Nissan Maxima 2016–2023
8th generation (A36)
NHTSA data through 12 August 2026498 complaints, 218 with mileageMethod
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 11,066 and 60,000 miles.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 10%
- 2,000
- 25%
- 11,066
- Median
- 30,000
- 75%
- 60,000
- 90%
- 94,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–20,000 | 83 | 38.1% |
| 20,000–40,000 | 45 | 20.6% |
| 40,000–60,000 | 35 | 16.1% |
| 60,000–80,000 | 23 | 10.6% |
| 80,000–100,000 | 13 | 6.0% |
| 100,000–120,000 | 14 | 6.4% |
| 120,000–140,000 | 2 | 0.9% |
| 160,000–180,000 | 3 | 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 498 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016–2023 Nissan Maxima, and 218 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 11,066 and 60,000 miles. The median is 30,000 miles.
The most-reported areas are problems owners could not categorise (14.1% of complaints, typically around 30,000 miles), the electrical system (10.6% of complaints, typically around 43,000 miles), the transmission and driveline (10.2% of complaints, typically around 62,000 miles).
10 recall campaigns cover this generation.
What fails, and when
- Problems owners could not categorise30,000median 30,000 miles, middle half 5,500 to 47,000
- Electrical system43,000median 42,765 miles, middle half 14,000 to 80,000
- Transmission and driveline62,000median 62,500 miles, middle half 18,000 to 100,000
- Brakes20,000median 20,000 miles, middle half 9,000 to 30,000
- Airbag system25,000median 25,000 miles, middle half 16,000 to 39,000
- Body structure39,000median 39,357 miles, middle half 3,000 to 60,000
- Engine36,000median 36,407 miles, middle half 13,000 to 60,000
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Problems owners could not categorise | 70 | 14.1% | 30,000 | 5,500–47,000 |
| Electrical system | 53 | 10.6% | 43,000 | 14,000–80,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 51 | 10.2% | 62,000 | 18,000–100,000 |
| Brakes | 42 | 8.4% | 20,000 | 9,000–30,000 |
| Airbag system | 36 | 7.2% | 25,000 | 16,000–39,000 |
| Body structure | 35 | 7.0% | 39,000 | 3,000–60,000 |
| Engine | 33 | 6.6% | 36,000 | 13,000–60,000 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 31 | 6.2% | 50,000 | 4,000–105,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 20 | 4.0% | 42,000 | 28,000–74,000 |
| Steering | 15 | 3.0% | — | — |
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 30,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 14.1% of complaints (70 reports, 27 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 30,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 5,700 and 47,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 10.6% of complaints (53 reports, 26 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 42,765 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 13,500 and 80,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 10.2% of complaints (51 reports, 19 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 62,500 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 18,000 and 100,000 miles.
The brakes account for 8.4% of complaints (42 reports, 26 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 20,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 9,000 and 30,000 miles.
The airbag system accounts for 7.2% of complaints (36 reports, 19 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 25,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 16,000 and 39,357 miles.
Body structure accounts for 7.0% of complaints (35 reports, 15 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 39,357 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 3,000 and 60,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2016 model year drew the most — 224 complaints — while 2019 drew the fewest at 28. The median year sits at 46.
That makes 2016 an outlier: roughly 4.9 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
NHTSA records 10 recall campaigns 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.
The campaigns cluster around the hydraulic brake circuit (5), the airbag system (2), visibility equipment (1). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.
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.
Reported severity
Of the 498 complaints filed against this generation, 38 reported a crash; 15 reported a fire; 33 reported an injury. Crash-involved reports represent 7.6% 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 11,066 and 60,000 miles, with a median of 30,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, problems owners could not categorise and the electrical system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Problems owners could not categorise in particular shows a median failure mileage of 30,000, 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 2016–2023
Continued Xtronic CVT durability complaints — judder, shudder under light throttle, whine and loss of forward motion — though at lower reported rates than the A35 after cooling and control-software revisions.
Body
Panoramic moonroof glass shattering and water intrusion complaints.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 224 | 106 |
| 2017 | 155 | 64 |
| 2018 | 46 | 26 |
| 2019 | 28 | 10 |
| 2020 | 33 | 9 |
| 2021 | 4 | 2 |
| 2022 | 6 | 1 |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 |
Recalls (10)
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 20V570000 | 2020-11-04 | Visibility:glass, Side/Rear |
| 19V807000 | 2019-12-16 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip |
| 19V654000 | 2019-11-11 | Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera |
| 18V601000 | 2018-10-29 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip |
| 16V911000 | 2017-02-13 | Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification |
| 16V636000 | 2016-12-12 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip |
| 16V244000 | 2016-06-10 | Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification |
| 16V193000 | 2016-05-16 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip |
| 15V733000 | 2015-12-14 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper |
| 15V486000 | 2015-09-28 | Fuel System, Gasoline |
What owners reported
My Maxima is only 4 years old and it started jumping and hesitating while driving. The Nissan repair shop said that my transmission is bad and it looks like 'glitter' inside.They have to replace it. Apparently Nissan has a class action lawsuit against them because of these CVT transmissions. They are not acknowledging…
2016 · 10 miles · Transmission and driveline
Steering/straight line tracking on this Nissan Maxima sv (purchased 06/28/2016) is horribly unpredictable from it's date of purchase. Driver required to be hypersensitive to correcting tracking/line direction of aforementioned vehicle. Natural tendency of front wheels are to careen to left and right abruptly and…
2016 · 34 miles · Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 Nissan Maxima. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v486000 (fuel/ propulsion system). The part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of…
2016 · 1,000 miles · Fuel and propulsion system
NHTSA campaign #15v486000 & nna file #19808586. New fuel tank has been installed by dealer. I'm not comfortable that dealer installation satisfies the safety issue of a rear end collision. Has NHTSA re-tested or otherwise is satisfied that the fuel tank installed at dealer level (versus by manufacturer) eliminates…
2016 · 1,500 miles · Fuel system
Built from 218 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page