Nissan Maxima 2009–2014
7th generation (A35)
NHTSA data through 12 August 20261,331 complaints, 1,037 with mileageMethod
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 40,000 and 96,487 miles.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 14 complaints (1.4%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 13,500
- 25%
- 40,000
- Median
- 65,950
- 75%
- 96,487
- 90%
- 123,300
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 85 | 8.2% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 37 | 3.6% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 46 | 4.4% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 82 | 7.9% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 80 | 7.7% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 125 | 12.1% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 103 | 9.9% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 99 | 9.5% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 90 | 8.7% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 44 | 4.2% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 70 | 6.8% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 55 | 5.3% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 26 | 2.5% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 20 | 1.9% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 15 | 1.4% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 16 | 1.5% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 5 | 0.5% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 18 | 1.7% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 3 | 0.3% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 4 | 0.4% |
| 200,000+ | 14 | 1.4% |
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.
Owners filed 1,331 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009–2014 Nissan Maxima, and 1,037 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 40,000 and 96,487 miles. The median is 65,950 miles.
The most-reported areas are the steering (26.7% of complaints, typically around 64,000 miles), the electrical system (15.0% of complaints, typically around 66,000 miles), the airbag system (11.3% of complaints, typically around 33,000 miles).
What fails, and when
- Steering64,000median 64,000 miles, middle half 48,000 to 89,000
- Electrical system66,000median 66,000 miles, middle half 50,000 to 88,000
- Airbag system33,000median 33,009 miles, middle half 7,500 to 74,000
- Problems owners could not categorise70,000median 70,000 miles, middle half 50,000 to 113,000
- Transmission and driveline94,000median 94,000 miles, middle half 67,000 to 112,000
- Suspension75,000median 75,211 miles, middle half 45,000 to 122,000
- Engine67,000median 67,000 miles, middle half 41,000 to 96,000
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 355 | 26.7% | 64,000 | 48,000–89,000 |
| Electrical system | 200 | 15.0% | 66,000 | 50,000–88,000 |
| Airbag system | 150 | 11.3% | 33,000 | 7,500–74,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 112 | 8.4% | 70,000 | 50,000–113,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 111 | 8.3% | 94,000 | 67,000–112,000 |
| Suspension | 75 | 5.6% | 75,000 | 45,000–122,000 |
| Engine | 74 | 5.6% | 67,000 | 41,000–96,000 |
| Body structure | 40 | 3.0% | 55,000 | 35,000–90,000 |
| Exterior lighting | 34 | 2.6% | 90,000 | 60,000–112,000 |
| Seats | 32 | 2.4% | 38,000 | 4,500–70,000 |
Which systems, and when
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 65,950 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The steering accounts for 26.7% of complaints (355 reports, 307 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 64,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 48,000 and 88,984 miles.
A single system taking 26.7% 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 15.0% 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 11.3% of complaints (150 reports, 112 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 33,009 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 7,500 and 74,000 miles.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 8.4% 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 transmission and driveline accounts for 8.3% of complaints (111 reports, 90 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 94,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 67,000 and 112,000 miles.
The suspension accounts for 5.6% of complaints (75 reports, 56 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 75,211 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 45,000 and 122,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2009 model year drew the most — 460 complaints — while 2013 drew the fewest at 71. The median year sits at 137.
That makes 2009 an outlier: roughly 3.3 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
Recalls and what they cover
No recall campaigns covering this generation appear in NHTSA's post-2010 recall file. That is not the same as an absence of problems — recalls address safety defects specifically, and many of the complaints above concern faults that are expensive or annoying without meeting that threshold.
Reported severity
Of the 1,331 complaints filed against this generation, 56 reported a crash; 10 reported a fire; 69 reported an injury. Crash-involved reports represent 4.2% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
What this means if you are buying one
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 40,000 and 96,487 miles, with a median of 65,950. 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 64,000, 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.
Documented problems
Transmission 2009–2014
JATCO JF010E Xtronic CVT failure is the dominant complaint. Fluid overheating causes belt-to-pulley slip and metal contamination, producing shudder, whine, hesitation and total loss of drive, often between 60,000 and 110,000 miles. Nissan reserved $590.5M to extend CVT coverage and class settlements extended affected warranties to 84 months / 84,000 miles.
Engine
VQ35DE timing chain wear (Falco v. Nissan settlement) and oil consumption.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 460 | 364 |
| 2010 | 399 | 343 |
| 2011 | 138 | 82 |
| 2012 | 137 | 104 |
| 2013 | 71 | 56 |
| 2014 | 126 | 88 |
What owners reported
Tl*the contact owns a 2009 Nissan Maxima. Immediately after purchasing the vehicle in december of 2008, the contact noticed that the air bag light would remain illuminated when the front passenger seat was occupied. In addition, the air bag sensor would not work whenever a passenger utilized the back rest. The…
2009 · 150 miles · Airbag system
When i am driving the car, with a passenger in the front passenger seat, air bag not on sign will illuminate. This happens on a daily basis. I never took it in and it still happens now. It became oblivious to me because i didn't make time to have the problem corrected, seat belts are fastened and the light still…
2009 · 500 miles · Airbag system
In nov. 2009, Approx 3 months after purchasing new car, it started intermittently having heavier vibration in the steering wheel. Since then, there is a constant minor pulsing/vibration, with intermittent vibration that has more intensity. When i have more instances of the "heavier" vibration during my commute it…
2009 · 2,500 miles · Steering
Tires vibrated as if out of balance. Took back to dealer he rebalanced and rotated tires. This did not change vibration. Continued to have vibration and dealer stated he could find nothing wrong with tires. Dealer stated he had never seen a bad tire only bad drivers. These were new tires with less than 3000…
2009 · 3,000 miles · Steering
Built from 1,037 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page