IllustrationNISSAN ASKED ME TO PAY A DIAGNOSTIC FEE OF 190$ AND THEN THEY SAY ENTIRE TRANSMISSION TO BE REPLACED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS IS NOT HELPFUL AS WELL WORST COMPANY
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 →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
370–25K
4225–50K
19850–75K
31075–100K
201100–150K
34150K+
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 reportsTRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 60K MILES. STUCK IN 5TH GEAR. SLAMMING, JERKING, HARD DOWNSHIFTS. NO REVERSE POWER. VERY HARD SHIFTING BETWEEN GEARS. ALSO PAINT PEELING OFF ENTIRE CAR. CAR PURCHASED FOR OVER 30K. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND ON STREET. PROBLEM IS CONSTANT UPON CAR REACHING OPERATING TEMP.
JUST A MONTH AFTER BUYING THIS CAR, I TOOK IT THROUGH INSPECTION. I DROVE THE CAR, WHICH WAS OPERATING PERFECTLY, DIRECTLY TO THE INSPECTION STATION WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES FROM HOME. ON THE WAY HOME, IT STARTED TO DOWNSHIFT HARD, SPECIFICALLY WHEN CLOSE TO FIRST GEAR. IT THEN STARTED TO HAPPEN PERIODICALLY. IT IS NOW TO…
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JUST A MONTH AFTER BUYING THIS CAR, I TOOK IT THROUGH INSPECTION. I DROVE THE CAR, WHICH WAS OPERATING PERFECTLY, DIRECTLY TO THE INSPECTION STATION WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES FROM HOME. ON THE WAY HOME, IT STARTED TO DOWNSHIFT HARD, SPECIFICALLY WHEN CLOSE TO FIRST GEAR. IT THEN STARTED TO HAPPEN PERIODICALLY. IT IS NOW TO THE POINT THAT IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME YOU SLOW DOWN. AND NOW, IT SOMETIMES BUCKS WHEN ACCELERATING. FORGET ABOUT TAKING YOUR FOOT OFF OF THE GAS TO SLOW DOWN; THIS CAUSES THE CAR TO BUCK SO BADLY THAT IT FEELS AS THOUGH YOU HAVE BEEN REAR-ENDED. I TOOK MY CAR TO A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST WHO STATED THAT HE COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION, EVEN WHEN HOOKING IT UP TO AN ELECTRONIC COMPUTER TO FIND A CODE. UPON RESEARCHING, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2004-2006 NISSAN MAXIMAS AND THAT NISSAN KNOWS ABOUT IT BUT REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. SOUNDS TO ME LIKE NISSAN NEEDS TO DO A RECALL TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM! WHEN CALLING NISSAN, THEY WANT YOU TO TAKE YOUR CAR IN FOR THEM TO DIAGNOSE IT, WHICH WOULD BE AT MY COST, OF COURSE. AND THEN THEY WOULD JUST TELL ME WHAT I CAN PAY FOR THEM TO DO TO FIX IT.
CAR EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY IN SHIFTING. IT CAUSED DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS.
TRANSMISSION JERKS WHEN STOPPING AND STARTING.....SPEED DECREASES......JERKS WHEN CHANGING GEARS
TRANSMISSION VIOLENTLY JERKS WHEN GOING 1ST TO 2ND GEAR AND WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. I WAS TEACHING MY GRANDAUGHTER TO DRIVE AND IT SCARED JER TO DEATH WHEN IT HAPPENED TO HER WHILE DRIVING. THERE HAS BEEN HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF TRANSMISSION COMPLAINTS WITH THIS CAR ONLINE AND ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED BY MANUFACTUR…
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TRANSMISSION VIOLENTLY JERKS WHEN GOING 1ST TO 2ND GEAR AND WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. I WAS TEACHING MY GRANDAUGHTER TO DRIVE AND IT SCARED JER TO DEATH WHEN IT HAPPENED TO HER WHILE DRIVING. THERE HAS BEEN HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF TRANSMISSION COMPLAINTS WITH THIS CAR ONLINE AND ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED BY MANUFACTURER OR NHTSA. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 80,000 MILES, WILL NEVER BUY A NISSAN AGAIN.
CAR JUMPS WHEN SWITCHING GEARS OR PUTTING YOUR FOOT OR TAKING IT OFF GAS
TRANSMISSION NOT CHANGING GEARS AND SPEEDOMETER NOT WORKING. SLOW ACCELERATION, SEEMS LIKE IT IS STARTING OUT IN A HIGHER GEAR.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SUBFRAME WAS SEVERELY CORRODED UNDERNEATH THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SUBFRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SUBFRAME WAS SEVERELY CORRODED UNDERNEATH THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SUBFRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.
I WAS COMPLAINING OF THE CAR JUMPING WHEN CHANGING GEARS, MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE MOTOR MOUNT WAS CRACKED. REPLACED IT, SOME IMPROVEMENT FOR SHORT PERIOD BUT NOW CAR IS JUMPING, HESITATION BETWEEN GEARS, ROUGH SHIFTING, AND DIMINISHED ACCELERATION. I DID NOT GO TO THE DEALER AS MY WARRANTY IS EXPIRED. THIS IS MY FIRST MAXIMA A…
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I WAS COMPLAINING OF THE CAR JUMPING WHEN CHANGING GEARS, MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE MOTOR MOUNT WAS CRACKED. REPLACED IT, SOME IMPROVEMENT FOR SHORT PERIOD BUT NOW CAR IS JUMPING, HESITATION BETWEEN GEARS, ROUGH SHIFTING, AND DIMINISHED ACCELERATION. I DID NOT GO TO THE DEALER AS MY WARRANTY IS EXPIRED. THIS IS MY FIRST MAXIMA AND I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER. NOW TOLD THAT I'LL NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. NOT HAPPY.
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.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.