2003 Nissan Maxima Problems, Recalls & Reliability
249 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2003 Nissan Maxima, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 18/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Engine leads the reports, typically around 100,500 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2003 Nissan Maxima has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2003 sits among all Maxima years
What owners report
“Car "service engine soon" is on. The car randomly cuts off in traffic and as driving. Won't start up immediately. Very dangerous problem. The engine to stopped running without warning during vehicle operation, which could result in a crash.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Maxima
“Passenger hid light stolen and wires cut. Literally took thieves minutes, perhaps seconds.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Maxima
“Takata recall i have had my passenger side airbag replaced but have not been notified if the driver side is necessary to replace.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Maxima
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 172 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 89,974 miles. Half of those reports fall between 41,152 and 135,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain air bag inflator replacement service parts that may have been installed as part of a theft or collision repair. The parts include certain passenger-side air bag inflators designed to fit Infiniti…
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the inflators as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 14, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at…
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and…
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators with alternate desiccated inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2020. Owners may contact…
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2001-2003 Nissan Maxima, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 and I35, 2003 FX35 and FX45, and 2001 I30 vehicles. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air…
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on June 15, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.…
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR OR CAM POSITION SENSOR MAY HAVE AN IMPROPER SOLDER JOINT DUE TO SOLDER DEFORMATION CAUSED BY HEAT STRESS ACCELERATED BY THE EXISTENCE OF FLUX RESIDUE DURING THE SOLDERING PROCESS.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CRANK POSITION SENSORS. CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR(S), AND IN SOME CASES, THE VARIABLE TIMING CONTROL SENSOR(S). VEHICLES INVOLVED IN A PREVIOUS RECALL CAMPAIGN, 01V357, ARE…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…
Technical service bulletins
66 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2003 Nissan Maxima. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2003 Maxima TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2003 Nissan Maxima reliable?
The 2003 Nissan Maxima drew 249 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 18/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2003 Nissan Maxima problems?
The top reported problems for the 2003 Nissan Maxima are engine (98 complaints), electrical (43), and airbags (35).
At what mileage do 2003 Nissan Maxima problems show up?
Owners most often report 2003 Nissan Maxima problems around 89,974 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 41,152 and 135,000 miles.
Does the 2003 Nissan Maxima have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2003 Nissan Maxima. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.