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2002 Nissan MaximaProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 205 owner complaints about the 2002 Nissan Maxima, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 6 safety recalls, and for recall 15V-287 the manufacturer reports only 27% of affected cars repaired.

2002 Nissan Maxima
33
CarFlaw IndexUse caution2.0× the Maxima median · #8 of 35 years by complaints
Safety recalls6Lowest repair rate 27%Owner complaints20542 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage64kEngine and engine cooling, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 24, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2002 Nissan Maxima has problems

205 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine and engine cooling300
Air bags2914
Vehicle speed control236
Electrical system221
Exterior lighting221
Engine191
Service brakes, hydraulic171
Power train141
Suspension131
15 other systems7513

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

6 recalls

2002 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.

36%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 →

27%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

Engine and engine cooling

Recall 03V-455 · Nov 17, 2003 · 630,000 vehicles

Risk. THIS COULD CAUSE THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" WARNING LIGHT TO COME ON, CREATE A NO START CONDITION, CAUSE REDUCED ENGINE POWER, OR CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STOP…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 2 more recalls
–no report yet

Vehicle speed control

Recall 02V-043 · Feb 12, 2002 · 39,000 vehicles

Risk. THIS WILL CAUSE THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP TO COME ON AND THE ENGINE SPEED TO BE SEVERELY LIMITED.

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.

Mileage at failure

When do engine and engine cooling problems start?

64kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 23 engine and engine cooling complaints. 74% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
9under 30k miles17under 100k miles6100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2002 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

'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

2002 Nissan Maxima safety ratings

2002 Nissan Maxima 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2002 Nissan Maxima frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
2002 Nissan Maxima side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Stability control: Optional
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2002 Nissan Maxima, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
In owners' words

What Maxima owners report

Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED…
Complaint 11326979 · Jun 2, 2020 · 130,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO MAKE HISSING NOISES AND COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED…
Complaint 10824329 · Feb 4, 2016 · 68,000 miles
IN REFERENCE TO > NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 03V455000 COMPONENT(S): ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING I NEARLY CRASHED WHEN MY CAR DIED WHILE MERGING ONTO A FREEWAY. MY CAR DOESN'T START LIKE IT USED TO. VERY ROUGH STARTS, CONTINUOUSLY TO GET THE ENGINE TO TURN. IT WILL DIE WHILE CAR IS MOVING. THIS HAPPENS…
Complaint 10577266 · Apr 3, 2014 · 98,000 miles

Own a 2002 Maxima?

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