2001 Nissan MaximaProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 172 owner complaints about the 2001 Nissan Maxima, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 3 safety recalls, and for recall 15V-287 the manufacturer reports only 27% of affected cars repaired.

CarFlaw IndexUse caution1.4× the Maxima median · #11 of 35 years by complaints

Safety recalls3Lowest repair rate 27%Owner complaints17218 with a crash, fire or injury Typical failure mileage118kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 16, 2022. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2001 Nissan Maxima has problems

172 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

29Air bags4 crash/fire/injury

28Engine and engine cooling

27Electrical system3 crash/fire/injury

24Suspension

22Service brakes, hydraulic2 crash/fire/injury

11Vehicle speed control

9Structure

8Fuel system, gasoline

8Power train

4815 other systems3 crash/fire/injury

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.

Complaints by system
System	Complaints	Crash, fire or injury
Air bags	29	4
Engine and engine cooling	28	0
Electrical system	27	3
Suspension	24	0
Service brakes, hydraulic	22	2
Vehicle speed control	11	1
Structure	9	1
Fuel system, gasoline	8	0
Power train	8	1
15 other systems	48	3

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

3 recalls

2001 Nissan Maxima recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

repaired · 2021 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 20V-008 · Jan 9, 2020 · 307,962 vehicles · 111,354 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

repaired · 2017 Q1

Air bags

Recall 15V-287 · May 15, 2015 · 1,090,569 vehicles · 297,865 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Control arm: lower arm

Recall 02V-146 · May 30, 2002 · 90,500 vehicles

Risk. THIS CAN CAUSE A KNOCKING SOUND AND ABNORMAL STEERING.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Nissan.

Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Engine and engine cooling

8 owners mentioned a cost

$800median

Middle half: $663 – $2,250

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2001 vs. every other Maxima year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Maxima median. How we score

54 60 17660 62 10676 11078 89 15296 1021131653601722052061,42694857612979 33927510610762 96 1 14210636 18 22 3 5 1

'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23

Avoid
Caution
Solid
Best
Not rated

NHTSA crash tests

2001 Nissan Maxima safety ratings

2001 Nissan Maxima 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2001 Nissan Maxima frontal crash test, NHTSA

Frontal crashNot rated

2001 Nissan Maxima side barrier test, NHTSA

Side barrierNot rated

Stability control: No
Forward collision warning: No
Lane departure warning: No

1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2001 Nissan Maxima, and the recalls they led to.

Sep 17, 2021
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
Open

In owners' words

What Maxima owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

2001 Nissan Maxima. Consumer writes in regards to Airbag Safety Recall. THE CONSUMER STATED MILEAGE IS INCORRECT ON THE DEALER'S DOCUMENTATION.
Complaint 11423189 · Jul 2, 2021

TAKADA RECALL MY AIRBAG LIGHT HAS BEEN BLINKING CONTINUOUSLY FOR THE PAST 6 MONTHS AND IT WON'T STOP BLINKING I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS
Complaint 11246296 · Aug 25, 2019 · 250,000 miles

FEW DAYS AGO THE AIR BAG RED SYMBOL START BLINKING. THEN, I TURN OFF THE CAR AND TRY TO RE-START THE ENGINE BUT DOESN'T START ENGINE ANYMORE. CAR IS UNUSABLE. THANKS TO GOD! ITS JUST HAPPENED CLOSE TO MY HOUSE. CAR WAS LEFT AT THE FRONT OF MY HOME.
Complaint 11233024 · Jul 18, 2019 · 15 miles

Own a 2001 Maxima?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.