"How reliable is the 2011 Nissan Maxima?"

"Based on 138 NHTSA complaints, the 2011 Nissan Maxima has a median complaint mileage of 70000 miles. The most common issue is AIR BAGS."

"What are common problems with the 2011 Nissan Maxima?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2011 Nissan Maxima is AIR BAGS, accounting for a significant portion of the 138 total complaints filed."

2011 Nissan Maxima: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 138 complaints

138

Total Complaints

70,000mi

Median Mileage

AIR BAGS

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

40,100 25th Percentile

70,000 Median Mileage

109,350 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

AIR BAGS

POWER TRAIN

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

ENGINE

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

STEERING

STRUCTURE:BODY

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"NEW 2011 NISSAN MAXIMA. PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS SOMETIMES FAIL TO ACTIVATE AT ALL OR ACTIVATE ONLY AFTER DRIVING SEVERAL (12-15) MILES WITH A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. SITUATION HAS OCCURRED ROUTINELY SINCE TAKING DELIVERY OF VEHICLE ON 10/14/10. CONSEQUENTLY, FRONT SEAT PASSENGERS AR..."

"TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2011 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE ALSO WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE TRANSMISSION CODE WAS RESET. THE FAILURE RECURRED ONE DAY LATER. ..."

"TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE INTERMITTENTLY WHETHER THE SEAT WAS OCCUPIED OR NOT. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SIX TIMES FO..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28