Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 22 safety complaints
about the 2020 Nissan Maxima with the US government. Of those, 3 describe a crash, 3 people were injured and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering visibility.
The most complained-about system is forward collision avoidance,
named in 4 complaints, 18% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 23,000 miles,
the median across the 7
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers January 2020 to September 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
22 complaints on file
22
Complaints
3
Describe a crash
0
Mention fire
3
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.
A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free.
Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can
answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a
model year.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 4 · 18%
4 18%
STRUCTURE 4 · 18%
4 18%
POWER TRAIN 3 · 14%
3 14%
AIR BAGS 2 · 9%
2 9%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 2 · 9%
2 9%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2 · 9%
2 9%
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 2 · 9%
2 9%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 · 9%
2 9%
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 2 · 9%
2 9%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 · 9%
2 9%
ENGINE 1 · 5%
1 5%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 · 5%
1 5%
048
Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it.
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 22.
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 2024 at 6.
8 6 4 2
202020212021222022232023242024252025262026
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2020 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 2020 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
9.5%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
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.
The risk
Rear window glass that separates from the vehicle can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the back window glass, free of charge. The recall began November 4, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC752.
Nissan North America, Inc. · up to 150 vehicles across all model years covered
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.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
2 injured · crash · towed · 23,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while her husband was attempting to park and turn off the vehicle, the gear shifter failed to shift into park, the STOP button failed to respond, and the vehicle suddenly accelerated, crashed into a tree in the median strip, knocked down three poles, and the brake pedal was depressed but became unresponsive. The vehicle continued driving and crashed into a sign pole and came to a stop. The contact stated that a tire also exploded during the crash. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy. The contact and her husband sustained injuries during the crash. The contact’s husband sustained a fractured left shoulder and …
NHTSA complaint 11764174, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · crash · towed
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. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:FRONTAL IMPACT
crash · 25,000 miles
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. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
towed · 106,000 miles
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 …
NHTSA complaint 11682977, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STEERING
Nissan dealership said the front control arms are cracking and recommended having them replaced.
NHTSA complaint 11645171. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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. 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, newest campaign on this vehicle filed September 22, 2020.
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