8.4

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$3,100
Average Mileage:
105,450 miles
Total Complaints:
59 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. not sure (26 reports)
  2. new transmission (23 reports)
  3. no . nissan doesnt want to fix this on warranty (4 reports)
  4. replaced valve body (3 reports)
  5. new solenoid pack (2 reports)
  6. replaced front lower motor mount (1 reports)
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This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Nissan dealer.

problem #59

Jun 242017

Maxima SL 3.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 148,000 miles

It's annoying and in my opinion dangerous due to the jerking of the whole car.

- Elisabet R., Clearwater, US

problem #58

Jun 122017

Maxima

  • Automatic transmission
  • 174,852 miles

My son drives this car and I am afraid for him to drive it because I do not want him to be stranded on the road in the hot or in the dark.

- toonice30, Roxboro, US

problem #57

Sep 172015

Maxima SE 3.5L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 95,000 miles

Didn't realize this many people experienced the same issue, thought I was just unlucky. There's an auto shop in NY that has developed a sort of patch for the Nissan transmission issue, apparently you can send them a portion of the transmission to have it fixed at a significantly cheaper cost than that to replace the entire thing. Shame that Nissan won't stand by one of their best cars and remedy this issue.

- Josh H., Houston, TX, US

problem #56

Jun 092016

Maxima ES V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 124,358 miles

Only,124,000 miles and the transmission is shot,I took it to 3 transmission service centers,the last one told me that Nissan made those transmissions cheap,says he's been making a killing repairing them by overhaul or his preference to replace because they are so crappy to overhaul.

- Ewardos C., Crawford, MS, US

problem #55

Apr 012016

Maxima 3.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 90,000 miles

The transmissions started to jerk wile shifting gears. now its stays in 5th gear all the time, when it started to jerk it felt as if the whole transmissions was going to come out! I'm sure I have broken some of the motor mounts.

- Kelly S., Lexington, KY, US

problem #54

Nov 122013

Maxima ES

  • Automatic transmission
  • 74,565 miles

Constant jerking when changing gears, felt like I was getting rear ended. Had to rebuild transmission at 120k at the cost to me of almost $4000, extended warranty covered a small portion of that.

- Kevin S., Pickering, ON, Canada

problem #53

May 012015

Maxima LE V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 98,000 miles

The transmission slips between 2nd and 3rd gear. The engine races to 5,000-6,000 rpms, and then violently slips into gear. Some days I just want to redline the car and make the engine explode!!!!!!! When the car is hot, when put into reverse, there is a hesitation and then the transmission goes ka-chunk!!!! Engine runs great, transmission SUCKS!!!! Last Nissan I will ever own.

- pbstrom, Boca Raton, FL, US

problem #52

Jun 262016

Maxima SE 3.5L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 115,121 miles

please call for recall its really annoying nissan should hold responsible for this

- Rahul Reddy K., Detroit, MI, US

problem #51

Jun 102016

Maxima SE 3.5L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100,053 miles

Transmission is so bad it gets stuck in 5th gear as a safety feature. Leaving a red light in 5th gear sucks and it's worse when you are trying to go across traffic in 5th gear, not safe at all. Of course when it's not in 5th gear it shifts horribly. Jumps, give it gas and it just revs up. This is just another example of the 05 Maxima transmission issues. I hope Nissan does something about this.

- Mario M., Las Vegas, NV, US

problem #50

Nov 152015

Maxima SL 3.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 92,914 miles

Another problem that Nissan refuses to own up to. There is a obvious problem that they don't want to deal with,

- William M., Hurley, NY, US

problem #49

Apr 152011

Maxima SE 3.2L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 125,000 miles

Had it fixed once but now it has the same problem. The transmission is jumping from reverse to forward and I had it fixed one time.

- David M., Raleigh, NC, US

problem #48

Apr 172016

Maxima SE 3.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 180,000 miles

Just hate the jumping. Don't want to have to replace transmission.

- deven.johnson, New York, NY, US

problem #47

Mar 292016

Maxima MEL V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 84,000 miles

I just bought the car in June 2015 and the problem started about 6 months later; it has happened multiple times. My understanding is this is a common problem with this make and model and Nissan refuses to acknowledge it or do anything about it. I love the car and don't want to give it up, but this problem is really scary and makes me nervous to drive. When it starts to happen and I am in traffic I am afraid the car will hit another car due to jumping or that another car will hit me because the car doesn't move when it is supposed to. Plus I had to get a loan to buy the car and I don't want to have to pay the loan off when I no longer have the car.

- Eva H., Toronto, ON, Canada

problem #46

Sep 282015

Maxima SL V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 115,102 miles

I was complaining of the car jumping when changing gears, mechanic found that the motor mount was cracked. Replaced it, some improvement for short period but now car is jumping, hesitation between gears, rough shifting, and diminished acceleration. I did not go to the dealer as my warranty is expired. This is my first Maxima and I will never purchase another. Now told that I'll need a new transmission. Not happy.

- Joanne L., Delran, NJ, US

problem #45

May 152015

Maxima 3.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 150,000 miles

Tranny hesitates when shifting from rev to drive. Then when driving it the engine revs up between shifts, then slams into gear causing a violent lunge forward.

- Dennis V., Waupun, WI, US

problem #44

Nov 022015

Maxima LX 3.5L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 81,000 miles

Very upsetting, Nissan should be responsible for the costs to fix THEIR problem with the transmissions on these vehicles.

Last Nissan vehicle I purchase if they do not acknowledge the problem.

- Vernon S., Kingman, AZ, US

problem #43

Nov 012015

Maxima 3.2L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 120,000 miles

After reading on carcomplaints.com I see a LOT of people are having the same issue as me. It's a crying shame that Nissan won't step up and do the right thing. My transmission shifts horribly, it feels like someone hit my car from the rear. My check engine light is now on due to this issue. The cheapest quote I got is $2,700 to fix. I just paid the darn car off 3 months ago. This is my 3rd Nissan and I swear I will never own another Nissan again!

- V L., Chicago, IL, US

problem #42

Oct 182013

Maxima SL 3.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 80,000 miles

I will NEVER BY ANOTHER Nissian. The car started to jump into gear almost like the bottom was falling out.

- Pamila N., Oswego, IL, US

problem #41

Oct 032014

Maxima SE 3.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 53,000 miles

Last year in October 2014, I started to experience transmission issues. The car would slip in between shifting gears. The car would rev and the rpm would red line before jerking really hard into a different gear. I would be embarrass driving along the side of other cars when my engine would start revving! They probably thought I was trying to race them when I really wasn't! My car was having stupid transmission issues! Anyways I took it back to where I originally got the car (Carmax). They had my car for a week and told me they would fix it. The problem was fixed temporarily. Having the same issue again (months later).

- Shenia J., Carson, CA, US

problem #40

Jun 012015

Maxima SL 3.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 148,000 miles

I first noticed a bump in the transmission about 2 years ago, when I changed from reverse back to drive. It only happened once and I assumed it was a fluke. One year ago it started happening almost every time I changed from reverse back to drive. The bump was a hard bump...like a lurch...and made a loud clunk. I had a mechanic look at it, and they said it was a broken motor mount. He gave me a new motor mount but the hard bump continued to happen. Took to another mechanic who said it was definitely the transmission going out, but he suggested to continue driving till it just quit. I took to an official transmission shop, and I paid over $4000 to get a new transmission put in. Immediately, within a month, the cam sensor went bad and put my transmission into "limp mode". New sensor....$425. I am beyond mad to see that this model car has a basic defect with transmissions that Nissan knew about but did not send out a recall. I have never owned a car that had to have a new transmission at 150k miles. Shame on Nissan.

- bjdixon, Dunn, NC, US

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