7 complaints reported

2012 Nissan Maxima Steering

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

Reports
7
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Sep 2019

I PICKED MY CAR UP FROM THE DEALERSHIP AFTER GETTING A STATE INSPECTION, OIL CHANGE AND TIRE ROTATION. THEY SAID THEY TOPPED OFF ALL THE FLUIDS. AS I BACKED OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE AND PULLED FORWARD I NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TIGHT. I TRIED ADJUSTING IT A FEW TIMES, BUT AS I APPROACHED THE LIGHT AND TRIED TO TURN RIGHT I HAD TO GO OUT WIDE BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TIGHT. I WAS AFRAID AT THE NEXT TWO LIGHTS. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TIGHT, AND AFTER STRUGGLING I MANAGED TO TURN AND GET THE CAR TO MY HUSBAND TO LOOK AT. HE TEST DRIVE IT AND SAID IT WAS NO POWER STEERING. WE TOLD THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND OF COURSE IT IS NOTHING THEY DID, THE POWER STEERING PUMP JUST WENT OUT. I THANK GOD I WAS NOT DRIVING FAST OR ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN IT WENT OUT, BECAUSE I READ ABOUT SOME CRASHING. IT STILL WAS A SCARY EXPERIENCE. MY CAR ONLY HAS 79,882 MILES ON IT. WHY WOULD THE POWER STEERING GO OUT AT THIS MILEAGE. NOW THE DEALERSHIP WANTS $1,000. THIS SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURE IT A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE CORRECTED AND PAID FOR BY THEM.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jul 2019
Jan 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH AND MERGING INTO TRAFFIC, THE POWER STEERING FAILED TO OPERATE AS INTENDED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. A LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED; HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Dec 2018
Feb 2014

AS I WAS EXITING THE FREEWAY GOING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN ONTO AN OVERPASS, THE STEERING BECAME VERY HARD TO TURN ALMOST CAUSING ME TO GO STRAIGHT AHEAD HITTING THE WALL OF THE OVERPASS. AS I CAME TO THE NEXT STOPLIGHT A FEW FEET AHEAD TO PULL OVER INTO THE GAS STATION I COULD BARELY TURN THE CORNER. FIGHTING WITH THE STEERING I MANAGE TO PULL THE CAR OVER AND CONTACTED MY DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR. THEY SENT A TOW TRUCK TO PICK UP THE CAR ON 1/30/2014 AND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A FAILED POWER STEERING PUMP. IT IS NOW 2/18/2014 AND NOT ONLY DID I NOT GET MY CAR BACK FROM REPAIR, THEIR IS NOT EVEN AN ETA ON WHEN THE PART THAT IS NEEDED IS GOING TO BE IN STOCK. DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT INFORMED ME THAT IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS GOING TO TAKE APPROX A MONTH TO GET THE PART IN STOCK. I FIND THIS VERY UNACCEPTABLE. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2014
Feb 2014

TOTAL AND ABRUPT FAILURE AND LOSS OF STEERING WHILE DRIVING. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2014
Feb 2014

ON 2/6/2014, WHEN EXITING HIGHWAY, I LOSS POWER STEERING. DROPPED CAR OFF AT DEALER ON 2/7/14 AND WAS TOLD THAT POWER STEERING PUMP HAS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT FAILED. CONTACTED DEALER FOR AN UPDATE ON 2/12/14 AND WAS TOLD PART WAS ON BACKORDER WITH NO ETA AVAILABLE. AS OF 2/16/2014, NOT SURE WHEN MY CAR WILL BE FIXED. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jun 2014
Jan 2014

I WAS DRIVING ON RT41 NEAR CHICAGO IN THE MIDDLE LANE AT 65MPH AND TRIED TO CHANGE THE LANE TO GET INTO LEFT LANE FROM MIDDLE LANE, RIGHT THEN WHEN I TURNED THE STEERING SLIGHT LEFT TO CHANGE LANE, IT FELT LIKE THE STEERING OF MY CAR GOT LOCKED. MY CAR WAS INCHES AWAY FROM COLLIDING INTO CONCRETE BARRICADE, I HAD TO WRESTLE WITH THE STEERING TO AVOID THAT CRASH AND PULLED THE CAR ON THE SHOULDER. I MIGHT HAVE GOT KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS. THIS IS REALLY A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE. DEALERSHIP INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED. MY CAR IS AT DEALERSHIP SINCE THEN AND TODAY IS 2/1/14, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE PUMP IS ON BACK ORDER UNTIL FIRST WEEK OF MARCH, SO MY CAR WILL SIT AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR ALMOST TWO MONTHS. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2014
Jul 2012

TODAY I FOUND MY NISSAN MAXIMA 2009 MAKING A REPETITIVE GRINDING SOUND. UPON INVESTIGATION I DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS THE MOTOR FOR THE ADJUSTABLE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN. IT IS CURRENTLY STUCK IN THE HIGHEST POSITION AND IT IS EXTREMELY CLUMSY TO DRIVE AND BLOCKS VISION TO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. IN RESEARCHING THE REPAIR I DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY COMMON EVENT AND FEEL A RECALL IS IN ORDER. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE FREQUENT NATURE OF THIS REPAIR. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 NISSAN MAXIMA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jul 2012

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2012 Nissan Maxima has 7 Steering complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.