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 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]
Nissan Maxima 2005 automatic transmission is suffering and will and could cause an deadly accident. After initial start up the car drives fine then a few minute down the road the transmission drives as if it is stuck in a tall gear. If you place into lower gear the gear violently shifts. Also the car shuts off while lights and other electronic components are operational while normally driving without warning.
My 2005 Nissan Maxima's transmission started slipping in the September of 2009, I had maintenance done on the entire car done including the transmission which stopped the problem temporarily. By January of 2010 the problem came back and worst. The car would stop in the middle of traffic and it took about 5 seconds for the car to change shift. It would also jerk very violently when changing shifts, so hard that I was almost pushed out to the car in front of me, I finally had it on April 5th 2010 when out of nowhere the transmission gave out entirely. I was going up a hill and the automatic transmission let go so it started going backwards fast, I pressed forward on the gas only to get a hard rev and nothing else. I kept going until I hit the brakes hard inadvertently making me hit a tree denting my bumper. …
I have had my 2005 Nissan Maxima for about 5 months now. For the past three months it's has been extremely hazardous. It turns off while I'm driving it and I lose all power power steering, brakes, etc. I almost drove into the river yesterday because it shut off going around a turn and I was almost rear ended. My car starts acting up after it warms up about 5 minutes after start. It will shift very hard and is fine once it is past 3rd gear but it takes a while to get to third when it starts to mess up the rpms will go up to 4 and 5 through 1st and 2nd gear. When you're going downhill it will downshift like you slammed on the brakes. Also if you switch over to manual it will say you're in 5th gear and really you're in 1st. The service engine diagnosis reads a code for the cam shaft sensors. I have changed both of them bank 1 and bank 2 and it did not fix anything. …
I recently bought a 2005 Nissan Maxima from carmax it was about a month after I bought the car the transmission started to slip and change gears really rough. The transmission hesitates when changing gears either at idle or while driving the transmission does it the most between first and second and second to third and when downshifting in those same gears. My main concern is my family in this vehicle or any other families in the same vehicle when we are driving in the vehice our heads and necks get whipped back and forth very roughly. It is a safety hazard due to the transmission changing gears on its own while im driving the car. I only ask for you to please look into this and make it a recall. Nissan did not want to help me out or anyone else. I have seen numerous complaints and heard numerous stories about this problem. It needs to be resolved. …
At a red light, car stalled, took a few seconds to restart. When trying to accelerate, it revs like it has a strain; not going anywhere fast, until it gets to 40 MPH. This has happened several times. We have changed the fuel pump, alternator, and battery. Each time we changed a part, the car would be fine for a few months. I am afraid when this happens that someone is going to plow into me because they can't stop in time as my car is going too slow. My husband seems to think it's not as much the transmission as maybe something electrical. Nissan should be responsible for this seeing as there are so many complaints about the same thing. Someone is going to be killed or probably already has, but no one can tell what the cause of the accident if the driver is dead! I love the car and would buy another Nissan, but I will research them first! …
For months now, our 2005 Nissan Maxima has experienced a transmission problem. It shifts roughly in low gears (while the vehicle is in motion), both when accelerating and decelerating. It also shifts roughly when moving from park to either drive or reverse, and from drive/reverse to park. A specific incident happened when we were driving down a slight decline, and the vehicle downshifted roughly. This caused us to momentarily lose control of the Maxima and it bumped into a concrete barrier that had yellow paint on it. This paint is now scraped across the bottom ground effects molding on our vehicle. Had the barrier not been there, we would have drifted across the road into oncoming traffic. …
I purchased my 05 Maxima in April of 2014 and immediately after driving it home a hard shift into 3rd and into 4th happened. I put the car in park, my mechanic friend was with me he had me put the care in drive and it slammed into gear. I contacted a mechanic that worked on transmission and found out it was the valve body defect that was never recalled and a major problem in that model. I purchased a used/new valve body from a transmission shop, it lasted a few months went bad as in jumping out of gear, staying stuck in 5th or 3rd, putting it in park and trying to shift to drive and it not going into gear. I returned the part got another used valve body and it only lasted a few weeks. Now I am having to purchase a new valve body from Nissan hoping this will fix it. …
Tl contact owns a 2005 Nissan Maxima. The contact was driving approximately 40 MPH on normal road conditions. Pressure was applied to the accelerator pedal, followed by an unintended lunge and forceful acceleration. The failure occurred whenever the vehicle was shifting in the first, second and third gears. The driver pulled over to the side of the road and turned the engine off. The vehicle restarted and resumed normal operation. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician recommended replacement of the transmission. The vehicle has not been repaired at this time. The failure mileage was 61,000. Updated 03/04/10. The consumer also complained that when accelerating, the transmission would jerk. The dealer found internal transmission failure. The transmission fluid was burned. Also the front and rear engine mounts were broken. …
We purchased our 2005 Maxima used with approximately 93000 miles on it, at first seemed like a great car. The car started shifting very hard into and out of gears, some shifts would be so hard the car would lurch forward. I was actually driving the car when the transmission actually broke, making the car very hard to steer, fortunately I was able to get to a local garage. We paid over 3000 to have the transmission replaced, since I purchased the transmission from advance auto, the Nissan dealership said that would not offer any type of warranty even on their labor. I had a 12 month warranty on the transmission and at about 13 months the transmission broke again, with less than 1,000 miles put on the "used" transmission. I contacted Nissan consumer affairs and was pretty much told that it was my problem. …
Transmission complaints in other Maxima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2005 Nissan Maxima?
NHTSA has 777 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2005 Nissan Maxima, 82% of the model year's 948 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (306 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Nissan Maxima transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles, and 2% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 2 fires and 15 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.