MY 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA WILL NOT START. THE KEY LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD CAME ON. I HAD IT TOWED TO A NISSAN DEALER ONLY TO BE TOLD IT WAS A STEERING LOCKS ISSUE THAT COST ME $1400 TO FIX. I WAS ALSO TOLD THIS IS HAPPENING OFTEN WITH THESE CARS. *TR
2010 Nissan Maxima
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Maxima years
Owner complaints for the 2010 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
238 reports with mileage · 37 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.
- Steering. Review the 158 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 79 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Electrical System complaints
79 reportsWENT TO GROCERY STORE WITH 2 KIDS (3YRS/2YRS OLD) CAME OUT AND CAR WOULDN'T START. YELLOW KEY LIGHT & RED KEY LIGHT WAS LITE ON DASH. THE CAR WOULD OPEN AND CLOSE WITH KEY FOB BUT CAR STILL WOULDN'T START NEITHER DID IT RECOGNIZE THE KEY FOB WHEN PLACED INTO SLOT. HAD TO GET IT TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP TO LATER FIND OUT A STEERING L…
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WENT TO GROCERY STORE WITH 2 KIDS (3YRS/2YRS OLD) CAME OUT AND CAR WOULDN'T START. YELLOW KEY LIGHT & RED KEY LIGHT WAS LITE ON DASH. THE CAR WOULD OPEN AND CLOSE WITH KEY FOB BUT CAR STILL WOULDN'T START NEITHER DID IT RECOGNIZE THE KEY FOB WHEN PLACED INTO SLOT. HAD TO GET IT TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP TO LATER FIND OUT A STEERING LOCK MODULE HAD GONE BAD. READ REVIEWS ONLINE ABOUT DIFFERENT YEAR MODELS RECALLED FOR SAME PART #487009N00B BUT NO RECALL ISSUED FOR 2010 MAXIMAS YET SEVERAL PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. REPAIR SHOP AND I CAN NOT GET PART LISTED ABOVE BECAUSE ITS ON NATIONAL BACKORDER WAS TOLD I HAVE TO PAY UPFRONT FOR PART $500 IN ORDER TO BE PLACED ON A WAITING LIST AND PART IS ORDERED THEN WOULD HAVE TO WAIT ANYWHERE FROM 40 TO 60 DAYS AND STILL NOT GUARANTEED. CALLED NISSAN ABOUT ISSUE AND THEY CAN NOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL THE PART IS ORDERED. CALLED AROUND MYSELF TO FIND PART AND VERY DIFFICULT. IF THIS PART WAS AN ISSUE & RECALLED PREVIOUSLY WHY DID THEY CONTINUE TO USE IT? AND NO ALTERNATE PART HAS BEEN MADE TO REPLACE EXISTING PART. IM GETTING THE RAW END OF THE STICK HANDED TO ME. 1ST TO PAY OUT OF POCKET WITH NO GUARANTEE OF THE PART 2ND TO HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE CAR TOWED 3RD FOR THE PART BEING ON NATIONAL BACKORDER. I DONT EXPECT A CAR WITH 52,000 MILES TO GIVE ME ISSUES LIKE THIS & NOT BE COVERED BEING THAT'S ITS A KNOWN PROBLEM. IM VERY FRUSTRATED AT THIS POINT. I HAVE TO MAKE ALTERNATE ARRANGEMENTS TO GET TO WORK. THIS NEEDS TO LOOKED INTO ASAP! *TR
AFTER LEAVING WORK TO DRIVE HOME, CAR WOULD NOT START, YELLOW KEY SYMBOL WAS ON DASHBOARD. KEY FOB STILL WORKED TO LOCK AND UNLOCK DOORS. CAR BATTERY WAS FINE, HEADLIGHTS AND BRAKE LIGHTS STILL WORKED. CHECKED MANUAL AND IT INDICATED STEERING LOCK MALFUNCTION. HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO NEAREST DEALERSHIP. AFTER WAITING …
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AFTER LEAVING WORK TO DRIVE HOME, CAR WOULD NOT START, YELLOW KEY SYMBOL WAS ON DASHBOARD. KEY FOB STILL WORKED TO LOCK AND UNLOCK DOORS. CAR BATTERY WAS FINE, HEADLIGHTS AND BRAKE LIGHTS STILL WORKED. CHECKED MANUAL AND IT INDICATED STEERING LOCK MALFUNCTION. HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO NEAREST DEALERSHIP. AFTER WAITING 4 DAYS FOR THE PART TO COME IN, I HAD TO PAY OVER $800 TO HAVE THE PART REPLACED. VERY DISAPPOINTED IN NISSAN NOT COVERING THIS PART BECAUSE OF THE MANY OTHERS WHO HAVE REPORTED THE EXACT SAME ISSUE IN THE 2010 MAXIMA -- EVEN WHEN IT IS A KNOWN AND COVERED PART IN THE 2009 MODEL. *TR
WENT TO WORK PARK THE CAR WITH NO PROBLEMS, CAME OUT OF WORK CAR WOULD NOT START. THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERIES IN THE REMOTE DUE TO THE YELLOW LIGHT WITH THE INTELLIGENT KEY ON THE DASH, AND THEN REMEMBER I JUST REPLACED THE BATTERY.THE DOORS WOULD UNLOCK AND LOCK WITH NO PROBLEMS, THE BRAKE PETAL WOULD NOT GO IN. THEN THOUGHT …
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WENT TO WORK PARK THE CAR WITH NO PROBLEMS, CAME OUT OF WORK CAR WOULD NOT START. THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERIES IN THE REMOTE DUE TO THE YELLOW LIGHT WITH THE INTELLIGENT KEY ON THE DASH, AND THEN REMEMBER I JUST REPLACED THE BATTERY.THE DOORS WOULD UNLOCK AND LOCK WITH NO PROBLEMS, THE BRAKE PETAL WOULD NOT GO IN. THEN THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY HOOD UP A CHARGER AND IT READ IT WAS ON 70% CHARGED, CALLED THE DEALER THEY TOLD ME TO HAVE IT TOWED IN. THE DEALER CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY AND TOLD ME IT WAS THE STEERING COLUMN, WHEN I ASKED THEM WHY WOULD IT DO THIS THE ONLY ANSWER THEY HAD FOR ME WAS THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR MAKE AND MODEL. WITH THE TOWING AND THE DIAGNOSTIC CHECK AND THE PART WITH LABOR IT'S COSTING ME OVER 1,000 DOLLARS, THE STANDARD WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER ANY OF THIS, ALL OUT OF POCKET. I JUST GOT RID OF A 2008 GL 450 MERCEDES BENZ, BECAUSE OF HAVING PROBLEMS WITH IT, I HAVE A 4 YEAR OLD VISUALLY DISABLED CHILD THAT I AM CONSTANTLY TRAVELING LONG DISTANCES TO MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS SO THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE TO ME. I ALWAYS HAVE LOVED NISSAN AND THIS IS MY 4TH NISSAN AND WAS PLANNING ON PURCHASING A PATHFINDER IN THE FALLTIME. WHEN I PURCHASED THIS CAR I STOOD BY THE DEPENDABILITY OF THE NAME, AND I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED. *TR
STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND CAR WILL NOT START. BATTERY WORKS FINE, INTELLIGENT KEYS WORK FINE, WINDOWS WILL NOT ROLL UP. I HAD TO GET IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY COULD NOT TELL THE REASON OF ITS MALFUNCTION SINCE IT WONT START. THEY RAN THEIR TESTS AND CONSULTED THAT IT IS THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKING UNIT. I WAS TOLD THAT …
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STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND CAR WILL NOT START. BATTERY WORKS FINE, INTELLIGENT KEYS WORK FINE, WINDOWS WILL NOT ROLL UP. I HAD TO GET IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY COULD NOT TELL THE REASON OF ITS MALFUNCTION SINCE IT WONT START. THEY RAN THEIR TESTS AND CONSULTED THAT IT IS THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKING UNIT. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD COST 750 TO REPLACE. THEY ALSO TOLD ME TO CALL 1800 NISSAN 1 AND FILE A COMPLAINT. I THEN HAD IT TOWED (PAYING OUT OF POCKET THIS TIME) TO MY HOUSE UNTIL I CAN PAY FOR THE PART AND HAVE IT FIXED. IT IS RIDICULOUS THAT NISSAN HAS NOT RECALLED OR EVEN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR OTHER YEAR MODELS, OR AT THE LEAST MAKE SOME KIND OF CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE COST OF THEIR OWN MANUFACTURING MISTAKES. INSTEAD, THEY ASSUME THAT THIS SAME ISSUE WILL NOT HAPPEN TO OTHER MODELS. YET WITH RESEARCHING, THERE ARE A PLETHORA OF CUSTOMERS GOING THROUGH THE EXACT SAME ISSUE WITH THE EXACT SAME PART AND GETTING SCREWED. SO MUCH FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY SURELY WILL NOT HAVE MUCH CUSTOMERS IF THEY CONTINUE TO LEAVE THIS ISSUE HANGING DRY. I WILL ASSURE THAT I WILL NOT RECOMMEND OTHERS TO PURCHASE NISSAN VEHICLES. *TR
YESTERDAY I WENT INTO A STORE, CAME OUT TO FIND OUT MY ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK WENT UP WITHOUT WARNING. ITS A WIDESPREAD ISSUE AND IS HAPPENING TO 1000S OF PEOPLE. I BEEN TOLD NISSAN IS FULLY AWARE OF THE ISSUE, BUT IS ONLY GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THE 2009 MODELS. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW A MAJOR COMPANY SUCH AS NISSAN WOULD KNOW A…
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YESTERDAY I WENT INTO A STORE, CAME OUT TO FIND OUT MY ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK WENT UP WITHOUT WARNING. ITS A WIDESPREAD ISSUE AND IS HAPPENING TO 1000S OF PEOPLE. I BEEN TOLD NISSAN IS FULLY AWARE OF THE ISSUE, BUT IS ONLY GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THE 2009 MODELS. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW A MAJOR COMPANY SUCH AS NISSAN WOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS AND NOT TAKE CARE OF EVERYONE HAVING THIS ISSUE. IT'S NOT A DRIVER ERROR, IT'S A FACTORY ERROR AND NISSAN SHOULD TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY. THE DEALERSHIP I HAD IT TOWED TO SAYS IT'S 900 DOLLARS TO FIX AND THE PART IS ON BACK ORDER AND THEY AREN'T SURE WHEN IT WOULD EVEN COME IN. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO HERE? I DON'T HAVE 900 DOLLARS. THIS IS MY ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION AND I COULD BE OUT OF MY VEHICLE FOR MONTH'S. I HAVE BEEN A MAXIMA LOVER SINCE I CAN REMEMBER. I'VE HAD 3 MAXIMAS. IT'S SAD TO SAY I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER NISSAN AGAIN. *TR
TODAY WHEN I INTO MY CAR AND THE CAR WOULDN'T START. I NOTICED THE YELLOW "KEY" INDICATOR IS ON, AND THE INTELLIGENT KEY WILL ONLY LOCK AND UNLOCK THE DOORS. I TRIED TO START THE CAR BY PLACING THE INTELLIGENT KEY IN THE MANUAL START PORT, BUT THE PUSH BUTTON IGNITION STAYS ("READS") IN THE LOCKED POSITION, AND THE LCD SHOWS AN …
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TODAY WHEN I INTO MY CAR AND THE CAR WOULDN'T START. I NOTICED THE YELLOW "KEY" INDICATOR IS ON, AND THE INTELLIGENT KEY WILL ONLY LOCK AND UNLOCK THE DOORS. I TRIED TO START THE CAR BY PLACING THE INTELLIGENT KEY IN THE MANUAL START PORT, BUT THE PUSH BUTTON IGNITION STAYS ("READS") IN THE LOCKED POSITION, AND THE LCD SHOWS AN IMAGE THAT APPEARS TO BE TELLING ME TO PULL THE KEY OUT OF THE PORT.THE STEERING WHEEL ITSELF IS NOT LOCKED, HOWEVER. I CAN ACTUALLY MOVE IT BACK AND FORTH, BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL WILL NOT PRESS VERY FAR DOWN. AFTER GOGGELING SEVERAL THREADS CAME UP ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE A 09-10 MAXIMA HAVE THE SAME ISSUES BUT NISSAN IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT. SAID TO SAY IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY KNOW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN BUT THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THE LIFE OF THEIR CONSUMERS. IM A SINGLE MOTHER OF 2 AND IM SO HURT ABOUT THE LACK OF QUALITY NISSAN IS MAKING. *TR
STEERING LOCK FAILED CAUSING ME TO BE STRANDED. CAR WOULD NOT START, BUT LIGHTS AND DOOR LOCKS WORKED FINE. HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO DEALER AND REPAIRED. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH NISSAN. THEY REFUND 2009 MAXIMA OWNERS BUT REFUSE TO REFUND THE 2010 EVEN THOUGH IT'S THE SAME PART. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED TO START. THE KEY WARNING SYMBOL WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.
PURCHASED VEHICLE NOVEMBER 2012 EVERYTHING WORK FINE PARKED CAR WENT TO BED WOKE UP NEXT DAY CAR WOULD NOT START, INTELLIGENT KEY OPEN AND LOCK DOORS, HORN HONKS GOOD, KEY SYMBOL ON DASH SHOWING STEADY, PUSH BUTTON START SYMBOL STATES LOCK, BOUGHT NEW CAR BATTERY, NEW INTELLIGENT KEY BATTERY STILL WONT START. CALLED DEALER, SE…
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PURCHASED VEHICLE NOVEMBER 2012 EVERYTHING WORK FINE PARKED CAR WENT TO BED WOKE UP NEXT DAY CAR WOULD NOT START, INTELLIGENT KEY OPEN AND LOCK DOORS, HORN HONKS GOOD, KEY SYMBOL ON DASH SHOWING STEADY, PUSH BUTTON START SYMBOL STATES LOCK, BOUGHT NEW CAR BATTERY, NEW INTELLIGENT KEY BATTERY STILL WONT START. CALLED DEALER, SERVICE TECH STATES KNOWN PROBLEM AS STEELING MECHANISM LOCKED. HAD TO PAY TO TOW VEHICLE TO DEALER. END OF STORY COST 857.00 TO FIX PLUS 200.00 FOR THE TOW AND NISSAN WONT ASSIST IN ANY KIND OF WAY. DEALER TECH SAYS I HAVE 1 YEAR WARRANTY ON WORK BUT THIS CAN HAPPEN AGAIN AT ANY TIME. I FIND THIS TO MAKE THE VEHICLE UNRELIABLE IN ALL KINDS OF WAYS EVEN LIFE THREATENING. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH THIS IS A VERY HIGHLY COMMON ISSUE WHICH NISSAN IS WELL AWARE OF. MY FAMILY AND I OWN MANY NISSAN VEHICLES AND AFTER THIS WE AS FAMILY WILL NO LONGER PURCHASE NISSAN VEHICLES. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THERE ISN'T A RECALL OR EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THIS ISSUE. *TR
Official recalls
109V358000 · Suspension
Sep 16, 2009
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 ALTIMA AND MAXIMA PASSENGER CARS. THE UPPER FRONT STRUT INSULATORS MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED OUT OF SPECIFICATION RESULTING IN A POTENTIAL FOR THE STRUT INSULATOR TO CRACK.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE STRUT INSULATOR IS CRACKED, THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR THE STRUT ROD TO COME OUT OF ITS MOUNTING POSITION, WHICH COULD AFFECT VEHICLE STABILITY AND INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE FRONT STRUT INSULATORS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN OCTOBER 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-NISSAN1 (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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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