Roof started to show lines that turn into cracks exposing the internal metal frame.
2017 Nissan Maxima
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2017 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
44 reports with mileage · 59 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 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Structure complaints
17 reportsThe 2 A pillar molding in the front flew off while driving on the highway and the 2 rear pillar moldings in the back are loose. It is available for inspection. This is an EXTREME safety concern as I was going high speeds and part of my car detached - I am thankful that it did not hit the cars near me but that doesn't mean that…
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The 2 A pillar molding in the front flew off while driving on the highway and the 2 rear pillar moldings in the back are loose. It is available for inspection. This is an EXTREME safety concern as I was going high speeds and part of my car detached - I am thankful that it did not hit the cars near me but that doesn't mean that when I get it replaced with the faulty issue, that the new ones will not fall off. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer. There was no warning that the parts were falling off. The car has zero body damage and has never been in a wreck before. This is a KNOWN issue with the maxima and I am disappointed that nissian knows about this, has a service bulletin (Classification: BT19-011a; Ref: NTB19-079a) on how to fix this KNOWN issue but the manufacturer refuses to take any accountability for their poor design flaws leading to a major safety concern.
Rear passenger pillars between passenger doors and trunk plastic trim pieces have both broken off. The plastic clips are so flimsy they broke off.
What happened today was the sunroof exploded while driving down the interstate. Loud gunshot sound! Lucky the viser was closed when it happened! I have an appointment next week due to dealership backed up but they said I can come by to get it patched until my appointment day. No Warning lights, messages, or anything happened bef…
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What happened today was the sunroof exploded while driving down the interstate. Loud gunshot sound! Lucky the viser was closed when it happened! I have an appointment next week due to dealership backed up but they said I can come by to get it patched until my appointment day. No Warning lights, messages, or anything happened before the incident occurred. Just glad no one was hurt and it didn’t cause me to have accident.
I was driving on the highway and the passenger side front pillar trim panel just flew off. This is the second time this has happened to my vehicle, the first time was my rear pillar which I paid to replace myself because I was told at the dealership this is just a cosmetic issue. I disagree, to me this is very hazardous and coul…
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I was driving on the highway and the passenger side front pillar trim panel just flew off. This is the second time this has happened to my vehicle, the first time was my rear pillar which I paid to replace myself because I was told at the dealership this is just a cosmetic issue. I disagree, to me this is very hazardous and could potentially hurt someone, and now my car sounds like air is coming through the windshield. I don’t feel safe driving this car now and this kind of thing happening. I would feel awful if this caused an accident or if someone got hurt and I feel that Nissan should take responsibility and correct this defect as I have researched that many people have experienced the same scenario with these parts of the vehicle. The one I had replaced had different clips and definitely feels more secure, but again I don’t think enough people are reporting this issue properly, so I am because it’s dangerous.
May 17,2023 6:30a.m. I drove to work, parked for 9hrs & at 4pm when I went to leave my sunroof was shattered.. there are no trees or anything that is over my car.. it looked as though someone had gotten inside my car & punched the sunroof as the glass was slightly pushed outwards.. my car was locked & no signs of entry... upon …
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May 17,2023 6:30a.m. I drove to work, parked for 9hrs & at 4pm when I went to leave my sunroof was shattered.. there are no trees or anything that is over my car.. it looked as though someone had gotten inside my car & punched the sunroof as the glass was slightly pushed outwards.. my car was locked & no signs of entry... upon my arrival to Hudson Nissan I was informed by a Nissan Service Writer that this happens all the time & he told me to look it up on Youtube or Google.. After looking it up & seeing that exploding sunroofs happen daily, I did more research & saw there are current & past lawsuits pertaining to exploding sunroofs..that is also where I saw that I needed to file my exploding sunroof on this site. My car was inspected by a certified Nissan technician that said my entire roof system needed to be replaced. My car was also inspected by a certified State Farm Adjuster that only wants to pay for the rear glass. Thankfully I was not driving at the time of the incident, however, after viewing several videos of consumers this has happened to, they all said it sounds like a gunshot.. I've been shot, still carry the bullet in my neck, I cannot even imagine how I'd react if I were on the interstate driving 65mph and hear what appears to be a gunshot inside my car...or if my grandson was riding along. I cant say how I'd react,, but im guessing everyone around me would be at risk including myself.. I just can't phathom why this issue is still allowed to happen. The entire process has been a complete nightmare. I've been without a vehicle since May 17, 2023. State Farm doesn't want to pay for what the manufacturer/dealership suggests & once I get it fixed I will be trading it... I do not ever want to go through this again!
Nissan has a large issue with the quarter panel moldings. They are a design flaw and come off very easily in car washes or even brushing snow off your car. They will become loose or completely off. If they become loose and you are on the highway like I was and it went flying off the car at highway speed. That clearly is a sa…
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Nissan has a large issue with the quarter panel moldings. They are a design flaw and come off very easily in car washes or even brushing snow off your car. They will become loose or completely off. If they become loose and you are on the highway like I was and it went flying off the car at highway speed. That clearly is a safety concern that Nissan has been avoiding. However, they are now re-drilling a hole and attaching a new version of the molding. At the owners cost!!! It wasn't an issue but now you are changing the way you attach the new ones? Very odd and they state it's not a safety concern. I beg to differ if you are the car on the highway behind someone's that is loose and comes flying at you. I have read numerous blogs of owners complaining of the same issue. I think we need to get this addressed or see about a class action lawsuit because the way Nissan is reacting to this isn't right.
I PURCHASED NEW VEHICLE MARCH 10TH THE TIRE PRESSURE CAME ON SOON AS I PURCHASED I TOOK THE CAR BACK IT TO BIG O DODGE GET CHECKED OUT BUT THEY TOLD ME THEY DID NOT KNOW AND TO TAKE IT BY THE NISSAN DEALER. I WENT TO THE NISSAN SERVICE AND ALL FOUR TIRE SENSORS WERE BAD AND NEEDED TO BE FIXED THE DEALER (BIG O DODGE)WOULD NOT H…
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I PURCHASED NEW VEHICLE MARCH 10TH THE TIRE PRESSURE CAME ON SOON AS I PURCHASED I TOOK THE CAR BACK IT TO BIG O DODGE GET CHECKED OUT BUT THEY TOLD ME THEY DID NOT KNOW AND TO TAKE IT BY THE NISSAN DEALER. I WENT TO THE NISSAN SERVICE AND ALL FOUR TIRE SENSORS WERE BAD AND NEEDED TO BE FIXED THE DEALER (BIG O DODGE)WOULD NOT HELP. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY DID NOT BELIEVE ME OR THE NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE FRONT GRILLE AREA OF MY CAR HAD SMALL DAMAGE THAT THEY WOULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AS WELL.
PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED A LOUD WHISTLING SOUND COMING FROM THE SUNROOF OUTSIDE OF NORMAL WIND NOISES. THIS SOUND OCCURS DAILY. IT APPEARS THAT IT IS NOT SEALED PROPERLY AND WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO LEAKS. THE DEALERSHIP WAS ABLE TO HEAR THE NOISE AS WELL AND EVEN PUSH MY SUNROOF OPEN FURTHER WITH THEIR HANDS. UPON FURTH…
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PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED A LOUD WHISTLING SOUND COMING FROM THE SUNROOF OUTSIDE OF NORMAL WIND NOISES. THIS SOUND OCCURS DAILY. IT APPEARS THAT IT IS NOT SEALED PROPERLY AND WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO LEAKS. THE DEALERSHIP WAS ABLE TO HEAR THE NOISE AS WELL AND EVEN PUSH MY SUNROOF OPEN FURTHER WITH THEIR HANDS. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH ONLINE, THIS SEEM TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH NISSAN MAXIMA. THERE IS AN ENTIRE MAXIMA FORUM ONLINE DISCUSSING THIS ISSUE WITH CUSTOMERS COMPLAINING OF WATER DAMAGE DUE TO IT NOT BEING SEALED PROPERLY. CAR WAS INFESTED WITH SPIDERS RIGHT AFTER PURCHASE AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THEY WERE GETTING IN FROM THE SUNROOF.
A VEHICLE PULLED OUT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND WAS STRUCK MY VEHICLE. MY VEHICLE SUSTAINED FRONT-END DAMAGE THAT TOTALLED MY CAR OUT. MY AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY.
Official recalls
419V807000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip
Nov 8, 2019
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Nissan Murano, 2016-2018 Nissan Maxima, and 2017-2019 Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and unrepaired, or inspected and determined to not need a repair, under recall number 18V-601. In addition, this recall expands the previous population. The Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) actuator pumps may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal circuit board.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ABS actuator, free of charge. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available, currently expected to be during summer 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: If the ABS warning light remains illuminated for more than 10 seconds after engine start up, owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and to not drive the vehicle.
18V601000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip
Sep 7, 2018
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Nissan Murano, 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2017-2018 Nissan Pathfinder, and 2017 Infiniti QX60 vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake (ABS) actuator pumps may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal circuit board.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the serial number on the ABS actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 29, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: When brake fluid has leaked onto the circuit board, the ABS warning lamp will remain illuminated for more than 10 seconds after engine start up. If this occurs, owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and to not drive the vehicle.
16V636000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip
Sep 2, 2016
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima vehicles manufactured February 10, 2015, to August 19, 2016 and equipped with Intelligent Cruise Control, 2015-2017 Murano vehicles manufactured August 22, 2014, to August 19, 2016 and equipped with Intelligent Cruise Control, and 2015-2016 Murano Hybrid vehicles manufactured August 22, 2014, to July 19, 2016. The affected vehicles have Anti-Lock Brake (ABS) actuator pumps that may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal electrical circuit board.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A brake fluid leak onto the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ABS Actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 12, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: When brake fluid has leaked onto the circuit board, the ABS warning lamp will remain illuminated for more than 10 seconds after engine start up. If this occurs, owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and to not drive the vehicle.
16V244000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
Apr 26, 2016
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.
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
1EA19002 · Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure
Opened Jul 29, 2019 · Closed Jun 16, 2025
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension:rear
On July 29, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened EA19002 to investigate instances of alleged rear lower control arm failures in 2013-2018 Nissan Altima and 2016-2018 Nissan Maxima vehicles. At the time the investigation was opened ODI had 91 consumer complaints alleging rear lower control arm failures in the subject vehicles.ODI was concerned about these complaints because many of them alleged an increased steering effort or loss of vehicle control.At the time these complaints were received, ODI was also aware of a proactive service campaign addressing 2013 Nissan Altima in salt-belt states for a similar concern. Since opening the investigation, ODI has confirmed, based on consumer complaints, warranty data, and testing conducted by Nissan and ODI, that owners of the subject vehicles are experiencing a corroded bushing at one of three mounting points of the control arm to the rear subframe.ODI has also confirmed that drivers become aware of the problem because of sound and abnormal vibrations. In addition, the failure mileage is typically over 113,000 miles at the time of failure.In conjunction with Nissan and VRTC, ODI participated in testing to assess the potential safety consequence of a bushing failure.It was found the Vehicle Dynamic Control system allows the driver to maintain vehicle control in the event of a bushing failure.With between 7 to 13 years of field exposure, ODI is aware of only one low speed crash allegation describing minor contact with another vehicle’s trailer hitch. Nissan acknowledges that a crack can develop in affected control arms due to stress loading from normal use and that salts commonly used for roadway snow and ice treatment may result in corrosion that exacerbates the progression of the crack.Nissan implemented a design change in January of 2018 to improve the durability of the lower control arm.Affected vehicles have either been repaired with the countermeasure part under a customer satisfaction campaign or been provided a warranty extension from 3 years/36,000 miles to 10 year/unlimited mileage. Through testing and analysis of the information obtained to date, ODI has not identified a defect representing an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety involving corrosion of the subject rear lower control arm at this time.With a declining trend of reports and Nissan’s actions to implement a countermeasure and extended warranty coverage, further investigation of the issue does not appear to be warranted at this time.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov. A detailed discussion of the investigation and related complaint numbers can be viewed in the attached closing report.
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