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2010 Nissan Maxima

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Maxima years

Owner complaints for the 2010 Nissan Maxima are substantially higher than the model-year median of 99.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

238 reports with mileage · 37 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.

  • Steering. Review the 158 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 79 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 29 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 reports2 fire reports8 injury reports

What owners actually said

275 reports
10,000 miles · Mar 23, 2015
Air Bags

PASSENGER AIRBAG INDICATOR REMAINS ON WHEN ADULT (~110 LBS) IS PRESENT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. ENSURED SEATED PROPERLY, PASSENGER AIRBAG STILL DISABLED. COMPLAINED MANY TIMES TO DEALERSHIP OVER THE COURSE OF 3-4 YEARS WITH A RESPONSE OF "EVERYTHING IS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY". FINALLY THE SEAT BOTTOM WAS REPLACED TO ENSURE THE SE…

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PASSENGER AIRBAG INDICATOR REMAINS ON WHEN ADULT (~110 LBS) IS PRESENT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. ENSURED SEATED PROPERLY, PASSENGER AIRBAG STILL DISABLED. COMPLAINED MANY TIMES TO DEALERSHIP OVER THE COURSE OF 3-4 YEARS WITH A RESPONSE OF "EVERYTHING IS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY". FINALLY THE SEAT BOTTOM WAS REPLACED TO ENSURE THE SENSOR WAS GOOD - PROBLEM PERSISTS, NISSAN DEALERS NO LONGER WILLING TO ATTEMPT TO FIX. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED WITH A FIVE-STAR CRASH SAFETY RATING, BUT I HARDLY BELIEVE THAT WOULD BE TRUE WITH THE PASSENGER AIRBAG NOT FUNCTIONING. A POTENTIALLY GRAVE SAFETY CONCERN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10701029

21,000 miles · Mar 23, 2015
Air Bags

SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE (NEW), MY WIFE NOTICED THAT WHEN SHE IS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, THE PASSENGER AIR BAG STATUS LIGHT STAYS ON, INDICATING THE AIR BAG IS TURNED OFF EVEN THOUGH AN ADULT IS SITTING IN THE SEAT. THE DEALERSHIP LOOK AT IT AND CLAIMS THAT IT IS WORKING CORRECTLY AND BLAMED THAT MY WIFE WAS SITTING…

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SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE (NEW), MY WIFE NOTICED THAT WHEN SHE IS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, THE PASSENGER AIR BAG STATUS LIGHT STAYS ON, INDICATING THE AIR BAG IS TURNED OFF EVEN THOUGH AN ADULT IS SITTING IN THE SEAT. THE DEALERSHIP LOOK AT IT AND CLAIMS THAT IT IS WORKING CORRECTLY AND BLAMED THAT MY WIFE WAS SITTING IN THE SEAT WRONG. IT IS NOT AN OCCURRENCE THAT ALWAYS HAPPENS, JUST PERIODICALLY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10701019

51,000 miles · Mar 10, 2015
StructureVisibility

DRIVING VEHICLE AT A SPEED OF 60 MPH WHEN A PORTION OF GLASS FROM THE PANORAMIC ROOF DETACHED FROM THE ROOF ASSEMBLY. REPORTED THE ISSUE TO DEALERSHIP ON 2 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS ABOUT WATER LEAKAGE PRIOR TO THIS HAPPENING. DEALER 1 STATED THEY COULD NOT RECREATE ISSUE. DEALER 2 STATED THAT A SEAL WAS CAUSING A WATER LEAK BUT A WEA…

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DRIVING VEHICLE AT A SPEED OF 60 MPH WHEN A PORTION OF GLASS FROM THE PANORAMIC ROOF DETACHED FROM THE ROOF ASSEMBLY. REPORTED THE ISSUE TO DEALERSHIP ON 2 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS ABOUT WATER LEAKAGE PRIOR TO THIS HAPPENING. DEALER 1 STATED THEY COULD NOT RECREATE ISSUE. DEALER 2 STATED THAT A SEAL WAS CAUSING A WATER LEAK BUT A WEATHER SEAL WOULD NOT CAUSE A PANORAMIC ROOF TO DETACH. NISSAN STILL REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT EVEN AFTER THE ROOF COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE AND IS ALSO UNWILLING TO HELP THEIR CUSTOMERS. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS INJURY AS I WAS ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY. PLEASE MAKE THIS AS A KNOWN ISSUE AND FORCE NISSAN TO RELEASE A RECALL OR TSB AT THE MINIMUM. THE NEXT PERSON WHO THIS HAPPENS TO MAY NOT BE SO LUCKY. THERE ARE ALSO MULTIPLE REPORTS OF THIS SAME ROOF GLASS ON THIS MODEL EXPLODING WHILE DRIVING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10693174

105,000 miles · Mar 6, 2015
Electrical SystemSteering

I HAVE 2010 MAXIMA AND IT HAS BEEN WORKING GREAT. THIS MORNING, I STARTED THE CAR TO WARM IT UP FOR MY DAUGHTER AND TURN IT OFF FOR ABOUT 10MIN. WHEN SHE WAS READY TO LEAVE, THE CAR WOULD NOT START. CAR HAS POWER AND DOOR LOCKS WORK FINE LOCKING AND UNLOCKING BUT NOTHING HAPPENS WHEN YOU PUSH BUTTON TO START THE CAR. LOOKS LIKE…

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I HAVE 2010 MAXIMA AND IT HAS BEEN WORKING GREAT. THIS MORNING, I STARTED THE CAR TO WARM IT UP FOR MY DAUGHTER AND TURN IT OFF FOR ABOUT 10MIN. WHEN SHE WAS READY TO LEAVE, THE CAR WOULD NOT START. CAR HAS POWER AND DOOR LOCKS WORK FINE LOCKING AND UNLOCKING BUT NOTHING HAPPENS WHEN YOU PUSH BUTTON TO START THE CAR. LOOKS LIKE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM THAT IS RELATED TO STEERING BEING LOCKED AND THERE IS NO WAY TO UNLOCK IT. 2009 MAXIMAS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND NISSAN DID A RECALL TO FIX IT BUT NOTHING ON 2010... WHY ??? THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AND NEEDS ATTENTION ASAP. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10692626

79,000 miles · Mar 3, 2015
Electrical System

MY 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA WOULD NOT START AFTER IT WAS DRIVEN TO WORK. THE DASH LIGHT FLASHED A YELLOW KEY, THE BRAKE PEDDLE WAS HARD, AND THE PUSH BUTTON WAS LOCKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10691899

62,000 miles · Mar 3, 2015
Electrical SystemSteering

GOT INTO MY VEHICLE TO LEAVE FOR WORK, BRAKE WAS HARD TO PUSH, STEERING WHEEL LOCKED IN POSITION THAT IT WAS IN, PUSH BUTTON START WOULD NOT WORK. TRIED BOTH KEYFOBS WITH NO CHANGE IN STATUS. LIGHT ON THE DASH THAT I HADN'T SEEN BEFORE (A KEY WITH A RECTANGULAR BOX AROUND IT) CHANGED BATTERIES IN BOTH FOBS WITH STILL NO CHAN…

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GOT INTO MY VEHICLE TO LEAVE FOR WORK, BRAKE WAS HARD TO PUSH, STEERING WHEEL LOCKED IN POSITION THAT IT WAS IN, PUSH BUTTON START WOULD NOT WORK. TRIED BOTH KEYFOBS WITH NO CHANGE IN STATUS. LIGHT ON THE DASH THAT I HADN'T SEEN BEFORE (A KEY WITH A RECTANGULAR BOX AROUND IT) CHANGED BATTERIES IN BOTH FOBS WITH STILL NO CHANGE. WAS LATE FOR WORK AND HAD TO HAVE MY VEHICLE TOWED OUT OF MY OWN GARAGE. AFTER RESEARCHING FOUND THAT THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK WOULD NOT DISENGAGE, WHICH IN TURN TRIGGERED THE ANTI-THEFT SECURITY SYSTEM AND MY CAR WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE MY OWN KEYFOBS. THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO START THE VEHICLE, NO GENERAL OVERRIDE SWITCH OR BUTTON OF ANY KIND. I HAD A VEHICLE THAT I COULD NOT USE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10691869

42,000 miles · Feb 25, 2015
Steering

ON FEB 24, 2015, I GOT INTO MY 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA TO TAKE SON TO SCHOOL AND CAR WOULD NOT START. AFTER DOING A HOST OF TROUBLESHOOTING (BATTERY, FUSES) NOTHING TURNED UP. HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND DIAGNOSTIC TEST DETERMINED THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN WAS DEFECTIVE. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THIS ISSUE AND DISCOVERED M…

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ON FEB 24, 2015, I GOT INTO MY 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA TO TAKE SON TO SCHOOL AND CAR WOULD NOT START. AFTER DOING A HOST OF TROUBLESHOOTING (BATTERY, FUSES) NOTHING TURNED UP. HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND DIAGNOSTIC TEST DETERMINED THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN WAS DEFECTIVE. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THIS ISSUE AND DISCOVERED MILLIONS OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. NISSAN WAS WELL AWARE OF PROBLEM AND RECALLED THE 2009 NISSAN MAXIMA MODELS , AND EXTENDED THE RECALL WARRANTY TIL FEB 2015 TO FIX ISSUE. HOWEVER, THEY DID NOTHING FOR THE 2010 MODELS. WHEN YOU PURCHASE A CAR, YOU ARE ROBBED AT THE DEALERSHIP AND ROBBED AGAIN OF YOUR HARD EARNED MINIMUM WAGE INCOME DUE TO SHODDY WORKMANSHIP THAT COST THOUSANDS. LESSON LEARNED NEVER BUY A NISSAN MAXIMA. *JS

NHTSA ODI #10690620

84,000 miles · Feb 25, 2015
Electrical SystemSteering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE ENGINE, THE KEY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE FAILED TO START WHEN THE AUTOMATIC PUSH BUTTON WAS PRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING LOCK MECHANISM FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS …

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE ENGINE, THE KEY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE FAILED TO START WHEN THE AUTOMATIC PUSH BUTTON WAS PRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING LOCK MECHANISM FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000.

NHTSA ODI #10690527

106,000 miles · Feb 24, 2015
Electrical SystemSteering

I WENT TO START MY 2010 MAXIMA AND IT WOULDN'T START. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY, SO I CHANGED IT. NO DIFFERENCE. THEN I SAW THAT THE KEY INDICATOR WAS LIT ON MY DASHBOARD. SO I CHECKED MY KEY FOB, IT WAS FINE. THEN I BEGAN TO GOOGLE THE ISSUE AND SAW THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 2009 ALTIMA/MAXIMA'S ON THE ELECTRONIC STEERI…

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I WENT TO START MY 2010 MAXIMA AND IT WOULDN'T START. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY, SO I CHANGED IT. NO DIFFERENCE. THEN I SAW THAT THE KEY INDICATOR WAS LIT ON MY DASHBOARD. SO I CHECKED MY KEY FOB, IT WAS FINE. THEN I BEGAN TO GOOGLE THE ISSUE AND SAW THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 2009 ALTIMA/MAXIMA'S ON THE ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN LOCK (ESCL). I READ THAT OWNERS OF MAXIMA'S WOULD REMOVE THE BOTTOM DASHBOARD AND JIGGLE OR TAP THE ESCL AND THE CAR WOULD EVENTUALLY START. I TRIED THIS REMEDY, AND IT WORKED...TEMPORARILY. THE LIGHT WENT OFF BUT THE VERY NEXT DAY IT CAME BACK ON. I WAS HESITANT TO START MY CAR AFTER THE INCIDENT. THE CAR STARTED BUT THE LIGHT STAYED ON. I ASSUMED THAT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE, BUT SINCE THE CAR STARTED I WENT ON ABOUT MY DAILY ROUTINE. THEN IT HAPPENED, I WAS AWAY FROM MY HOME, ON A DATE, IN THE SNOW, AND IT WOULDN'T START AGAIN. THERE I WAS TRYING TO START MY CAR WITHOUT TOOLS IN THE SNOW!! THERE ARE COUNTLESS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET. MANY HAVE GONE UNRESOLVED, AND THERE ARE MANY UNSATISFIED NISSAN OWNERS OUT THERE. I LOVE MY MAXIMA, BUT I AM VERY UNSATISFIED WITH NISSAN AND HOW THEY HAVE HANDLED THIS ISSUE. ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY ADMITTED FAULT WITH THE 2009 MODEL, YET NEW MODELS STILL HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. I CONTACTED NISSANASSIST.COM AND FILED A COMPLAINT AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WE'RE SORRY BUT THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST ME. *JS

NHTSA ODI #10690326

31,000 miles · Feb 24, 2015
Electrical System

CAR SUDDENLY WOULD NOT START....START BUTTON COULD NOT BE PRESSED. HAD TOW TO NISSAN AND CONFIRMED IT WAS THE STEERING LOCK CONTROL UNIT. THEY WANT $1000 TO FIX IT! IT ONLY HAS 31000 MILES. IT WAS PURCHASED IN SEPT 2009 AND THE 2009 MODEL WARRANTIES WERE EXTENDED! I'M FURIOUS! *JS

NHTSA ODI #10690197

Official recalls

1

09V358000 · Suspension

Sep 16, 2009

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 ALTIMA AND MAXIMA PASSENGER CARS. THE UPPER FRONT STRUT INSULATORS MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED OUT OF SPECIFICATION RESULTING IN A POTENTIAL FOR THE STRUT INSULATOR TO CRACK.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THE STRUT INSULATOR IS CRACKED, THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR THE STRUT ROD TO COME OUT OF ITS MOUNTING POSITION, WHICH COULD AFFECT VEHICLE STABILITY AND INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE FRONT STRUT INSULATORS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN OCTOBER 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-NISSAN1 (1-800-647-7261).

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.