Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Nissan Maxima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I have experienced repeated problems on at least 6 occasions since I have owned this car with the rotors. Everytime I have this fixed the dealer determined that this was caused by my driving habits which I did not agree with seeing as how I have owned 3 cars prior and have never experienced this problem. I have had to have the catalytic converter replaced, 3 oxygen sensors replaced, and 2 wheel sensors. These occurrences have spanned over 18 months and have cost lots of money! The calipers have locked, and the car caught on fire in the wheel well, also. I have tried to get assistance from the dealer I bought the car from, no assistance from the local Nissan dealer in raleigh, and last, but not least - Nissan themselves - they even lied to me on the phone and told me that it was sent back to the local Nissan dealer, who had the right to cover the costs, but was denying the charge. …
Front rotors have failed three times within 60,000 and Nissan says that this is due to driving habits, I.e., rotors get hot and then fail. Reference # 4029350 perjudy ext. 3773. Dealer has replaced rotors each time and I find no fault with dealer with the exception that they do not know what is causing this; other than the driving habits as expressed by the Nissan rep. Judy. This condition is dangerous and causes the car to be bounce with loss of control a very real possiblity. For the second replacement, a statement in the followup to Nissan was made that this problem was serious. This vehicle is not driven in the city or under city conditions where brake pressure occurs often; the miles are highway miles as we live in the country; we have a paved road to the house so road conditions are not a factor. …
Warped rotors resurfaced once 18,000 miles ago because of heavy vibration in steering on braking (close to loss of control of car). Experiencing same problem again and dealer claims it's due to drive habits and refuses to service under extended warranty. The warped rotors causes you to have to pump the brakes to slow the car down which would explain the wear on the brake due to defective rotors. I do mostly highway driving so brakes not used extensively. Need to look at the possibility that some component is causing the rotors to overheat and warp and not a result of heavy braking. Spouse experiencing same problem on 2002 pathfinder with 22,000 miles. Please investigate as I think this is a widespread problem that Nissan is trying to attribute to the consumers' drive habits. Let's not wait for severe injury to occur before taking action.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Nissan Maxima. While driving various speeds, the contact heard a constant knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the brakes were the cause of the failure. They test drove the vehicle and diagnosed it as unsafe to drive. The dealer claimed to have repaired the vehicle; however, the noise recurred and the contact also began experiencing steering failure. The dealer stated that the recent failure was due to the lower arm suspension. She found a recall regarding the suspension:front:control arm:lower arm, but Nissan stated that her VIN was not included. The contact believes that her VIN should be included in the recall. The recall number was unknown. The failure mileage was 100,000 and current mileage was 125,000.
Nothing but problems since the vehicle was purchases new in '01. From replacing the alternator, strong shutter in breaks even after replacing twice and needs again, replaced rear oxygen sensors twice with now a third needed, replaced mass air flow sensor, and now vehicle is out of commission due to needing a new computer system, idle speed control sensor, and rear o2 sensors(again)! Also a leaking power steering pump and power window motors are near death. I understand wear and tear on a vehicle but this is an extreme case! Potential epa issues due to the oxygen sensors failing time after time.
The steering wheel would pulsate when slowing down on the highway to pay a toll, making the car difficult to steer. I brought the car to a Nissan dealer and was told the rotors were warped. The car has only 30,000 miles and was still under warranty but the dealer refused to cover the obviously defective rotors. Instead they charged me $150 to resurface the two front rotors to fix this problem. I believe this is only a temporary fix, and the rotors will warp again just because they are a defective part, and Nissan doesn't want to take any responsibility for this problem.
Within 50,000 miles roters have been replaced three times and have been resurfaced once. The first rotor replacement occurred at 15, 000 miles. Symptoms of the problem range from shaking steering wheel, having to pump the brakes to reduce shaking and grinding sounds that occur during breaking. The car is driven on the highway with infrequent city stop and go driving. The dealership has replaced or resurfaced the roters on all four occassions free of charge, but fails to admit that there is any defect and cites possible driving habits as the cause of the problem.
My rotors had to be turned at 17,000 (11/30/2001) and 32,000 (11/15/2002) miles due to vibration on braking. The service rep claims it is due to the rotors warping due to heating up and claims it is due to driving habits. I drive primarily highway miles and limited city driving and this reasoning doesn't seem likely. Especially twice. I've also owned a Honda accord (112,000 miles) and a Toyota camry (70,000 miles) and never had any such problems. This makes me question the claim that it is my braking habits.
While driving 60 MPH, the driver applied the brakes and the vehicle vibrated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for an inspection and the mechanic determined that the rotors needed to be replaced. The problem still continued at this time. The front rotors were replaced and turned. On a later date the rotors needed to be resurfaced. The dealer would not fix the vehicle under warranty.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Nissan Maxima. The ABS and check engine warning indicator lights illuminated. While driving 2 MPH and greater, the brake pedal would pulsate when depressed. The mechanic stated that the brake sensors needed to be replaced, but could not determine why the check engine light was illuminated. The failure mileage was 53,000 and current mileage was 54,000.
Brake complaints in other Maxima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2001 Nissan Maxima?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the brakes of the 2001 Nissan Maxima, 13% of the model year's 172 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › disc › rotor (16 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Nissan Maxima brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2001 Nissan Maxima, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2001 Nissan Maxima brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 28,000 miles, and 38% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.