Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 96 safety complaints
about the 2014 Nissan Maxima with the US government. Of those, 10 describe a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 4 people were injured and no death is recorded. No recall campaign has been matched to this year, make and model.
The most complained-about system is the air bags,
named in 24 complaints, 25% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 50,400 miles,
the median across the 69
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers January 2014 to September 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
96 complaints on file
96
Complaints
10
Describe a crash
1
Mention fire
4
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not
the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production
ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
AIR BAGS 24 · 25%
24 25%
POWER TRAIN 22 · 23%
22 23%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 19 · 20%
19 20%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 10 · 10%
10 10%
ENGINE 9 · 9%
9 9%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 8 · 8%
8 8%
SUSPENSION 6 · 6%
6 6%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 5 · 5%
5 5%
SERVICE BRAKES 4 · 4%
4 4%
STEERING 4 · 4%
4 4%
STRUCTURE 3 · 3%
3 3%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 2 · 2%
2 2%
01223
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 96.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2020 at 14.
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2014 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what
happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2014 Nissan MAXIMA, and it is a separate
question from what owners report going wrong later.
Test
4 DR FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover
10.1%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · crash · towed · 67,363 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2014 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, ANOTHER VEHICLE CUT IN FRONT OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO THE SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 67,363.
NHTSA complaint 10969553. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · crash · towed · 87,000 miles
CAR WRECK AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY AND CAR IS TOTALED. *DT*JB
NHTSA complaint 11192889. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STEERING
1 injured · crash · towed
Failure of multiple systems upon impact with a pothole causing the vehicle to light up brake warning light, traction control system warning light, and spin out with no steering capability, resulting in a total loss of the car, including the rear passenger tire and wheel to sheer off, snapped the tie rod, ripped off the rear bumper, and bent the vehicle rims. I suffered a closed head injury and whiplash, as well as soft tissue damage to right shoulder and knee. Airbags did deploy.
NHTSA complaint 11565918. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1 injured · crash · towed
While pulling into a parking space, I heard my engine racing. Immediately, I felt the car lurch forward. To avoid misapplying my foot to the gas pedal, I withdrew both my feet to the floor, next to the seat. The car continued forward at a fast rate. The car stopped going forward after it struck s building. However, the tires kept spinning, especially the front left tire. The engine ran briefly, until it stopped spontaneously. A few days previously, while driving at about 40 miles per hour on level ground, I felt the gas pedal to be unresponsive. Then it quickly reengaged. I mentioned this to my husband and he suggested that there may have been an air bubble in the fuel line. I don't know if …
NHTSA complaint 11620050, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
The transmission would begin slipping and causing power loss after driving it for more than 20 minutes causing it to slow down rapidly especially on hills
NHTSA complaint 11763977. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I have a 2014 Nissan Maxima. The passenger side door abruptly stopped working and will not open from the inside or outside. Upon speaking with a mechanic, I learned that this is a very common issue with a Nissan and also that there is a class action lawsuit against Nissan because its believed to be a defect they knew about. Quote i received for repair would be over $400
NHTSA complaint 11709463. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
46,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that the passenger’s side air bag warning light was illuminated. The air bag located in the seat failed to activate as designed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the passenger’s side seat sensor was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the occupant sensor was inoperable. The dealer confirmed that the part was no longer in production. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.
NHTSA complaint 11691783. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Date(s) of Incident: Multiple incidents from [June 3, 2025] to [July 1, 2025] Summary of Complaint I am filing this complaint against Best Price Transmissions for negligence, non-compliance with automotive repair safety codes, and unprofessional conduct that has resulted in substantial financial loss, vehicle damage, and emotional distress. I have patronized this shop for years, trusting their work, but my vehicles have repeatedly left their care with more problems than they arrived with. The most recent incident involved an air conditioning repair that led to a coolant leak, the recommendation of unnecessary part replacements, and ultimately damage to my vehicle’s performance. Details of …
NHTSA complaint 11680401, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
107,270 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights became inoperable. The contact stated that the headlights failed to function properly, and the lights were dim. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the headlight assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,270.
NHTSA complaint 11661846. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's
lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, no campaign on file for this vehicle.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by
us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that
sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst