Body complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 20% | — |
| 2020 | 4 | 18% | 3,000 miles |
| 2019 | 2 | 11% | 17,000 miles |
| 2018 | 2 | 6% | 39,000 miles |
| 2017 | 17 | 16% | 41,000 miles |
| 2016 | 8 | 6% | 91,000 miles |
| 2014 | 3 | 3% | 27,000 miles |
| 2013 | 2 | 3% | 55,000 miles |
| 2012 | 6 | 6% | 67,000 miles |
| 2011 | 9 | 8% | 104,000 miles |
| 2010 | 11 | 4% | 47,000 miles |
| 2009 | 8 | 2% | 69,000 miles |
| 2008 | 21 | 27% | 98,000 miles |
| 2007 | 33 | 26% | 93,000 miles |
| 2006 | 20 | 3% | 80,000 miles |
| 2005 | 25 | 3% | 100,000 miles |
| 2004 | 56 | 4% | 91,000 miles |
| 2003 | 6 | 3% | 63,000 miles |
| 2002 | 11 | 5% | 20,000 miles |
| 2001 | 9 | 5% | 116,000 miles |
| 2000 | 22 | 6% | 116,000 miles |
| 1999 | 4 | 2% | 147,000 miles |
| 1998 | 8 | 7% | 150,000 miles |
| 1997 | 7 | 7% | 118,000 miles |
| 1996 | 4 | 4% | 95,000 miles |
| 1995 | 15 | 10% | 160,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
1-Clips that secure the front grill and font quarter panels have broken for no apparent reason. 2-Body parts can fall off during driving if not repaired 3-Inspected at dealership 4-No warnings - the front camera looked "cloudy" because it had fallen when the grill clips broke and became loose The entire grill has to be replaced. All parts are on backorder with no date for restock. This is my daily driver with a mix of town and highway driving, so I typically drive 30-70 MPH daily and only about 10 miles per day to and from work. There is very little wear on this car, it has less than 12,000 miles on it and has not been involved in any collision.
Was getting into the car. As we closed the doors, we heard the sunroof shatter. the edges of the broken glass were pushed up as if the air pressure inside the car broke the glass. If the inside cover was open, we would have been showered in glass. The manufacturer inspected and replaced the glass.
I was driving on the highway and the passenger side front pillar trim panel just flew off. This is the second time this has happened to my vehicle, the first time was my rear pillar which I paid to replace myself because I was told at the dealership this is just a cosmetic issue. I disagree, to me this is very hazardous and could potentially hurt someone, and now my car sounds like air is coming through the windshield. I don't feel safe driving this car now and this kind of thing happening. I would feel awful if this caused an accident or if someone got hurt and I feel that Nissan should take responsibility and correct this defect as I have researched that many people have experienced the same scenario with these parts of the vehicle. …
Nissan has a large issue with the quarter panel moldings. They are a design flaw and come off very easily in car washes or even brushing snow off your car. They will become loose or completely off. If they become loose and you are on the highway like I was and it went flying off the car at highway speed. That clearly is a safety concern that Nissan has been avoiding. However, they are now re-drilling a hole and attaching a new version of the molding. At the owners cost!!! It wasn't an issue but now you are changing the way you attach the new ones? Very odd and they state it's not a safety concern. I beg to differ if you are the car on the highway behind someone's that is loose and comes flying at you. I have read numerous blogs of owners complaining of the same issue. …
There was a thermal combustion that caused a fire. Yes, the caught combusted at a local business. I had just entered the building and was told that my car was on fire. The police and Nissan inspected the car but refused to provide the inspection report. A light came on. I do not know the exact date that it appeared. I just received the recall notice and did not have the opportunity to get the car repaired.
I was driving on I75 driving around 75 mph when all of a sudden the sunroof exploded. It sounded like a shotgun went off over my head and glass started pouring down on top of me. The sunroof malfunctioned without any warning whatsoever. This was a very jarring event to occur on the interstate of all places. Thankfully, I was able to maintain control of the vehicle and exit the interstate using the first available exit and called my insurance company to report the incident.
I purchased my 2014 Nissan Maxima sv on August 27, 2014. On the date of purchase, I noticed a clearly visible problem with the exterior paint on the vehicle. Prior to leaving the dealership on the date of purchase, I notified my salesman that the paint on the body, the front and the rear bumper were all different shades of pearl white. I was assured by the salesman that the reason the appearance was due to the vehicle being parked by green bushes causing a reflection. It is my contention that your company (Nissan north America, inc.) and its affiliate's, specifically central Nissan in houston, texas failed to fully disclose product information. The product/goods in question is the Nissan Maxima 2014 model that you manufactured and shipped to your authorized dealerships. …
While driving on a straight, flat, and smooth stretch of highway in nassau county, ny, I heard a sudden loud explosion. I first assumed it was a tire failure, but the car continued straight and true without any vibration, shaking, or erratic movement of any kind. I pulled over onto the shoulder and upon inspection, I saw that the front portion of the panoramic sunroof had a large hole directly in the center and was shattered, with bits of glass from the explosion resting on the still closed sunshade. The incident occurred on a parkway where no commercial traffic is allowed, and it was just after 7:30 am on Saturday, October 6th, 2018 so traffic volume was extremely light, almost nonexistent in either direction. There were no other vehicles traveling ahead of me, next to me, or behind me within any close proximity. I was traveling eastbound at or below the posted speed limit of 55 MPH.
Frequently asked questions
Which Nissan Maxima years have body problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2004 (56), 2007 (33), 2005 (25), 2000 (22) and 2008 (21) model years. Body complaints make up 4% of all complaints for the 2004.
Is there a recall for Nissan Maxima body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for any Nissan Maxima model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Nissan Maxima body problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles; 22% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the body (204 mentions), followed by the frame and members (19).
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.