Open safety recalls, the components owners report failing most often, crash-test results and running costs for the 2005 Nissan Maxima, assembled from NHTSA and EPA records.
Everything on this page applies to the model as a whole. Run its VIN to decode that exact car, its engine, trim, assembly plant and factory equipment, alongside these records.
Open a VIN recordRecalls and complaints are filed against a specific model year, so figures differ from one year to the next even within a single generation. See every Nissan Maxima year.
22.8 mpg average · 17–27 range · EPA says 21
Over 5 years this costs $3,750 more in fuel than an average new vehicle.
NHTSA frontal crash test
Rated configuration: 2005 Nissan Maxima 4-DR. w/SAB
NHTSA lists 2 recalls for this make, model and year. Recalls apply to the model, so some may already be fixed on this specific car. A dealer can confirm from the VIN.
Issue: 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.
Risk: A PINCHED HARNESS, IN COMBINATION WITH DRIVING VIBRATION, MAY RESULT IN A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE HARNESS THAT COULD LEAD TO A FIRE IN THE 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.
Campaign 05V512000
Issue: CERTAIN VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 225, "CHILD RESTRAINT ANCHORAGE SYSTEMS." THE LOWER ANCHORAGE BRACKETS IN THE REAR SEATS DO NOT MEET THE LOCATION REQUIREMENT IN THIS STANDARD. THIS MAY CAUSE DIFFICULTY IN ATTACHING SOME CHILD SEATS TO THESE BRACKETS.
Risk: IF A CHILD SEAT IS NOT PROPERLY SECURED, THERE IS AN INCREASED RISK OF INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LOWER ANCHORAGE BRACKETS WITH MODIFIED BRACKETS TO ENSURE THAT THE STANDARD IS MET. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 28, 2006. THE INFINITI Q45 MODEL VEHICLES ARE BEING CAMPAIGNED UNDER A SEPARATE RECALL (PLEASE SEE 05V374000). OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261 OR INFINITI AT 1-800-662-6200.
Campaign 05V338000
The parts named most often across 948 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this make, model and year.
5 crashes · 1 fire · 8 injured
1 crash
1 crash · 3 injured
Complaints are self-reported and skew toward problems people find alarming, so read this as where to look rather than as a defect rate.
While driving my car down the road the vehicle randomly shut off lost power and I had to quickly pull into a plaza but was almost hit, looking through many different Nissan forums a lot of mechanics and owners are saying that the original crankshaft/camshaft position sensors on the Altima/maxima have experienced faulty mechanics over time that cause it to overheat and stop working and locking up the system completely. This is a huge problem as I can’t afford to fix this myself and it could have caused a serious accident this should be investigated due to other recalls on the Altima with the faulty sensors, the maxima 3.5 is also starting to experience these issues if you look through multiple forums and research the issue that’s happening. Please investigate this soon so that nobody gets seriously hurt.
On June 6th. 2019 my 2005 nissan maxima struck a disabled vehicle left in the middle lane of the Long Island Expressway (a 3 laned highway). Although I was traveling at 60 mph when the collision occurred and struck the disabled vehicle from the rear, the passenger airbag never deployed. This resulted in the passenger receiving significantly more serious injuries than that of the driver (who's airbag did deploy).
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that the power steering would fail to operate. The steering wheel would require excessive force in order to steer the vehicle. The contact would frequently replenish the steering fluid however, the failure persisted. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000
VEHICLE MAKES CLUNKING, JERKING NOISES AND BAD CLUNKING SOUNDS WHEN YOU PUT IT INTO GEAR OR SHIFT GEARS, DIGITAL GEAR DISPLAY SHOWS VEHICLE IS IN 5TH GEAR ALL THE TIME, ACCELERATES VERY SLOWLY.
I HAVE AN 05 NISSAN MAXIMA AND THE TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTING HARD AND ERRATICALLY
THE CAR HAS A SOUND AS IF IT WERE METAL FATIGUE IN THE FRONT OF THE HOOD A HARD BLOW SOUNDS LOUD EVERY TIME THE CAR MOVES FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM THEY SAY WHAT IS A FACTORY DEFECT I AM AFRAID THAT IT IS A METAL THAT IS UNDER FATIGUE AND THE ENGINE FALLS ON THE GROUND RUNNING ON THE STREET.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 20005 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SITTING IN THE VEHICLE, THE FRONT DRIVER SEAT BEGAN SMOKING WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT JUMPED OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND CALLED THE AUTHORITIES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AS THE VEHICLE BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES, THE FIRE WAS THEN EXTINGUISHED. A FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT WAS FILED AT THE SCENE. DUE TO HER FRANTIC EXIT FROM THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO BOTH KNEES AND HER RIGHT ANKLE; HOWEVER, SHE DID NOT SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER NOR THE DEALER WERE INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT LINKED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V512000 (SEAT) TO HER FAILURE; HOWEVER, HER VEHICLE WAS NEVER INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000. *DT*JB*DT*JB
MY CAR ONLY HAS 112337 MILE AND NEEDED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION , NOW AT 112954 HAVE TO REPLACE THE ABS CONTROL MODULE . THE TRANSMISSION WAS HARD SHIFTING/ JERKING WHEN YOU GET TO ABOUT 30-35 MPH . SO IT COST ALMOST 4,000.00 TO FIX AND THE THE SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER QUIT WORKING AFTER 500 MILES WITH NEW TRANSMISSION AND TOOK THE CAR TO ELECTRICAL SHOP TO FIND OUT I NOW HAVE TO REPLACE THE ABS CONTROL MODULE AND AFTER ALL THE MONEY PUT IN THIS CAR I DON'T THINK IT IS WORTH FIXING THE ABS CONSIDERING I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR IN OCT. 2018 AND THOUGHT I GOT A GREAT CAR AND ALREDY HAVE ENOUGH MONEY PUT IN IT AND COULD NEVER SELL IT FOR THE MONEY I HAVE IN IT NISSAN SHOULD BE FIXING THESE ISSUES NOT ME CONSIDERING ALL THE COMPLAINTS ON THESE CARS WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS AT THE SAME MILEAGE
VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND ALL OF A SUDDEN GEARS STARTED TO SHIFT ON ITS OWN , SO STOPPED ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND TURNED OFF MY ENGINE THEN I TURNED IT BACK ON AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES AND IT WAS DRIVING WELL UNTIL AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES OF DRIVING THE GEARS WOULDN'T GO PAST 2ND GEAR
THIS DANGER OF WHICH I COMPLAIN IS NOT ABSOLUTE TO MY VEHICLE BUT TO ALL OTHERS THAT ARE MADE WITH SUCH SHORTCUT. IN PREVIOUS DECADES CARS WERE MADE WITH A TRUNK KEY AND OR MECHANICAL CABLE FOR OPENING. MY 2005 MAXIMA AND MOST RECENT VEHICLES ARE MADE WITH ONLY AN ELECTRONIC BUTTON TO OPEN THE TRUNK. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. RECENTLY MY CAR LOST POWER AT A PRECARIOUS LOCATION AND I HAD NO WAY OF ACCESSING THE TRUNK. MY FLARES, MY BOOSTER CABLES,ALL EMERGENCY TOOLS, SUPPLIES, FIRST AID KIT, FIRE EXTINGUISHER, WATER ALL LOCKED AWAY IN THE TRUNK AND I HAD NO ACCESS TO IT. THIS IS NOT MERELY INCONVENIENT, BUT VERY DANGEROUS. CAR MANUFACTURERS MAY SAY THAT THERE IS ACCESS THROUGH THE BACK SEAT. THIS, HOWEVER, IS TOTALLY INADEQUATE. IT IS VERY CUMBERSOME AND CALL FOR PHYSICAL MANEUVER WHICH IS VERY DIFFICULT, TIME CONSUMING AND SUBJECT TO FAILURE. FIRST IT IS A TASK IN ITSELF TO FIGURE OUT AND TO GET THAT BACK SEAT DOWN. EVEN WHEN DOWN, THERE IS NOT ENOUGH SPACE TO EVEN CRAWL INSIDE AND ACCESS THINGS YOU NEED. FEELING AROUND IN THE DARK WITH YOUR HAND IS NOT EFFICIENT. FURTHERMORE THE APPARATUS TO GET THE TRUNK DOOR OPEN FROM THAT POSITION IS NOT ONLY OBSCURED BUT PHYSICALLY ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO ENGAGE FROM THAT POSITION. I PROPOSE THAT IT BE MANDATED THAT VEHICLES COME WITH A MORE ACCESSIBLE BACKUP, SUCH AS A MECHANICAL CABLE FROM THE INSIDE OF THE CAR OR KEY LOCK FROM THE OUTSIDE TO OPEN THE TRUNK IN CASE OF POWER FAILURE. THIS IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE! ONE SHOULD DEFINITELY BE ABLE TO ACCESS NECESSARY AND EMERGENCY ITEMS FROM THE TRUNK IN CASE OF POWER FAILURE EMERGENCY! THIS MAY SEEM LIKE A TRIVIAL MATTER TO YOU ONLY BECAUSE I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO EXPRESS THE URGENCY OF THE SITUATION AND THE POSSIBLE DEVASTATING EFFECT OF THIS IF IT CONTINUES UNCORRECTED. PLEASE CONSIDER THIS A VIABLE COMPLAINT AND I URGE YOU TO APPROACH THIS MATTER WITH EXPEDITION AND EARNEST. THANK YOU!
INDICATOR LIGHT IN VEHICLE SAYS PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG IS NOT WORKING.
THIS CAR HAS NOTHING BUT ISSUES. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAINS ALONG WITH CONTINUING TO DEAL WITH THE CARS TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE REVVING AND TROWING ITSELF IN AND OUT OF GEAR AND DYING THE THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD OR HIGHWAY. THIS CAR IS DANGEROUS AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE EXACT SAME ISSUES WITH NISSAN REFUSING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OR ADMIT FAULT. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. IM SURE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PHYSICALLY HURT FROM THIS ISSUE AND SEEMS STRONG ENOUGH TO BE MADE INTO A CLASS ACTION SUIT.
Showing 12 of 948 complaints.