Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Nissan Maxima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
"tamara inflators" seat belts didn't lock or light did not come on. Smashed body all the way to back seat bottom to ground. Engine was idling very high felt/sound as if we were going 60 but only was going 40. No air bags came on. Brakes grinding. Back window blew out and tires flat in back.. Windows slow on drivers side. When the sheriff tahoe hit us at 80mph on U.S. 40 greenfield in was in the shop at j&m truck an trailer on the west side of indianapolis having the oil leaked fixed and tires all fixed and rotors and lights by [redacted] a couple months prior. I had my little girl in the back seat as well where sheriff hit and ran. I uploaded a before and after picture. VIN#[redacted]
Safety-defect. There is a major nationwide problem with many different Nissan model vehicles from 2002-2006: the chassis under the floorboards are rusting out and people's feet are pushing through to the pavement. Many Nissan owners have already filed complaints with NHTSA. See the video report detailing the problem by kshb-tv in kansas city: http://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/investigations/Nissan-owners-feel-road-rage-express-safety-concerns-over-rust-problem-hiding-beneath-their-feet I have a 2005 garage-kept Nissan Maxima with 58,000 miles that I bought new, and applied undercarriage rustproofing treatment within days of buying the vehicle. I recently noticed that the chassis under the passenger seat is rusting out and there are holes in the vehicle. If Nissan owners don't look under their car at the chassis, they May be totally unaware of the defect until it is too late. …
I am contacting regarding my 2005 Nissan Maxima, I recently found out that the driver side floor board is rusted right through and the service technician can actually see the carpet through the hole. I did some research and found out that this is a wide spread issue the nissans of this age and it is a huge safety issue. Is anything being done regarding this. I am in the process of finding out exactly the cost of this issue but wanted to file my complaint and see if there is anything I can do or if there is anything being done about Nissan recalling this issue. Thank you
Transmission failure, check engine light comes on, car jerks into gears, RPM's accelerate when driving in first gears. Per Nissan dealer they said it needed new mounts and a new transmission, I should trade it in they said :[ I have maintained all oil changes and have kept up my service. They are not accepting any responsibility. Need help please, I can not afford a new transmission, I can not afford 5 years of car payments as well. Thank you, [redacted]
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Nissan Maxima. While the vehicle was at an independent mechanic for routine maintenance, the contact was informed that the subframe was severely corroded underneath the front driver and passenger seats. The contact was informed that the subframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 135,000.
ABS and brake light came on flashing periodically over a weeks time, speedometer stopped working, next day the parked car '5 hours cold' caught on fire around fuse box area everything electrical burned up. Police report was done but I do not have a copy, still waiting on fire marshal report. Upon researching online other vehicle have had same issue.
The car has a sound as if it were metal fatigue in the front of the hood a hard blow sounds loud every time the car moves from one side to the other they have not been able to find the problem they say what is a factory defect I am afraid that it is a metal that is under fatigue and the engine falls on the ground running on the street.
May/2110-while driving my 2005 Nissan Maxima I developed complete electrical failure and had to have my car towed to bill denny's car repair. The problem is that the electrical system is directly under a coin tray on the dash. The corners are not secure and small coins were able to slip down there thus short circuiting the electrical system. My auto repair person researched this and found this problem has been well known to Nissan. Many Nissan owners have had this problem happen to them. The complaints are all over the internet. This happened to me when my vehicle was 5 yrs old but it also happened to Nissan owners when their Maxima was new. This is not a warranty issue but a safety issue. There should have been a recall. Nissan is ignoring my request to pay for my auto's repair because my car was not under warranty. Nissan has in fact fixed this defect. …
I have an 2005 model year Maxima (built in mid 2004) with floor boards are rotted out and need replacing, issue was found about 5000 miles after the extended warranty expired however the dealer would not honor anything even though the rot was significant and clearly had been happening for many months. I drive over 2500 miles per month and its clear it was failed before the warranty ended. This amount of corrosion should not be happening on a car that was only 5 years old and dealer maintained. I should add that the car was brought to the dealer at 98,000 miles for a complete tune up with the express reason of making sure everything was good before the warranty ended. I had patches replaced under the passenger side after the dealer would not honor anything. The car now has 134,000 miles on it and is going in next week to have new floor pans welded in. Very disappointed. …
The second automatic door lock has gone out on my vehicle. Now the passenger drivers side rear door will not unlock automatically. Since the only way to lock and unlock the door is from the inside (no door lock for key on outside) this potentially creates a dangerous situation with my family and the need to get small children in or out of the vehicle that are required to ride in the back with child seats by state law.
Body complaints in other Maxima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2005 Nissan Maxima?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the body & structure of the 2005 Nissan Maxima, 3% of the model year's 948 complaints. The component named most often is body (15 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Nissan Maxima body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2005 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 2005 Nissan Maxima body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 3 injuries to body & structure 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.