IllustrationTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE STEERING CONTROL LOCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000.
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
290–25K
4125–50K
7750–75K
4575–100K
35100–150K
11150K+
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.
7 crash reports2 fire reports8 injury reports
Steering complaints
158 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING CONTROL LOCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7…
Read full complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING CONTROL LOCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000...UPDATED 09/30/14 *BF UPDATED 2/26/2015 *JS
ELECTRIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK MALFUNCTIONED. THE "KEY" LIGHT IS ON AND WILL NOT START. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOOSE WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE ESCL STEERING COLUMN LOCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANU…
Read full complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOOSE WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE ESCL STEERING COLUMN LOCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,285. UPDATED 5/27/14*CN
MY STEERING COLUMN WENT OUT WITH THE CAR HAVING 62,000 MILES THERE IS A RECALL ON THE 2009 BUT NOT THE 2010. TO FIX THIS ISSUE IT WAS 900.00 AND NISSAN REFUSED TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE AND ITS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THEIR CARS. I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED THE CAR JUST STOPPED WORKING OUT OF NO WHERE AND WAS COMPLETELY LOCKED UP. *TR
THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK BECAME FAULTY AND VEHICLE WILL NOT START. THE SAME PART NUMBER OF STEERING WHEEL LOCK WAS PUT INTO THE NISSAN MAXIMA, NISSAN GT-R, AND NISSAN 370Z. THE PART WAS RECALLED IN THE GT-R, HOWEVER IT HASN'T BEEN RECALLED IN THE MAXIMA OR 370Z. THE TOTAL WORK FOR THE REPAIR IS $1300. NISSAN SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE…
Read full complaint
THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK BECAME FAULTY AND VEHICLE WILL NOT START. THE SAME PART NUMBER OF STEERING WHEEL LOCK WAS PUT INTO THE NISSAN MAXIMA, NISSAN GT-R, AND NISSAN 370Z. THE PART WAS RECALLED IN THE GT-R, HOWEVER IT HASN'T BEEN RECALLED IN THE MAXIMA OR 370Z. THE TOTAL WORK FOR THE REPAIR IS $1300. NISSAN SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COSTS OF THE REPAIR DUE TO A FAULTY STEERING WHEEL LOCK. NISSAN RECENTLY CAME OUT WITH A REVISION TO THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK BECAUSE THE PART WAS FAULTY. *TR
STEERING LOCK MECHANISM FAILURE. UNABLE TO START VEHICLE, NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY FOR 2010 MODEL YEAR, SAME PART FAILED IN 2009 MODEL YEAR, WARRANTY EXTENDED FOR 2009 ONLY. *TR
THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK BROKE NOT ALLOWING CAR TO START. *TR
THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO ACTIVATION OF THE IGNITION SYSTEM. AFTER FOLLOWING ALL TROUBLE SHOOTING ADVICE IN THE CAR'S MANUAL, I TOWED THE CAR TO DEALER WHERE THEY FLAGGED AN ISSUE WITH THE STEERING LOCK CONTROL UNIT (PART# 487009N00B) AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS ALL PART OF THE VEHICLE ANTI-THEFT IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM. THE …
Read full complaint
THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO ACTIVATION OF THE IGNITION SYSTEM. AFTER FOLLOWING ALL TROUBLE SHOOTING ADVICE IN THE CAR'S MANUAL, I TOWED THE CAR TO DEALER WHERE THEY FLAGGED AN ISSUE WITH THE STEERING LOCK CONTROL UNIT (PART# 487009N00B) AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS ALL PART OF THE VEHICLE ANTI-THEFT IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM. THE COST TO REPLACE THIS UNIT WAS $703.43. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY FLAW IN THE 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA. 1. THIS WAS A FULLY FUNCTIONING CAR (EXCEPT FOR ANTI-THEFT CIRCUIT GLITCH) THAT LEFT MY PREGNANT WIFE STRANDED IN FREEZING TEMPS IN AN EMPTY SCHOOL PARKING LOT LATE IN THE EVENING. 2. NISSAN PROMOTES HOW SAFE, RELIABLE AND ECONOMICAL THEIR CARS ARE, BUT THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM CAN DISABLE THE VEHICLE LEAVING DRIVER STRANDED WITH ONLY ONE OPTION, WHICH IS, TO BE TOWED TO A DEALER BECAUSE OF ANT-THEFT SYSTEM GLITCHES. 3. THE CAR, BEING ECONOMICAL, SHOULD NOT REQUIRE SUCH AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR BECAUSE OF AN ANTI-THEFT DEVICE CIRCUIT MALFUNCTION. 4. THERE ARE SEVERAL CONDITIONS THAT CAN OCCUR THAT WILL RESULT IN THE NISSAN MAXIMA BECOMING IMMOBILIZED STRANDING DRIVERS. I AM STATING ONLY ONE. THIS IS PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY TO FEMALE DRIVERS. 5. I FEEL THAT NISSAN SHOULD COME UP WITH AN OVERRIDE CODE OR DEVICE THAT WILL ALLOW A DRIVER TO ESCAPE FROM POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS THAT WERE CREATED BY NISSAN'S VEHICLE IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM. ESPECIALLY WHEN THE CAR IS FULLY FUNCTIONAL EXCEPT FOR AN ANTI-THEFT IMMOBILIZING CIRCUIT FALSELY TELLING THAT THE VEHICLE IS NOT READY TO START WHEN IT IS. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY FLAW IN THEIR VEHICLE SECURITY SYSTEM. *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.