AI Damage2017 Nissan Maxima: common problems
Owners of the 2017 Nissan Maxima filed 106 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and structure. The maker issued 153 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 106
- involving a crash
- 8
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 153
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 17% of all complaints
- 2 Structure 16% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 10% of all complaints
- 5 Forward collision avoidance 9% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 9% of all complaints
- 7 Engine 8% of all complaints
- 8 Suspension 7% of all complaints
- Air bags: 18 complaints (17% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 4.
- Structure: 17 complaints (16% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 11.
- Electrical system: 11 complaints (10% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 51.
- Powertrain: 11 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 26.
- Forward collision avoidance: 10 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 9.
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 7 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 106 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 18 | 3 | 4 |
| Structure | 17 | 1 | 11 |
| Electrical system | 11 | 0 | 51 |
| Powertrain | 11 | 1 | 26 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 10 | 1 | 9 |
| Service brakes | 10 | 3 | 4 |
| Engine | 8 | 1 | 6 |
| Suspension | 7 | 0 | 8 |
| Wheels | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| Visibility | 4 | 0 | 11 |
| Steering | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Seat belts | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 3 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Assessment: The driver reported that the vehicle did not provide any alert prior to the collision. The exact cause of the lack of alert is unknown at this time. Possible contributing factors may include system malfunction, sensor obstruction, or limitations in the vehicle’s alert technology.
My son was driving my car to work and this is his account of the incident On 1/17/2026 on I95 n, the steering wheel abruptly stopped controlling the wheels. It was as if it completely disconnected and he lost control and crashed into the median. It was a terrifying incident for my son. No other cars were involved.
A vehicle pulled out into oncoming traffic and was struck my vehicle. My vehicle sustained front-end damage that totalled my car out. My airbags failed to deploy.
The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The dealer and manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 26,000. The vehicle was determined to be a total loss.
On 11/13/2017 I used the automatic starter to start my car from inside the house and my car rolled back into my neighbor's suv while still in park. When I went outside after hearing the sound of my car hitting the truck I got into my car and had to put it in drive to move the car back into my park.
The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the face and neck that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 3,000.
Once I get to the red light at the exit, the engine light stops flashing and the car begins to shake profusely...... When the light turns green, I get on the accelerator and the shaking gets harder and the engine light begins to flash again.
Car was parked outside husbands work since 7 at 12:15 pm he was advised by a co worker that my car was on fire ! When I ran outside my his workers where trying to put out the fire with the fire extinguishers from the work warehouse ! The fire department ended up finish putting out the fire !
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 555 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 26% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Maxima has 42 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 106, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
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.
- INTELLIGENT KEY INITIALIZATION PROCEDURE STOPS OR WILL NOT CONTINUE This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Discard all 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.
NHTSA lists 153 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2017 Nissan Maxima?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, structure, electrical system. Total complaints: 106. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (16%), windows, sunroof (10%), airbag warning light (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2017 Nissan Maxima?
NHTSA lists 153 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 2017 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 2017 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.