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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 →

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.

7 crash reports2 fire reports5 injury reports

What owners actually said

103 reports
Mileage unknown · Mar 7, 2024
Air BagsStructure

Rear passenger pillars between passenger doors and trunk plastic trim pieces have both broken off. The plastic clips are so flimsy they broke off.

NHTSA ODI #11576099

Mileage unknown · Feb 1, 2024
StructureUnknown Or Other

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.

NHTSA ODI #11569305

Mileage unknown · Jan 7, 2024
Air Bags

Went to work and parked. It rained that day, not sure if it’s related. When I went to leave the dash airbag light stayed on. This was December 2023. There are no other issues with the car. No other warning lights. The car has 52,300 miles on it now. I just recently took it to the dealership to see about getting it fixed and was …

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Went to work and parked. It rained that day, not sure if it’s related. When I went to leave the dash airbag light stayed on. This was December 2023. There are no other issues with the car. No other warning lights. The car has 52,300 miles on it now. I just recently took it to the dealership to see about getting it fixed and was quoted $7k-11k in repairs. They told me “it’s usually the setback assembly. That could possibly fix it.” I was told the lifetime power train warranty that the dealership offers does not apply. I do have the invoice, but for some train the website is not letting me upload.

NHTSA ODI #11564052

Mileage unknown · Dec 27, 2023
Power Train

The transmission just stops shifting out of nowhere and has had a transmission judder code since ive owned it. The transmission shakes at acceleration about 90% of the time.

NHTSA ODI #11561984

Mileage unknown · Dec 7, 2023
StructureUnknown Or Other

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.

NHTSA ODI #11558874

Mileage unknown · Nov 22, 2023
Air BagsElectrical SystemForward Collision Avoidance

First, my passenger airbag light came on and will not go off. then my emergency breaking system activated while I was driving on the interstate and I was almost hit by a semi from behind I didn’t manage to get the vehicle off the road I took it to Nissan . They did a diagnostics and couldn’t find anything wrong with the car the …

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First, my passenger airbag light came on and will not go off. then my emergency breaking system activated while I was driving on the interstate and I was almost hit by a semi from behind I didn’t manage to get the vehicle off the road I took it to Nissan . They did a diagnostics and couldn’t find anything wrong with the car the emergency braking system has activated several times since then and now my whole dash system seems to freeze up completely and will not let me use anything in the car. I have to put it in park the car off and restart for it to work. Nissan has my vehicle now . They did another diagnostics and said it was a sensor in the airbags, and the whole driver side seat had to be replaced and I was told that my airbags would not deploy if I got in a car wreck since there is no recall for this issue so they say I have to put out-of-pocket that amount of money to fix my car and they want me to pay for another diagnostics fee. I have a car that does not have safety features that I paid for. Nissan wants to charge me again for another diagnostics exam and the cost for the seat they say about $5000 .

NHTSA ODI #11556394

Mileage unknown · Oct 12, 2023
Air BagsExterior Lighting

The airbag light does not go out once the vehicle has been started and while driving.

NHTSA ODI #11549562

Mileage unknown · Oct 4, 2023
Unknown Or Other

Car starts, but would not accelerate. Turned the car off, started 10 minutes later, car would not accelerate past 5 mph. Drove a 1/4 block turned around, car’s power steering locked up in drive way. 12 hours later car works fine, no acceleration issues. Brought to Nissan dealership, they found no issues. 2 weeks later, drove f…

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Car starts, but would not accelerate. Turned the car off, started 10 minutes later, car would not accelerate past 5 mph. Drove a 1/4 block turned around, car’s power steering locked up in drive way. 12 hours later car works fine, no acceleration issues. Brought to Nissan dealership, they found no issues. 2 weeks later, drove for 3-hour trip. Returned home and parked. Started car 30 minutes later, drove 10 minutes and car loses acceleration again in the middle of road/traffic. Able to park safely. Car engine would not restart, lights and hazards working. Error message on dash says incorrect key code. Called a tow, they jumped the car with a jumper pack and engine starts, car accelerates. 1 day later new battery installed, new battery in key fobs. Car is accelerating and starting now. My complaint, my belief that there is a serious design flaw with the keyless start option. Car is not detecting key while in drive every time. No indication given that batteries were low power. Safety issues - no detectable problems found by mechanics, losing acceleration while in traffic possibly due to key fob malfunction. Why is there no option for traditional key start? How can car be trusted to start/ accelerate when driving long distances, when there is no reasonable explanation for the loss of acceleration? This is not a unique issue, a number of complaints online for viewing. Videos on how to ‘fix’ by unplugging car battery. Consumers should not have to diy/disconnect car battery just to start a car.I believe this is a deeper issue with car design and is a safety issue for teen and adult drivers.

NHTSA ODI #11548137

Mileage unknown · Sep 5, 2023
EngineForward Collision Avoidance

The emergency braking system warning light came on while I was stopped in rush hour traffic. No collision. Light is coming on every time I drive the car. Fear of the system automatically stopping my vehicle while driving without cause. The dealership refused to test the sensors without me paying for the service. This first star…

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The emergency braking system warning light came on while I was stopped in rush hour traffic. No collision. Light is coming on every time I drive the car. Fear of the system automatically stopping my vehicle while driving without cause. The dealership refused to test the sensors without me paying for the service. This first started showing up on 8/28/2023. The front sensors warning stating " front sensor obstructed system is unavailable" has been coming on for no reason at random. Dealership refuses to test sensors without me paying for test. This has been happening for some time.

NHTSA ODI #11542592

Mileage unknown · Aug 26, 2023
Unknown Or Other

Carvana states I have open recalls on my car. However, when I check my VIN on your website it states no open recalls. I reached out to Carvana to file a complaint as I wasted 2 hours of my life taking my car to have recalls fixed when the recalls were non-existent. Carvana in turn routes me to file a complaint with you as you se…

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Carvana states I have open recalls on my car. However, when I check my VIN on your website it states no open recalls. I reached out to Carvana to file a complaint as I wasted 2 hours of my life taking my car to have recalls fixed when the recalls were non-existent. Carvana in turn routes me to file a complaint with you as you send them the codes for recalls. Does my car have recalls or not?

NHTSA ODI #11540898

Official recalls

4

19V807000 · 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

1

EA19002 · 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.