Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Nissan Maxima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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 .
My clutch pedal keeps getting stuck (on the floor without any retraction) while at a complete stop or when I am driving. Often times when I am driving I would have to shift gears to accommodate speed but cannot and would have to signal hazards to aware other drivers of emergency and cannot proceed with driving due to complications of my clutch pedal not functioning properly . I have tried trouble shooting problem but problem seems to keep coming back. I have looked up the problem in the forums and various Nissan Maxima owners with six speed manual transmissions are having the same problem... This problem has been a real safety issue for me with two kids and I the driver not being able to control my vehicle is not only dangerous but frightening, I some times am stuck in traffic and when the traffic starts moving I cannot and other drivers harass and threaten me.. …
I was driving on the interstate and I was going about 60mph then all of a sudden the car stalls out I have no control over the vehicle I come within seconds of being rear ended I'm in the middle lane so I have to figure out how to merge over but guess what I can't because the car is stalled out so I put caution lights on and it takes about twins before the car will even start back up and when it does its geared up to what sounds like a fifth gear and it barley takes off I'm talking my foot to the floor and it's taking off at 2mph come on now, so call for help get my car towed check engine light said it was crankshaft position sensor had it replaced check engine light went off came and picked up my car had to drive that day 45mins from where I lived and about e0mins into the trip bam it stalls again at 60mph same scenary after the car cools down it starts back up just fine but after …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while backing up into a parking space driving approximately 2 MPH the vehicle suddenly accelerated independently and crashed into a brick pillar. The contact shifted into drive and the vehicle accelerated forward. The contact depressed the brake pedal but the brakes would not respond. After depressing the brake pedal a second time the vehicle came to a stop. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. The vehicle was destroyed. The approximate failure mileage was 63,000. Updated 12/18/12 updated 1/2/2013
Tl* the contact owns 2006 Nissan Maxima. When the driver attempted to reverse out of a parking space the vehicle suddenly accelerated without intention. He then crashed into one parked vehicle which pushed that vehicle into another parked vehicle. She received injuries to her neck. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer stated speculated that an animal got stuck under the vehicle and caused the accelerator pedal to stick. The current and failure mileages were 67,000. The police report information was not available.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. The contact was parking when the vehicle suddenly accelerated, jumped the curb and crashed into a tree. There were no injuries and no police report filed. The vehicle was in drivable condition and the contact planned to have it inspected at the time of the complaint. The contact called the manufacturer and filed a claim. The current and failure mileages were approximately 67,500.
My car suddenly surged forward while parking (my foot was on the brake). The car struck a high curb backed up by a berm which brought it to a stop. I banked my head on the windshield (airbag did not deploy). Air dam was torn off. No other obvious damage. The car has not yet been inspected by dealer.
Driving on the freeway at about 60 MPH I noticed the engine light turned on and the cars power was gone. I continued to step on the gas but still no power at all. The transmission was stuck on 5th gear. Once I came to a complete stop and I press on the gas the engine just revs up with very little power. I take it to the dealership for them to confirm I needed a new transmission. I didn't want to pay $3,000 at a Nissan dealership so I decided to take it to my local mechanic in which he said he's worked on maximas before with the same problem. He said the issue is in the valve body (part of the transmission) so he replaced it. I got the car back after a $1,500 bill and everything was working just fine. Until today 6-18-14, approximately two years from the first incident. Once again my transmission is stuck on 5th gear. …
On feb 8, 2012, as I was accelerating to get on the highway, my car started jerking as though it was not getting gas, then it stalled out on me. I restarted the car with no trouble, started to push on the gas pedal, my car started jerking and stalled out again. Very scary, thank goodness, I was just entering the highway and able to get to side of road. My husband used plug-in reader to determine what was wrong with engine, it reads bank one-crankshaft sensor. We had just replaced this sensor in dec 2011, my car was acting up, but not stalling out on me. So now we know we have an issue with this sensor working properly. Looked up on the internet and found out that indeed there is a recall for this sensor on 2003 maximas for doing the exact same thing, jerking and stalling out. I called a Nissan service dealer and was told that my VIN was not covered under that recall. …
When ever I shift to reverse the car pauses and then jerks. I took it to the shop and had new motor mount put in to solve the problem. For a few days you could barely feel the jerking when switching to reverse. Literally by the next week it was bad all over again and the jerking returned. Also, sometimes when I am driving I can feel the car, to my knowledge, switching gears. For example, this morning I was driving to work and going only around 25mph and as I started to accelerate the car jerked and slowed down for about 5 seconds before it returned to my normal speed. Thirdly, the power locks are not consistent. When I lock my doors with the automatic lock on the keys or even by pressing the power locks on the door handle it will only lock the front right passenger and the back left passenger door. This can be very frustrating as I have left my car doors unlocked unknowingly.
Acceleration complaints in other Maxima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2004 Nissan Maxima?
NHTSA has 38 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2004 Nissan Maxima, 3% of the model year's 1,426 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2004 Nissan Maxima acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2004 Nissan Maxima, though it has 2 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 2004 Nissan Maxima acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries and 2 deaths to speed control & acceleration 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.