AUTOMOBILE WENT FROM OPERATING NORMALLY TO COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER AND ACCELERATION. VERY DANGEROUS ON ROAD. TOWED TO MECHANIC, CLAIMS ITS DEFECTIVE CVT TRANSMISSION, REFERRED TO DEALER.
2013 Nissan Maxima
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2013 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
51 reports with mileage · 11 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 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Power Train complaints
24 reportsWHILE DRIVING DOWN A BUSY HIGHWAY, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR WAS NO LONGER MOVING. THE GAS PEDAL WAS PRESSED ALL THE WAY DOWN INTO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR WAS AT A STAND STILL. WHILE TRANSFER TRUCKS AND INCOMING TRAFFIC ON A BUSY HIGHWAY THE MAXIMA LEFT ME STRANDED AS THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. AFTER CONTINUOUS…
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WHILE DRIVING DOWN A BUSY HIGHWAY, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR WAS NO LONGER MOVING. THE GAS PEDAL WAS PRESSED ALL THE WAY DOWN INTO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR WAS AT A STAND STILL. WHILE TRANSFER TRUCKS AND INCOMING TRAFFIC ON A BUSY HIGHWAY THE MAXIMA LEFT ME STRANDED AS THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. AFTER CONTINUOUSLY TURNING THE CAR OFF AND ON SEVERAL TIMES, THERE WAS STILL NO MOVEMENT IN DRIVE. THE CAR ONLY HAD 70,000 MILES ON IT WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I HAD TO PUT A BRAND NEW TRANSMISSION IN THIS CAR, WHICH ALSO WAS VERY EXHAUSTING AS NOT MANY PLACES WILL WORK ON CVT TRANSMISSIONS. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH SEVERAL OTHERS WHOM OWN 2013 MAXIMA AND THEY HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. I FEEL VERY UNSAFE IN THIS CAR AS I DO NOT KNOW WHEN THIS ISSUE COULD BECOME AN ISSUE AGAIN AND BASICALLY PUT ME AT DANGER AND STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF A BUSY HIGHWAY. I DO HAVE DOCUMENTS OF THE TOWING EXPENSES, AND ALL OF THE TRANSMISSION DIAGNOSIS AND COSTS. THERE WERE ALSO 2 OTHER WITNESSES IN THE CAR AS WELL. WHOM ALL FELT VERY AFRAID AS THIS WAS A BUSY 4 LANE HIGHWAY. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE BY DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED ONCE AGAIN AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE BEFORE STALLING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AND RETURNED TO NORMAL. …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE BY DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED ONCE AGAIN AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE BEFORE STALLING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AND RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CVT TRANSMISSION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. UPDATED 09/20/16*LJ *CN
1/1/15 MODERATE VIBRATION IN VEHICLE AT 60MPH TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER IN MARCH TO BALANCE TIRES. UPON LEAVING STILL FELT VIBRATION.4/1/2015 RETURNED VEHICLE ADVISED OF MODERATE VIBRATION EXPERIENCED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.ADVISED THEY FELT VIBRATION, TOOK OFF MY WHEELS/TIRES AND SWAPPED THEM FROM A NEW MAXIMA COULD STILL FEEL VIBRATIO…
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1/1/15 MODERATE VIBRATION IN VEHICLE AT 60MPH TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER IN MARCH TO BALANCE TIRES. UPON LEAVING STILL FELT VIBRATION.4/1/2015 RETURNED VEHICLE ADVISED OF MODERATE VIBRATION EXPERIENCED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.ADVISED THEY FELT VIBRATION, TOOK OFF MY WHEELS/TIRES AND SWAPPED THEM FROM A NEW MAXIMA COULD STILL FEEL VIBRATION.ADVISED THEY PLAN TO CHANGE DRIVE-AXLE.LATER ADVISED AFTER REPAIRS VIBRATION STILL EXISTED TRANSMISSION TO BE REPLACED.LATER ADVISED AFTER CHANGING TRANSMISSION VIBRATION REMAINED.ADVISED THE TECH HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS AND REGIONAL TECH CONTACTED TO ASSIST.LATER ADVISED TO CHANGE ENGINE MOUNTS UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY $50 DEDUCTIBLE.AGREED AND CONTACTED LATER THAT ALONG W/ REGIONAL TECH WERE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE CAUSE.LATER CONTACTED VEHICLE WAS READY.4/30/15 ADVISED THAT THEY WERE 'STUMPED BUT BELIEVED THEY FIXED, SWAPPED OUT PARTS FROM ANOTHER MAXIMA" ADVISED TO 'TAKE HOME AND DRIVE FOR A WEEK IF IT'S STILL SHAKING TO BRING IT BACK.' DIDN'T LEAVE FEELING CONFIDENT REPAIRS WERE MADE. WHILE DRIVING HOME ABLE TO FEEL VIBRATION RETURNED THAT EVENING. 5/1/15 ADVISED THEY COULD STILL FEEL VIBRATION. 5/6/15 CONTACTED THEY HAD MADE EVERY ATTEMPT TO CORRECTED, HOWEVER 'AT THIS TIME UNABLE TO REPAIR'. ADVISED INVESTIGATION OPENED TO LOOK INTO, CONTACTED BY NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE ADVISED THEY WOULD LOOK INTO REPAIRS AND START CASE TO BUY BACK. 5/14/15 ADVISED AFTER LOOKING INTO THE REPAIRS, DEALER TECH SAYS VIBRATIONS WERE NORMAL. AFTER OWNING SIX NISSAN'S AND OTHER BRANDS HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED ISSUE. ADVISED TECH TEST DROVE OTHER MAXIMS AND ALL HAD SAME SHAKING, THEREFORE IT'S NORMAL.OVER WEEKEND ASKED NUMEROUS MAXIMA OWNERS IN PERSON AND SOCIAL MEDIA IF THEY EXPERIENCED THIS AND ALL SAID NO.I FEEL EVERY TIME MY FAMILY IS IN VEHICLE IT POSES A SAFETY HAZARDOUS TO US AND OTHER WHERE A MALFUNCTION COULD BE FATAL. *TR
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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