Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2004 Nissan Maxima, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train934
- Tires141
- Suspension102
- Engine and engine cooling70
- Service brakes, hydraulic61
- Electrical system56
- Structure56
- Engine51
- Vehicle speed control38
- Steering37
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 30 injuries and 2 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 49 2004 Maxima vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 42 people died inside them, and 15 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 2004 Nissan Maxima failed the safety check 2.11% of the time — 5% less often than the average 2004 passenger car (2.21%). Median odometer at inspection: 124,342 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the United Kingdom
1 cars built in 2004 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025.
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
In Finland
371 of these cars first registered in 2004 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 259,000 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
450 2004 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 3 variants: combined 11.0–11.4 L/100 km (about 21 mpg US), CO₂ 253–262 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maxima · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 13.0 | 8.7 | 11.0 |
| Maxima · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 13.1 | 9.4 | 11.4 |
| Maxima · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 13.4 | 9.0 | 11.4 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 2004 Nissan Maxima.
| 2005341 3 Nov 2005 | Electrical On certain vehicles equipped with a driver seat power lumbar support, if the wire harness from the lumbar switch is routed incorrectly, the harness could be pin… |
| 2004217 7 Jul 2004 | Other On certain vehicles, the glass for the Skyview Roof may not have been quenched properly after the forming process resulting in temper imbalance. This could cre… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SKYVIEW ROOFS, THE GLASS FOR THE ROOF MAY NOT HAVE BEEN QUENCHED PROPERLY AFTER THE FORMING PROCESS, RESULTING IN TEMPER IMBALANCE.
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 2004 Nissan Maxima: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| 10246452 | Expiration Notification - Maxima/Altima Floor Pan ***** Dealer Announcement ***** On October 28, 2022, in connection with the court-approved settlement of class action litigation filed in Missouri, Nissan launched a Voluntary Service Campaign (VSC) on 36,858 specific model year 2002-2006 Nissan Altima and 2004-2008 Nissan Maxima vehicles to inspect, and if necessary, repair for front floor pan corrosion. Per the terms of the settlement, the VSC expired on November 1, 2023. This Voluntary Service Campaign and customer reimbursement for these repairs will no longer be available after Novemb |
| 10246436 | VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2002-2006 ALTIMA AND 2004-2008 MAXIMA; FLOOR PAN Voluntary Service Campaign ID # PC926 is no longer active. Repair orders opened after this bulletins published date are no longer eligible for reimbursement under Campaign ID # PC926. Discard all previous versions of NTB22-095. |
| 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. |
| 10226127 | Maxima/Altima Floor Pan Voluntary Service Campaign ***** Dealer Announcement ***** Nissan is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign (VSC) on 36,858 specific model year 2002-2006 Nissan Altima and 2004-2008 Nissan Maxima vehicles due to possibility of moisture becoming trapped in the floor pans potentially resulting in corrosion to support the settlement approved by the court presiding over a class action lawsuit filed in Missouri. Dealers will inspect the Class Vehicle for front floor pan corrosion. If corrosion is present the dealer will repair the front floor pan(s). Nissan is not resp |
| 10226126 | VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2002-2006 ALTIMA AND 2004-2008 MAXIMA FLOOR PAN PC926 will expire on November 1, 2023. |
| 10226065 | VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2002-2006 ALTIMA AND 2004-2008 MAXIMA FLOOR PAN PC926 will expire on November 1, 2023. |
| 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. |
| 10192805 | IF YOU CONFIRM A refrigerant leak at a refrigerant pipe/hose joint location. ACTIONS 1. Inspect the metal surfaces of the pipe/hose joint for damage or contamination. NOTE: Do not replace a refrigerant pipe, hose, or other A/C component if an o-ring seal will solve the leak incident, if it should occur. 2. If no damage is found to the joint metal surfaces, replace the O-ring seal. See this bulletin for further detail. |
| 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. |
| 10192638 | SERVICE INFORMATION This bulletin has compiled Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) and Low Tire Pressure Warning System (LTPWS) information for: - Basic diagnosing of TPMS/LTPWS systems - Radio frequency interference causing a "No Data" (C1708, C1709, C1710, C1711) condition - Sensor leaks - Moving TPMS/LTPWS wheel assemblies from one vehicle to another and TPMS/LTPWS sensor registration - Air pressure changes with altitude and ambient temperatures - Aftermarket tire sealers - Aftermarket wheels - Inflating/deflating tires with TPMS/LTPWS sensors See this bulletin for fur |
| 10192629 | To ensure customer satisfaction, Nissan extended the warranty for cracking of the rear sub-frame due to corrosion to a total of 13 years with unlimited mileage on all model year 2002-2005 Nissan Altima and 2004-2005 Nissan Maxima vehicles. |
| 10192599 | SERVICE INFORMATION The Service Procedure provided in this bulletin is for the installation of Repair Plates on vehicles that have rust in the floor pan area. See this bulletin for further detail. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
GLASS ROOF SHATTERING
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation