Page 3 of 3 · complaints 101–106 of 106

2011 Nissan Maxima complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2011 record →

Electrical System
Filed Apr 6, 201216,000 milesTX

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THE KEY LOCKING SECURITY FEATURE FAILED TO OPERATE BECAUSE THE IGNITION KEY WAS LEFT INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO UNLOCK THE DOOR FOR ENTRANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000.

Air Bags
Filed Apr 5, 2012AR

WE PURCHASED A 2011 NISSAN MAXIMA IN NOVEMBER 2011 AND HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE STAYING ON WHILE I AM SITTING IN THE SEAT. I WEIGH 115 LBS AND AM 5'1. I GOT NO HELP FROM THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP. I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN SEVERAL TIMES AND WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT. I TALKED WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER TODAY AND SHE TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE OF MY SIZE THE AIR BAG WOULD DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. I WAS UNHAPPY WITH THAT ANSWER AND SHE TOLD ME SHE HAS DONE ALL SHE COULD DO, THAT I WAS WELCOME TO CALL NISSAN AND DISCUSS THE PROBLEM WITH THEM. I CALLED 1-800-NISSAN1 AND SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE THAT WAS HELPFUL. HE SAID THE WEIGHT LIMIT WAS 100LBS AND I SHOULDN'T BE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. HE OPENED A CASE AND SAID THE SERVICE MANAGER IN OUR TOWN WOULD RECEIVE A PHONE CALL AND ALSO GAVE ME A CASE NUMBER. I AM HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN GET THIS ISSUE RESOLVED. *TR

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Mar 6, 20125,700 milesOK

ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING, I TOOK IT TO THE NISSAN DEALER WHO PULLED THE OIL PAN AND FOUND PIECES OF THE MAIN CRANKSHAFT BEARINGS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE OIL PAN. THE CAR WAS STILL DRIVING OK AND THE KNOCK COULD NOT BE HEARD FROM INSIDE THE CAR. NISSAN REPLACED THE SHORT BLOCK ENGINE. HAD I NOT NOTICED THE KNOCK AND TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE EVENTUALLY SEIZED UP AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A DANGEROUS DRIVING SITUATION. I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW AND HAD THE FIRST OIL CHANGE AT 3100 MILES BY A NISSAN DEALER AND THE ENGINE FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 5700 MILES AFTER 4 MONTHS OF USE. *TR

Air Bags
Filed Sep 23, 20112,200 milesNY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE INTERMITTENTLY WHETHER THE SEAT WAS OCCUPIED OR NOT. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SIX TIMES FOR THE FAILURE. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT NEEDED TO BE "BROKEN IN" BECAUSE THE LEATHER WAS HARD. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY SUGGESTED THE CONTACT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER AND THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. THERE WERE NO REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,200.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed May 9, 20111,800 milesGA

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2011 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE ALSO WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE TRANSMISSION CODE WAS RESET. THE FAILURE RECURRED ONE DAY LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THEY WERE RECEIVING VARIOUS DIFFERENT CODES FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED TO INSTALL A BUTTON IN THE VEHICLE TO HELP RECORD THE PROPER CODES FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS WITH THE DEALER AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,800 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,000.

Air Bags
Filed Jan 25, 2011450 milesNC

NEW 2011 NISSAN MAXIMA. PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS SOMETIMES FAIL TO ACTIVATE AT ALL OR ACTIVATE ONLY AFTER DRIVING SEVERAL (12-15) MILES WITH A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. SITUATION HAS OCCURRED ROUTINELY SINCE TAKING DELIVERY OF VEHICLE ON 10/14/10. CONSEQUENTLY, FRONT SEAT PASSENGERS ARE NOT PROTECTED BY THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. ALL PASSENGERS HAVE BEEN ADULTS, RANGING IN SIZE FROM 95 LBS, 5'2" TO 145 LBS, 5'8". HEAVIER PASSENGERS ACTIVATE THE AIRBAGS QUICKER. SELLING DEALER HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE AND REPLACED THE SEAR BOTTOM CUSHION CONTAINING THE ACTIVATION DEVICE. OLD PART WAS RETAINED BY DEALER. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *TR

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 2011 Nissan Maxima → · Every Maxima year → · How the figures are calculated →