1998 Nissan Maxima problems
Owners have filed 133 complaints about the 1998 Nissan Maxima with NHTSA. Air bags account for 20.3% of them — narrowly the most common, ahead of electrical system at 18%.
Complaints133
Crashes14
Fires13
Injuries9
Deaths1
What owners report breaking
Air bags 20.3% · 27
Electrical system 18.0% · 24
Service brakes, hydraulic 9.0% · 12
Structure 6.0% · 8
Power train 5.3% · 7
Tires 5.3% · 7
Visibility 4.5% · 6
Suspension 4.5% · 6
Severity
Of those complaints, 14 describe a crash, 13 describe a fire, 9 report an injury and 1 report a death.
Reading the numbers
Across the 24 model years of the Nissan Maxima in this data, 1998 sits 19th by complaint volume. 2004 draws the most.
Filings have fallen off, 5 in the last three years against 11 in the three before. That is normal as a generation leaves the road.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 110,000 miles.
In owners' own words
The car was sold new with a defective airbag light-we didn't notice it until after we signed the purchase papers. We were told to return it the next day for repair! Since then we have tried to have it repaired four additional times, but the light comes on within an hour or two after we leave the shop. It is not clear to me if the airbag system is truly functional. Air bags
My car is again at the dealer being serviced. This car has been in the shop for airbag service on 11 separate occasions. This issue has been going on since 10 months after I drove off the lot with the car. I am convinced Nissan has been given a reasonable opportunity to fix the problem. I now need results so I can drive a car that will work as desgined. Air bags
The abs dash-oard warning light began flashing. I took it to the Nissan dealership in santa fe nm. They told me that a problem existed in the driver-side air bag module, and that replacing the module would be necessary, and that the driver-side air bag may or may not work in the event of an accident. Approximate cost, $300, plus $72/hour labor. Air bags · reported at 52,300 miles
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…