326 complaints reported

2006 Nissan Maxima Power Train

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
326
Crashes
4
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Sep 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER FAILED. WHILE ATTEMTPING TO SHIFT GEARS, THE SHIFTER LOCKED. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE WATER PUMP LEAKED WATER INTO THE TRANSMISSION AND CAUSED THE GEAR SHIFTER TO FAIL. THE TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2010
Sep 2016

TRANSMISSION WENT AT 121000 MILES NOW A YEAR LATER SLIPPING AGAIN

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Mar 2015
Aug 2016

ONCE THE TRANSMISSION GETS WARM IT'S VERY DANGEROUS. BAD STALLING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE AND ONCE YOU SLOW TO ROUND A CURVE AND GO TO ACCELERATE AGAIN. IT SLAMS REALLY HARD SHIFTING. CAUSES A BAD JERK. IF YOU ARE DRIVING IN RAIN, LET OUT OF THE GAS TO START I TO A SMALL CURVE, THEN WHEN YOU GIVE IT HAS AGAIN. IF YOU ARE NOT CAREFUL YOU WILL HAVE A HIGH RMP WHEN IT FINALLY SHIFTS BACK INTO DRIVE IT WILL CAUSE YOU TO SPIN. POSSIBLY COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Aug 2016
Jul 2016

HI ALL, I WENT TO SMOKY MOUNTAINS FOR MEMORIAL DAY LONG WEEKEND END AND I WAS ON THE 11 MILES DRAGON TAIL ROAD. MY 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA HAD BEEN ACTING WEIRD BY JUMPING WHEN THE GEAR IS SHIFTING AUTOMATICALLY BUT I DIDN'T TAKE IT HARD BECAUSE MY MECHANIC SAID IT IS NOT A TRANSMISSION ISSUE AND I TRUSTED HIM, BUT THAT DAY WAS A SCARY DAY WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE WAS JUMPING AUTOMATICALLY MORE THAN USUAL. I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD FALL FROM THE MOUNTAIN AND LUCKILY MY FRIEND ASKED ME TO TAKE A U TURN AFTER HALF THE ROAD. EVERYBODY IN THE CAR WERE SO SCARED AND PARANOID AFTER THE CAR ACTED IN SUCH WAY. WE KEPT OUR LIVES IN OUR HANDS AND LEFT HOPE ON GOD TO SAVE US TILL WE GET DOWN THE ROAD. THE WAY MY CAR ACTED ON THE DRAGON TAIL ROAD IN THE MOUNTAINS FREAKED US ALL. WE INITIALLY THOUGHT THIS MIGHT BE DUE TO BAD GAS WITH ADDITIVES MAY BE WHICH FILLED NEAR SMOKY MOUNTAINS, BUT GOT CONFIRMED TODAY AFTER READING MULTIPLE ISSUES AND COMPLAINTS IN REFERENCE TO THE SAME PROBLEM VIA MANY SOURCES ON 2004-2006 NISSAN MAXIMA AND OTHER VEHICLES. WHY IS THE NORTH AMERICAN GOVERNMENT WHO ENSURES THE SAFETY ABOUT THESE VEHICLES NOT EVEN TAKING ANY ACTION IN REFERENCE TO THE SAME. I SAW THAT MANY PEOPLE COMPLAINED ON THIS ISSUE AND NO ONE GOT ANY LUCK ON THE SOLUTION. ALSO, WE ARE NOT ASKING TO GIVE US A NEW CAR. ALL THAT WE ARE ASKING IS JUSTICE FOR OUR HARD EARNED MONEY WHICH WE SPENT ON THIS JUNK NISSAN CARS. I THINK NISSAN HOLDS A JUNK YARD AND MAKES ALL THEIR TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE JUNK YARD PARTS. ALSO, THIS MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE AND PENALIZED TO THE MAXIMUM SO THAT NO OTHER PERSONAL CAN HAVE A BAD EXPERIENCE AS ME. IMAGINE IF I HAD HIT SOMEBODY OR I MYSELF FELL FROM THE MOUNTAIN DUE TO THE NISSAN'S MISTAKE IN MANUFACTURING THESE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSIONS. GOD, PLEASE PUNISH THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE PLAYING WITH OUR LIVES AS NO ONE ELSE IS HEARING OR HELPING US.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: May 2016
Jun 2016

TRANSMISSION HARD SHIFT.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Dec 2016
Jun 2016

HARD SHIFTING WHEN ENGINE IS AT OPERATING TEMPERATURE WHEN SHIFTING FROM REVERSE OR NEUTRAL TO DRIVE. SAW MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THE EXACT SAME NATURE THROUGH NISSAN FORUMS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2016
Jun 2016

HARD SHIFT TRANSMISSION STARTING AT APPROXIMATELY 130K MILES. HAPPENS DURING GEARING DOWN. TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE GEARING UP AFTER A SLOW DOWN. ISSUE CONTINUES TO GET WORSE AFTER TRANSMISSION OIL CHANGED.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Oct 2015
May 2016

MY SON BOUGHT A NISSAN MAXIMA IN SEPT, 2015. THE TRANSMISSION STARTED JERKING AND SOMETIMES FALLING OUT OF GEAR, IN NOVEMBER. I HAD SOMEONE CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID SEVERAL TIMES, AT ONCE, BECAUSE THAT HAD BEEN REPORTED TO POSSIBLE HELP. IT LESSENED THE PROBLEM BUT DID NOT GET RID OF IT. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN MUCH SINCE JAN, 2016, AS MY SON HAS GONE INTO THE ARMY. BUT THE PROBLEM IS STILL HAPPENING, AND THE 6300 DOLLAR CAR WE BOUGHT IN SEPT 2015, CARFAX OFFERED US 1500 FOR IT. THE PROBLEM HAPPENS ANYWHERE, AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES OF DRIVING. IT IS NOT CONSTANT, BUT HAPPENS ABOUT 80% OF THE TIME.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2015
May 2016

TRANSMISSION SLIPS AND JERKS

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: May 2016
May 2016

TRANSMISSION,HESITATION BETWEEN GEARS, ROUGH SHIFTING, SUDDEN STOPS OR DIMINISHED ACCELERATION, IN CITY DRIVING AFTER 1/2 HR OF DRIVING.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Sep 2016
May 2016

"TRANSMISSION RECALL" MY NISSAN MAXIMA HAS 146,000 AND HAS NEVER BEEN HOT RODDED. I HAVE ONLY DROVE IT AROUND TOWN AND TO AND FROM WORK. RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING THE TRANSMISSION JUST GAVE OUT WHILE DRIVING. I WAS NOTICING SOME WEIRD SHIFTING PROBLEMS BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR. I NEVER REALLY NOTICED THAT BAD BUT IT WAS THERE. SO WHEN I WAS DRIVING THE TRANSMISSION GAVE OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. I COUDNT GO ANYWHERE AND CARS WHERE HAVING TO GO AROUND ME. I HAD TO GET MY CAR TOWED TO MY HOUSE BECAUSE I WASN'T GOING TO PAY FOR THIS. I STARTED REASCHERING AND FOUND THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE COMPLAINING. THIS IS AN EVIDENT PROBLEM THAT NEEDS FIXED.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Apr 2016
May 2016

TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 131,000 MILES. WAS AT THE SCHOOL TO PICK UP MY FOUR CHILDREN AND TRANSMISSION STARTED GRINDING AND ENDED UP HAVING IT TOWED. I AM A FULL TIME STUDENT, HAVE A FULL TIME JOB, SINGLE MOM OF FOUR CHILDREN STRANDED WITHOUT A VEHICLE. THIS WAS THE THIRD NISSAN I HAVE BOUGHT BECAUSE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE VERY RELIABLE VEHICLES. I CALLED NISSAN BECAUSE THERE HAD BEEN RECALLS ON THE SAME YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL BUT WAS TOLD IT DID NOT COVER MY SPECIFIC CAR BUT I HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS AS ALL THE OTHER INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THE RECALL.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2016
Apr 2016

TRANSMISSION DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. HARSH UPSHIFTS OR DOWNSHIFTS DURING MODERATE ACCELERATION OR SLOWING DOWN.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Sep 2016
Apr 2016

TRANSMISSION SLIPS, MAINLY BETWEEN 1ST/2ND GEARS AND ALSO IN REVERSE. THE RPMS REV UP HIGH AND CAR JERKS FORWARD VIOLENTLY. ONE TIME I PARKED THE VEHICLE AND AFTER I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS, IT REVED UP AND DROVE ONTO THE CURB. DRIVING ON HIGHWAYS IS FINE BUT CITY DRIVING US A NIGHTMARE. IT'S EVEN SHUT OFF AT STOP LIGHTS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Dec 2016
Mar 2016

ONCE THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR 30 MINUTES OR MORE, AFTER A STOP FOR A RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN THE TRANSMISSION WILL "JUMP" AS IT SHIFTS TO THE NEXT HIGHER GEAR USUALLY WHEN JUST AT. 20 -30 MILES AN HOUR. MY CAR HAS MILEAGE OF 106,000 AND HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR APPROX. 6 MONTHS OFF & ON. ITS SELDOM THAT I DRIVE IT ANY SIGNIFICANT DISTANCE & THAT'S WHEN IT IS NOTICED.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2015
Jan 2016

DRIVE TRAIN IS SLIPPING AND MAKING A LOUD BANGING NOISE WHEN STARTING TO MOVE IN LOW GEAR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2015
Jan 2016

THE TRANSMISSION IS ACTING UP AS WITH ALL OTHER MAXIMAS. IT'S JERKING AND SLIPPING ON THE STREET.IT'S REALLY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. CALLED UP THE DEALER AND NEW TRANSMISSION WOULD COST $3000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Sep 2016
Jan 2016

I JUST RECENTLY PURCHASED A USED 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA SL 5SPD AUTOMATIC FOR MY WIFE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION WITH 144,000 MILES. IT HAD BEEN KEPT UP WITH A GOOD CAR FAX. WHEN I TEST DROVE IT I MADE SURE TO PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE TRANSMISSION & HOW IT SHIFTED FROM 1ST TO 2ND & DOWNSHIFT FROM THOSE GEARS SINCE I HEARD NOTHING BUT BAD STORIES ABOUT THESE CARS FROM 2004-06' IT SHIFTED SMOOTHLY. SEEMED TO HAVE NO ISSUES OF WHAT I'VE READ IN REVIEWS. I THOUGHT GREAT! THIS IS THE CAR MY WIFE LIKES A LOT & HOW IT DRIVE! WE TAKE IT HOME.. REGISTERED & INSURED THEN A FEW DAYS LATER IT STARTS! MY WIFE SAYS IT SHIFTED/DOWNSHIFTED HARD A FEW TIMES ON HERE WAY TO WORK WHICH IS ONLY 8MILES AWAY ON BACK ROADS. WE BOUGHT IT FROM A PRIVATE SELLER SO I DON'T KNOW IF LEMON LAW APPLIES? I CAME ACROSS A SITE THAT HAD SIMALAR COMPLAINTS & THAT NISSAN HASN'T ADDRESSED THE ISSUE NOR SENT OUT ANY RECALLS. SO THAT LED ME TO HERE, AFTER READING A COMPLAINT SOMEONE SAID TO REGISTER MY ISSUE WITH NHTSA. SO I HOPE OUR VOICES WILL BE HEARD. BECAUSE OVERALL IT'S A GREAT CAR! BUT IF NISSAN MADE A MISTAKE? OWE UP TO IT! AND PLEASE FIX IT! DON'T TRY & PULL THE WOOL OVER EVERYONE'S EYES! WELL THANKS FOR LISTENING. I HOPE THEY RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Feb 2016
Dec 2015

THE CAR'S TRANSMISSION SLIPPED, THE RPM''S WENT UP AND THEN THE CAR SLAMMED INTO GEAR.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2015
Nov 2015

I'VE BEEN THE ONLY OWNER OF MY CAR WHICH I BOUGHT BRAND NEW. I'VE ALWAYS GONE THE EXTRA MILE TO TAKE EXTREMELY GOOD CARE OF MY CAR AND HAVE NEVER MISSED ANY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. HOWEVER, NONE OF THIS MATTERED MUCH WHEN MY CAR STARTED JERKING VERY VIOLENTLY AROUND 90K MILES. IT HAPPENED WHEN SHIFTING FROM PART TO DRIVE OR REVERSE AND EVEN WHILE DRIVING, WHEN SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD. I TOOK THE CAR TO MANY DIFFERENT TRANSMISSION SHOPS AND EVENTUALLY IT TURNED OUT THAT IT HAD A BAD TRANSMISSION. I SPENT THOUSANDS IN GETTING THIS FIXED. I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT NISSAN IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE WITH THIS CARS BUT REFUSES TO TAKE ACTION, INSTEAD THEY WANT TO CHARGE THE CUSTOMER THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. THEY ARE SO AWARE OF THIS ISSUE THAT THEY EVEN HAVE CREATED AN UPDATED TRANSMISSION FOR THIS CAR WHICH IS THE ONE THAT THEY WILL PUT IN IF YOU GO TO THEM WITH THIS ISSUE. IT'S SAD TO SEE THAT NO ONE IS DOING ANYTHING TO GET NISSAN TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND RECALL THIS FAULTY VEHICLES DESPITE THE RIDICULOUSLY HIGH NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS. IT APPEARS AS THOUGH PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE FIRST BEFORE ANYONE TAKES NOTICE. YOU CAN READ ALL ABOUT THIS WELL KNOW ISSUE IN THIS FORUM LINK: HTTP://MAXIMA.ORG/FORUMS/6TH-GENERATION-MAXIMA-2004-2008/597683-RE5F22A-TRANSMISSION-FIX-38.HTML TO NISSAN: YOU THINK THAT YOU ARE SAVING MONEY BY NOT RECALLING THESE BAD TRANSMISSIONS AND INDEED YOU ARE, BUT ONLY IN THE SHORT TERM. LONG TERM THOUGH YOU WILL LOOSE GREATLY BECAUSE THOSE THAT USED TO CALL THEMSELVES LOYAL CUSTOMERS SUCH AS MYSELF WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER VEHICLE FROM YOU EVER AGAIN. NOT ONLY THAT BUT I WILL TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO TELL EVERYONE I CAN NOT TO BUY FROM YOU. YOUR ORGANIZATION IS CUNNING AND DECEITFUL AND ONLY CARES ABOUT THE BOTTOM LINE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2015
Nov 2015

I HAD MY VALVE BODY REPLACED DUE TO HARD SHIFTING AND A DELAY IN TRANSMISSION ENGAGEMENT WHEN SHIFTING FROM PARK TO DRIVE. VEHICLE IS START TO EXHIBIT SAME SYMPTOMS AND I WAS INFORMED THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $2,500 VEHICLE HAD 148,000 MILES ON IT. NISSAN SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS INFERIOR QUALITY AND WORKMANSHIP. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Aug 2014
Oct 2015

TRANSMISSION SLIPS AND JERKS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2015
Oct 2015

THERE ARE SERIOUS JERKS WHILE DRIVING ON A BUSY ROAD WHEN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SWITCHES GEARS. HAPPENS WORST ON 2ND GEAR AND 3RD AND EVENTUALLY REDUCES. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND STARTING HAPPENING ONLY AFTER DEALER SERVICES THE TRANSMISSION AT 60K MILES. THE CAR IS NOW ON 70K AND WENT TO DEALER ONCE AGAIN.. AFTER SPENDING ANTHER $400, I SEE NO RESULT. VEHICLE IS STILL MOVING BUT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS ISSUES ANYTIME. REPLACING TRANSMISSIONS IS PROBABLY ANOTHER $3500. IT MAKES NO SENSE UNTIL NISSAN COMES FORWARD TO HANDLE THIS. THE CAR HAS BARELY REACHED 70K.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2015
Sep 2015

CAR FAILED TO ACCELERATE PAST 20 MPH. TRANSMISSION KEPT SLIPPING (JERKS FELT, AND DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHT KEPT SHOWING UP.) CAR WAS ON HIGHWAY AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT. TRIED PULLING OFF HIGHWAY, AT THE FIRST AVAILABLE EXIT, AND CAR STALLED GOING UP THE RAMP, AND ONCE AGAIN WHEN AT THE STOP SIGN, AND ON THE ROAD. CAR BARELY MADE IT BACK TO A SAFE PLACE OFF THE ROAD.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Sep 2015
Sep 2015

IN A BUSY SHOPPING MALL PARKING LOT VEHICLE HESITATED AND JERKED WHEN BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE. HAD TO PUSH ACCELERATOR DOWN MUCH HARDER THAN USUAL TO GET THE CAR TO BACK UP CREATING AN UNSAFE CONDITION FOR ANY PEOPLE OR VEHICLES THAT MAY HAVE BEEN BEHIND THE VEHICLE, SAME CONDITION ALSO OCCURS AT TIMES WHEN GOING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE (HESITATION AND JERKING).

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2015

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2006 Nissan Maxima has 326 Power Train complaints on file. 4 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.