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2011 Nissan Maxima

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2011 Nissan Maxima do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 99.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

64 reports with mileage · 42 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.

  • Air Bags. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. 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.

5 crash reports1 fire reports7 injury reports

Power Train complaints

22 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jun 29, 2024
Power Train

The transmission is slipping it’s a cvt and they’re known for being the worst transmissions. I was entering the highway on a on ramp and I could no longer accelerate past 55 I was near flooring it and you can hear the engine working but the rpm’s are all over the odometer going from 3k-6.5k over and over. The problem has not bee…

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The transmission is slipping it’s a cvt and they’re known for being the worst transmissions. I was entering the highway on a on ramp and I could no longer accelerate past 55 I was near flooring it and you can hear the engine working but the rpm’s are all over the odometer going from 3k-6.5k over and over. The problem has not been diagnosed professionally. The vehicle has not been inspected professionally.There were no lights on the dash when this began happening and nothing occurred that led up to that situation it was just a normal drive for me and now this happens every other day.

NHTSA ODI #11597730

Mileage unknown · May 5, 2023
EnginePower TrainSteering

Cvt transmission jerking , engine is always idling hard sometimes wants to even shut off , accelerating sometimes takes a lil while to respond , rack and pinion assembly faulty I would like for nissan to fix my car or get a lump sum check for all faulty errors these cars have

NHTSA ODI #11520699

Mileage unknown · Jan 12, 2023
Power TrainService BrakesVehicle Speed Control

Hi I bought car Nissan maxima 2011 transmission not working well when I driving I stopped at the traffic after that car does not move forward

NHTSA ODI #11501538

Mileage unknown · Jan 18, 2022
Power Train

Transmission failed on my vehicle at 40,000 miles while I was in the middle of traffic. My car stopped accelerating without warning and I nearly got into an accident

NHTSA ODI #11447961

95,000 miles · Mar 31, 2021
Power Train

MY CAR IS VERY RELIABLE UNTIL NOW WITH ONLY 105,000 MILES? MY PROBLEM STARTED ABOUT SEPTEMBER 2020 WHEN I STARTED TO HEAR MY CAR MAKE A ROUGH SOUND SUDDENLY, LIKE A WINDING NOISE WHEN I ACCELERATE AND WHEN I LET OFF THE GAS AS WELL. I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT UNTIL I TOOK IT TO A NISSAN DEALER TO HAVE THEM CHECK IT OUT. THEY CALL…

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MY CAR IS VERY RELIABLE UNTIL NOW WITH ONLY 105,000 MILES? MY PROBLEM STARTED ABOUT SEPTEMBER 2020 WHEN I STARTED TO HEAR MY CAR MAKE A ROUGH SOUND SUDDENLY, LIKE A WINDING NOISE WHEN I ACCELERATE AND WHEN I LET OFF THE GAS AS WELL. I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT UNTIL I TOOK IT TO A NISSAN DEALER TO HAVE THEM CHECK IT OUT. THEY CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY TELL ME I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AND ITS GOING TO BE AROUND $5,500. WHICH I DON'T HAVE ESPECIALLY IN THIS PANDEMIC. ALSO THEY TOLD ME IF I GET THE NEW TRANSMISSION IT ONLY COMES WITH 1 YEAR WARRANTY. NISSAN ONLY COVERS IT UNTIL 60,000 MILES WHICH I DON'T BELIEVE PEOPLE BUYING A NEW NISSAN EXPECT IT TO GO FURTHER THEN THAT! MY ISSUE IS THAT NISSAN IS PUTTING IN THESE FAULTY TRANSMISSIONS KNOWING THAT IT WILL FAIL SOON AND ONLY GIVE YOU 1 YEAR WARRANTY IF YOU DO REPLACE IT AFTER PAY 5,500?

NHTSA ODI #11405881

106,000 miles · Mar 31, 2021
Power Train

ON THE NIGHT OF FEBRUARY 16, MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING MY 2011 NISSAN MAXIMA WHEN SHE CAME TO A STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, SHE MOVED HER FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AND BEGAN TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE VEHICLE ALL OF A SUDDEN WOULD NOT MOVE. SHE APPLIED HER FOOT TO THE ACCELERATOR SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE VEHI…

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ON THE NIGHT OF FEBRUARY 16, MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING MY 2011 NISSAN MAXIMA WHEN SHE CAME TO A STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, SHE MOVED HER FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AND BEGAN TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE VEHICLE ALL OF A SUDDEN WOULD NOT MOVE. SHE APPLIED HER FOOT TO THE ACCELERATOR SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE VEHICLE STILL WOULD NOT MOVE. AFTER SEVERAL MORE ATTEMPTS, THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD IN A VIOLENT MANNER BUT LUCKILY, THERE WAS NO OTHER CAR AHEAD OF HER OR I'M AFRAID A MORE SERIOUS EVENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. THIS ALL HAPPENED RATHER ABRUPTLY, WITHOUT ANY ADVANCE WARNING OR INDICATION OF A POTENTIAL PROBLEM. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL NISSAN SERVICE CENTER TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED ME A CODE INDICATED 'TRANSMISSION FLUID PRESSURE LOW' (EVEN THOUGH IT CONTAINED PLENTY OF FLUID) AND ADVISED A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT WAS NEEDED AT A COST OF $7,138. THIS WAS THE DIAGNOSIS DESPITE NO DASHBOARD WARNING OR SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT INDICATOR, AS I INDICATED ABOVE. UPON RETURNING HOME AND RESEARCHING THE ISSUE ONLINE, I DISCOVERED THAT THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE VERY COMMON. I LEARNED THAT NISSAN HAS HAD MAJOR ISSUES WITH THE CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION (CVT), INCLUDING SEVERAL CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS AND OTHER LEGAL MATTERS WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY RESULTED IN NISSAN EXTENDING THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY ON 2003-2010 NISSAN VEHICLES AND SETTLING OTHER LAWSUITS FOR NEWER MODEL VEHICLES. HOWEVER, MODEL YEARS 2011 AND 2012 WERE NOT COVERED UNDER THESE SETTLEMENTS DESPITE HAVING THE SAME EXACT CVT. I HAVE REACHED OUT TO NISSAN NORTH AMERICA BUT THEY HAVE NOT ACKNOWLEDGED LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY. SUCH A SHAME BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAS NOT HAD ANY ISSUES UNTIL THIS INCIDENT. IT ONLY HAS 106,000 MILES BUT NOW I'M WORRIED ABOUT WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF IT IS BEING DRIVEN.

NHTSA ODI #11405810

Mileage unknown · Aug 26, 2020
Power Train

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LANDERA NISSAN DEALER, LOCATED AT: 371 E. GOODMAN RD, SOUTH HAVEN, MS 38671 WHERE THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS …

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LANDERA NISSAN DEALER, LOCATED AT: 371 E. GOODMAN RD, SOUTH HAVEN, MS 38671 WHERE THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE CANNON NISSAN OF BLYTHEVILLE DEALER, LOCATED AT: 305 N SERVICE RD, BLYTHEVILLE, AR 72315, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI #11351390

111,000 miles · Aug 1, 2020
Power Train

TRANSMISSION BELT DISINTEGRATED. LOTS OF POWER IN DRIVE. SHAKING, HESITATING WHEN DRIVING. FINALLY WOULD BARELY MOVE.

NHTSA ODI #11342652

112,000 miles · Jul 28, 2020
Power Train

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, MY TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY STARTED SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR. THIS CAUSED THE CAR TO SUDDENLY SLOW, ALMOST BEING REAR ENDED BY THE CAR BEHIND ME. NISSAN KNOWS ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS, BUT REFUSES TO FIX ALL OF THEM. THEY HAVE SETTLED THOUSANDS OF CLAIMS OUT OF COURT FOR THIS PROBLEM. THEY STILL CLAIM THEIR…

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WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, MY TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY STARTED SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR. THIS CAUSED THE CAR TO SUDDENLY SLOW, ALMOST BEING REAR ENDED BY THE CAR BEHIND ME. NISSAN KNOWS ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS, BUT REFUSES TO FIX ALL OF THEM. THEY HAVE SETTLED THOUSANDS OF CLAIMS OUT OF COURT FOR THIS PROBLEM. THEY STILL CLAIM THEIR CVTS TRANSMISSION IS NOT DEFECTIVE.

NHTSA ODI #11341952

Mileage unknown · Oct 29, 2018
Power Train

BROUGHT VEHICLE TO REPAIR SHOP BECAUSE OF NOISE. REPAIR SHOP INFORMED ME THAT NOISE COMES FROM TRANSMISSION. DID SOME INVESTIGATION AND FOUND THAT NISSAN HAS HAD ISSUES WITH THESE CVT TRANSMISSIONS. NISSAN HAD A RECALL FOR ALL YEARS UNTIL 2010 INCLUDING 2010. NOT 2011. THIS IS THE SAME TRANSMISSION THAT FAILS PREMATURELY. I CALL…

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BROUGHT VEHICLE TO REPAIR SHOP BECAUSE OF NOISE. REPAIR SHOP INFORMED ME THAT NOISE COMES FROM TRANSMISSION. DID SOME INVESTIGATION AND FOUND THAT NISSAN HAS HAD ISSUES WITH THESE CVT TRANSMISSIONS. NISSAN HAD A RECALL FOR ALL YEARS UNTIL 2010 INCLUDING 2010. NOT 2011. THIS IS THE SAME TRANSMISSION THAT FAILS PREMATURELY. I CALLED THE DEALER $145 DIAGNOSTIC. NO GUARANTEES THAT NISSAN WILL PROVIDE "GOODWILL ASSISTANCE" . WHY DID RECALL STOP IN 2010?

NHTSA ODI #11143814

Official recalls

0

No 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.