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 2008 Nissan Maxima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Heavy Rust/corrosion/hole in driver & passenger floorboard. Visible from underneath vehicle when the vehicle is up on the lift. I'm concerned my feet will go through the floor. Inspected by an authorized auto body shop and they confirmed this is very unsafe and a manufacture defect.
After seeing a today show report earlier in 2015 about under carriage rust in Nissan altima's, I decided I should take a look underneath my 2008 Maxima. Sure enough, there are two large holes rusted all the way through on the driver and passenger side in the same spot. I was a little infuriated that the today show report stated this is only an issue with Nissan altima's made between specific years.... That's not the case! This simply can't be a coincidence. This is clearly a manufacturing defect on the part of Nissan, and it needs to be addressed as a safety recall. As someone who lives in the upper mid-west, I have to deal with road salt and snow for most of the year. If these holes are completely exposing the inside of my car, how can that be considered safe? I've been quoted for $600 from a Nissan dealership to fix this issue. That's simply not going to happen... …
I purchased this vehicle new in 2008. The vehicle is in excellent condition and has been serviced and washed on a regular basis. When I stepped into the passenger side I felt my foot sink into the passenger front floor board. I lifted the floor mat up and to my surprise I could push down on the carpet through the bottom of the vehicle. I checked the drivers front floor pan and observed the same corrosion. The only thing that will keep my feet in the car is the carpeting. I took it to a local body shop and they would not even work on it. After checking on the internet I was surprised to find so many complaints from consumers regarding the Maxima and altima's. I now have a vehicle that is unsafe for the road and the integrity of the vehicle is in question.
My 2008 Nissan Maxima sl floorboards have rusted on both the driver and passenger sides. The rust was so bad, the car would not pass the state of pennsylvania vehicle inspection. I had to have a body shop cut out the floorboards on both sides, weld in new supports, floorboard and then reseal and repair carpet. This was a defect as to the way the corrosion occurred, moisture trapped in between layers of flooring. In addition, it is not a place anyone normally examines, as most cars don't have this type of defect. The repair cost me $850, just so I felt safe in the vehicle and it would pass inspection. The company doing the repair told me all I had between my feet and the road was carpet liner.
I have a 2008 Nissan Maxima and I noticed that on the bottom of the car on the passenger side the floor board is rusted pretty bad. I was getting my brakes and rotors changed when I noticed the problem. My cousins friend was over his house when he was doing my brakes and rotors and said nissans are known for rust problems under the passenger side of the car and when I looked what do you know its all rusted. I looked up about Nissan rust problems and tons of complaints have been filed and Nissan doesnt want to take responsibility for this rust problem. I hope there will be a recall to get these rust issues resolved and Nissan fixes these problems
I noticed a small crack on the passenger side dash. The small crack has grown to 4 inches. There is a clear "line" that the crack is following - and it appears to be exactly where the air bag would deploy. The dealership suggested that someone used a knife or scissors on the dash?? No vinyl repair shop will attempt a repair as it is near the airbag. There is one other complaint registered for this same issue. Clearly it is a manufacturer's issue that Nissan will not take care of.
Was informed by Nissan at the time that the floor boards in my 2008 Nissan Maxima were beginning to rot. Vehicle was brought to Nissan dealership on July 20, 2015 and was told at this time there is extensive rot on both the drivers side floorboard and passengers side. Was also told that since the vehicle is out of warranty there is nothing Nissan can do. So now I am forced to either pay to have it fixed or get rid of the vehicle that runs perfectly fine.
The driver and front passenger side floorboards are rusting away to the point of necessary repairs. Nissan is not willing to fix this obvious manufacturing defect. Today, 4/6/15, there was a television piece which aired on nbc's today show talking about the same issue I am having with my car to Nissan altima's. The Maxima is a sister car the altima. Nissan needs to address this serious safety issue in altima's and Maxima's.
I started noticing a crack in the dashboard - passenger side front seat in the summer. The crack continues to grow and it looks like the airbag is about to burst out. You can see a definite line where the crack is going to continue to grow. The outline of the airbag is obvious, which I have never seen before. I have asked if my vehicle has a Takata airbag, which no one will answer.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Nissan Maxima. The contact noticed a crack near the front passenger side air bag on the dashboard. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but they were unable to repair the dashboard due to it being above the air bag. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 112,000.
Body complaints in other Maxima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2008 Nissan Maxima?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the body & structure of the 2008 Nissan Maxima, 27% of the model year's 79 complaints. The component named most often is body (16 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Nissan Maxima body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2008 Nissan Maxima. 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 2008 Nissan Maxima body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 98,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
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.