Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Nissan Maxima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
[redacted] power steering system tires fuel pump air bags battery everything has been falling apart since 2018, it's been fixed and couple months later, the same problem comes up. Every mechanic that touches this car, said the same thing to check up the recall status. Because there are too many issues with it, and the mileage is low. So there is a faulty parts, that keep braking down in the middle of the road, and I have been calling roadside assistance at least 4 times since December. Brand new tires and brakes were installed and still having the same problems.
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.
Air bag recall was fixed as soon as we were notified (a few months ago). My son had a bad accident today and neither he nor the first responders can understand why the air bags did not deploy. Were they fixed correctly? Were they just turned off? How can we go about getting answers before the car is taken off to the junk yard? It was my car that I gave to him so I writing this as he is no shape right now.
Takata recall our 17 yr old daughter was in a accident on the interstate, her car rolled multiple times....the air bag never deployed-her neck (c7) was fractured. If the air bag would have deployed maybe her neck wouldn't have fractured...updated 10/19/17 updated 7/24/18
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Nissan Maxima. While driving at a low speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The air bag warning indicator illuminated and "service engine soon" was displayed across the message board. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the vehicle was previously repaired per NHTSA campaign number: 03V455000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the crank position sensors were not replaced per the recall remedy. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V287000 (air bags). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 168,000.
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Maxima. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V008000 (air bags). The vehicle was taken to the gilman Nissan fort bend located at 26001 southwest fwy, rosenberg, tx 77471, and after two days it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that when she picked up the vehicle, the air bag light was illuminated. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 123,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Nissan Maxima. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle started to make hissing noises and completely shut down. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired and the contact was informed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V287000 (air bags). The technician made the manufacturer aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 68,000. The consumer stated the air bag was replaced. Also, the check engine light illuminated. However, the dealer stated there would be a charge to diagnose it. Updated 03/17/16.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle. Upon impact, the air bags failed to deploy. The contact and the passenger suffered injuries to the neck and back. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was not filed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact also mentioned that a recall notice was received after the failure for NHTSA campaign I.d. Number 13V136000 (air bags). The failure mileage was 141,000.
Related recalls
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.
NHTSA investigations
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.
Airbag complaints in other Maxima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2002 Nissan Maxima?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the air bags of the 2002 Nissan Maxima, 14% of the model year's 205 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Nissan Maxima airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 20V-008 (inflator module, Jan 9, 2020); NHTSA recall 15V-287 (air bags, May 15, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2002 Nissan Maxima airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 110,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 14 crashes, 0 fires and 10 injuries to air bags 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.