2004 Nissan Maxima

Typical pattern

5.7% of complaints about the 2004 Nissan Maxima came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2004 vehicle — around the middle of the 236 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 5.8 yr in service. The most-reported system is power train (941 complaints), typically at 6.3 yr or about 84,000 miles.

Complaints: 1,702
Median age at failure: 5.8 yr
Median mileage: 79,000 n=1402
Crash / fire / tow: 4.9% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Power train

941 reports · 84,000 mi

6.3 yr

2.3%

Tires

133 reports · 30,348 mi

2.8 yr

2.3%

Suspension

100 reports · 13,060 mi

2.1 yr

Engine cooling

73 reports · 65,518 mi

5.2 yr

4.1%

Service brakes, hydraulic

64 reports · 61,000 mi

4.2 yr

7.8%

Electrical system

57 reports · 80,000 mi

6.3 yr

15.8%

Structure

56 reports · 90,898 mi

8.2 yr

5.4%

Engine

51 reports · 102,000 mi

11.0 yr

11.8%

Speed control

37 reports · 85,000 mi

8.3 yr

18.9%

Steering

34 reports · 16,134 mi

2.9 yr

2.9%

Visibility

29 reports · 19,856 mi

1.3 yr

6.9%

Other

22 reports · 111,000 mi

11.8 yr

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

05V512000 2005-11-07

Seats:front assembly:power adjust

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE DRIVER PREFERRED PACKAGE, THE WIRE HARNESS FROM THE DRIVER'S SEAT POWER LUMBAR SUPPORT SWITCH MAY BE ROUTED INCORRECTLY AND COULD BE PINCHED UNDER THE DRIVER SEAT.

A PINCHED HARNESS, IN COMBINATION WITH DRIVING VIBRATION, MAY RESULT IN A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE HARNESS THAT COULD LEAD TO A FIRE IN THE SEAT.

04V326000 2004-07-07

Visibility:sun/moon roof assembly

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SKYVIEW ROOFS, THE GLASS FOR THE ROOF MAY NOT HAVE BEEN QUENCHED PROPERLY AFTER THE FORMING PROCESS, RESULTING IN TEMPER IMBALANCE.

THIS COULD CREATE EXCESSIVE INTERNAL STRESS IN THE GLASS AND EVENTUALLY CAUSE THE GLASS TO SHATTER, CREATING A RISK OF INJURY.

In owners’ own words

Electrical system mileage not reported 1.2 yr in service

ENGINE WAS REPAIRED 1 1/2 MONTHS AGO. WENT OUT OF TOWN FOR THANKSGIVING WEEKEND WHEN THE ALTERNATOR FAILED IN BIRMINGHAM, ALA.,WHICH LEFT ME STRANDED!I'M BACK IN KENNER BUT MY MAXIMA REMAINS IN ALABAMA STILL WAITING FOR ANOTHER ALTERNATOR? PLUS I'M STILL WAITING FOR THE SKYVIEW ROOF TO BE REPLACED!!*AK

Electrical system mileage not reported 10 mo in service

ON TWO (2) SEPERATE OCCASIONS I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY VEHICLE (2004 NISSAN MAXIMA) WHEN MY BRAKES HAVE WENT OUT COMPLETELY. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ON THE FLOOR WHEN I WENT TO USE, LEAVING ME WITH NO BRAKING POWER WHATSOEVER. ON BOTH OCCASIONS, AFTER STOPPING THE VEHICLE AND TURNING THE ENGINE OFF, THE BRAKES RESUMED NORMAL FUNCTION AFTER A FEW MINUTES. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP, WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED, AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. CLEARLY, THIS MALFUNCTION IS THE RESULT OF AN ELECTRICAL/COMPUTER PROBLEM.

Electrical system 109,000 mi 2.8 yr in service

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 72 MPH, A PISTON IN THE ENGINE FRACTURED CAUSING OIL TO LEAK OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED TO PROVIDE A WARNING THAT THE OIL WAS LOW, AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM.

Engine cooling mileage not reported 11 mo in service

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED STEERING WHEEL SHOOK. DEALERSHIP INSPECTED VEHICLE TWICE. FIRST TIME THEY TIGHTENED THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM. THE SECOND TIME DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE FRONT ROTORS, BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED. ALSO, RADIATOR FAILED. *AK

Other Maxima model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.