10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 2 / 2
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 0 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 24,897 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned etc. -The Nissan CVT transmission that is used in all Nissan models and has a known history of premature failure. My 2016 Maxima has 48,000 miles and a completely failed transmission. Yes it is available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk" -My two kids were in the car with all three times the accelerator stopped working while in motion due to the CVT transmission. All happened in Chicago city traffic. Luckily I was able to coast into a safe position each time but I was lucky not to get stuck in the middle of intersection. -Incident order was the same each time. Accelerator would stop working while in the drive gear. After a minute in park the car would seemingly work again, only for the accelerator to fail again shortly thereafter. Then eventually the electrical system shorted due to the transmission and the car was completely locked up, to the point of not being able to shift into neutral or move the steering wheel. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? -The problem has been confirmed via Nissan's settlement of lawsuits relate to the CVT transmission, yet they continue to put them in all new models. My car was inspected by an independent transmission shop and they confirmed the engine computer is producing the "kill code" meaning the transmission is failing. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others" -I took it to a Nissan dealership for service (Berman Nissan in Chicago) and described exactly the same problems I later found via research about the CVT transmissions. Their service techs said I needed to replace the alternator, which made zero sense so I declined. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? -No warning lamps, only infrequent acceleration problems in the months prior
- Chicago, IL, USA
My car has stopped acceleration while driving 4 times. Had alternator replaced and transmission reprogrammed. It's currently in shop now for issue. Last 3 times nissan repair says they don't see anything wrong. The car remains on and you can ref up engine. Just will not go once in drive. This is a safety issue bc there's no warning sign. Have almost been hit twice due to sudden lost of acceleration. Cars behind me slammed on break once I was in middle of traffic. Very scary situation.
- Lawton , OK, USA
It is random when it happens but this will be the third time this has happened. While driving my car will stop, the car will still be running, steering wheel is stiff and I-€™m not able to accelerate and sometimes brake. It is very dangerous! This car should have a recall!
- Hermitage, TN, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that the vehicle was blowing out hot air when the AC unit was on. There were no warning indicator lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where they informed them the compressor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed me the AC switch needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was unknown.
- Zebulon, NC, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated the vehicle was unable to recognize the key fob inside the vehicle while attempting to start the vehicle. The contact stated a warning message was illuminated to keep the key fob close to the push to start button. The contact called the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the key fob battery to be replaced. The key fob battery was changed but continued to experience the failure. The contact also stated that the vehicle was also stalling. The contact took the vehicle to Paul Miller Nissan (930 Kings Hwy E, Fairfield, CT 06825: (203) 335-3181) where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission and the crankshaft sensor to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
- Ansonia, CT, USA
I was driving and it all of a sudden shut off on me without warning causing safety issues because I was involved the middle of traffic
- Gulfport , MS, USA
Four times while I was driving the accelerator was unresponsive. Then the car completely died while driving. The problem is definitely a safety issue due to engine and accelerator stopping while driving. We took it to a good year dealer who originally thought it was battery and replaced it. But that did not solve the problem. Then a Nissan dealer received a code that it-€™s the cvt transmission.Nissan has had this issue with many of their cars and had a class action suit brought against them. I spoke with Nissan Corp about extending warranty and repairing the cvt transmission which is an expensive repair. They refuse. The car is extremely unsafe to drive since it may not accelerate and then completely die at any time.
- Manorville , NY, USA
Vehicle shut down, while driving would not accelerate
- Vernon , NJ, USA
Tuesday, Dec. 22 my 2016 Nissan Maxima just shut off while driving in hayward, ca near industrial rd. Called triple aaa who jumped the battery and a short distance later on hwy 880 the car shut off again, I was towed off the freeway by caltrans. On January 4, it shut off again while on a city streets. A co-workers husband replaced the battery and I was able to safely drive it home. Jan. 30 a mechanic looked at ran diagnostics and found nothing wrong. I drove it without issue several times from el cerrito to san rafael the week. On Feb. 5 while driving on the streets in oakland, the car just shut off. While waiting for aaa it started again by the time aaa arrived it had stopped again. Luckily this hasn't caused me to have an accident. It is extremely unsafe. And while I see there are several complaints about this issue reported here the service department at the dealership only wants to charge me $190 to diagnostics when they know this is an issue. This issue is a ticking time bomb for a serious accident occurs and Nissan needs to address as soon as possible.
- El Cerrito, CA, USA
Seat will not let up but will go backwards.
- Bay Springs, MS, USA
Driver seat, seat belt light will not illuminate if not buckled up seat doesn't detect when there is someone in it and they aren't buckled.
- Wichita, KS, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph in the rain, the vehicle suddenly shut off causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a guard rail. Additionally, after the crash the 4 doors were unable to be opened from the inside or outside of the vehicle. The police and fire department were called to the scene and rescued the driver from the vehicle by breaking the window. The contact indicated that approximately 40 minutes after the crash the doors were able to be opened from the outside. No injuries were reported and no medical treatment was required. A police report was taken at the scene. The vehicle was towed away. The manufacturer was notified of the vehicle. The contact indicated that the vehicle had randomly shut off while driving on two separate occasions. The cause of the failures were not determined. The contact stated that the manufacturer was made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 54,000.
- Washington, DC, USA
On April 26, 2019 when making a left turn the car did not accelerate as I entered into traffic and instead lost power and would go no more than 9 mph as I applied maximum pressure to the gas pedal. At the same time the car became hard to steer and I was able to pull off onto the side of the road. I immediately turned off the car and restarted it. The car started but without power to accelerate and I shut down the vehicle again. I waited and restarted a few more times and it eventually restarted. I took my car to the Nissan dealership for service and they performed a recall. The same problem happened again on May 9, 2019 and again on May 17, 2019. The vehicle completely loses the ability to accelerate while and has so little power that the max speed is less then 10mph. The vehicle is always in motion happens.
- Orange Park, FL, USA
The anti-lock brake pump leaked brake fluid onto a circuit board, causing an electrical fire which caused my car to catch on fire. This resulted in the vehicle being totaled out. The vehicle was stationary for about 12 hours in front of home. While on fire the vehicle started itself up without anyone being in the vehicle.
- Richmond, VA, USA
Vehicle has heavy fogging of passenger side headlight which has become increasingly evident. The symptom has progressed to the point where it is causing electrical issues in the form of flickering headlights and inconsistent directional signals when the weather conditions are wet enough. This is a safety issue. One photo I have taken reveals what is an apparent internal crack in the assembly. This was not caused by any external forces, impact, etc. It is internal to the assembly.
- Carteret, NJ, USA
Takata recall I was traveling down highway 121 at about 70 miles an hour cruise control is set the lady in front of me slammed on the brakes I intern slammed on mine and my car did not stop until hitting her the brakes seem to have that like they weren't stopping the brake pedal went all the way to the floor in the car made a really really awkward awkward sound I did end up with a little damage on my front bumper no injuries and had to make an insurance claim for her bumper. My power steering in my vehicle also goes in and out and no leak has been found.
- Denton, TX, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Maxima. While driving 50-55 mph and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle stalled. The contact lost power steering, power brakes, and other electrical functions. The contact stated that the failure recurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, but the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated that the dealer replaced the valve assembly, seal lip, strainer assembly, clip, oil pan gasket, O-ring seal, washer drain, and ns-3 cvt transmission; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 13,131.
- West Islip, NY, USA
In late November 2016 the ABS and other warning lights on my 2016 Nissan Maxima began intermittently appearing on the dashboard. I notified the dealership and was told to mention it during the next service appointment which was scheduled for December 27. At the appointment I was notified of several recalls and the vehicle was kept overnight. When I picked it up the next day the service department indicated that they could not reproduce the issue. I was also notified that there was a recall on an ABS brake actuator pump however the part was back ordered from Nissan. The service department asked me and to take a picture of the dash if the indicator lights appeared again. Approximately 1 week later the lights reappeared and I took the attached photo. I notified the dealership and they indicated they would look at it when the recall part was installed and would schedule an appointment once the part arrived. On January 19, 2017 the car caught fire after sitting for over 2 hours and burned to a total loss. At no time was I notified that the recall was a fire hazard. Since the incident I have filed a case with Nissan however they have taken over a month to respond and by the time they inspect the vehicle it will be over 45 days. The vehicle has been inspected by my insurance company and all indicators point to a defective part.
- Centerville, OH, USA
Front bumper clip was broken, still waiting for dealer to replace bumper. Left tail light has water in it.
- Middletown, DE, USA
- Sapulpa , OK, USA