Most common 2004 Nissan Maxima problems
Share of the 1,426 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 →
2004 Nissan Maxima recalls (2)
Seats › Front assembly › Power adjust
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.
Remedy: 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.
Visibility › Sun/moon roof assembly
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.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2004 Nissan Maxima:
Glass roof shattering
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened this investigation on April 12, 2004, based on five reports indicating that the skyview glass-paneled roof, which is standard equipment in model year (my) 2004 Nissan maxima vehicles, would suddenly shatter while the vehicle is in use.five injuries have been reported to odi, resulting in cuts to the head, hands, arms, or face.Nissan discovered that their supplier for…
What 2004 Nissan Maxima owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 934 →
1. Begin experiencing transmission slippage around 65K miles. Had the transmission services. The problem subsided for a short period. Had the transmission serviced again for the same problem at 80K miles. At 90K the conditioned worsened; the car jerked when slowing and going from reverse to drive - Nissan could not pinpoint the problem. Took it back to Nissan and they recommended a new transmission - cost 4K. 2. The failure has worsened. It happens every day - some days the car slams into drive or when slowing down - the intensity is changes day to day. The failure has caused someone to run into the back of my vehicle. 3. Nothing has been done to correct the failure. …
The 2004 Nissan Maxima suffers from a common issue within the transmission. The valve body causes premature transmission failure within these cars. This results in sudden hard jerking / delayed shifting when changing gears in their automatic transmission. This means loss of control occurs when the transmission finally catches itself since the car will continue to rev higher than normal. Overtime the car will experience slow acceleration, due to the car being thrown into a safety mode unexpectedly which keeps the car in a "5th" gear state. Also, because of the codes this faulty part will throw, a vehicle with this transmission will not pass certain state emissions. Repairs are upwards to thousands of dollars, and unfortunately replacing it with the same part will only be a temporary fix. …
Wheels & tires all 146 →
While driving on the nj turn pike at 70 MPH, my husband felt what seemed like a tire going flat. He proceeded to try to get to the shoulder. Suddenly, the left rear tire blew and he totally lost control of the vehicle. He was hit head-on and in the rear. Both he and the driver of the other vehicle were injured and transported to the hospital. Two days later we went to see the car at the towing garage and we saw the rear passenger tire was split on the sidewall. These tires were replaced recently and were rotated and checked by Goodyear three months ago. Goodyear saw nothing wrong with the tires at that time. Is Goodyear waiting for a death to occur before they issues a recall? There are many complaints about the rsa18" tires.
Dt: 2004 Nissan Maxima that has continental, contitouring , tire, size p225/55/r17 leaked air almost to the point of being flat. This happens over a period of time, such as two weeks, these leaks were slow, and occurred four tires. Consumer was driving about 35 MPH in a school zone and heard a pop, pulled ove,r and the right rear tire was completely flat on the rim. This occurred near a gas station ,and consumer drove there to gas station to put air in the tire, but the air system at the gas station would not work. Called family member to bring an air piggy and the tire would not inflate. Waited for tire dealer to open because this was early in the morning and they could not inflate the tire. Upon further inspection they note tha t inside of the tire running vertically from the rim to the top of the tire had a split. …
Engine & cooling all 121 →
Tl* the contact owned a 2004 Nissan Maxima. While the vehicle was parked in the garage at the contact's home, the hood blew up and the front end burst into flames. The contact opened the garage door and extinguished the fire. There were no injuries or property damage. The maintenance indicator illuminated. The vehicle was driven to five star Nissan of florence (311 n cashua dr, florence, sc 29501, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the speed sensor failed. The contact stated that the insurance company totaled the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,149.
Me and my boyfriend were sold this car for 2500 and the car needed a new battery, a new converter . Once I brought those items and put them in the car started having compression problems to the point it has a slow take off , cannot go up hills , and we have to shift gears just for it to move .. This car was sold to us like this and we almost fell off a cliff because of the compression problem and not being able to go up any hills .. The people who sold us the car said they will not fix the problem or refund our money .
2004 Nissan Maxima engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 25 / 21 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | FWD | 18 / 27 / 21 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Nissan Maxima a good car?
Based on 1,426 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 Maxima rates avoid: 10.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the Maxima at the same age. It is one of the Maxima years we suggest avoiding. 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 2004 Nissan Maxima?
The transmission & drivetrain — 934 complaints, 65% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the wheels & tires (146) and engine & cooling (121).
How many recalls does the 2004 Nissan Maxima have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2004 Nissan Maxima, the most recent from November 7, 2005 (power adjust). 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 2004 Nissan Maxima problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 80,000 miles; 21% 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.