2013 Nissan Maxima

Typical pattern

4.2% of complaints about the 2013 Nissan Maxima came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2013 vehicle — around the middle of the 210 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 5.3 yr in service. The most-reported system is power train (24 complaints), typically at 6.7 yr or about 106,034 miles.

Complaints: 71
Median age at failure: 5.3 yr
Median mileage: 69,000 n=56
Crash / fire / tow: 8.5% of reports
Safety recalls: 0

In owners’ own words

Air bags 1,047 mi 10 mo in service

THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DOES NOT ACTIVATE WITH MY WIFE IN THE SEAT. SHE IS WELL OVER THE 80 POUND LIMIT FOR ACTIVATION. SEAT WAS CHANGED BUT DID NOT CHANGE. DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAYS THERE IS NO FIX. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. *TR

Air bags 250 mi 1.3 yr in service

WHEN I SIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED, ABOUT 90% OF THE TIME....IT MAY GO OFF AT SOME POINT, BUT EVEN WITH 110 ADULT IT IS ON SO THAT THE AIRBAG IS NOT ACTIVE. *TR

Air bags 4,350 mi 1.5 yr in service

WHEN AN ADULT IS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT WILL OCCASIONALLY LIGHT UP INDICATING THAT THE AIRBAG HAS TURNED ITSELF OFF. *TR

Power train 80,000 mi 3.8 yr in service

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE BY DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED ONCE AGAIN AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE BEFORE STALLING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AND RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CVT TRANSMISSION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. UPDATED 09/20/16*LJ *CN

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.

2013 Nissan Maxima

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

In owners’ own words

Other Maxima model years

How to read this