IllustrationCONSUMER WAS DRIVING APPROX. 5MPH WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE PULLED OUT IN FRONT. CONSUMER HIT BRAKES AND THE STEERING WHEEL PULLED TO THE LEFT, RESULTING IN CRASHING INTO GAURDRAIL. NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. *AK
1996 Nissan Maxima
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 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: 15 of 96 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.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
13 crash reports3 fire reports7 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
16 reportsHAD A DIRECT FRONTAL IMPACT IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS MALFUNCTIONED AND DID NOT DEPLOY. DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN THIS ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK
NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG DURING ACCIDENT.
UNSPECIFIED: CONSUMER WANTS AIR BAGS DEACTIVATED DUE TO THE RISK OF INJURY TO SHORT PEOPLE.
NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG DURING COLLISION.
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A REAREND ACCIDENT AND THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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.