10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 11 / 2
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 4 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 76,985 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.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
I bought a used 2004 Nissan Maxima SE and I'm having problems the jerking, thrusting forward and the bad down shifting. I took the car to the Nissan dealership act like they never heard of a problem before and they said the transmission needed a flush ($200), so I did, it continued kicking. I took it back to Nissan they drove it and told me it need motor mounts ($2,000), I got the motor mounts replaced at local auto shop. They have no problem wanting me to spending money on diagnosis the problem, when they know what the problem is. The transmission is a recall issue they don"T want to make public. I?M very disappointed in Nissan. I"ve had 2 Altima, I have a 1997 max and never had major issues (I drive that more than the new car) and I have a 2004 armada, I would not recommend them to anyone any more. They pride themselves in not selling lemons...well I got one! I don?T understand how I can have 1997 max and not have transmission problems and new model car 2004 and having all these issues. I cannot afford a $3,800 transmission and a new set of $500 motor mounts.....another problem I've had with this car is the A/C keeps going out...there is no leaks in the lines but there is something wrong with the A/C pump so I was told by a local repair shop.
- St Petersburg, FL, USA
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. The contact was driving 40 mph when the transmission began to slip out of gear with severe hesitation and a jerking motion. The failure recurred whenever the vehicle was in operation. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who informed the contact that the transmission was faulty. The manufacturer was made aware of the defect and they refused to accept liability for the replacement of the transmission. The failure mileage was 87,000.
- Philadelhia, PA, USA
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that the vehicle would violently jerk when shifting gears. The failure occurred sporadically when driving at various speeds. An authorized dealer was notifiedof the failure and the contact was advised to replace the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 82,000 and the current mileage was 86,000. The VIN was unavailable.
- Lexington, SC, USA
2004 Nissan - transmission problems, car jerks terribly between all gears, jerks when put in reverse at times has lost all power while driving. Many, many have the same complaint. This is a danger and Nissan needs to recall and fix this problem.
- Globe, AZ, USA
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima SE. The contact stated that while driving various speeds the vehicle would jerk violently. While sitting at a stop light the gears would shift on its own. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer and they advised him that the transmission was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
- Adamsville, AL, USA
The transmission on my 2004 has been having problems about the past 3 years. The car jerks hard from 1 to 2nd gear and then 2 to 3rd gear... the car shifts as hard as it does in a manual transmission car and it is automatic. I have looked on some online websites and they have many other angry customers that have the same problem as I do without no recall. It is just a matter of time before someone gets hurt from a common faulty product.
- Wallingford , CT, USA
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that the vehicle suddenly accelerated and when trying to engage the brakes the vehicle would jerk. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle identification number was not available. The failure and current mileage was 101,000. Updated 07/20/11
- Bessemer, AL, USA
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that when coming to a stop and down shifting gears, the vehicle would jerk excessively. When accelerating and shifting to a higher gear the vehicle would also jerk excessively. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer and an independent mechanic who advised him that he needed to replace the transmission. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000. The VIN was unavailable.
- New York, NY, USA
2004 Nissan Maxima is having transmission problems. Automatic transmission slips when shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear and when downshifting from 3rd to 2nd gear. As the transmission slips the RPM increase and when it finally shifts the vehicle violently jerks. Because of the continuous slipping/jerking the engine mounds were worn and needed to be replaced. Dealer has offered to replace the transmission for +$3000. Nissan has not recalled or reported any problems even though there are thousands of complaints online.
- Albuquerque, NM, USA
My 2004 Nissan Maxima failed to accelerate across a busy intersection due to a defective transmission. As a result I had a near miss with several trucks that nearly hit my family. The 2004 Nissan Maxima has a well known defect in its transmission valve body. This is published on the internet and discussed in transmission repair shops. My transmission was stuck in 5th gear forcing the car to use its torque converter clutch to slowly accelerate. I was nearly killed as a result. I have contacted Nissan previously about this defect but they have not responded. Please regulate Nissan to provide the NHTSA data about its Maxima transmission failure rate and force them to issue a safety bulletin and recall rebate. The consumer stated the transmission became stuck in 5th gear and the vehicle would shift hard into reverse. The dealer found the transmission fluid was burned and there was also metal in the fluid. Updated 06/23/11
- Folsom, CA, USA
I have a 2004 Nissan Maxima and transmission is defective, I had to replace motor mounts due to the hard shifting. It happens everytime I drive and when slowing down, the malfunction occurs.
- 85008, AZ, USA
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. While the contact was driving approximately 35 mph, the transmission shifted from second to first gear violently. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and they stated that a regional representative would call her back to assist with the intermittent defect. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
- Apopka , FL, USA
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated the transmission was destroyed and the failure was due to shifting gears. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but it was not repaired. The contact stated the vehicle began to malfunction prior to the transmissions failure. The failure and current mileage was 101,000.
- Springfield, VA, USA
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that the vehicle was stuck in high gear and would not shift. When he was able to shift into gear, the vehicle jerked violently. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was unavailable. The current mileage was approximately 140,000 and the failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
- Swainsboro, GA, USA
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that when driving 30 mph and above, he would hear a loud abnormal noise from the transmission. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer and they advised him that they were unable to diagnose the failure. The manfacturer was contacted but there was no response. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000. The VIN was unavailable.
- Panama City, FL, USA
I have a 2004 Nissan Maxima and the transmission is slipping and jerking, just like all the other Maxima complaints.
- Starkville, MS, USA
One month after paying off my 2004 Maxima, I started having problems with the transmission. It would slam into 1st from 2nd gear when slowing down, or jerk into 2nd or 3rd when accelerating. When I would have to back into a parking space, it would jerk into reverse from drive. I brought it into a Nissan dealer and they told me it was the motor mounts - needed 3 replaced and had a few other things done - $2,000. A week later it is doing the same thing - not quite as bad as before - but is becoming more frequent. Brought it back to the Nissan dealership and they told me it would be $3,750 to replace the transmission. My car has 90,000 miles on it and from reading all other complaints online, nhts website and other blogs, this is a definite Nissan problem and they should have a recall and replace the transmissions on these cars. I have already advised anyone and everyone that I talk to not to ever buy a Nissan.
- Grayson, GA, USA
I own a 2004 Nissan Maxima; automatic transmission. When driving from first to second and occasionally thrid gear the vehicle will jerk and sometimes hesistate when shifiting to the next gear. After seeing over 500 complaints on the same issue, I think its about time something be done about this.
- New Carrollton, MD, USA
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that when attempting to shift between gears, the vehicle would jerk violently when the brake pedal was engaged. The rpms would also increase. The dealer advised the contact to have the transmission replaced. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The current mileages were 120,000 and the failure mileage was 105,000.
- Woonsocket, RI, USA
- Florida, FL, USA