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 2011 Nissan Maxima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The transmission is slipping it's a cvt and they're known for being the worst transmissions. I was entering the highway on a on ramp and I could no longer accelerate past 55 I was near flooring it and you can hear the engine working but the rpm's are all over the odometer going from 3k-6.5k over and over. The problem has not been diagnosed professionally. The vehicle has not been inspected professionally.There were no lights on the dash when this began happening and nothing occurred that led up to that situation it was just a normal drive for me and now this happens every other day.
Cvt transmission jerking , engine is always idling hard sometimes wants to even shut off , accelerating sometimes takes a lil while to respond , rack and pinion assembly faulty I would like for nissan to fix my car or get a lump sum check for all faulty errors these cars have
Intermittent high RPM's with no control of speed. Would happen then not happen for days. Would not go at stop signs/stop lights then surge forward when the transmission (we later learned) finally engaged. On a day it wasn't acting up we took it to where we bought it (dealership) and they immediately notified us that we needed a brand new transmission $5,500. 2,053 miles outside of warranty. We could not believe that when they contacted corporate no consideration for our long-term relationship.never in a million years did we think it was something so serious as a complete transmission failure. …
On my way to work as I was driving down the highway my 2011 Nissan Maxima all of the sudden would no longer speed up. The vehicle was on and as I tried to accelerate while driving down the highway the speedometer went to 0 MPH but the RPM would climb. I luckily was able to steer the car into an empty parking lot. My car had no check engine/service engine lights on. There were no warnings. I thought it was the speed sensor due to the original diagnostic code of p0500 and tried replacement but that did not solve the issue. My vehicle was towed to a Nissan dealership who said it was showing 'pages full of codes' and they told me that my transmission needed to be completely replaced and that 'it just happens.' prior to this total failure I experienced absolutely zero signs of transmission failure. …
Vehicle was in motion on the highway and I was in heavy traffic. Attempted to accelerate and the car did not respond. I coasted to the emergency lane. My cars transmission would not engage. I was stranded on the side of the freeway for two hours, until the tow truck arrived. Upon further investigation I found that Nissan Maxima's were recalled from 2003-2010 for CVT transmission failures. Nissan doubled the warranty (10 years, 120,000 miles). My vehicle had the same CVT transmission issue and I had 110,000 miles when the incident occurred. Nissan put the same faulty CVT transmission in my car as they did the previous years. I am requesting a refund for repairs and car rental (CVT transmission $2,443.87, car rental $550.04). Upon request I can provide receipts. This is a serious safety issue and I could have been in an accident on the highway and been injured or injured someone else.
My car is very reliable until now with only 105,000 miles? My problem started about September 2020 when I started to hear my car make a rough sound suddenly, like a winding noise when I accelerate and when I let off the gas as well. I didn't think much of it until I took it to a Nissan dealer to have them check it out. They called me the next day tell me I need a new transmission and its going to be around $5,500. Which I don't have especially in this pandemic. Also they told me if I get the new transmission it only comes with 1 year warranty. Nissan only covers it until 60,000 miles which I don't believe people buying a new Nissan expect it to go further then that! My issue is that Nissan is putting in these faulty transmissions knowing that it will fail soon and only give you 1 year warranty if you do replace it after pay 5,500?
Takata recall. At 80K miles my vehicle is idling while in park and also while accelerating its doing a jerk and feels as if it doesn't want to go into gear to reach higher speed. I checked the code and it read as a air mass flow sensor, catalyst converter, and o2 sensor. The car turned off on me while on, jump started it and turned back on. I changed the mass air flow sensor and its still doing the same thing. I took it to the mechanic and the mechanic said the code says battery and other things. Reccommended we start cheap by changing the battery and going from there. I changed the battery and the computer now says o2 sensor. I keep dumping alot of money into this vehicle and to me it seems that this issue is also happening many others including my close friend who owns the same vehicle.
Takata recall. After being told a part on my transmission was broken I immediately got it fixed. When on the highway the car would rev to high RPM on its own. I immediately took it back to the mechanic. They told me I needed a whole new transmission that is on back order by Nissan. It's been a month without my car and transmission isn't recalled even after being on back order. My Maxima has only 90000 miles and this shouldn't be an issue for a newer 2011 Maxima. I just want to prevent anyone else from being tricked into purchasing a car with a faulty transmission without knowing it's issues. Needs to be recalled!
Car hesitates shifting from 1st to 2nd. At times, there is a loud "clunking" sound when the gas is pressed hard. Then even when the gas is pressed all the way down, car would slowly shift. It takes about 10 to 20 seconds before it would shift normally. This gets worse when driving for about 10 minutes. Error code it returns include p1778 and p0746. Separate issue: the driver seat rocks back and forth when accelerating and stopping.
While driving on the interstate, my transmission suddenly started slipping out of gear. This caused the car to suddenly slow, almost being rear ended by the car behind me. Nissan knows about these problems, but refuses to fix all of them. They have settled thousands of claims out of court for this problem. They still claim their cvts transmission is not defective.
Transmission complaints in other Maxima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2011 Nissan Maxima?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2011 Nissan Maxima, 21% of the model year's 106 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Nissan Maxima transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2011 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 2011 Nissan Maxima transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 95,000 miles, and 7% 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.