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 2006 Nissan Maxima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My 2006 Nissan Maxima began hard shifting while driving, reversing, and shifting into drive. I took it in to have it serviced over the summer and the Nissan dealership recommended a transmission flush and said nothing was wrong. Of course that did not fix anything. The problem has gotten progressively worse to the point where it can take up to 5 seconds for the car to shift into gear when I am putting it into drive. I contacted the Nissan corporation and they advised me to go to the dealership and have it diagnosed. Well of course now the dealership says we need to have the transmission replaced...to the tune of $3,000. When I contacted the Nissan corporation they informed me there was nothing they could do to help me and that my car didn't fall within the parameters of the CVT transmission extended warranty. …
I just recently purchased a used 2006 Nissan Maxima sl 5spd automatic for my wife in excellent condition with 144,000 miles. It had been kept up with a good car fax. When I test drove it I made sure to pay special attention to the transmission & how it shifted from 1st to 2nd & downshift from those gears since I heard nothing but bad stories about these cars from 2004-06' it shifted smoothly. Seemed to have no issues of what I've read in reviews. I thought great! This is the car my wife likes a lot & how it drive! We take it home.. Registered & insured then a few days later it starts! My wife says it shifted/downshifted hard a few times on here way to work which is only 8miles away on back roads. We bought it from a private seller so I don't know if lemon law applies? I came across a site that had simalar complaints & that Nissan hasn't addressed the issue nor sent out any recalls. …
Exhaust/emission - catalytic converter failed and makes terrible noise - not fixed yet. Dealer says, car will work without any problems at 103,000 miles (8th year) body frame - under carriage on driver side rusted, with a bulge. Dealer said, rusting it not enough, you should be able to put the screw driver or finger through the rusted portion. 35000 miles ( after 5years and 2 days) transmission - it jerks and is very dangerous on the road. Repair estimation is around $3500 from the dealer. When the car comes to a stop in the traffic light, then sometimes, it does not move. After accelerating a bit, it just jumps. It is very very hard to go in a stop and go traffic. So I maintain a certain distance keeping this in mind. Nissan motor corporation does not care for any of the issues. Dealer comes up with one or the other reason. …
Initially the car would have a delay shifting into park and would stick in 5th gear while driving. I changed the front cam position sensor, cps, myself for $80 in parts at autozone. This fixed the problems for about 4 weeks. Started happening again and the repair shop said it was the cam position sensor again. So went back to autozone and they provided a new front cps for free. Problem kept happening so I took it to Nissan and they changed the back cam position sensor. Seams to have solved the problem for several months. It is now is intermittent when shifting hard into drive, but has started shifting hard around 20-25 MPH, not sure if it is the sensor again or what. Very irritating and seems to be an electrical issue with the sensors that tell the tranny when to shift? …
My 2006 Maxima has 89000 miles on it and started jerking when shifting gears, it began out of the blue. I was at at a stop light and had to back up for a fire truck and then drive forward and then my car jerked and shook the whole car. It had never done that before. I thought the engine was going to fall out. I drove home as slow as I could and my dad met me there. He got in the car and we tested it. Every time you reverse and go into drive it would stall and cough and make so that the engine felt like it was going to fall out of the car. We took it to the mechanic who at first thought it was the transmission fluid being low, so we filled it up. Then after about a week it started again with the jerking after taking it from reverse into drive. We took it to the transmission guy who said it could be the solenoid? So that would be about $300-500. …
Car was purchased with bad transmission not knowing that jerking was so bad it felt like a rear end collision had occured. Had it replaced and now its starting to happen for a second time since owning the car. Car will jerk at 20mph and 40mph. The car also accelerates forward when going down hills. Car is a safety hazard waiting to kill myself or others because I just don't know wht will happen. Sad to see Nissan does not stand behind fixing the unsafe transmissions for thosands of people. I will never buy another Nissan and hope that no one gets killed before all the effected cars are off the road. Sad to think that Nissan doesn't stand behind their cars and safety of the owners.an owner of a car that is less than 10yrs old shouldn't have to buy two transmissions in 4 yrs of ownership. …
1.on May 17, 2010 , I was involved in a car accident in my 2006 Nissan Maxima where someone had rear ended me very hard. After getting the car back from the body shop.I noticed that when shifting gears the car stalls and jerks violently. Also when driving the transmission starts to slip , meaning I am pressing the gas pedal but the car isn't going anywhere , then it kicks back in place causing the car to jerk extremely ruff. 2. This problem so vaden Nissan say that the transmission is going bad and the extended warranty that I have on the vehicle , basically the won't do anything until a service light or code shows up, which is absolutely crazy. It occurs every time I drive it. It seem to when the car warms up it begins to happen. 3. I have taken it to vaden Nissan four times within a 3 month period. …
I bought this 2006 Nissan Maxima sl with 137,806 miles. I drove it home. The next day, it would not start, I went and bought a battery, on the way the service engine soon light came on., then the TCS and slip light came on. Took it to a mechanic shop, he keep it almost 4 weeks, and then told me it was not worth fixing/repairing it. I could not believe, I just spent over $4,000.00 on this car and I only drove it home!!, I took it to another well known mechanic shop, he tells me that it needs a new transmission, motor mounts, sensors and probably more. It is not worth fixing it. I am a 57 year old lady and I dont have the money to buy another car and I dont have the money to fix it. I hear that these cars have alot of transmission problems and more. I wish I had known that before buying it.
My transmission started violently jerking from park to reverse and drive, had several repairs done to no avail. Car is stuck in third gear, which is dangerous because when I start to pull out onto the highway I have no power, the car just revs high rpms and goes really slow until I reach 40 MPH. Its just a matter of time before I get hit, I always have to wait to make sure no car is coming in my direction. I have had the solenoids, valve body among other work done that hasn't helped at all at a cost of over $1500.00 there are apparently thousands of complaints of the same issues all over the internet. Why is this not being recalled! Its pure and simple theft. To buy a ca r that has a known defect and the company not caring to remedy the issue
I brought my 2006 Maxima new and had all kind of problems with the car at the very beginning. Everything was under warranty, but when my car had about 62000 miles the car started slipping and missing gears so I took it back to the dealership and they told me that my transmission wasn't cover under the power train because there were 2 types of transmission put into the Maxima and the one that my car had was not cover under the power train. I called Nissan corporate offices and didn't get any satisfaction. I had to replace the trans and many other things on this car. I would not ever or suggest that anyone buy a Nissan. I believed that Nissan knew about this problem before the first complaint was ever made. Same on you Nissan
Transmission complaints in other Maxima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2006 Nissan Maxima?
NHTSA has 393 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2006 Nissan Maxima, 68% of the model year's 576 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (127 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Nissan Maxima transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2006 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 2006 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 4 crashes, 0 fires and 0 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.