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Nissan Maxima 2009–2014 problems by year and mileage

7th generation (A35)

NHTSA data through 24 September 2026985 complaints, 778 with mileageMethod

Which year is yours? Tap it to see what breaks on it.

• 200970kmedian
• 201065kmedian
• 201168kmedian
• 201255kmedian
• 201362kmedian
• 201450kmedian

Each tile shows the median mileage at which that model year’s failures were reported. The 2009 reports latest and the 2014 earliest, but part of that gap is age: the 2009 has had 5 more years on the road to accumulate mileage.

The short answer

“Is the 2009–2014 Nissan Maxima reliable?”

Median of reported failures

65,000 mi

90% of reports came by

121,000 mi

Reports with mileage

778

Recalls

1

Most reported

1. Steering35.5% of complaints · median 63,000 mi
2. Electrical system20.3% of complaints · median 66,000 mi
3. Airbag system15.0% of complaints · median 33,000 mi

When each system fails ↓

Documented problems

• Transmission2009–2014
• Engine

What each one is ↓

Owners filed 985 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009–2014 Nissan Maxima; the steering leads with 35.5% of them, and half of the 778 that record an odometer reading came by 65,000 miles. A count like this can’t rate reliability on its own: NHTSA records what owners chose to report, not how many of each car were sold.

Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 39,000 and 94,000 miles.

Before-you-buy checklist ↓At your mileage ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗

How many miles does a 2009–2014 Nissan Maxima last?

Figure 1 · Nissan Maxima 2009–2014 · 778 reports with mileage

Mileage at failure

Complaints per 10,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 90 complaints.

906845230

11.6% of all reports fall between 50,000 and 60,000 miles

25k50k75k100k125k150k175k200k

• Rest of the range
• Median
• 200,000+ — 8 complaints (1.0%), plotted separately

10%

11,000

25%

39,113

Median

64,623

75%

94,006

90%

121,000

Tallest bin: 90 complaints between 50,000 and 60,000 miles. Based on 778 complaints that record mileage. Bin width 10,000 miles.

Show the numbers

Complaints by mileage bin

Mileage	Complaints	Share
0–10,000	69	8.9%
10,000–20,000	28	3.6%
20,000–30,000	35	4.5%
30,000–40,000	67	8.6%
40,000–50,000	61	7.8%
50,000–60,000	90	11.6%
60,000–70,000	75	9.6%
70,000–80,000	72	9.3%
80,000–90,000	65	8.4%
90,000–100,000	37	4.8%
100,000–110,000	54	6.9%
110,000–120,000	39	5.0%
120,000–130,000	20	2.6%
130,000–140,000	17	2.2%
140,000–150,000	11	1.4%
150,000–160,000	11	1.4%
160,000–170,000	3	0.4%
170,000–180,000	11	1.4%
180,000–190,000	2	0.3%
190,000–200,000	3	0.4%
200,000+	8	1.0%

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.

What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.

Common Maxima problems, and when they happen

Figure 2 · Nissan Maxima 2009–2014

When each system fails

Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.

System0–12,000 mi factory-defect window12,000 mi and beyond wear and service lifeMedian

1. Airbag system148 reports33,0006,000–74,000Airbag system: 148 reports, median 33,000 miles, middle half 6,000 to 74,000 miles.
2. Steering350 reports63,00048,000–88,000Steering: 350 reports, median 63,000 miles, middle half 48,000 to 88,000 miles.
3. Electrical system200 reports66,00050,000–88,000Electrical system: 200 reports, median 66,000 miles, middle half 50,000 to 88,000 miles.
4. Engine74 reports67,00041,000–96,000Engine: 74 reports, median 67,000 miles, middle half 41,000 to 96,000 miles.
5. Problems owners could not categorise112 reports70,00050,000–113,000Problems owners could not categorise: 112 reports, median 70,000 miles, middle half 50,000 to 113,000 miles.
6. Suspension75 reports75,00045,000–122,000Suspension: 75 reports, median 75,000 miles, middle half 45,000 to 122,000 miles.
7. Transmission and driveline112 reports94,00067,000–112,000Transmission and driveline: 112 reports, median 94,000 miles, middle half 67,000 to 112,000 miles.

5001k2k5k10k20k50k100k200k

• Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”

Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.

All systems in a table

Complaints by vehicle system

System	Complaints	Share	Median	25–75%
Steering	350	35.5%	63,000	48,000–88,000
Electrical system	200	20.3%	66,000	50,000–88,000
Airbag system	148	15.0%	33,000	6,000–74,000
Transmission and driveline	112	11.4%	94,000	67,000–112,000
Problems owners could not categorise	112	11.4%	70,000	50,000–113,000
Suspension	75	7.6%	75,000	45,000–122,000
Engine	74	7.5%	67,000	41,000–96,000
Body structure	39	4.0%	55,000	35,000–95,000
Exterior lighting	34	3.5%	90,000	60,000–112,000
Seats	32	3.2%	38,000	4,500–70,000

System by system, in words

Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 65,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.

The steering accounts for 35.5% of complaints (350 reports, 304 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 63,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 48,000 and 88,000 miles.

A single system taking 35.5% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.

The electrical system accounts for 20.3% of complaints (200 reports, 170 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 66,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 50,000 and 88,000 miles.

The airbag system accounts for 15.0% of complaints (148 reports, 111 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 33,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 6,000 and 74,000 miles.

The transmission and driveline accounts for 11.4% of complaints (112 reports, 90 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 94,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 67,000 and 112,000 miles.

Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 11.4% of complaints (112 reports, 67 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 70,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 50,000 and 113,000 miles.

The suspension accounts for 7.6% of complaints (75 reports, 56 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 75,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 45,000 and 122,000 miles.

Known problems with the 2009–2014 Maxima

Before you buy a 2009–2014 Maxima: the 3-minute check

Generated from 778 mileage-tagged complaints, 1 recall campaign, 2 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.

For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 39,000 and 94,000 miles, with a median of 65,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.

On inspection, the steering and the electrical system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The steering in particular shows a median failure mileage of 63,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.

None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.

Maxima problems by mileage: where your car sits

Type your odometer reading, or read the common mileages in the table. Your marker lands on the timing chart above and on the curve below.

Your odometer, milesGo

Figure 3 · Nissan Maxima 2009–2014 · 778 reports with mileage

Share of reports below each mileage

Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.

100%75%50%25%0%

25k50k75k100k125k150k175k200k

• 60,000 mi — 45% of reports below
• 90,000 mi — 72% of reports below
• 120,000 mi — 89% of reports below
• 150,000 mi — 95% of reports below
• 200,000 mi — 99% of reports below
• Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
• Your odometer — appears after you enter it above

The staircase tops out at 99%: the remaining 1.0% of reports (8) came above 200,000 miles.

Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.

2009–2014 Nissan Maxima recalls (1)

NHTSA records 1 recall campaign covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.

Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.

Recall repairs are free at an authorized dealer, for any owner. Summaries below shorten NHTSA’s own wording.

1. Sep 2009 · 2009–2010 · SuspensionIf the strut insulator is cracked, there is a potential for the strut rod to come out of its mounting…

   The defect. Nissan is recalling certain model year 2009 and 2010 altima and Maxima passenger cars. The upper front strut insulators may have been manufactured out of specification resulting in a potential for the strut insulator to crack.

   What can happen. If the strut insulator is cracked, there is a potential for the strut rod to come out of its mounting position, which could affect vehicle stability and increase the risk of a crash.

   The free fix. Nissan will notify owners and dealers will replace both left and right side front strut insulators free of charge. The safety recall began october 2009. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-nissan1…

   NHTSA campaign 09V-358 (2009-09-16).

Some of these 1 campaigns also cover Nissan Altima 2007–2012 (1 of them): the same campaign number appears in NHTSA’s file against both, which means the same defect and the same free repair.

Crashes, fires and injuries owners reported

What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 985 complaints against this generation:

Crashes

36 (3.7%)

Fires

9

Injury reports

30

Fatality reports

0

These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.

Maxima problems by model year

The 2009 drew the most complaints of this generation, 339, most of them about the steering, and the 2013 the fewest, 62. A typical year drew about 106.

That makes the 2009 stand out at roughly 3.2 times a typical year. A count like this follows how many cars of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as how often they failed, so it is not by itself evidence of a worse year; what each year's reports name, in its card and row, is the useful part.

What Maxima owners reported

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Nissan Maxima. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a dealer sale. The contact stated that the mileage on the title was not available. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 150,000. The vehicle was taken for…

2012 · 246,000 miles · Electrical system

The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that the passenger’s side air bag warning light was illuminated. The air bag located in the seat failed to activate as designed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the passenger’s side seat sensor was inoperable. The vehicle…

2014 · 46,000 miles · Airbag system

The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights became inoperable. The contact stated that the headlights failed to function properly, and the lights were dim. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the…

2014 · 107,000 miles · Exterior lighting

The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the front end of the vehicle started shuddering uncontrollably. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact was able to continue driving to the residence at 20 MPH. The dealer and the manufacturer were not…

2009 · 200,000 miles · Suspension

Built from 778 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-09-26 · open data · how it is built

Other Maxima generations

• Maxima 1995–1999 187 reports with mileage, most about the electrical system
• Maxima 2000–2003 623 reports with mileage, most about the electrical system
• Maxima 2004–2008 2,678 reports with mileage, most about the transmission and driveline
• Maxima 2016–2023 155 reports with mileage, most about problems owners could not categorise

Other large cars from the same years

• Buick Lacrosse 2010–2016
• Chevrolet Impala 2006–2013
• Ford Taurus 2010–2019
• Dodge Charger 2011–2023