2005 NISSAN MAXIMA Complaints

I OWN A 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA SE WITH APPROXIMATELY 70K MILES. I BEGAN NOTICING THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING OVER THE SUMMER MONTHS. IN THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER, THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO BE STUCK IN 4TH GEAR. I TOOK THE CAR TO A SHOP THAT SPECIALIZED IN TRANSMISSION, THEY REPLACED 2 ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IN THE TRANSMISSION WHICH REPAIRED THE IMMEDIATE PROBLEM AND MADE THE CAR DRIVABLE, HOWEVER THE TRANSMISSIONS FOR THE 2004-2005 NISSAN MAXIMA APPEAR TO BE KNOWN FOR EARLY TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. I ALSO OWN A 1998 NISSAN ALTIMA AND HAVE NEVER HAD PROBLEMS. THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT FUNCTION LIKE YOU WOULD EXPECT A 70K NISSAN TRANSMISSION TO PERFORM - IT SLIPS, HESITATES AND STUTTERS. THERE IS AN OBVIOUS MANUFACTURER DEFECT HERE. AS I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK TODAY, THE CAR WAS ONCE AGAIN ACTING UP AND I WILL, UNFORTUNATELY, ONCE AGAIN, BE TAKING IT TO THE SHOP. WHEN RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM ONLINE, THERE ARE HUNDRED OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IN THIS YEAR/MODEL .... PLEASE HELP. *TR

VERY HARD JERKY SHIFTS BETWEEN 1ST TO 2ND AND 2ND TO 1ST AND ACCOMPANIED BY LOUD CLUNKING NOISE. TRANSMISSION SLIPS OUT OF GEAR DURING REGULAR DRIVING ALLOWING THE ENGINE TO REV FREELY THEN JERKING BACK INTO GEAR WITH A LOUD CLUNK. THE IS FOLLOWED BY A BURNT OIL / ELECTRICAL TYPE SMELL THAT GETS INSIDE THE CAR AND EVIDENT OUTSIDE AFTER STOPPING. SOMETIMES I GO FOR DAYS WITH NO SYMPTOMS AT ALL AND OTHER TIMES IT MAY HAPPEN A DOZEN TIMES IN A DAY. I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER AND NONE OF THE PROBLEMS SHOWED UP FOR THEM BUT THEY NOTED THAT THE ENGINE MOUNTS WERE BROKEN BUT THAT WOULD NOT CAUSE THESE SYMPTOMS. THEY SUGGESTED A NEW TRANSMISSION AND MOTOR MOUNTS FOR $4,000. I DRIVE MAINLY ON THE FREEWAYS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND HAVE MAINTAINED AND BABIED THIS CAR SINCE IT WAS NEW. THIS IS MY FIRST NISSAN AND I HAVE LOVED THIS CAR UNTIL THESE SYMPTOMS. PLEASE SUGGEST WHAT COURSE OF ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN TO CORRECT THIS AND RESTORE MY FAITH IN NISSAN. *TR

I AM HAVING VERY BAD TRANSMISSION ISSUES. WHEN I TAKE OFF IT JERKS REAL BAD IN THE LOWER GEARS AND THEN WHEN I AM SLOWING DOWN ABOUT TO COME TO A STOP IT ALSO KICKS AND JERKS REAL BAD WHEN IT GEARS DOWN IN THE LOWER GEARS. AND SOMETIMES IT JUST WONT GO AT ALL..AND THEN WHEN I SIT THERE A MIN AND PUT MY CAR FROM PARK TO DRIVE IT HESITATES FOR AFEW SECS AND THEN JUMPS REAL BAD AND THEN GOES INTO DRIVE.IT USUALLY DOES ALL THIS WHEN THE CAR IS WARMED UP. *TR

STOPPED AT A LOCAL SHOP, GOT OUT OF CAR TO MAIL A LETTER, CAR STILL RUNNING, KEY IN THE IGNITION AND THE DOORS LOCKED ON THE CAR WHILE IT WAS RUNNING AND NO ONE IN THE DRIVERS SEAT. LUCKILY I DID NOT HAVE MY CHILD IN THE CAR SEAT, IT WAS HOT AND IT TOOK ME HAVING TO GET SOMEONE TO GO TO MY HOME AND RETRIEVE A SPARE KEY TO OPEN THE DOOR. TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP AND BECAUSE IT WAS 10 MILES OVER THE WARRANTY, THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR IT. I FILED A COMPLAINT EARLIER, BUT NEVER HEARD A RESPONSE. THIS ALSO HAPPENED TO MY 2005 ALTIMA. THE DOORS ARE NOT SUPPOSE TO LOCK IF CAR IS RUNNING. THIS IS A HAZARD AND A DEFECT. *TR

VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT INTO DRIVE UNLESS THE TRANSMISSION LOCK IS ENGAGED (STARTED @ 50K MILES). ABRUPT DOWNSHIFTS AT ABOUT 20 MPH (STARTED @ 70K MILES). NOW THE TRANSMISSION IS STUCK IN 5TH AND WILL NOT DOWNSHIFT (STARTED AT 75K MILES). VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND I'M TOLD IT WILL COST AT LEAST $3000 TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION. THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE FOR A VEHICLE WITH ONLY 75K MILES. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER NISSAN PRODUCT AGAIN. *TR

I HAD BOUGHT A 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA WITHIN A MONTH IT STARTED JERKING REALLY BAD BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND SHIFT. GETTING OFF THE FREEWAY AND COMING TO A STOP IT STARTED JERKING REALLY BAD IT SEEMED LIKE I HAD BEEN HIT FROM MY BACK BUMPER, BUT IT JUST THE SHIFT GEAR PROBLEM. IT WAS REALLY SCARY ESPECIALLY HAVING MY TWO YEAR OLD SON IN THE CAR. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE MECHANIC MULTIPLE TIMES BUT THEY DIDN'T SEEM TO KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS SO I LOOKED IT UP ONLINE AND THERE WERE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM I WAS HAVING. MY MAXIMA NOW HAS 75000 MILES AND DOES NOT FALL UNDER WARRANTY I AM AFRAID THAT THEY ARE GOING TO CHARGE ME $3000 FOR A PROBLEM THAT ALOT OF NISSANS SEEM TO HAVE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER VEHICLE BEGAN TO LUNGE FORWARD WHILE IN FIRST OR SECOND GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS FLUSHED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE DEALER RECOMMENDED THE TRANSMISSION BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT. ONE MONTH LATER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

WHEN WILL WE GET A RECALL FOR THE 2004 - 2005 MAXIMA TRANSMISSIONS? THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A KNOWN AND WIDE SPREAD ISSUE. I'VE FOUND AND READ MANY MANY REPORTS ON THESE TRANSMISSIONS SLIPPING IN AND OUT OF GEAR, HARD SHIFTING (UP AND DOWN), HESITATING AND HARD JERK WHEN PLACED IN DRIVE, AND BREAKING MOTOR MOUNTS. MINE STARTED THIS JUST UNDER 100,000 MILES. MOST CASES I'VE READ REPORTED THIS STARTING AROUND 60,000 MILES. SOME HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH THAT NISSAN REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION, I HOPE I'M AS LUCKY. TRANSMISSIONS SHOULD BE DEPENDABLE AND PERFORM WELL BEYOND 100,000 MILES, MUCH LESS 60,000 MILES. I'VE HAD FAITH IN NISSAN AND WAS REALLY IMPRESSED WITH NISSAN VEHICLES UNTIL I DISCOVERED THIS EPIDEMIC ISSUE. HOW MANY DOES IT TAKE TO WARRANT AND ISSUE A RECALL? TO PROTECT NISSAN'S REPUTATION AND MAINTAIN IT'S CUSTOMER BASE, I HOPE THEY SUPPORT THEIR CUSTOMERS IN CORRECTING THIS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT GEARS THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE VIOLENTLY. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE WHILE GOING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSE THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE AND REFERRED HER TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 109,695. UPDATED 12/5/12 *CN UPDATED 12/12/2012 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO JERK ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 112,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.