Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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).
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. …
Shifting from reverse to drive, 1st to 2nd or 2nd to 3rd - engine revs, transmission jerks after short delay. When going on downhill bends this means that the car wants to jerk off the road, somewhat. Apparently due to improper cooling on the transmission fluid, it gets gummy, and then the solenoids clog up and get stuck. There is also a lot of wear on the gears. For the first repair, a flush and replacing the solenoids will usually give another 20K miles, but the problem doesn't get fixed unless a custom cooling system is put on the transmission lines. It's a crappy design. Instead of running the cooling lines to the engine and putting a thermostat on a switch, there should be a dedicated cooler on the transmission. Also, it's ridiculously hard to get to the transmission fluid filter, which is inside the transmission case. …
Problem with transmission started soon after I purchased car, I would say in the first year I had it which was in 2003, although it is a 2004. I took it in more than once when the transmission started causing trouble. It would act (and still does to this day) as if it had/has been knocked out of gear, RPM goes up and then the transmission picks back up. When that happens it will jerk really hard and take off. As I said, I took it to my Nissan dealer and each time was told they did not find any thing wrong with it. This is my 5th Maxima, and have to say it is my last. The son of a woman I used to work with had the same problem with his 2004 Maxima, which he bought used. He traded it for something else. My car is still going, although the problem does not seem to be happening more often, but does seem to be more severe when it does happen.
May 4, 2006 I was traveling on west academy/green st. Northbound. The clutch had just been replaced for the second time and it malfunctioned again. (it literally sucks to the floorboard with no play to disengage to neutral, this had happened to my husband twice prior, I panicked didn't see the red light or stopped traffic and slammed into the car stopped in front of me at an estimated speed on 40 MPH never hitting the brakes. The damage to the car was severe with an insurance pay out just shy of $10,000.00 dollars. The damage was only to the front of the car, no airbags deployed (there are eight airbags in the front passenger compartment) I was restrained by the seat belt. It was not enough for me not to be injured, I hit the steering wheel and gear shift causing severe bruising to my arms, legs, chest and a bump on the head.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. While reversing the vehicle, the gear jerked, vibrated, and hesitated to shift into drive. The failure occurred on numerous occasions prior to receiving a manufacturer's recall related to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who indicated that the transmission fluid needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced the transmission fluid and serviced the transmission. The contact stated that the dealer's remedy did not prevent the failure. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was to be diagnosed and repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 112,000.
I just purchased the vehicle this year as a used vehicle. The vehicle has started to jerking and would not accelerate when I press the gas. It takes at least 1 minute then the RPM shoots up. Sometimes I feel that I am going to get whiplash from all the jerking this vehicle does. I should not have to pay for a new transmission when Nissan knew about the transmission in these vehicles. They should be hold accountable for their actions and replace all the transmissions in these vehicles and pay other individuals back their money that has already paid to replace their transmission.
Automatic transmission lunges while braking or accelerating at any given time. Caused rear-end accident with my wife & kids in the car. I have read thousands of consumer's complain about this issue & Nissan nor the government will fess up to the issue with the transmission. This is an on-going safety issue & needs to be addressed by Nissan & the government needs to put pressure on Nissan corp. To correct the problem @ there expense instead of the consumer. The date of the incident is incorrect due to this being an ongoing issue & the local dealer has no resolution.
Car was fine initially then started car which took longer than normal to start and car would not hardly go due to it not being in 1st gear. Put the transmission into manual mode and downshifted it to first and got a hard clunk but car would now go under its own power but when you put it back in auto mode it goes straight to 3rd gear. Shut car off came back later and started car it started right up and had no issues with transmission. Drove it for a bit turned car off for a bit and then went to start again and had the long start and bad shifts again.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. Since the vehicle was purchased, the contact has experienced failures with the radio and headlights, the rotors were replaced three times, the front coil springs were replaced twice, and the battery wiring burned. Currently, the transmission pulls when the vehicle is accelerated. The vehicle will be taken to the dealer to diagnose the transmission failure. The manufacturer stated that no recalls were available for any of the failures. The current mileage was 49,000 and failure mileage was 26,000.
Transmission complaints in other Maxima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2004 Nissan Maxima?
NHTSA has 934 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2004 Nissan Maxima, 65% of the model year's 1,426 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (601 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Nissan Maxima transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 84,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 14 crashes, 2 fires and 9 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.