2010 Nissan Maxima

Typical pattern

3.3% of complaints about the 2010 Nissan Maxima came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2010 vehicle — around the middle of the 203 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 5.4 yr in service. The most-reported system is steering (161 complaints), typically at 5.3 yr or about 67,000 miles.

Complaints: 398
Median age at failure: 5.4 yr
Median mileage: 67,000 n=343
Crash / fire / tow: 5.3% of reports
Safety recalls: 1

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Steering

161 reports · 67,000 mi

5.3 yr

1.2%

Electrical system

79 reports · 68,000 mi

5.2 yr

5.1%

Suspension

29 reports · 70,000 mi

8.3 yr

6.9%

Other

24 reports · 68,000 mi

7.8 yr

8.3%

Engine

20 reports · 67,000 mi

5.7 yr

Air bags

15 reports · 21,000 mi

3.7 yr

33.3%

Power train

15 reports · 104,000 mi

6.8 yr

6.7%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

09V358000 2009-09-16

Suspension

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 ALTIMA AND MAXIMA PASSENGER CARS. THE UPPER FRONT STRUT INSULATORS MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED OUT OF SPECIFICATION RESULTING IN A POTENTIAL FOR THE STRUT INSULATOR TO CRACK.

IF THE STRUT INSULATOR IS CRACKED, THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR THE STRUT ROD TO COME OUT OF ITS MOUNTING POSITION, WHICH COULD AFFECT VEHICLE STABILITY AND INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

In owners’ own words

Steering 3,000 mi 6 mo in service

ACCELERATED VEHICLE TO 50 MILES UP TO 70 MILES ON HIGHWAY. VEHICLES STEERING WHEEL PULLED TO THE RIGHT AS IF THE SUSPENSION HAD TO MUCH POWER FOR THAT MILEAGE. *TR

Steering 60,000 mi 2.3 yr in service

I'M UNABLE TO TURN ON ACCESSORY IGNITION OR START CAR DUE TO DEFECTIVE STEERING WHEEL LOCK MECHANISM. PART #48700-JK000. MANUFACTURE IS UNABLE TO SUPPLY ME WITH A NEW ONE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE BY NISSAN MOTORS, NOT JUST FOR MAXIMA, BUT ALL INTELLIGENT KEY MODELS. CURRENTLY CAN'T EVEN ROLL WINDOWS UP. *TR

Steering 98,000 mi 3.3 yr in service

MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AFTER I STOPPED AT THE STORE. MY KEY LIGHT ON THE DASH WAS ON SO I REFERRED TO THE MANUAL AND IT INDICATED A MALFUNCTION IN THE STEERING LOCK SOLENOID. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS I NOTICE THOUSANDS OF NISSAN OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE STRANDED WHERE EVER YOU SHUT IT OFF AT. THEN I HAD TO GET THE VEHICLE TOWED WHERE IT COST ME OVER $1000 TO GET IT FIXED. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *TR

Air bags 3,000 mi 1.1 yr in service

PASSENGER AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES SPORADICALLY WHILE DRIVING WITH A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT. VEHICLE HAS 7000 MILES AND I TRADED IN AN IDENTICAL VEHICLE 2009 WITH 25,000 MILES THAT WAS DOING THE EXACT SAME THING. DEALER COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG, BUT AGREED THAT IF THE LIGHT IS ON, THE AIRBAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. HE STATED THAT POSSIBLY "THE LEATHER ON THE SEAT HAS TO AGE TO GIVE IT MORE FLEXIBILITY". MY WIFE IS 140 POUNDS AND 68" TALL. I BELIEVE THAT SHOULD KEEP THE AIRBAG SYSTEM ACTIVE. A GOOGLE SEARCH REVEALED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. *TR

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.