Model-year matrix

Nissan Maxima
which year?

Compare every Nissan Maxima model year the EPA recorded, 1984 to 2023. See complaint patterns, fuel economy and configurations side by side, then open any year for recall campaigns and the full dossier. Confirm against the official NHTSA recall search.

Evidence-led answer

Looking for the best Nissan Maxima year—or years to avoid?

The official records cannot honestly name a best, worst or most reliable year. Complaint totals have no sales, mileage or age denominator. They can show where more reports were filed and which components were named, giving you years to investigate more closely before checking the exact car and its VIN.

What is the best year for the Nissan Maxima?

No official dataset can support one universal best year. Use the table to compare complaint patterns and EPA figures, then open the shortlisted years for recall campaigns and exact specifications.

Which Nissan Maxima years should you avoid?

The records cannot justify a blanket avoid label. Years with more reports are surfaced below as research priorities, not predictions about every car from that year.

01 · More reports to inspect2004

1,425 indexed complaint reports; power train is the most-reported component label.

Open the 2004 dossier →02 · More reports to inspect2005

948 indexed complaint reports; power train is the most-reported component label.

Open the 2005 dossier →03 · More reports to inspect2006

576 indexed complaint reports; power train is the most-reported component label.

Open the 2006 dossier →

Do not read this as an avoid list. Older and higher-selling model years usually accumulate more reports. A low count can also mean a newer, rarer or poorly matched vehicle—not a safer one.

Read this as evidence, not a ranking.

Complaint totals are counts of owner-submitted allegations, not confirmed defects, and they carry no denominator: they are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, how old they are, how far they are driven, or how much publicity a fault received. A high-volume or older year will usually show more reports than a rare or recent one. The site does not convert these into a reliability score, because the data needed to do that honestly is not in the public record.

Direct comparison

Compare two Nissan Maxima model years.

Choose any two years. The URL keeps the pair so you can return to the same comparison. Every figure below is an observed official record or EPA estimate—not a reliability score.

First model year

2022 Nissan Maxima

NHTSA complaint allegations: 5
Combined EPA economy: 24 mpg/MPGe
EPA configurations: 1
Annual EPA fuel-cost estimate: $3,150
Fuel labels: Premium Gasoline

Most-reported component labelsunknown or other 2engine 1exterior lighting 1

Open the 2022 evidence dossier →

Second model year

2023 Nissan Maxima

NHTSA complaint allegations: 1
Combined EPA economy: 24 mpg/MPGe
EPA configurations: 1
Annual EPA fuel-cost estimate: $3,150
Fuel labels: Premium Gasoline

Most-reported component labelselectrical system 1equipment 1

Open the 2023 evidence dossier →

Observed complaint-record difference

2023 has 4 fewer indexed complaint allegations than 2022.

This is not a rate or reliability finding. The counts have no sales, mileage, age or exposure denominator, and newer years have had less time to accumulate reports.

Side by side

Nissan Maxima by year.

Complaint bars are scaled against this model’s own highest year, so they compare years with each other and with nothing else.

Nissan Maxima model years with NHTSA complaint totals, most-reported components, EPA fuel economy and configuration counts
Year	Complaints	Most-reported components	Combined MPG	EPA configs	Annual fuel cost	Dossier
2023	1	electrical system 1equipment 1	24	1	$3,150	Dossier →
2022	5	unknown or other 2engine 1exterior lighting 1	24	1	$3,150	Dossier →
2021	3	electrical system 1engine and engine cooling 1structure 1	24	1	$3,150	Dossier →
2020	21	forward collision avoidance 6structure 4air bags 2	24	1	$3,150	Dossier →
2019	18	unknown or other 5engine 4power train 3	24	1	$3,150	Dossier →
2018	36	unknown or other 8forward collision avoidance 7service brakes 7	25	1	$3,050	Dossier →
2017	103	unknown or other 25air bags 19structure 17	25	1	$3,050	Dossier →
2016	142	power train 33electrical system 31unknown or other 27	25	1	$3,050	Dossier →
2014	95	air bags 24power train 21exterior lighting 19	22	1	$3,450	Dossier →
2013	62	power train 24air bags 16exterior lighting 9	22	1	$3,450	Dossier →
2012	107	air bags 27unknown or other 23electrical system 20	22	1	$3,450	Dossier →
2011	106	air bags 23power train 22unknown or other 14	22	1	$3,450	Dossier →
2010	275	steering 161electrical system 79suspension 29	22	1	$3,450	Dossier →
2009	339	steering 170electrical system 79air bags 45	22	1	$3,450	Dossier →
2008	78	air bags 23structure 21power train 8	21	1	$3,600	Dossier →
2007	129	structure 33air bags 18engine 18	21	1	$3,600	Dossier →
2006	576	power train 397engine 47service brakes, hydraulic 40	21	2	$2,950	Dossier →
2005	948	power train 782engine 61engine and engine cooling 40	21	2	$2,950	Dossier →
2004	1,425	power train 942tires 142suspension 104	21	3	$2,950	Dossier →
2003	206	engine and engine cooling 55engine 43air bags 35	20–21	2	$2,950–3,100	Dossier →
2002	205	air bags 30engine and engine cooling 30electrical system 25	20–21	2	$2,950–3,100	Dossier →
2001	172	air bags 32engine and engine cooling 29electrical system 28	20–22	2	$2,800–3,100	Dossier →
2000	360	electrical system 177engine and engine cooling 75service brakes, hydraulic 29	20–21	2	$2,950–3,100	Dossier →
1999	165	electrical system 87engine and engine cooling 41air bags 18	21	2	$2,950	Dossier →
1998	113	air bags 27electrical system 24service brakes, hydraulic 12	21	2	$2,950	Dossier →
1997	102	electrical system 41engine and engine cooling 12air bags 11	21	2	$3,600	Dossier →
1996	96	engine and engine cooling 18air bags 17power train 13	21	2	$3,600	Dossier →
1995	152	air bags 26engine and engine cooling 23electrical system 22	21	2	$3,600	Dossier →
1994	89	fuel system, gasoline 27engine and engine cooling 19visibility 18	19–20	3	$3,800–4,000	Dossier →
1993	78	air bags 13visibility 13engine and engine cooling 12	19–20	3	$3,800–4,000	Dossier →
1992	110	engine and engine cooling 23fuel system, gasoline 23visibility 17	19–20	3	$3,800–4,000	Dossier →
1991	76	seat belts 14fuel system, gasoline 12power train 11	19–20	2	$3,800–4,000	Dossier →
1990	106	fuel system, gasoline 39visibility 22power train 11	19–20	2	$3,800–4,000	Dossier →
1989	62	fuel system, gasoline 21power train 9seat belts 9	19–20	2	$3,800–4,000	Dossier →
1988	60	fuel system, gasoline 32engine and engine cooling 12seat belts 10	18–19	3	$3,250–3,400	Dossier →
1987	176	fuel system, gasoline 104electrical system 23engine and engine cooling 21	18–19	3	$3,250–3,400	Dossier →
1986	60	fuel system, gasoline 36electrical system 12engine and engine cooling 10	18–19	3	$3,250–3,400	Dossier →
1985	54	fuel system, gasoline 35engine and engine cooling 13electrical system 7	17–19	4	$3,250–3,600	Dossier →
1984	30	fuel system, gasoline 29engine and engine cooling 3electrical system 2	20–21	6	$2,950–3,100	Dossier →

Evidence snapshot generated August 25, 2026. “Not indexed” means NHTSA holds no complaint record matching this exact year, make and model — not that no fault occurred. Recall campaigns are not summarised here: NHTSA publishes no bulk recall dataset, and fetching them per year would take longer than the page should. Each year’s dossier shows its recalls in full, live from NHTSA.