Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2003 Nissan Maxima, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine and engine cooling54
- Engine43
- Air bags35
- Exterior lighting26
- Electrical system17
- Unknown or other10
- Vehicle speed control8
- Power train7
- Structure6
- Equipment5
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 12 injuries and 1 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 22 2003 Maxima vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 21 people died inside them, and 3 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2003 Nissan Maxima failed the safety check 1.71% of the time — 19% less often than the average 2003 passenger car (2.11%). Median odometer at inspection: 120,808 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In Finland
109 of these cars first registered in 2003 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 264,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
508 2003 cars are on the New Zealand register.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 11.1–11.9 L/100 km (about 20–21 mpg US), CO₂ 255–274 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maxima · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 12.7 | 9.1 | 11.1 |
| Maxima · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 13.6 | 9.7 | 11.9 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 2003 Nissan Maxima.
| 2020003 10 Jan 2020 | Airbag Issue: This recall is for certain vehicles that had an airbag inflator replaced as a part of an earlier recall campaign. This recall provides a final repair. … |
| 2014272 2 Jul 2014 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the passenger (frontal) airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure during airbag deployment. Increased pressure may cause t… |
| 2013117 11 Apr 2013 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the passenger (frontal) airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure during airbag deployment. Increased pressure may cause t… |
| 2003267 5 Nov 2003 | Engine On certain vehicles, the circuit board for the crank position sensor may have an improper solder joint. This could cause the Service Engine Soon warning light … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and 2006-2010 M35 and M45 vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated, frontal passenger air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2001-2003 Nissan Maxima, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 and I35, 2003 FX35 and FX45, and 2001 I30 vehicles. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR OR CAM POSITION SENSOR MAY HAVE AN IMPROPER SOLDER JOINT DUE TO SOLDER DEFORMATION CAUSED BY HEAT STRESS ACCELERATED BY THE EXISTENCE OF FLUX RESIDUE DURING THE SOLDERING PROCESS.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Nissan told its dealers about the 2003 Nissan Maxima: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 635810 | SUBJECT REGARDING WINDSHIELD WIPER PROTECTIVE SHIPPING COVERS ON CERTAIN MODELS INCLUDING THE 2003 MURANO. *TT |
| 635806 | SUBJECT REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF THE XENON HEADLAMP CONNECTOR REPLACEMENT KIT. *TT |
| 633662 | SUBJECT REGARDING DRIVERS POWER SEAT WILL NOT MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARD. *JG |
| 633613 | SUBJECT REGARDING DRIVERS POWER SEAT WILL NOT MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARD. *JG |
| 11004962 | VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 11001201 | WINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 11001194 | REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 11001191 | WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10243708 | DIAGNOSIS OF VEHICLE PULL (DRIFT) AND/OR STEERING WHEEL OFF-CENTER This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10239062 | SILICONE-BASED LUBRICANT OR GREASE CAN DAMAGE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SERVICE INFORMATION Do not apply Silicone-based lubricants or grease to, or around, any interior electrical components. To avoid the risk of death or severe personal injury, do not directly spray Silicone-based lubricant or grease, or inadvertently overspray Silicone-based lubricant or grease onto any interior electrical components. These types of lubricants can be detrimental to the proper operation of electrical components. |
| 10239060 | 12 VOLT BATTERY TESTING FOR IN-SERVICE VEHICLES SERVICE INFORMATION The following Service Information lists NNA procedural recommendations for establishing good connections while performing 12V battery testing. These recommendations are expected to promote uniformity during the connection process, therefore reducing the number of incorrect Test with DCA and Replace results. HINT: If 12 volt batteries are allowed to discharge for a prolonged period of time, battery life may be drastically reduced. This condition may lead to premature battery replacement and customer dissatisfaction. |
| 10235710 | INTELLIGENT KEY REPLACEMENT OR SWAPPING BETWEEN VEHICLES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Discard all previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10235707 | VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10232658 | REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10232657 | WHEEL BEARING COLLISION DAMAGE This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10232656 | WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10232652 | DIAGNOSIS OF VEHICLE PULL (DRIFT) AND/OR STEERING WHEEL OFF-CENTER This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10206391 | STRUT AND SHOCK ABSORBER REPLACEMENT GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10192801 | SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement "Certification Label" or "VIN Plate / Label" may be needed. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides an application form for such replacements. See this bulletin for further detail. |
| 10192677 | SERVICE INFORMATION Windshield "foreign material" that is on the surface of the glass in some cases can be cleaned off with a very particular type and grade of steel wool. * Most any foreign material on the surface of the Windshield can be cleaned off by using #0000 super fine steel wool. >The #0000 grade super fine steel wool can be found in most hardware stores. Please see this bulletin for further details. |
| 10192513 | SERVICE INFORMATION Changes or modifications to the front seat assembly trim materials may affect the proper operation of the Front Seat-Mounted Side-Impact Supplemental Air Bags and Passenger Occupant Classification Sensor and could result in serious personal injury or death. Nissan STRONGLY RECOMMENDS AGAINST making any change to seat trim materials from the factory equipped condition. This specifically applies to replacing the seat trim with non-factory materials; adding leather/cloth seat covers, seat pads, or seat storage pouches, etc. around or over the seat back and the passenger se |
| 10192305 | SERVICE INFORMATION Information necessary to service the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) safely is included in the "RESTRAINTS" section of the Electronic Service Manual (ESM) for each vehicle. IMPORTANT: Turn the ignition switch OFF, disconnect both battery terminals, and wait at least 3 minutes before performing any service on the SRS. See this bulletin for further detail. |
| 10192234 | Two methods are used to update/upgrade Navigation Map Data: 1. The customer goes to www.nissannavigation.com and is mailed update disc(s) or SD Card and installs data, OR 2. The dealership is mailed update disc(s) and the customer must visit the dealership to have data installed. Use the matrix in this bulletin to determine which method is utilized for each Applied Vehicle. See this bulletin for further detail. |
| 10192233 | Nissan Original Equipment or Genuine Accessory Alloy wheels, along with their finish coating (clear, chrome, titanium, etc.), are specifically developed to achieve Nissan design and performance standards. These Original Equipment or Genuine Accessory wheels are subjected to testing to ensure they meet Nissan's standards. Nissan Original Equipment Alloy or Genuine Accessory wheels subjected to aftermarket chroming may no longer continue to meet these standards and may be seriously damaged. Therefore, Nissan most strongly discourages, and recommends that these wheels NEVER be subjected to, |
| 10192217 | If YOU CONFIRM: A vehicle needs to have the brake rotors resurfaced (front or rear). ACTION: Use the ProCut PFM Series on-car brake lathe to perform brake rotor resurfacing and follow the tips listed in this bulletin. - The ProCut PFM Series brake lathe has been chosen as the approved tool for rotor resurfacing. - The ProCut PFM Series brake lathe can be ordered from TECH-MATE at 1-800-662-2001. - ProCut technical support or service can be obtained by calling 1-800-543-6618. NOTE: Brake rotors may need to be resurfaced during routine brake repair or for brake "judder" incident |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation