2005 NISSAN MAXIMA Complaints

FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE SAME TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS THAT JUST ABOUT EVERY OTHER 2004-2005 NISSAN MAXIMA OWNER HAS EXPERIENCED. MINE IS A MAXIMA SE WITH 5 SPEED AUTO (WITH MANUAL SHIFT MODE). ONCE THE CAR WARMS UP, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS VERY HARD AND ROUGH FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR. IT ALSO DOWNSHIFTS HARD FROM 3RD TO 2ND GEAR. AT THIS POINT, IF I PUT THE CAR IN PARK OR REVERSE, AND THEN BACK INTO DRIVE, THERE'S ABOUT A 3-5 SECOND DELAY, THEN IT MAKES A BANGING NOISE AS IT KICKS INTO GEAR. THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS GET WORSE: WHEN SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND AND 2ND TO 3RD GEARS IT SLIPS INTO NEUTRAL (CAUSING RPM'S TO FREELY SHOOT UP NEARLY TO THE REDLINE) AND THEN JERKS AND SLAMS BACK INTO GEAR VERY ROUGH & HARD. THIS REALLY AFFECTS THE CARS PERFORMANCE. THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS GO FROM WORSE TO MORE WORSE: EVENTUALLY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 3RD AND 4TH GEAR, I'LL HEAR AND FEEL THE TRANSMISSION MAKE A BANGING SOUND AND LOCK UP...NO UP OR DOWN SHIFTING. THIS CAUSES THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT TO LIGHT UP. AT THIS POINT, THE CAR ACCELERATES VERY SLOWLY FROM A STOP SINCE IT'S LOCKED IN GEAR AND AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE RPM'S ARE VERY HIGH. WHEN SWITCHING THE TRANSMISSION TO MANUAL MODE, THE GEAR INDICATOR ALWAYS STAYS AT "5". I HAVE TO TURN THE CAR OFF FOR A FEW SECONDS AND RE-START THE CAR TO GET THE TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT AGAIN, BUT UNLESS IT'S HAD SEVERAL HOURS TO COOL OFF, THE SAME PROBLEMS START AGAIN IMMEDIATELY IN SEQUENCE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT AND HOW NISSAN IS NOT BEING HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS BLOWS MY MIND AND IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE FOR A $30,000+ CAR THAT'S UNDER 5 YEARS OLD!!! *TR

MY 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA CURRENTLY HAS 84,000 MILES (AND IS OUT OF WARRANTY). I PURCHASED IT IN 2006 WITH 24,000 MI. IT BEGAN BUCKING OR JERKING VERY HARD WHEN CHANGING GEARS (WHILE DRIVING AND WHEN PUTTING INTO DRIVE) OVER 3 MONTHS AGO. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS EVERYDAY I DRIVE THE VEHICLE, SOMETIMES MORE THAT OTHERS. IT WOULD BUCK AND JERK SO HARD THAT I DID NOT FEEL LIKE I WAS IN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. RECENTLY THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON SO I TOOK IT TO BE LOOKED AT. AFTER REPLACING THE FRONT MOTOR MOUNT ($700) AND DRIVING IT OFF THE LOT, 20 MINUTES LATER THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AND THE CAR WAS STILL BUCKING AND JERKING. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER ONLY FOR THEM TO TELL ME 2 MOTOR MOUNTS NEED TO BE REPLACED AS DOES THE TRANSMISSION FOR A TOTAL OF ALMOST $5,000. NO WORK HAS BEEN DONE ON THE CAR BECAUSE I'VE REPORTED THIS TO THE CORPORATE OFFICES OF NISSAN AND THEY HAVE BEGUN AN INVESTIGATION. THERE HAVE BEEN NO CRASHES OR INJURIES DUE TO THIS PROBLEM...YET. HOWEVER, THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM ONLINE IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT NUMEROUS 2004-2005 NISSAN MAXIMA OWNERS ARE ALL HAVING THE SAME EXACT ISSUES WITH THEIR VEHICLES. THIS IS A DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE AND AFTER READING HOW MANY OTHERS HAVE THE SAME ISSUE I DO NOT BELIEVE I OR ANYONE ELSE SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING FOR THIS REPAIR/REPLACEMENT OF PARTS. I BELIEVE IT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. *TR

ON JUNE 23, 2009 MY 2005 MAXIMA WAS PARKED IN AN ENCLOSED GARAGE WITHIN MY HOME. ON THAT SAME DATE I ATTEMPTED TO ENTER MY VEHICLE AND WAS GREETED WITH AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF SMOKE UPON OPENING THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. NO FIRE WAS OCCURRING, SO I OPENED ALL CAR DOORS AND GARAGE DOORS TO CLEAR THE SMOKE. WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARED I DISCOVERED MY CAR HAD, AT SOME POINT IN THE PRIOR 8 HOURS, HAD AN INTERIOR FIRE AND HAD LUCKILY SELF-EXTINGUISHED. THE FIRE SEEMED TO ORIGINATE NEAR THE FUSE BOX, LOCATED TO THE LEFT OF THE STEERING COLUMN, ON THE UNDER SIDE OF THE DASH. THE FIRE MELTED THE FUSE BOX AND SURROUNDING DASH AREA, SPREADING AROUND THE UNDERSIDE OF THE STEERING COLUMN TO JUST ABOVE THE IGNITION ON THE DASH. NO POLICE OR FIRE EMERGENCY SERVICES WERE CALLED AS THE FIRE WAS OUT. MY INSURANCE WAS IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED AND A TOW ORDERED TO TAKE THE MAXIMA TO THE NEAREST NISSAN DEALERSHIP. I CONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS TO ADVISE THEM OF THIS FIRE. AFTER A FEW WEEKS THEY COMMUNICATED THAT NISSAN WOULD NOT INVESTIGATE THE FIRE. MY INSURANCE COVERED THE COST OF THE REPAIRS AND THE REPAIRS TOOK PLACE. UPON COMPLETION OF THE REPAIRS THE DEALERSHIP DISCOVERED WHEN THEY TESTED THE LUMBAR SWITCH, THAT IT WAS OVERHEATING THE FUSE PANEL AND THAT IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. MY INSURANCE WAS CONTACTED TO COME OUT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO ASSESS THE NEW DISCOVERY. THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER, SERVICE MANAGER, AND SERVICE TECHNICIAN MET AND AGREED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS A PINCHED LUMBAR SWITCH AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I PAID THE COST OF THE SWITCH AS INSURANCE ONLY COVERS DAMAGES. THE LUMBAR SWITCH WAS RECALLED IN 2006. MY LUMBAR SWITCH WAS REPAIRED IN APRIL OF 2006. THE RECALL STATES THE LUMBAR SWITCH WIRING COULD BECOME PINCHED AND CAUSE A FIRE. I ASKED BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS TO REFUND AND INVESTIGATE MY FIRE AND IT'S ASSOCIATION TO THE RECALL. AT THIS TIME NEITHER IS COOPERATIVE AND REFUSES TO ASSIST OR INVESTIGATE. *TR

TL. CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA. CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 40MPH THE VEHICLE WILL SLOW DOWN WITH BRAKING AND BECOMES VERY STIFF. THEN THE VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER STATED THE VEHICLE NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. CONTACT FEELS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE AS THE VEHICLE SLOWS DOWN ANOTHER VEHICLE CAN CRASH INTO THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE OR THE CONTACTS VEHICLE CAN CRASH INTO THE BACK OF ANOTHER VEHICLE BECAUSE IT ACCELERATES WITHOUT WARNING. JO

THIS A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION OF THE 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA. MY MAXIMA ONLY HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT, HOWEVER IT HAS BEGAN TO JERK WHILE CHANGING GEARS, AND TO SLIP OUT OF GEAR WHILE IT IS ON THE ROAD. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, PARTICULARLY THE SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR. I HAVE NOT YET GOTTEN INTO AN ACCIDENT OR HAD MY CAR STOP ON THE ROAD. HOWEVER, I FEEL THAT IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME. APPARENTLY THIS IS A VERY WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH THE WITH THE 2004 AND 2005 NISSAN MAXIMAS. THE PROBLEM FIRST BEGAN TO HAPPEN ABOUT EVERY 3 DAYS, BUT NOW IT HAPPENS ABOUT EVERY OTHER DAY. ESPECIALLY WHEN THE CAR IS GOING FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. I HAVE HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUID CHECKED, AND WAS TOLD THAT MY FLUID LEVEL WAS PERFECTLY FINE. THE SHOP RECOMMENDED THAT I TAKE MY CAR TO A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST, WHICH I HAVE NOT YET DONE. THEY ALSO MENTIONED TO ME THAT THE TRANSMISSIONS ON THE 2004 AND 2005 MAXIMAS ARE KNOWN TO BE DEFECTIVE, AND USUALLY GO BAD AT ABOUT 60,000 OR 70,000 MILES. I BELIEVE THAT THE TRANSMISSIONS ON THE 2004 AND 2005 NISSAN MAXIMAS ARE DEFECTIVE AND NEED TO BE RECALLED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. SMOKE APPEARED FROM UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND THE VEHICLE WAS SEVERELY BURNED. THE CONTACT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE DEALER ADVISED HER TO CALL THE INSURANCE COMPANY. SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WOULD BE A $1,000 DEDUCTIBLE, BUT SHE DOES NOT WANT TO PAY. A COMPLAINT WAS FILED WITH THE NISSAN MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

MY 2005 MAXIMA HAD BEEN PARKED IN MY GARAGE WHEN AN ELECTRICAL FIRE OCCURRED NEAR OR IN THE FUSE PANEL. WE DO NOT KNOW WHEN THE FIRE OCCURRED. THE FIRE HAD SOMEHOW CONTAINED ITSELF AND SELF-EXTINGUISHED. THE CAR WAS SEALED SO WE ASSUME IT RAN OUT OF OXYGEN AS THE SMOKE DID NOT LEAK TO THE GARAGE. THE LOWER DASH PANEL ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE STEERING COLUMN APPEARS TO BE THE INITIAL FIRE. AS I AM NOT AN EXPERT, I CAN ONLY ASSUME THE HOUSING FOR THE FUSE PANEL WOULD RELATE TO THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE AS THIS IS WHERE MOST OF THE DAMAGE OCCURRED. THE FIRE MELTED THAT PANEL TO THE FLOORBOARD AND SPREAD AROUND THE STEERING COLUMN, AROUND THE IGNITION AND SLIGHTLY UP TO THE UPPER DASHBOARD (RIGHT SIDE), AGAIN CAUSING THE DASH TO MELT. PRIOR TO THE FIRE THE DRIVER'S SIDE POWER SEAT WOULD NOT ENGAGE ANY MOVEMENT. I HAD NOT ATTEMPTED TO FIX IT AS I RARELY, IF EVER, MOVE MY SEAT. THIS HAD OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 4-6 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE FIRE. ANOTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUE THE CAR HAD PRIOR WAS THE SEAT BELT LIGHT INDICATOR WOULD REMAIN ON WHEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WAS INDEED BUCKLED. I DO NOT KNOW IF THESE ELECTRICAL ISSUES RELATE TO THE ELECTRICAL FIRE. I DID HOWEVER FIND ANOTHER REPORT ON NHTSA INVOLVING THE SAME TYPE OF POWER SEAT ISSUES AND SIMILAR ELECTRICAL FIRE TO THE SAME MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR OF MY MAXIMA. AT THIS TIME THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP IS NOT SURE HOW THE FIRE STARTED AND IS NOT CLAIMING NISSAN LIABILITY. I AM CONCERNED THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF FIRE AND REPLACE THE DAMAGED COMPONENTS OF MY CAR WITH THE SAME POTENTIAL ELECTRICAL FIRE HAZARDS. I FEEL THIS FIRE SHOULD BE CAUSE FOR INVESTIGATION AS MY MAXIMA APPEARS TO BE AT LEAST THE SECOND NISSAN WITH THE SAME EXACT ELECTRICAL ISSUES AND FIRE. *TR

2005 NISSAN MAXIMA SHIFTING PROBLEM FROM 2ND GEAR TO 3RD AND 3RD TO 2ND GEAR, JERKING EFFECT, ALSO AFTER WARM UP, GOING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE THERE IS A BANG... AUTOMATIC. *TR

2005 NISSAN MAXIMA, ON JUNE 27TH GAUGES ALL WENT TO NEGATIVE, FUEL GAUGE SHOWED EMPTY, TEMP SHOWED COLD, TACH AND SPEEDO DID NOT WORK, A/C DID NOT WORK, TURN SIGNALS INSIDE DID NOT WORK BUT OUTSIDE DID. PARTIAL SUNROOF OPERATION. KEPT CAR IN GARAGE, GOT IN CAR ON JUNE 29TH TO TAKE TO DEALER, NOTICED UNUSUAL SMELL, 10 MIN. LATER SMOKE CAME POURING OUT OF CENTER DASH. IMMEDIATELY GOT OUT OF CAR AND DISCONNECTED BATTERY. HAD TOWED TO DEALER, SAID THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE GAUGE CLUSTER AND A/C METERING AMP, LOOKS LIKE IT SHORT CIRCUITED BY COIN THAT SOMEHOW MADE ITS WAY INTO A VENT CREAVIS OF THE SEALED CIRCUIT BOARD. WE HAVE HAD 170,000 MILES OF BASICALLY TROUBLE FREE DRIVING BUT I AM REALLY CONCERNED BECAUSE THEY CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT THIS SOLVES OUR PROBLEM. AS YOU CAN SEE MY WIFE DRIVES ALOT OF MILES IN THIS CAR WITH 8 HOUR TRIPS TO FLORIDA EVERY 6 WEEKS. NOT SURE HOW SHE WOULD REACT TO A SMOKE FILLED CABIN AND WOULD BE CONCERNED IF SHE COULD GET OUT IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN AND FLAMES UP. THE DEALER SAID IT WOULD NEVER REALLY CATCH FIRE. HAD ISSUE A FEW WEEKS EARLIER WHERE THE CAR SHIFTED STRANGELY, IT WOULD OFTEN NOT START AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START UNLESS THE A/C WAS TURNED OFF. THE SUGGESTED A TRANSMISSION FIX, NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND A NEW BATTERY. WE COULD ONLY DO THE BATTERY AT THAT POINT. I CAN'T HELP TO WONDER IF THE COMPUTER GAVE FALSE READING BECAUSE OF THE RECENT PROBLEM. *TR

DEFECTIVE ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCK - 2005 NISSAN MAXIMA THE ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCK, WHETHER ACTUATED FROM THE BUTTON ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR OR BY THE KEY FOB, DOES NOT LOCK OR UNLOCK THE DOOR(S) RELIABLY. THIS IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEM. MY WIFE DID NOT EVEN KNOW FOR SEVERAL MONTHS THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT LOCKING WHEN SHE USED THE REMOTE KEY FOB. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED NOT ONLY IN A THEFT BUT ALSO A VEHICLE INTRUSION BY AN ASSAILANT. I WILL SUBMIT MY VEHICLE IDN LATER. *TR