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2005 Nissan Maxima

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Maxima years

Owner complaints for the 2005 Nissan Maxima are substantially higher than the model-year median of 99.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

822 reports with mileage · 126 unknown

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.

  • Power Train. Review the 777 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 61 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

16 crash reports10 fire reports19 injury reports

Power Train complaints

777 reports
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130,000 miles · Jan 22, 2015
Electrical SystemPower Train

I HAVE HAD MY 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA FOR ABOUT 5 MONTHS NOW. FOR THE PAST THREE MONTHS IT'S HAS BEEN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS. IT TURNS OFF WHILE I'M DRIVING IT AND I LOSE ALL POWER POWER STEERING, BRAKES, ETC. I ALMOST DROVE INTO THE RIVER YESTERDAY BECAUSE IT SHUT OFF GOING AROUND A TURN AND I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED. MY CAR STARTS ACT…

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I HAVE HAD MY 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA FOR ABOUT 5 MONTHS NOW. FOR THE PAST THREE MONTHS IT'S HAS BEEN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS. IT TURNS OFF WHILE I'M DRIVING IT AND I LOSE ALL POWER POWER STEERING, BRAKES, ETC. I ALMOST DROVE INTO THE RIVER YESTERDAY BECAUSE IT SHUT OFF GOING AROUND A TURN AND I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED. MY CAR STARTS ACTING UP AFTER IT WARMS UP ABOUT 5 MINUTES AFTER START. IT WILL SHIFT VERY HARD AND IS FINE ONCE IT IS PAST 3RD GEAR BUT IT TAKES A WHILE TO GET TO THIRD WHEN IT STARTS TO MESS UP THE RPMS WILL GO UP TO 4 AND 5 THROUGH 1ST AND 2ND GEAR. WHEN YOU'RE GOING DOWNHILL IT WILL DOWNSHIFT LIKE YOU SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES. ALSO IF YOU SWITCH OVER TO MANUAL IT WILL SAY YOU'RE IN 5TH GEAR AND REALLY YOU'RE IN 1ST. THE SERVICE ENGINE DIAGNOSIS READS A CODE FOR THE CAM SHAFT SENSORS. I HAVE CHANGED BOTH OF THEM BANK 1 AND BANK 2 AND IT DID NOT FIX ANYTHING. NISSAN HAS FAILED TO DO ANYTHING AND IT'S HAPPENING TO A TON OF CARS. IF I'M ON THE HIGHWAY AND MY CAR SHUTS OFF, IT NOT GOING TO BE A GOOD SITUATION. IF YOU TAKE IT TO NISSAN THEY TRY TO GET YOU TO BUY A NEW TRANSMISSION. I HAVE A TWO YEAR OLD AND THE JERKING OF THE CAR OR ANYTHING FOR THAT MATTER IS NOT SAFE FOR HER OR ANYONE ELSE ON THE ROAD. THANK YOU FOR TAKING YOUR TIME TO REVIEW THIS, I APPRECIATE IT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10678186

97,000 miles · Jan 16, 2015
Power Train

TRANSMISSION HARD SHIFTING AND SLIPPING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10676134

107,300 miles · Jan 11, 2015
Power Train

BOUGHT CAR USED FROM NISSAN DEALER. GOOD SERVICE RECORDS WITH REGULAR ON TIME TRANSMISSION SERVICES. DAY AFTER I DRIVE IT OFF THE LOT IT STARTS VIOLENTLY JERKING INTO GEAR AND IN THE MIDDLE OF GEAR. RANDOMLY DROPS IN AND OUT OF GEAR, JERKS OUT OF NOWHERE. HAS JERKED SO HARD MY NECK AND UPPER BODY WERE SOMEWHAT SORE THE NEXT MORN…

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BOUGHT CAR USED FROM NISSAN DEALER. GOOD SERVICE RECORDS WITH REGULAR ON TIME TRANSMISSION SERVICES. DAY AFTER I DRIVE IT OFF THE LOT IT STARTS VIOLENTLY JERKING INTO GEAR AND IN THE MIDDLE OF GEAR. RANDOMLY DROPS IN AND OUT OF GEAR, JERKS OUT OF NOWHERE. HAS JERKED SO HARD MY NECK AND UPPER BODY WERE SOMEWHAT SORE THE NEXT MORNING. DANGEROUS TO DRIVE IN CLOSE TRAFFIC AS IT COULD EASILY JERK VIOLENTLY ENOUGH TO MAKE ME JERK THE WHEEL, ACCIDENTALLY SLIDE FOOT DOWN ONTO THE GAS OR BRAKE, ETC. THIS TRANSMISSION AND CAR WAS WELL CARED FOR ALL OF ITS 107K MILES AND I HAVE SOLID REPAIR HISTORY PAPERWORK TO PROVE IT. THIS IS A DANGEROUS, POTENTIALLY DEADLY TRANSMISSION IN THESE CARS. I HAVE A QUOTE FOR A $3500 QUOTE TO HAVE IT REPAIRED BY A SHOP. THIS LESS THAN TWO WEEKS OF OWNING THE CAR. I AM COMPLETELY DISGUSTED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10671671

Mileage unknown · Dec 28, 2014
Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Power TrainFire

WHEN I BROUGHT MY CAR AFTER 2-3 MONTHS I HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, I TOOK IT TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP TO GET IT FIX. AFTER , A COUPLE OF WEEKS I STILL WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR , I TOOK IT BACK THEY SAID , IT WASN'T NOTHING WRONG WITH IT . THEN MY AIR CONDITION WENT OUT, IT WAS MY AIR COMPRESSOR TOOK IT IN TO THE NISSAN …

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WHEN I BROUGHT MY CAR AFTER 2-3 MONTHS I HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, I TOOK IT TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP TO GET IT FIX. AFTER , A COUPLE OF WEEKS I STILL WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR , I TOOK IT BACK THEY SAID , IT WASN'T NOTHING WRONG WITH IT . THEN MY AIR CONDITION WENT OUT, IT WAS MY AIR COMPRESSOR TOOK IT IN TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP TO GET IT FIX, AFTER, A WEEK OR TWO IT WENT OUT AGAIN TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET IT LOOKED AT I WAS TOLD IT NEEDED A PART ( SOME TYPE OF CLIP ). JUNE 10 , 2014 MY CAR WAS ON FIRE IN MY GARAGE WHILE I WAS SLEEPING. WHEN I WOKE UP THAT MORNING MY HEADLIGHTS WERE FLASHING OFF AND ON . WHEN I OPEN THE DOOR MY WINDOW WAS FULL OF SUT AND MY WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED . WHEN I OPEN THE CAR DOOR ON THE DRIVER SIDE THE DASH BOARD AND UNDER THE DASHBOARD WAS MELTED , THE ODOMETER AND THE FUSE BOX (EVERYTHING ON THE DRIVER SIDE WAS MELTED ) .YOU CAN SMELLED THE SMOKE,THAT IT WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED OUT JUST IN CASE IT SPARKED BACK UP. UNDER THE HOOD WAS NOT DAMAGE. I HAVE PICTURES OF DAMAGES. THEY HAD TO PUSH THE CAR OUT OF THE GARAGE IT WOULDN'T GO INTO GEAR. THE RESULTS WAS IT STARTED FROM THE FUSE BOX. MY CAR WAS TOTALED OUT BY MY INSURANCE ADJUSTER. I FEEL THIS MATTER NEED TO BE LOOKED INTO AND SOMETHING NEED TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS SITUATION . THIS IS A SERIOUS SITUATION THAT NEED TO BE LOOKED INTO BEFORE IT HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE . *TR

NHTSA ODI #10668531

200,000 miles · Dec 15, 2014
Power TrainVehicle Speed Control

BOUGHT THE CAR USED IN 2013 WITH 120,000 MILES ON IT. THE CAR HAS OVERHEATED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE WE BOUGHT IT, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO CONTROL IT AND KEEP IT FROM CAUSING ANY ISSUES. SUDDENLY, WHEN I WAS SHIFTING FROM PARK TO REVERSE THE CAR JERKED EXTREMELY HARD, WHILE DRIVING THE CAR HESITATES TO ACCELERATE, AND HAS A HIGH RPM REA…

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BOUGHT THE CAR USED IN 2013 WITH 120,000 MILES ON IT. THE CAR HAS OVERHEATED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE WE BOUGHT IT, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO CONTROL IT AND KEEP IT FROM CAUSING ANY ISSUES. SUDDENLY, WHEN I WAS SHIFTING FROM PARK TO REVERSE THE CAR JERKED EXTREMELY HARD, WHILE DRIVING THE CAR HESITATES TO ACCELERATE, AND HAS A HIGH RPM READING WHEN SHIFTING GEARS. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, I HAVE COME ACROSS NO FEWER THAN 30 COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10664453

89,000 miles · Dec 14, 2014
Power Train

I BOUGHT THE CAR IN JUNE 2014 AND IT WAS FINE FOR THE FIRST FEW DAYS. ALL OF THE SUDDEN IT WOULD JERK WHEN SHIFTING INTO DRIVE AND WHILE SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND. I TRIED TO GET THE DEALERSHIP TO HELP AND THEY WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE I COULDN'T GET A HOLD OF THEM UNTIL 30 DAYS AFTER I BOUGHT IT. ONE DAY I WAS WITH MY MOTHER…

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I BOUGHT THE CAR IN JUNE 2014 AND IT WAS FINE FOR THE FIRST FEW DAYS. ALL OF THE SUDDEN IT WOULD JERK WHEN SHIFTING INTO DRIVE AND WHILE SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND. I TRIED TO GET THE DEALERSHIP TO HELP AND THEY WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE I COULDN'T GET A HOLD OF THEM UNTIL 30 DAYS AFTER I BOUGHT IT. ONE DAY I WAS WITH MY MOTHER AND WE WERE DRIVING. IT THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING, THE CAR JERKED AND SKIDDED. WE ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR. I HAVE A FAMILY AND I COULDN'T BARE IT IF ANYTHING HAPPENED TO THEM. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AND IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. THE CAR HAS ALREADY DONE IT DANGEROUSLY ANOTHER TIME SINCE THEN. NISSAN NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND NOT PUT THE LIVES OF PEOPLE IN DANGER. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10664193

Mileage unknown · Dec 10, 2014
Power Train

HEAVY SHIFTING, NOT SHIFTING ON POINT, SLIPPING TRANSMISSION, BANG WHEN SHIFTING OR DOWNSHIFTING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10663482

100,000 miles · Dec 3, 2014
Power Train

HEAVY SHIFTING, NOT SHIFTING ON POINT, SLIPPING TRANSMISSION, BANG WHEN SHIFTING OR DOWNSHIFTING. *JS

NHTSA ODI #10661859

218,422 miles · Nov 18, 2014
Power Train

TRANSMISSION KEEPS SLAMMING HARD INTO GEAR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10659013

80,000 miles · Nov 6, 2014
Power Train

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP. THE VEHICLE ALSO JERKED AND SHOOK VIOLENTLY. IN ADDITION, THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE …

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP. THE VEHICLE ALSO JERKED AND SHOOK VIOLENTLY. IN ADDITION, THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #10653005

Official recalls

2

05V512000 · Seats:front Assembly:power Adjust

Nov 7, 2005

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE DRIVER PREFERRED PACKAGE, THE WIRE HARNESS FROM THE DRIVER'S SEAT POWER LUMBAR SUPPORT SWITCH MAY BE ROUTED INCORRECTLY AND COULD BE PINCHED UNDER THE DRIVER SEAT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A PINCHED HARNESS, IN COMBINATION WITH DRIVING VIBRATION, MAY RESULT IN A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE HARNESS THAT COULD LEAD TO A FIRE IN THE SEAT.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIRE HARNESS AND ROUTE IT CORRECTLY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 16, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.

05V338000 · Child Seat:latch Strap

Jul 26, 2005

CERTAIN VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 225, "CHILD RESTRAINT ANCHORAGE SYSTEMS." THE LOWER ANCHORAGE BRACKETS IN THE REAR SEATS DO NOT MEET THE LOCATION REQUIREMENT IN THIS STANDARD. THIS MAY CAUSE DIFFICULTY IN ATTACHING SOME CHILD SEATS TO THESE BRACKETS.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF A CHILD SEAT IS NOT PROPERLY SECURED, THERE IS AN INCREASED RISK OF INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LOWER ANCHORAGE BRACKETS WITH MODIFIED BRACKETS TO ENSURE THAT THE STANDARD IS MET. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 28, 2006. THE INFINITI Q45 MODEL VEHICLES ARE BEING CAMPAIGNED UNDER A SEPARATE RECALL (PLEASE SEE 05V374000). OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261 OR INFINITI AT 1-800-662-6200.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.