Seat complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2016 | 3 | 2% | 70,000 miles |
| 2014 | 2 | 2% | 1,000 miles |
| 2012 | 6 | 6% | 35,000 miles |
| 2011 | 3 | 3% | 70,000 miles |
| 2010 | 6 | 2% | 122,000 miles |
| 2009 | 15 | 4% | 21,000 miles |
| 2008 | 3 | 4% | 75,000 miles |
| 2006 | 2 | 0% | 71,000 miles |
| 2005 | 13 | 1% | 83,000 miles |
| 2004 | 15 | 1% | 84,000 miles |
| 2003 | 2 | 1% | 91,000 miles |
| 2002 | 7 | 3% | 91,000 miles |
| 2001 | 5 | 3% | 47,000 miles |
| 2000 | 1 | 0% | 83,000 miles |
| 1997 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 1996 | 3 | 3% | — |
| 1995 | 20 | 13% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (seat frames, recliners, heated seats and seat tracks).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Takata recall.I brought my 2016 Maxima in June 2015. Plastic bottles melts and explodes in my car. And eye glass class melts. Front right bumber clamps broke off. Months later cat started making a chruching sound when I hit a bump. Replace bushings. 3 days later the nose came back. Went back to Nissan they said the strut needed to be replace. Went back 2 months later the part is still on back order. Front driver seat broke in the 1st 2 weeks of owning it. Got a new seat. And the door jams was poorly painted. Took almost 7 weeks to get a new seat and paint for the car. Driver seat beat latch jammed up had to get that replace too.
The driver seat has a slight rock when taking off and breaking. I bought the car used back in October 2014 from a Honda dealer. I noticed the rocking but thought it was just a loose nut or something so I didn't look into it right away. When I took it in to the Nissan dealer they said the frame was broken. I was told it was no longer under warranty. I contacted Nissan USA and was told they had no known issue with the seat and that it was out of warranty and they would not fix it. My main concern is that the seat my come completely apart or something while I'm breaking and cause me to have an accident. I not sure why if they had the same issue back in 2009 and found some type of fix why want they fix it now before someone gets hurt.
The driver seat of my '12 Maxima moves upon acceleration and deceleration. I've read many forums and groups and this seems to be a prevalent issue. Sreious injury could result cause you don't know if the seat will break causing loss of control. Nissan is aware of the issue yet doesn't seem to care. The dealer is also aware and shows no concern. I'm going to inform every forum and group to write a complaint on this site maybe resulting in solution.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Nissan Maxima. While driving 20 MPH, the contact noticed that the driver seat shifted independently when the brake and accelerator pedals were depressed. When the accelerator pedal was depressed, the seat shifted backwards. When the brake pedal was depressed, the seat shifted forward. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.
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.
Drivers side heated seat caused second - third degree burn on thigh on 1/3/18. I felt a tingling sensation while driving so I turned the heated seat off. The seat heater was on low when this happened. Once home and upon inspection of my skin I noticed the bur on the back of my right thigh.
My transmission sounds very loud when I accelerate until I get to about 55 MPH. It seems to feel rough as well during that period. This happens every time I accelerate. My passenger seat doesn't blow cold air
Noticed that my seat was rocking forward and backward when breaking and accelerating. Read on repair pal that Nissan murano's were having the same issues. Https://repairpal.com/damaged-seat-adjuster-assembly-May-cause-noiserocking-movement-780. This seems like it would be a safety hazard as seat May come loose.
Related recalls (1)
Seats › Front assembly › Power adjust
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with the driver preferred package, the wire harness from the driver's seat power lumbar support switch May be routed incorrectly and could be pinched under the driver seat.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the wire harness and route it correctly. The recall began on January 16, 2006. Owners May contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
NHTSA investigations
SEAT TRACKS
There is no summary currently available
SEAT TRACK
See ea95-032 closing report ea95-032 was opened October 31, 1995 to containue evaluations of the extent and consequences of partial engagement of manual front seat track latches in the subject vehicles.
Ft seat latch mechanism failure
There is no summary currently available
Frequently asked questions
Which Nissan Maxima years have seat problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1995 (20), 2004 (15), 2009 (15), 2005 (13) and 2002 (7) model years. Seat complaints make up 13% of all complaints for the 1995.
Is there a recall for Nissan Maxima seat problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 05V-512 (power adjust, Nov 7, 2005). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Nissan Maxima seat problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 66,000 miles; 44% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front assembly › power adjust (20 mentions), followed by the front assembly › recliner (4).
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.