IllustrationCONSUMER HAS EXPRIENCED HEADLIGHT EXPLOSIONS OF BOTH HEADLAMPS.. FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED MARCH 28 IN THE MOUNTAINS, AND SECOND TIME ON APRIL 28, 1997. THE BULBS ARE THE HALOGEN BULBS WHICH ARE THE LONG LIFE 9004 MODEL BULBS. THESE BULBS ARE EXPLODING INTO THOUSANDS OF PIECES. *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
Exterior Lighting complaints
1 reportsOfficial 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.