AI Damage2016 Nissan Maxima: common problems
Owners of the 2016 Nissan Maxima filed 142 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and electrical system. The maker issued 178 service bulletins for this year. We found 2 repair videos on YouTube. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 142
- involving a crash
- 10
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 178
- YouTube repair videos
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 23% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 22% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 15% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 13% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 10% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 10% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 6% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 6% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 33 complaints (23% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 32.
- Electrical system: 31 complaints (22% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 61.
- Service brakes: 21 complaints (15% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 4.
- Engine: 18 complaints (13% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 8.
- Air bags: 14 complaints (10% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 8.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- CVTnamed in 18 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 142 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 33 | 0 | 32 |
| Electrical system | 31 | 3 | 61 |
| Service brakes | 21 | 4 | 4 |
| Engine | 18 | 2 | 8 |
| Air bags | 14 | 5 | 8 |
| Vehicle speed control | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 9 | 0 | 2 |
| Structure | 8 | 1 | 10 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 7 | 0 | 2 |
| Visibility | 6 | 0 | 11 |
| Wheels | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| Electronic stability control | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 4 | 0 | 8 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
driving the vehicle gives no indication it power off car will not start up when you try half an hour later it may start may not start driving it shut off again power shortage code may not come up when it happens it don’t give any warning when you driving on the highway regular roads it just gives no warning sign it…
The police and fire department were called to the scene and rescued the driver from the vehicle by breaking the window. The contact indicated that approximately 40 minutes after the crash the doors were able to be opened from the outside. No injuries were reported and no medical treatment was required.
As a result, the front driver side wheel was bent inward and the air bag failed to deploy. The driver sustained shoulder and back injuries that required medical attention. The front passenger sustained shoulder, back, and knee injuries. The rear passenger sustained head injuries that required medical attention.
My power steering in my vehicle also goes in and out and no leak has been found.
The failure occurred without warning and the air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. There was one injury that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence; however, it had not yet been determined whether it was destroyed. The contact suffered minor bruising and back pain.
The air bag did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to the neck, head, and lower back that required medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed. The vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v733000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The manufacturer was notified of the failure.
The vehicle was shaking abnormally while driving, with an unknown warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle was shaking abnormally while the brake pedal was depressed. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to Auto Zone, where it was determined that the failure was a CVT failure.
There was a thermal combustion that caused a fire. Yes, the caught combusted at a local business. I had just entered the building and was told that my car was on fire. The police and Nissan inspected the car but refused to provide the inspection report. A light came on. I do not know the exact date that it appeared.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 446 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 21% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Maxima has 42 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 142, above average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other…
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label =…
- CAMPAIGN BULLETIN CVT Warranty Extension In an effort to assure customer satisfaction, demonstrate our…
CAMPAIGN BULLETIN CVT Warranty Extension In an effort to assure customer satisfaction, demonstrate our confidence in continuously variable transmissions (CVTs), and to address customer concerns including those…
- AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING WARNING LIGHT BLINKING APPLIED SYSTEMS
Vehicles equipped with a lane camera (see Figure 1) SERVICE INFORMATION If the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) warning light or is blinking (but not illuminated steadily) or the customer states it is blinking, and…
- INTELLIGENT CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE AND AEB/FEB WARNING LIGHT ON OR RADAR OBSTRUCTION MESSAGE DISPLAYED…
INTELLIGENT CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE AND AEB/FEB WARNING LIGHT ON OR RADAR OBSTRUCTION MESSAGE DISPLAYED WITH DTC C1A16 OR C2582 IF YOU CONFIRM IMPORTANT: The purpose of ACTION (on the next page) is to give you a…
- DTC B00A0-00 STORED This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. IF YOU CONFIRM DTC B00A0-00 (OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR UNIT) is stored, AND OCS zero point reset cannot be performed…
- DTC C1A17-49 OR C2580-49 STORED IN LASER/RADAR This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- CAN COMMUNICATION – NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- CAN COMMUNICATION CODES – DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING WARNING LIGHT BLINKING This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- DTC P17F0 OR P17F1 STORED IN THE TCM This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Discard all previous versions of this bulletin.
- WINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NHTSA lists 178 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Nissan Maxima?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, electrical system, service brakes. Total complaints: 142. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (13%), warning lights, check engine (12%), windows, sunroof (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2016 Nissan Maxima?
NHTSA lists 178 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2016 Nissan Maxima from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2016 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.