no report yet
Front assembly: power adjust
Risk. A PINCHED HARNESS, IN COMBINATION WITH DRIVING VIBRATION, MAY RESULT IN A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE HARNESS THAT COULD LEAD TO A FIRE IN THE SEAT.
2004 Nissan MaximaProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 1,426 owner complaints about the 2004 Nissan Maxima, most often about the power train. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 24, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2004 Nissan Maxima has problems
1,426 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
934Power train21 crash/fire/injury
141Tires3 crash/fire/injury
102Suspension3 crash/fire/injury
70Engine and engine cooling
61Service brakes, hydraulic
56Structure
56Electrical system
51Engine
38Vehicle speed control
17118 other systems23 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 934 | 21 |
| Tires | 141 | 3 |
| Suspension | 102 | 3 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 70 | 3 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 61 | 5 |
| Structure | 56 | 3 |
| Electrical system | 56 | 8 |
| Engine | 51 | 6 |
| Vehicle speed control | 38 | 7 |
| 18 other systems | 171 | 23 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
2 recalls
2004 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.
no report yet
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
Risk. THIS COULD CREATE EXCESSIVE INTERNAL STRESS IN THE GLASS AND EVENTUALLY CAUSE THE GLASS TO SHATTER, CREATING A RISK OF INJURY.
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 power train problems start?
84kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 828 power train complaints. 71% were reported before 100,000 miles.
27under 30k miles588under 100k miles240100k miles or more
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.
Power train
103 owners mentioned a cost$3,553median
Middle half: $2,000 – $4,000
Service brakes, hydraulic
13 owners mentioned a cost$1,500median
Middle half: $1,300 – $2,000
Engine and engine cooling
9 owners mentioned a cost$1,600median
Middle half: $600 – $3,000
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
2004 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
2004 Nissan Maxima safety ratings
2004 Nissan Maxima 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Stability control: Optional
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2004 Nissan Maxima, and the recalls they led to.
- GLASS ROOF SHATTERINGLed to recall 04V-326
In owners' words
What Maxima owners report
Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
WHEN IN MOTION THE TRANSMISSION STARTS TO SLIP IN 1 AND 2 GEAR THEN 4 AND 5 GEAR JUMPS OUT OF GEAR THEN GOES IN TO LIMP MODE
CAR WAS FINE INITIALLY THEN STARTED CAR WHICH TOOK LONGER THAN NORMAL TO START AND CAR WOULD NOT HARDLY GO DUE TO IT NOT BEING IN 1ST GEAR. PUT THE TRANSMISSION INTO MANUAL MODE AND DOWNSHIFTED IT TO FIRST AND GOT A HARD CLUNK BUT CAR WOULD NOW GO UNDER ITS OWN POWER BUT WHEN YOU PUT IT BACK IN…
WHEN DRIVING THE CAR WIL LOSE POWER AND START JERKING BADLY, CUTTING BACK LIKE LOSING POWER. IT FEELS AS IF IT IS GOING TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I TOOK IT TO A WELL KNOW TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH SEVERAL NISSAN CARS INCLUDING MINE. THERE ARE SEVERAL…
Own a 2004 Maxima?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.