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SUDDEN TOTAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 45,699 MILES ON MAXIMA 2005. PUT CAR IN REVERSE, BACKED OUT PUT IN DRIVE IT STALLED OUT. CAR DID NOT WANT TO START, I WAS IN MIDDLE OF STREET. CAR HAS NEVER EVER GIVEN ME ISSUES PRIOR. SUDDEN "SERVICE ENGINE" LIGHT, (NEVER ILLUMINATED BEFORE. PUT ACCELERATOR TO FLOOR TO START THEN CAR WOULD BARELY MOVE FORWARD, IT HAD NO 1, 2ND GEARS. DROVE IT OUT OF MIDDLE OF STREET. TOOK FOREVER TO GET TO 20MPH. PARKED CAR, STARTED EASIER IN THE MORNING BUT MADE HORRIBLE CLUNK WHEN PUT IN REVERSE. IT IS NOW AT REPAIR SHOP AND NOT SURE OF FULL DIAGNOSIS YET BUT TOLD WILL PROBABLY BEE A FULL TRANSMISSION REBUILD.

NHTSA ODI #10993038

132,376 miles · May 2, 2017
Engine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE DRIVING 80 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER, BUT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL; THEREFORE, NOTHING COULD BE …

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE DRIVING 80 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER, BUT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL; THEREFORE, NOTHING COULD BE DONE. CASE NUMBER: 26278170 WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,376.

NHTSA ODI #10983134

Mileage unknown · Apr 27, 2017
Fuel/propulsion SystemUnknown Or Other

I TOOK MY CAR TO NISSAN FOR STATE INSPECTION ON 11-21-2016 AND FOR THE CAR JERKING AND OIL CHANGE. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANGER THAT MY THREE WAY CATALY HAD GONE BAD. THEN IT WAS TOLD OTHER THINGS WAS WRONG WHICH WAS NOT EXPECTED SINCE I GET MY CAR SERVICE REGULARLY. SENSOR ASSY AIR, MOUNTING RUBBER, RIGHT AND LEFT STRUT, SP…

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I TOOK MY CAR TO NISSAN FOR STATE INSPECTION ON 11-21-2016 AND FOR THE CAR JERKING AND OIL CHANGE. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANGER THAT MY THREE WAY CATALY HAD GONE BAD. THEN IT WAS TOLD OTHER THINGS WAS WRONG WHICH WAS NOT EXPECTED SINCE I GET MY CAR SERVICE REGULARLY. SENSOR ASSY AIR, MOUNTING RUBBER, RIGHT AND LEFT STRUT, SPACER FRONT STR., BUMPER ASSY BOUN, INSULATOR ASSY-S, GASKET EXHAUST, HOSE ASSY-BLOW B, ALLL THIS WAS DONE TO FIX THE JERKING WHICH DID NOT WORK. I PAID $3662.55 ON THAT DAY DROVE 10 MILES AND THE CAR WAS STILL JERKING. I CALLED NISSAN AND THEY TOLD ME TO BRING MY CAR BACK ON MONDAY. IT WAS THEN TOLD THAT I HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS.

NHTSA ODI #10981085

175,960 miles · Apr 18, 2017
Electrical SystemService BrakesUnknown Or Other

PRIOR OWNER REPORTED ISSUES WITH ABS REAR SENSOR, AND HAVING TO DISCONNECT FUSE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NISSAN DEALER FOR SERVICE WEEKS AGO, I AUTHORIZED DIAGNOSTIC FEE AND WAS NOTIFIED THAT COMPUTER REPORTS REAR RIGHT ABS SENSOR BEING DEFECTIVE AND NEEDING TO BE REPLACED AT A TOTAL COST A LITTLE OVER $550. DRIVING FROM DEALER, TH…

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PRIOR OWNER REPORTED ISSUES WITH ABS REAR SENSOR, AND HAVING TO DISCONNECT FUSE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NISSAN DEALER FOR SERVICE WEEKS AGO, I AUTHORIZED DIAGNOSTIC FEE AND WAS NOTIFIED THAT COMPUTER REPORTS REAR RIGHT ABS SENSOR BEING DEFECTIVE AND NEEDING TO BE REPLACED AT A TOTAL COST A LITTLE OVER $550. DRIVING FROM DEALER, THE VEHICLE HAS REDUCED ACCELERATION OUT OF NOWHERE TO A POINT WHERE I HAVE NOT DRIVEN CAR UNTIL I PROCEED WITH REPAIRS AT DEALER. SINCE RE-CONNECTING FUSE THAT POWERS ABS... AT TIMES I HAVE FOUND THE CAR BATTERY DRAINED. AFTER JUMP STARTING VEHICLE, PERMITTING BATTERY TO CHARGE,,, AFTER TURNING OFF CAR I WOULD HEAR THE ABS PUMP (ON FIREWALL, PASSENGER SIDE) ON AND NOT TURN OFF UNLESS I REMOVE THE FUSE AGAIN. IF ABS IS NOT STANDARD IN ALL VEHICLES, WHY IS IT THAT IT CANNOT BE COMPLETELY DISABLED WITHOUT NEGATIVELY EFFECTING OTHER SYSTEMS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY BRAKING AND ELECTRICAL.

NHTSA ODI #10979060

Official recalls

2

05V512000 · 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.

05V338000 · Child Seat:latch Strap

Jul 26, 2005

CERTAIN VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 225, "CHILD RESTRAINT ANCHORAGE SYSTEMS." THE LOWER ANCHORAGE BRACKETS IN THE REAR SEATS DO NOT MEET THE LOCATION REQUIREMENT IN THIS STANDARD. THIS MAY CAUSE DIFFICULTY IN ATTACHING SOME CHILD SEATS TO THESE BRACKETS.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF A CHILD SEAT IS NOT PROPERLY SECURED, THERE IS AN INCREASED RISK OF INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LOWER ANCHORAGE BRACKETS WITH MODIFIED BRACKETS TO ENSURE THAT THE STANDARD IS MET. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 28, 2006. THE INFINITI Q45 MODEL VEHICLES ARE BEING CAMPAIGNED UNDER A SEPARATE RECALL (PLEASE SEE 05V374000). OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261 OR INFINITI AT 1-800-662-6200.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.