STEERING COLUMN LOCKING UP KEY FOB NOT BEING RECOGNIZED BY CAR. IT WONT LET ME START IT.
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.
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
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.
What owners actually said
106 reportsAS I PARKED MY CAR, I REMOVED THE SEATBELT, I NOTICED A SMOKE COMING OUT OF MY COAT WHERE THE SEAT BELT WAS REMOVED. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE OF THE COAT THAT SHOWS BURN MARKS.
THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED DUE TO A STEERING LOCK FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, AND COULD NOT BE STARTED.
STARTER MOTOR FAILURE. INTERMITTENT ON AND OFF. FAILING STARTER PRODUCES NOISE WHEN STATIONARY AND IN MOTION. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS INTERMITTENT. DIAGNOSED AND CONFIRMED FAILURE IN STARTER.
MY PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG LIST HAS BEEN ON FOR A YEAR NOW. I AM WORRIED THAT IF I HAVE A PASSENGER SIDE THEY MAY GET HURT BECAUSE THE AIRBAG MAY NOT WORK!! IT IS HIGHLIGHTED THE ENTIRE TIME THE ENGINE IS RUNNING.
CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR LIGHT HAS COME ON INTERMITTENTLY 3 TIMES IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS. UPON GETTING A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AT A NISSAN DEALERSHIP, THE SECOND TIME THE LIGHT CAME ON, I WAS TOLD THEY NEEDED THE CAR ANOTHER DAY, FOR A LONGER TIME TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE TWO CODES THAT CAME UP DURING THE TEST. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGH…
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CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR LIGHT HAS COME ON INTERMITTENTLY 3 TIMES IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS. UPON GETTING A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AT A NISSAN DEALERSHIP, THE SECOND TIME THE LIGHT CAME ON, I WAS TOLD THEY NEEDED THE CAR ANOTHER DAY, FOR A LONGER TIME TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE TWO CODES THAT CAME UP DURING THE TEST. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT BACK OUT A FEW DAYS LATER. NOW TWO MONTHS LATER THE LIGHT IS ON AGAIN AND THIS TIME AS I WAS LEAVING A SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT, TURNING ONTO A MAIN ROAD THE CAR MADE A JERKING/SURGE-STOP MOTION AS IF IT DID NOT WANT TO ACCELERATE. IT CONTINUED TO DO THIS SAME MOTION ANY TIME I SLOWED DOWN OR STOPPED AT A LIGHT OR SLOWED DOWN TO MAKE A TURN DURING MY 2.5-3.0 MILE TRIP TO MY HOUSE. I DID NOT DRIVE THE CAR FOR THE NEXT 24-28 HOURS. UPON DRIVING THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TO DROP OFF FOR SERVICE I DID NOT EXPERIENCE THE JERKING/SURGE-STOP MOTION. AFTER ASSESSING THE VEHICLE TODAY I WAS INFORMED THAT THE REAR TIMING CHAIN COVER HAS DETERIORATED CAUSING PROBLEMS WITH OIL PRESSURE TO THE ENGINE, CODE P0011. THERE WERE ALSO TWO OTHER CODES FOR HEATING SYSTEM P1217 AND TRANSMISSION FLUID PRESSURE P0868. TOTAL COST OF REPAIRS $2984. MY CAR IS 5 YEARS OLD, APPROXIMATELY 67,000 MILES ON IT SO IT IS OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY. AFTER READING OTHERS SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT TRANSMISSION ISSUES JUST OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD, KNOWING THAT PREVIOUS MODEL YEARS HAD PROBLEMS THAT ENDED UP EXTENDED WARRANTY IT IS VERY DISTURBING AND DISAPPOINTING TO KNOW THAT NISSAN IS NOT FURTHER INVESTIGATING THESE ISSUES FURTHER. ALSO, OTHER ISSUES I HAVE HAD TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR LIGHT COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY AND CAR NOT STARTING BUT ALL DASH LIGHTS STAYING ON HAD TECHNICAL BULLETINS. THE LATTER SHOULD BE A QUICK RESOLVE YET I WAS CHARGED ALMOST $400 FOR SOMETHING NOT MENTIONED IN THE RELATED BULLETIN. NISSAN LACKS RESPONSIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!
I HAVE A 2011 MAXIMA, I PURCHASED NEW ON 5/1/2011. I NOTICED ABOUT 7 MONTHS AGO MY DASHBOARD STARTED BECOMING SHINY LOOKING AND STICKY TO THE TOUCH. MY CAR ISN'T A GARAGE KEPT CAR, BUT I'VE ALWAYS USED A WINDSHIELD SHADE TO KEEP THE SUN & HEAT OFF MY DASH. APPARENTLY, THIS DOSEN'T HELP. IT'S LIKE MY DASHBOARD IS SLOWLY MELTING A…
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I HAVE A 2011 MAXIMA, I PURCHASED NEW ON 5/1/2011. I NOTICED ABOUT 7 MONTHS AGO MY DASHBOARD STARTED BECOMING SHINY LOOKING AND STICKY TO THE TOUCH. MY CAR ISN'T A GARAGE KEPT CAR, BUT I'VE ALWAYS USED A WINDSHIELD SHADE TO KEEP THE SUN & HEAT OFF MY DASH. APPARENTLY, THIS DOSEN'T HELP. IT'S LIKE MY DASHBOARD IS SLOWLY MELTING AWAY! IT'S GETTING TO THE POINT NOW WHERE IT'S CAUSING A GLARE IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT AND MAKING SEEING THE ROAD HARDER NOW. . OH, AND I'VE ONLY USED A DAMP CLOTH TO CLEAN IT IN THE PAST, NO CHEMICALS, ETC.
I WAS IN ATLANTA, GA DRIVING DOWN UNION CITY ROAD WHEN I HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION. I HEARD GLASS BREAK AND LOOKED TO SEE IF MY BACK WINDSHIELD WAS BROKEN. I PULLED OVER ONTO A SIDE STREET AND GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND REALIZED THAT MY SUNROOF EXPLODED. THERE WAS NOT ANOTHER CAR NOR TRUCK NEAR ME BEFORE THE EXPLOSION SO IT WAS NOT A…
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I WAS IN ATLANTA, GA DRIVING DOWN UNION CITY ROAD WHEN I HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION. I HEARD GLASS BREAK AND LOOKED TO SEE IF MY BACK WINDSHIELD WAS BROKEN. I PULLED OVER ONTO A SIDE STREET AND GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND REALIZED THAT MY SUNROOF EXPLODED. THERE WAS NOT ANOTHER CAR NOR TRUCK NEAR ME BEFORE THE EXPLOSION SO IT WAS NOT A ROCK. THE CLOTH DIVIDER BETWEEN THE INSIDE OF THE CAR AND THE GLASS WAS NOT DAMAGED NOR WAS A ROCK OR BULLET FOUND. I CALLED MY SISTER AND SHE TOLD ME THERE WAS A DEALER UP THE STREET AND TO GO THERE. THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT REPAIR IT AND GAVE TOLD BE THAT ALBA GLASS REPAIR COULD HELP ME. I KEPT GETTING THE RUN AROUND SO I CALLED FIVE STAR NISSAN, IN ALBANY, GA, WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR. THEY TOLD ME THAT WAS NOT PART OF THE WARRANTY AND I HAD TO CALL THE INSURANCE COMPANY WHICH I DID. NO ONE COULD EXPLAIN THE EXPLOSION. I CHECKED ONLINE AND THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED REPEATEDLY WITH SEVERAL MODELS OF NISSAN.
THE FRONT TURN SIGNAL LAMP ON THE MAXIMA IS 2" BELOW THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT. 31/2" CENTER TO CENTER. WHEN THIS VEHICLE IS ONCOMING WITH THE HEADLAMPS ON, THE TURN SIGNAL IS VIRTUALLY BLOTTED OUT BY THE GLARE OF THE HEADLAMP. THIS IS A PROBLEM ON MANY MAKES AND MODELS OF VEHICLES. THIS CONDITION IS EVEN WORSE FOR ONE THAT WEA…
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THE FRONT TURN SIGNAL LAMP ON THE MAXIMA IS 2" BELOW THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT. 31/2" CENTER TO CENTER. WHEN THIS VEHICLE IS ONCOMING WITH THE HEADLAMPS ON, THE TURN SIGNAL IS VIRTUALLY BLOTTED OUT BY THE GLARE OF THE HEADLAMP. THIS IS A PROBLEM ON MANY MAKES AND MODELS OF VEHICLES. THIS CONDITION IS EVEN WORSE FOR ONE THAT WEARS EYEGLASSES AND/OR HAS MILD CATARACTS AS THIS CAUSES THE ONCOMING HEADLIGHTS TO APPEAR TO FLARE. THE FRONT TURN SIGNAL LAMP SHOULD NEVER BE CLOSER THAN 6" TO THE HEADLAMPS. CONDITIONS: VEHICLE STOPPED AND READY TO TURN. WORSE AT NIGHT. CITY STREET OR COUNTRY ROAD.
MY DOOR WON'T LOOK. I HAVE REPLACED ONE ACTUATOR ON THE DOOR ALREADY. NOW I HAVE ANOTHER 2 OF THEM THAT ARE NOT WORKING. WHY DO THESE KEEP BREAKING.
Official recalls
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 ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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