2010 Nissan Maxima Problems, Recalls & Reliability
399 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2010 Nissan Maxima, alongside 1 recall campaign and 0 defect investigations. It scores 23/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Steering leads the reports, typically around 67,000 miles.
Typical
Where 2010 sits among all Maxima years
What owners report
“My 2010 nissan maxima experienced the steering lock failure and could not start the car. This, as i have been reading, is common and it's going to cost over $700.00 to fix. This is bs nissan!”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Maxima
“I drove to a friends was out of the vehicle about one hour.the vehicle was parked still. I returned to the vehicle and it wouldn't start. I call roadside assistance and got a tow to nissan dealer. I was told i had to pay $115.00 diagnostic fee. Then they told me that it was my steering lock unit…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Maxima
“Car will not start consistently.it appears to be the steering wheel ignition lock. Nissan will take no responsibility on the issue. Dealing with the non-english speaking rep at "nissan america" was frustrating.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Maxima
“Takata recall: when turning you can hear some type of nose coming from tires, had brakes replaced as well as tires”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Maxima
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 340 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 67,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 48,000 and 89,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
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.
Fix: 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…
Technical service bulletins
117 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and steering — are on file for the 2010 Nissan Maxima. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2010 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 2010 Nissan Maxima reliable?
The 2010 Nissan Maxima drew 399 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 23/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2010 Nissan Maxima problems?
The top reported problems for the 2010 Nissan Maxima are steering (161 complaints), electrical (81), and other (31).
At what mileage do 2010 Nissan Maxima problems show up?
Owners most often report 2010 Nissan Maxima problems around 67,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 48,000 and 89,000 miles.
Does the 2010 Nissan Maxima have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2010 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.