Owners have filed 33 complaints
about the 2020 Nissan Maxima with NHTSA between 2020 and 2026.
The largest single group is the driver assist & collision avoidance.
Across this model's run it ranks 22 of 27 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 6
Against the median year of the Nissan Maxima. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 47
9.1% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 100
67% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
1,000 – 9,999 miles
555.6%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
111.1%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
111.1%
100,000 – 149,999 miles
222.2%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Jan 2020peak 5May 2026
Recalls on the 2020 Nissan Maxima
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
United States — NHTSA
20V570000
VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Altima, Maxima and Leaf vehicles. The rear window glass may not remain properly secured to the vehicle.
Risk: Rear window glass that separates from the vehicle can increase the risk of a crash.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Maumee, OHCrash1 injured
AIR BAGS
Was at a four way stop. Other driver pulled out in front of me and I tried to not hit their vehicle but couldn’t avoid it. I was going around 15 miles per hour. The air bag discharged so hard it broke my windshield and injured my head, neck and lower back.
NHTSA complaint #11492104 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 25,000 milesPhiladelphia, PACrash
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:FRONTAL IMPACT
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated the collision sensor system on the vehicle was malfunctioning, causing the vehicle to brake on its own while reversing in parallel parking. The contact stated the vehicle would always make buzzing sounds while parking. The contact stated while he was reversing out of a parking space on a hill, the vehicle inadvertently stopped, causing him to hit the vehicle in front of him. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000.
NHTSA complaint #11434284 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Upper Marlboro, MD
ENGINE
2020 Nissan Maxima SR is experiencing CVT transmission issues that appear substantially similar to the defects described in the Nissan CVT Martinez Class Action involving prior Nissan model years.
NHTSA complaint #11740781 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 106,000 milesWatauga, TX
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The vehicle jerked before stalling in the middle of the road. No warning lights were illuminated. The Police were called to block traffic. The vehicle was towed. The tow truck driver had issues while attempting to tow the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the vehicle failed to start. The contact would turn on the engine, and several minutes later, the vehicle stalled. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. It was unknown if the contact's husband had replaced the battery. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was informed that the vehicle warranty had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
NHTSA complaint #11682977 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 106,000 milesWatauga, TX
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The vehicle jerked before stalling in the middle of the road. No warning lights were illuminated. The Police were called to block traffic. The vehicle was towed. The tow truck driver had issues while attempting to tow the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the vehicle failed to start. The contact would turn on the engine, and several minutes later, the vehicle stalled. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. It was unknown if the contact's husband had replaced the battery. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was informed that the vehicle warranty had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
NHTSA complaint #11682977 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Arlington, TX
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
When I start driving the front collision light comes on and off and then they'll stay on
NHTSA complaint #11663524 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When I start driving the front collision light comes on and off and then they'll stay on
NHTSA complaint #11663524 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Killeen, TX
STEERING
Nissan dealership said the front control arms are cracking and recommended having them replaced.
NHTSA complaint #11645171 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Killeen, TX
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Nissan dealership said the front control arms are cracking and recommended having them replaced.
NHTSA complaint #11645171 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Merrimack, NH
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Forward collision warning turns on about 20 seconds after the car starts. There was no accident or obstructions to the sensors, this apperas to just be equipment failure on a car with only 30k miles on it.
NHTSA complaint #11611910 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Merrimack, NH
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Forward collision warning turns on about 20 seconds after the car starts. There was no accident or obstructions to the sensors, this apperas to just be equipment failure on a car with only 30k miles on it.
NHTSA complaint #11611910 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Raleigh, NC
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The sunroof inexplicably blew out while driving on a 3-lane interstate normally taken to work every day in the morning, windows were up. This movable portion of the sunroof is part of the panoramic sun roof. The sun shade was open, it is normally left open. Some small pieces of the glass fell onto me and seats but most was sucked up and away from the car. Thankfully, no glass hit me in the face and no cars were around me. I have rear cam footage of the glass flying out behind the car. Front footage shows nothing hit the car, no one was near enough to suspect otherwise. A picture is attached of what is left.
NHTSA complaint #11584583 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Raleigh, NC
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
When I start driving, sometimes I randomly see Key System Error and DAS Malfunction. All other warnings such as emergency brake, traction control, blind spot detection light up. Engine RPM meter keeps going to 0 and back and forth (see video in the link below). When this happens, driver assistance features like forward collision warning, blind spot warning and lane departure warning stops working. Sometimes, I cannot turn off the engine by pressing the Stop Engine button. I have to hold the button for about 5 seconds to stop the engine. Sometimes there's a Chasis Control System error (Attached a picture from last year). This started happening about a year ago and has occurred at least a dozen times so far. I have taken this to different dealerships, and none have been able to identify the issue. I haven't had any accidents on collisions on this vehicle. Please see link below for a video of the behavior. You can see different warnings coming on and off in the video. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11583788 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When I start driving, sometimes I randomly see Key System Error and DAS Malfunction. All other warnings such as emergency brake, traction control, blind spot detection light up. Engine RPM meter keeps going to 0 and back and forth (see video in the link below). When this happens, driver assistance features like forward collision warning, blind spot warning and lane departure warning stops working. Sometimes, I cannot turn off the engine by pressing the Stop Engine button. I have to hold the button for about 5 seconds to stop the engine. Sometimes there's a Chasis Control System error (Attached a picture from last year). This started happening about a year ago and has occurred at least a dozen times so far. I have taken this to different dealerships, and none have been able to identify the issue. I haven't had any accidents on collisions on this vehicle. Please see link below for a video of the behavior. You can see different warnings coming on and off in the video. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11583788 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Raleigh, NC
LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
When I start driving, sometimes I randomly see Key System Error and DAS Malfunction. All other warnings such as emergency brake, traction control, blind spot detection light up. Engine RPM meter keeps going to 0 and back and forth (see video in the link below). When this happens, driver assistance features like forward collision warning, blind spot warning and lane departure warning stops working. Sometimes, I cannot turn off the engine by pressing the Stop Engine button. I have to hold the button for about 5 seconds to stop the engine. Sometimes there's a Chasis Control System error (Attached a picture from last year). This started happening about a year ago and has occurred at least a dozen times so far. I have taken this to different dealerships, and none have been able to identify the issue. I haven't had any accidents on collisions on this vehicle. Please see link below for a video of the behavior. You can see different warnings coming on and off in the video. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11583788 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 84,214 milesBrookfield, IL
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and changing lanes, the hood unlatched, flew open and struck the windshield. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,214.
NHTSA complaint #11582542 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Oregon, WI
STRUCTURE:BODY
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.
NHTSA complaint #11577099 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Simpsonville, SC
POWER TRAIN
My transmission is bad.
NHTSA complaint #11569285 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Columbia, MO
STRUCTURE:BODY
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.
NHTSA complaint #11527576 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Maumee, OHCrash1 injured
AIR BAGS
Was at a four way stop. Other driver pulled out in front of me and I tried to not hit their vehicle but couldn’t avoid it. I was going around 15 miles per hour. The air bag discharged so hard it broke my windshield and injured my head, neck and lower back.
NHTSA complaint #11492104 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brooklyn, NY
STRUCTURE:BODY
The front passenger side A-pillar molding flew off while driving in windy weather. This piece could have hit another vehicle and impeded their vision while driving. The molding was not otherwise compromised.
NHTSA complaint #11474773 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 25,000 milesPhiladelphia, PACrash
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:FRONTAL IMPACT
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated the collision sensor system on the vehicle was malfunctioning, causing the vehicle to brake on its own while reversing in parallel parking. The contact stated the vehicle would always make buzzing sounds while parking. The contact stated while he was reversing out of a parking space on a hill, the vehicle inadvertently stopped, causing him to hit the vehicle in front of him. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000.
NHTSA complaint #11434284 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Winnsboro, SC
SERVICE BRAKES
While driving 2020 Nissan Maxima Sv the emergency park brake light up and rear brake light up and traction control light up on dash and it act like it looses power and when you go to settings on sonar it big green light in front of car And check engine light came on
NHTSA complaint #11427755 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving 2020 Nissan Maxima Sv the emergency park brake light up and rear brake light up and traction control light up on dash and it act like it looses power and when you go to settings on sonar it big green light in front of car And check engine light came on
NHTSA complaint #11427755 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Winnsboro, SC
BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
While driving 2020 Nissan Maxima Sv the emergency park brake light up and rear brake light up and traction control light up on dash and it act like it looses power and when you go to settings on sonar it big green light in front of car And check engine light came on
NHTSA complaint #11427755 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Detroit, MI
PARKING BRAKE
My emergency brake comes on any time I drive after a heavy rain.. it starts to illuminate vaguely,then eventually the brake light will come on and then eventually it’ll start indicating to pull over. The first time I was in rush hour traffic on a busy highway. Was able to push down on the brake and release long enough to come off an exit before it came back on. Had to let the car sit for over 20 minutes. The second time we had heavy rain I got in the car the following day after 15 mins of driving the brake light started to illuminate and I could not get it to go off I had to pull over several time eventually sitting on the side of the ride for 20 mins again for it to go off. I could smell a burning smell when I exited the vehicle
NHTSA complaint #11426312 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Detroit, MI
PARKING BRAKE:ELECTRICAL
My emergency brake comes on any time I drive after a heavy rain.. it starts to illuminate vaguely,then eventually the brake light will come on and then eventually it’ll start indicating to pull over. The first time I was in rush hour traffic on a busy highway. Was able to push down on the brake and release long enough to come off an exit before it came back on. Had to let the car sit for over 20 minutes. The second time we had heavy rain I got in the car the following day after 15 mins of driving the brake light started to illuminate and I could not get it to go off I had to pull over several time eventually sitting on the side of the ride for 20 mins again for it to go off. I could smell a burning smell when I exited the vehicle
NHTSA complaint #11426312 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.