IllustrationWHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ABOUT 15-20 MPH THE BOLT THAT HOLDS THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER BROKE. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING AND DID NOT CAUSE A CRASH. VEHICLE IS BEING REPAIRED. *AK CONSUMER STATES THE HEADS WERE REMOVED AND ALL THE VALVES WERE REPLACED DUE TO BEING BENT. *SLC
1990 Nissan Maxima
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1990 Nissan Maxima do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 99.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Maxima years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 11 of 106 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports3 fire reports5 injury reports
What owners actually said
106 reportsDRIVING VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING; HAD REPLACED MOTOR OIL; VEHICLE STILL SHAKES; DRIVING & NOTICED SMOKE FROM A/C & UNDERHOOD; VEHICLE LOST BRAKES; PULLED OVER & CALLED FIRE DEPARTMENT. UNDERHOOD NOTICED ENGINE HAD MELTED (ALUMINUM BLOCK). FIRE DEPT. SAID FUEL RELATED. *AK
CONSUME STATES THAT THE GEAR SHIFT STICKS IN PARK. DRIVER HAS TO PRESS SHIFT RELEASE CONTROL KNOB TO PUT CAR IN DRIVE ONCE IT HAD BEEN PUT IN PARK. *AK
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT LOOSE, FAILING TO RESTRAIN DRIVER, CAUSING INJURY.
WHILE AT AN INTERSECTION GETTING READY TO MAKE A LEFT TURN ANOTHER VEHICLE, GOING ABOUT 30 MPH, REARENDED NISSAN, DRIVER'S SEAT COLLAPSED BACKWARDS AND TWISTED, UPON IMPACT VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
FUEL INJECTORS FAILED.
VEHICLE STALLS WHILE DRIVING.
BOLT CONNECTION FROM BOOSTER TO MASTER CYLINDER BROKE OFF, CAUSING BRAKE PEDAL TO GO TO THE FLOOR, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK
GAS TANK LEAKING.
POWER WINDOW REGULATORS FAILED.
Official recalls
195V244000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly:filler Pipe And Cap
Dec 15, 1995
IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A MIXTURE OF MUD AND SALT TO GET TRAPPED BETWEEN THE FUEL FILLER TUBE AND WHEEL HOUSING. THE TRAPPED MUD AND SALT CAN RESULT IN CORROSION OF THE FUEL FILLER TUBE AND THE WHEEL HOUSING.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: SIGNIFICANT CORROSION OF THE FUEL FILLER TUBE MAY RESULT IN FUEL LEAKS WHICH IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE. IN ADDITION, THE LEFT REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTOR IS MOUNTED TO THE WHEEL HOUSING AND IN THE EVENT OF SIGNIFICANT CORROSION, AND THE MOUNTING COULD FAIL IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THESE VEHICLES AND CORRECTIVE ACTION WILL BE TAKEN DEPENDING UPON THE EXTENT OF THE CORROSION.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.