Most common 2002 Nissan Maxima problems
Share of the 205 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Nissan Maxima complaints by model year
Best Maxima years: 2022, 2019, 2020. Years to avoid: 2009, 2010, 2004, 2005, 2006. Compare all years →
2002 Nissan Maxima recalls (6)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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 2006-2010 M35 and M45 vehicles.
Remedy: 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.
Air bags
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 bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Remedy: 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.
Engine and engine cooling
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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the crank position sensors. Camshaft position sensor(s), and in some cases, the variable timing control sensor(s).
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower arm
On certain passenger vehicles, the pin at the end of the front suspension transverse link (lower control arm) could break where it is mounted to the frame.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the transverse links on the left and right sides with new ones. Owner notification began July 29, 2002.
Vehicle speed control
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with an electronic throttle control system, the stopper for the accelerator pedal will prevent excessive movement of the accelerator position sensor.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new accelerator pedal stopper. Owner notification began March 11, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy…
Power train
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a traction control system, the odometer in the subject vehicles registers distance in kilometers instead of miles as is specified in the design. The odometer does not have a label that indicates "kilometers" or "km" as required by FMVSS no. 101, "controls and displays."
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the odometer to determine if it is correct and, if not, will replace the speedometer/odometer assembly. Owner notification began December 12, 2001.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2002 Nissan Maxima:
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
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, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
What 2002 Nissan Maxima owners say
Engine & cooling all 47 →
When I first purchased this car I had immediate problems with the power steering fluid. The check engine light has remained on the entire time. But the car was hemorrhaging fluid, groaning, whining, and my steering was becoming extremely loose. I call the dealer that sold me the car, because I dropped 4 grand on what seemed like a nice vehicle with under 100k on it. Well, I bought the car right off the lot and they refused to repair it. Cool, I respect that. IF the inspection reports and other papers are clearly falsified. It couldn't have passed inspection under normal situations. But since the dealer owns their own shop, they could slap stickers on busted vehicles and send them off to be sold. Eventually they do me " A favor" by replacing the power steering actuator/pump hoses & did work on towards a DTC code P0550. They give me that favor by charging me only for the parts, no labor. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The dealer was not informed of the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 03V455000 (engine and engine cooling) and would not receive a second free repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000. Consumer states that when vehicle was purchased the service engine soon light came on. Consumer states that when vehicle is driven at 60 MPH it shuts off. Consumer says the crank position sensors, cam shaft position sensors, and variable timing control sensors codes came up. Consumer says these are the same codes that were covered under the recall.
Air bags all 29 →
Driving vehicle on road and the accelerator pedal no longer working vehicle. coasted to the side. Car had to be towed. Vehicle cranking without problem but will not accelerate pedal goes to floor. At consideration of purchase of vehicle, car fax and all details about vehicle were viewed for possible purchase. Items on recall are now a concern as a safety issue.
The contact owned a 2002 Nissan Maxima. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V-008000 (Air Bags) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list as he is no longer the owner of the vehicle. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted.
Speed control & acceleration all 23 →
While parking car it spontaneously accelerated across the parking lot, the bordering street and into another parking lot before stopping. The cars left side, right side, front bumper, tires and suspension were damaged. Though no other cars were hit, commercial garbage cans, stop sign, telephone pole and a series 4 curbs inflicted damage. The air bags did not deploy despite having them checked by the dealer as required by a recall.
On May 22, 2006 while proceeding to park, my the accelerator would not shut off and the car continued forward until it came in contact with a telephone pole. While researching on the internet for the 2002 Nissan Maxima's accelerator problems I discovered a recall for the pedal stop sensor. Although my VIN number was not included in the recall I experienced the same problem and experienced a similar problem earlier. At that time I had the necessary repairs made. I feel that other models with different VIN numbers should be included in the recall as this is a very dangerous situation.
2002 Nissan Maxima engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | FWD | 19 / 26 / 21 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 24 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Nissan Maxima a good car?
Based on 205 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 Maxima rates average: 1.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the Maxima at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2002 Nissan Maxima?
The engine & cooling — 47 complaints, 23% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the air bags (29) and speed control & acceleration (23).
How many recalls does the 2002 Nissan Maxima have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2002 Nissan Maxima, the most recent from January 9, 2020 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Nissan Maxima?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2022, 2019 and 2020. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2009, 2010, 2004, 2005 and 2006. See the full Nissan Maxima years comparison.
At what mileage do 2002 Nissan Maxima problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 64,000 miles; 44% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.