2004 Nissan Maxima Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,725 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Nissan Maxima, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 84,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2004 Nissan Maxima sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1990–1999, 2001, 2003, 2007–2008, 2011–2014, 2016–2018, 2020.
Avoid
Where 2004 sits among all Maxima years
What owners report
“Transmission jerks really hard when driving and going into gear. Also while driving it doesnt want to shift at times.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Maxima
“The nissan dealer told me that i needed 4 new tires for a 2004 nissan maxima. The tires were cracked on all 4 tires on the inside tire walls. These are those goodyear 245 45 18 that came on the car. These tires are defective!”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Maxima
“Timing chain failure. Timing chain was bad from day one. Spent nearly 4000 dollars for repair. Then to look up online and find out many other people had problem. Now a few years later. Same problem”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Maxima
“1) manufacturer defect in the suspension (2004 nissan maxima se) 2) caused car to make a sudden reflex to the right twice on the highway 3) dealer ( nissan of el monte ) has replace struts and other suspension parts more than 4 times after 10 dealer inspections.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Maxima
“1) normal driving conditions, no extraordinary events 2) 'brake judder' causing uncontrolled movement of steering wheel 3) taken to dealer in february 2005, rotors re-surfaced, problem recurrence after only 7,000 miles (may 30, 2005). Taken to dealer june 09, 2005. Dealer will not replace rotors at…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Maxima
“The body control module keeps the front and back lights from working. The tail lights also not working. The license plate lights not working cost for replacing with labor and tax is over 1k in california. While i was driving at night i could not see the road. I had to pull over and get towed home.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Maxima
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 1,377 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 80,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 56,000 and 100,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
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.
Fix: 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.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SKYVIEW ROOFS, THE GLASS FOR THE ROOF MAY NOT HAVE BEEN QUENCHED PROPERLY AFTER THE FORMING PROCESS, RESULTING IN TEMPER IMBALANCE.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE GLASS IN THE SKYVIEW ROOF. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 04V326000.
Technical service bulletins
114 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2004 Nissan Maxima. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2004 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 2004 Nissan Maxima reliable?
The 2004 Nissan Maxima drew 1,725 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2004 Nissan Maxima problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Nissan Maxima are transmission & drivetrain (942 complaints), wheels & tires (149), and engine (124).
At what mileage do 2004 Nissan Maxima problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Nissan Maxima problems around 80,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 56,000 and 100,000 miles.
Does the 2004 Nissan Maxima have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 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.