Nissan Maxima 2004–2008
6th generation (A34)
NHTSA data through 13 August 20263,878 complaints, 3,252 with mileageMethod
- Reports with mileage
- 3,252
- Median of reported failures
- 82,000 mi
- Most-reported system
- Transmission and driveline (55.3%)
- Recalls
- 0
Before-you-buy checklist ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 61,000 and 102,000 miles.
Figure 1 · Nissan Maxima 2004–2008 · 3,252 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 5,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 227 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 28 complaints (0.9%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 27,500
- 25%
- 61,000
- Median
- 82,000
- 75%
- 102,000
- 90%
- 130,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5,000 | 136 | 4.2% |
| 5,000–10,000 | 50 | 1.5% |
| 10,000–15,000 | 44 | 1.4% |
| 15,000–20,000 | 31 | 1.0% |
| 20,000–25,000 | 34 | 1.0% |
| 25,000–30,000 | 43 | 1.3% |
| 30,000–35,000 | 36 | 1.1% |
| 35,000–40,000 | 47 | 1.4% |
| 40,000–45,000 | 63 | 1.9% |
| 45,000–50,000 | 58 | 1.8% |
| 50,000–55,000 | 82 | 2.5% |
| 55,000–60,000 | 104 | 3.2% |
| 60,000–65,000 | 183 | 5.6% |
| 65,000–70,000 | 172 | 5.3% |
| 70,000–75,000 | 202 | 6.2% |
| 75,000–80,000 | 203 | 6.2% |
| 80,000–85,000 | 227 | 7.0% |
| 85,000–90,000 | 208 | 6.4% |
| 90,000–95,000 | 192 | 5.9% |
| 95,000–100,000 | 186 | 5.7% |
| 100,000–105,000 | 177 | 5.4% |
| 105,000–110,000 | 104 | 3.2% |
| 110,000–115,000 | 106 | 3.3% |
| 115,000–120,000 | 84 | 2.6% |
| 120,000–125,000 | 100 | 3.1% |
| 125,000–130,000 | 50 | 1.5% |
| 130,000–135,000 | 71 | 2.2% |
| 135,000–140,000 | 35 | 1.1% |
| 140,000–145,000 | 29 | 0.9% |
| 145,000–150,000 | 21 | 0.6% |
| 150,000–155,000 | 31 | 1.0% |
| 155,000–160,000 | 9 | 0.3% |
| 160,000–165,000 | 20 | 0.6% |
| 165,000–170,000 | 19 | 0.6% |
| 170,000–175,000 | 25 | 0.8% |
| 175,000–180,000 | 21 | 0.6% |
| 180,000–185,000 | 6 | 0.2% |
| 185,000–190,000 | 8 | 0.2% |
| 190,000–195,000 | 5 | 0.2% |
| 195,000–200,000 | 2 | 0.1% |
| 200,000+ | 28 | 0.9% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 3,878 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004–2008 Nissan Maxima, and 3,252 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 61,000 and 102,000 miles. The median is 82,000 miles.
The most-reported areas are the transmission and driveline (55.3% of complaints, typically around 85,000 miles), the tyres (4.7% of complaints, typically around 28,000 miles), the engine (4.7% of complaints, typically around 100,000 miles).
If you arrived asking “is it reliable?” — this page answers the version of that question the data can support: which problems owners reported, and at what mileage.
How many miles does a 2004–2008 Nissan Maxima last?
Half of the failure reports on the 2004–2008 Nissan Maxima were filed by 82,000 miles and 90% by 130,000 miles — figures drawn from 3,252 NHTSA complaints that record an odometer reading, so they time reported failures, not the cars whose owners never filed one.
28 reports (0.9%) came in past 200,000 miles — each one proof a Maxima reached that mileage, not that it died there.
Before you buy a 2004–2008 Maxima: the 3-minute check
Generated from 3,252 mileage-tagged complaints, 3 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Check transmission on 2007–2008 cars. First Maxima use of the JATCO JF010E Xtronic CVT. Overheated fluid lets the steel push-belt slip on the pulleys, shedding metal debris; symptoms are judder, whine, delayed engagement and eventual loss of drive.
- Check engine on 2004–2008 cars. VQ35DE timing chain guide and tensioner wear producing cold-start rattle and, if ignored, chain jump. Subject of the Falco v. Nissan North America timing-chain class settlement.
- Check body. SkyView / panoramic glass roof water leaks into the headliner and A-pillar.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 61,000 and 102,000 miles, with a median of 82,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the transmission and driveline and the tyres are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The tyres in particular shows a median failure mileage of 28,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
What fails, and when
Figure 2 · Nissan Maxima 2004–2008
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Suspension143 reports22,0003,500–65,000Suspension: 143 reports, median 22,000 miles, middle half 3,500 to 65,000 miles.
- Tyres182 reports28,00018,000–44,000Tyres: 182 reports, median 28,000 miles, middle half 18,000 to 44,000 miles.
- Engine and its cooling system144 reports74,00055,000–92,000Engine and its cooling system: 144 reports, median 74,000 miles, middle half 55,000 to 92,000 miles.
- Electrical system134 reports78,00047,000–117,000Electrical system: 134 reports, median 78,000 miles, middle half 47,000 to 117,000 miles.
- Transmission and driveline2,145 reports85,00070,000–102,000Transmission and driveline: 2,145 reports, median 85,000 miles, middle half 70,000 to 102,000 miles.
- Body structure155 reports92,00068,000–115,000Body structure: 155 reports, median 92,000 miles, middle half 68,000 to 115,000 miles.
- Engine182 reports100,00074,000–120,000Engine: 182 reports, median 100,000 miles, middle half 74,000 to 120,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission and driveline | 2,145 | 55.3% | 85,000 | 70,000–102,000 |
| Tyres | 182 | 4.7% | 28,000 | 18,000–44,000 |
| Engine | 182 | 4.7% | 100,000 | 74,000–120,000 |
| Body structure | 155 | 4.0% | 92,000 | 68,000–115,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 144 | 3.7% | 74,000 | 55,000–92,000 |
| Suspension | 143 | 3.7% | 22,000 | 3,500–65,000 |
| Electrical system | 134 | 3.5% | 78,000 | 47,000–117,000 |
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 131 | 3.4% | 57,000 | 39,000–79,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 121 | 3.1% | 92,000 | 66,000–114,000 |
| Steering | 82 | 2.1% | 48,000 | 7,500–97,000 |
Where your car sits
Failure reports by the odometer reading they were filed at. Pick the anchor nearest your car — or type the exact mileage: your marker lands on this curve and on the timing chart above.
Figure 3 · Nissan Maxima 2004–2008 · 3,252 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 22% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 59% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 85% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it below
The staircase tops out at 99%: the remaining 0.9% of reports (28) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
At 60,000 miles
22% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Tyres — median 28,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 55,000–92,000 mi
- Suspension — middle half 3,500–65,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 47,000–117,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 70,000–102,000 mi
- Engine — middle half 74,000–120,000 mi
- Body structure — middle half 68,000–115,000 mi
At 90,000 miles
59% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Tyres — median 28,000 mi
- Suspension — median 22,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 70,000–102,000 mi
- Engine — middle half 74,000–120,000 mi
- Body structure — middle half 68,000–115,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 55,000–92,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 47,000–117,000 mi
At 120,000 miles
85% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Transmission and driveline — median 85,000 mi
- Tyres — median 28,000 mi
- Engine — median 100,000 mi
- Body structure — median 92,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — median 74,000 mi
- Suspension — median 22,000 mi
- Electrical system — median 78,000 mi
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 82,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 55.3% of complaints (2,145 reports, 1,907 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 85,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 70,000 and 102,000 miles.
A single system taking 55.3% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
The tyres account for 4.7% of complaints (182 reports, 113 of them with a mileage figure), and they fail early — a median of 28,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 18,000 and 44,000 miles.
The engine accounts for 4.7% of complaints (182 reports, 156 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 100,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 74,000 and 120,000 miles.
Body structure accounts for 4.0% of complaints (155 reports, 121 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 92,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 68,000 and 115,000 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 3.7% of complaints (144 reports, 113 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 74,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 55,000 and 92,000 miles.
The suspension accounts for 3.7% of complaints (143 reports, 109 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 22,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 3,500 and 65,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2004 model year drew the most — 1,725 complaints — while 2008 drew the fewest at 99. The median year sits at 733.
That makes 2004 an outlier: roughly 2.4 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
Recalls and what they cover
No recall campaigns covering this generation appear in NHTSA's post-2010 recall file. That is not the same as an absence of problems — recalls address safety defects specifically, and many of the complaints above concern faults that are expensive or annoying without meeting that threshold.
Reported severity
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 3,878 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 119 (3.1%)
- Fires
- 57
- Injury reports
- 86
- Fatality reports
- 2
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Documented problems
Transmission 2007–2008
First Maxima use of the JATCO JF010E Xtronic CVT. Overheated fluid lets the steel push-belt slip on the pulleys, shedding metal debris; symptoms are judder, whine, delayed engagement and eventual loss of drive.
Engine 2004–2008
VQ35DE timing chain guide and tensioner wear producing cold-start rattle and, if ignored, chain jump. Subject of the Falco v. Nissan North America timing-chain class settlement.
Body
SkyView / panoramic glass roof water leaks into the headliner and A-pillar.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 1,725 | 1,416 |
| 2005 | 1,152 | 984 |
| 2006 | 733 | 641 |
| 2007 | 169 | 136 |
| 2008 | 99 | 75 |
What owners reported
Me and my boyfriend were sold this car for 2500 and the car needed a new battery, a new converter . Once i brought those items and put them in the car started having compression problems to the point it has a slow take off , cannot go up hills , and we have to shift gears just for it to move .. This car was sold to us…
2004 · 10 miles · Engine
I’ve been trying to get the problems fixed with my new car. It has been shaking (steering wheel), on my 2004 Nissan Maxima since the day i bought it, april 8/2004 @ dobbs Nissan memphis, tn. I’ve had the car in 5 different car dealerships--- #1april 12/04 courtesy Nissan inc., Richardson, tx-- #2 april 14/04 dobbs…
2004 · 14 miles · Suspension
I purchased the vehicle with only 30 miles, we were the first one's to test drive the car. During the drive we noticed a vibration in the steering wheel between 60-80 miles per hour. The sales person advised us that the car simply needed to be balance since it has been sitting on the lot for for 4months and the tires…
2004 · 36 miles · Steering
Built from 3,252 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-18 · open data · reproduce this page