IllustrationMy steering failed completely while driving, making it nearly impossible to turn.
2011 Nissan Maxima
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2011 Nissan Maxima do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 99.
Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.
About this comparison →106Owner complaints
Model-year median: 99
0Recall campaignsView recall details →
0InvestigationsView investigation details →
Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Inspection summary
2011 Nissan Maxima
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 106 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.
Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.
Top reported categories (up to 5)
- Air Bags: 23 reports
- Power Train: 22 reports
- Unknown Or Other: 14 reports
- Electrical System: 12 reports
- Engine: 12 reports
Full reported-category list and vehicle report
Recall links
No recall campaigns in this snapshot.
Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.
How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Maxima years →Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure 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
110–25K
1225–50K
1450–75K
975–100K
18100–150K
0150K+
64 reports with mileage · 42 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.
- Air Bags. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports1 fire reports7 injury reports
What owners actually said
106 reportsAirbag warning came on. I took to dealership for diagnostic. There was malfunction with the passenger airbag. Seat coushin needed to be replaced so the “normal” wear and tear airbag would no longer be an issue. Nissan stated this is not a safety concern and all expenses were out of pocket.
The transmission is slipping it’s a cvt and they’re known for being the worst transmissions. I was entering the highway on a on ramp and I could no longer accelerate past 55 I was near flooring it and you can hear the engine working but the rpm’s are all over the odometer going from 3k-6.5k over and over. The problem has not bee…
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The transmission is slipping it’s a cvt and they’re known for being the worst transmissions. I was entering the highway on a on ramp and I could no longer accelerate past 55 I was near flooring it and you can hear the engine working but the rpm’s are all over the odometer going from 3k-6.5k over and over. The problem has not been diagnosed professionally. The vehicle has not been inspected professionally.There were no lights on the dash when this began happening and nothing occurred that led up to that situation it was just a normal drive for me and now this happens every other day.
We are the original owners of a 2011 Nissan Maxima. The dashboard material is deteriorating, creating a sticky and shiny patch across the base of the windshield which is distracting and highly reflective creating glare from the sun and bright lights impeding the ability to safely drive. The dashboard is also cracking and releasi…
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We are the original owners of a 2011 Nissan Maxima. The dashboard material is deteriorating, creating a sticky and shiny patch across the base of the windshield which is distracting and highly reflective creating glare from the sun and bright lights impeding the ability to safely drive. The dashboard is also cracking and releasing small parts of black dashboard material throughout the car and the passengers. Online research shows this problem has been reported by many Nissan vehicle owners, at our most recent Nissan service appointment, we asked for assistance to have the part replaced and was told we would have to call Nissan directly to request the repair as it was not a recall item. We called Nissan's Consumer Affairs and was told there is no support from Nissan to provide assistance and any repair we desired would be at our own cost. Additionally, in our online research there are pending class action lawsuits for this part to be replaced by the manufacturer. There is potential health hazards to the exposure of the deteriorating dashboard. We have NOT contacted our insurance company for a complaint or repair at this time. It was first noticed about 1 year ago while I was cleaning the car as the duster stuck to the dash in that area and we are now getting to the issue as it continues to further deteriorate.
Cvt transmission jerking , engine is always idling hard sometimes wants to even shut off , accelerating sometimes takes a lil while to respond , rack and pinion assembly faulty I would like for nissan to fix my car or get a lump sum check for all faulty errors these cars have
Dashboard is melting which is making it extremely sticky but the worst part is that it is causing a visibility issues while driving. The glare is really bad.
Hi I bought car Nissan maxima 2011 transmission not working well when I driving I stopped at the traffic after that car does not move forward
Passenger seat airbag sensor has failed
My dashboard has been melted for some time now and it’s a safety hazard. When I drive at night, the light reflects on the dashboard and it makes it difficult to see, which is very dangerous with my kids in the car. I thought I could clean the dashboard but it’s very sticky. Apparently this is a common issue with certain models o…
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My dashboard has been melted for some time now and it’s a safety hazard. When I drive at night, the light reflects on the dashboard and it makes it difficult to see, which is very dangerous with my kids in the car. I thought I could clean the dashboard but it’s very sticky. Apparently this is a common issue with certain models of cars because I saw a news report on it.
Transmission failed on my vehicle at 40,000 miles while I was in the middle of traffic. My car stopped accelerating without warning and I nearly got into an accident
Recall campaigns
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
Defect investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.