2011 Nissan Maxima problems and complaints

Owners have filed 106 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Nissan Maxima. The most-reported areas: Air Bags (23), Power Train (22), Unknown Or Other (14).

Key takeaways

  • 106 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
  • 5 involve a crash, 1 a fire, 15 reported injuries.
  • Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
Complaints by component
ComponentComplaintsShare
Air Bags2322%
Power Train2221%
Unknown Or Other1413%
Engine1211%
Electrical System1211%
Steering98%
Structure98%
Vehicle Speed Control55%
Visibility44%
Electronic Stability Control (esc)44%
Visibility/Wiper33%
Service Brakes33%

One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.

NHTSA 5-Star crash ratings
VersionOverallFrontSideRollover
2011 Nissan Maxima 4 DR FWDNot ratedNot ratedNot rated5/5

Latest complaints, as filed

Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.

Steering - filed 2026-01-07

My steering failed completely while driving, making it nearly impossible to turn.

Air Bags - filed 2024-07-15

Airbag warning came on. I took to dealership for diagnostic. There was malfunction with the passenger airbag. Seat coushin needed to be replaced so the “normal” wear and tear airbag would no longer be an issue. Nissan stated this is not a safety concern and all expenses were out of pocket.

Power Train - filed 2024-06-29

The transmission is slipping it’s a cvt and they’re known for being the worst transmissions. I was entering the highway on a on ramp and I could no longer accelerate past 55 I was near flooring it and you can hear the engine working but the rpm’s are all over the odometer going from 3k-6.5k over and over. The problem h...

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More for the 2011 Nissan Maxima

Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.