1992 Nissan Maxima Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 1992 Maxima report a fairly wide spread of problems on a car that is now well past 100,000 miles, with fuel smell and fuel leaks around the filler tube and tank as the single largest theme, often tied to rust. The second recurring theme is a rattling or noisy valvetrain traced by owners to the variable timing control (VTC) sprockets on the VE30DE engine, and window regulators that let glass drop are also frequently mentioned.

1. 1
   Fuel system

   Fuel filler tube and tank corrosion leaks

   • 8 complaints (7%)
   • median 181,209 mi at 14.7 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2003–2010

   Owners describe a gasoline smell around the car, fuel leaking while filling the tank, or fuel running from underneath the tank. Several complaints trace the source to a corroded fuel filler tube where mud and salt collect, and some say the dealer quoted replacement of the whole fill assembly. A number of owners report being told their vehicle was not covered by the filler-tube recall even though the same corrosion was found. Reported from roughly 92,000 to 188,000 miles, often on cars driven in road-salt states and noticed while refueling.

   Recall 95V244000

   What to check: Inspect the filler tube and the area between it and the rear wheel housing for rust or holes, and check for a fuel smell after a fill-up. Ask whether recall 95V244000 was ever performed on this specific car.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “About 5 months ago, I had to fix a problem with a leak in my filler pipe (gas). I had discovered the problem while filling my gas tank at a local station. I had previously read NHTSA campaign id number : 95v244000 and therefore brought my car in to Nissan dealer with the print out of the recall to get the situation fixed. The dealership had my car 2 days and still had not started any work on it... Apparently they contacted Nissan who claimed their was no recall on my car. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10093809, filed 2004-10, 190,000 miles

   “My 1992 Maxima is leaking fuel near the filler tube. The dealer says the fuel filler tube is corroded and the entire assembly needs replacement. Research shows that the Maxima years 89-94 have a recall for the corrosion of the fuel filler tube, but only for certain states (nc is not included). Nissan refuses to pay because they say my VIN is not in their database for the recall, but this is a serious safety issue and I do not see how the registered state of the car affects the recall status. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10030843, filed 2003-08, 174,000 miles
2. 2
   Fuel system

   Fuel smell and leaks in the engine bay

   • 8 complaints (7%)
   • median 150,000 mi at 12.0 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • filed 1995–2003

   Complaints describe a strong gasoline odor inside the cabin while idling or driving, and in some cases raw fuel contacting hot engine parts around the fuel rail and lines. Some owners report fuel injector problems and a check-engine light, with dealers attributing injector failures to fuel composition. Repairs described include replacing the fuel rail, lines or injectors. Mileage in the complaints ranges widely, from around 46,000 to 150,000 miles, with no clear seasonal pattern.

   What to check: With the engine running, smell around the fuel rail and injectors and look for damp or stained lines; ask whether the fuel rail, lines or injectors have been replaced.

   An excerpt from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When gas tank is a quarter or less full, gas fumes are pumped into garage until it reeks of fumes. It smells strong enough to warrent caution with ignition sources and is surely an environmental hazard.”

   NHTSA complaint #10025285, filed 2003-07
3. 3
   Engine cooling

   Rattling valvetrain noise (VTC sprockets)

   • 7 complaints (6%)
   • typically at 7.9 yrs old
   • filed 1996–2002

   Owners describe a loud rattling or clicking from the top of the engine, sometimes bad enough that a shop declined further work. In several complaints the noise is attributed to the variable timing control sprockets or their springs, with repair estimates around $1,000 and a warning that continued driving can affect the timing chain. Complaints also mention cracked exhaust manifold studs found during the same service. Mostly reported between roughly 80,000 and 155,000 miles, on several cars with the VE30DE engine.

   What to check: Listen for a rattle at the front of the engine at idle when warm, and ask whether the VTC sprockets or timing chain components have been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When I went to have my vtc springs replaced the man that worked at the dealership I had the work done at, he said it was a very common problem which maid me mad because of the fact of I paid $1000.00 to have a part fixed which I think they should have paid for if it was a common thing. I am aservice manager in a shop and have several maximas come in with that problem. I would really like to know what has to be done to have that part recalled andhave my money returned. If problem is not fixed, it will break timing chain and bend valves. …”

   NHTSA complaint #708189, filed 1999-07

   “It causes a loud rattling noise in the engine, and a mechanic refused to service the car because he said the engine was going to blow up! There is a TSB on this problem, and it seems to happen to all 1992 maximas.”

   NHTSA complaint #742832, filed 2001-03
4. 4
   Air bags

   Airbag deployment and non-deployment concerns

   • 9 complaints (8%)
   • typically at 6.5 yrs old
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2002

   Owners report driver-side airbags deploying at low speed without a severe impact, including one instance while pulling out of a parking space. Other complaints describe airbags that did not deploy in a frontal crash, in one case after the vehicle had received the airbag recall repair. A service bulletin covers safe servicing of the restraint system. Reported across a wide age range of the car, with no mileage pattern in the sample.

   Recall 94V0070002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the airbag recall 94V007000 was completed and whether the airbag warning light behaves normally during the instrument-cluster self-test.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Consumer was driving at approximately 55 MPH when he ran off shoulder and struck a utility pole. Driver's air bag failed to deploy, there was no passenger airbag. Consumer suffered broken/bruised ribs, and his daughter suffered whiplash. Consumer states 20 month old son was in the rear seat secured in a child restarint seat, he suffered bruises and a rope burn from his child restraint seat belt.”

   NHTSA complaint #881836, filed 2001-03

   “Ea93-024; consumer was pulling out of a parking space, traveling about 5 to 10 MPH, when vehicle hit a planter box in which the driver's side air bag deployed, resulting in injuries to the driver.”

   NHTSA complaint #825462, filed 1998-08
5. 5
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Power window regulators and motors failing

   • 11 complaints (10%)
   • median 130,000 mi at 11.6 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1996–2003

   Complaints describe windows that drop or stick down without warning, with plastic regulator parts breaking under normal use and motors failing on more than one door. Owners report replacing regulators on several windows and having trouble finding parts, and dealers reportedly told some owners they would have to source the part themselves. Reported from around 130,000 miles upward in the sample, with failures appearing on multiple windows over time.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Raise and lower every window fully and listen for grinding or slow travel; ask which regulators or motors have already been replaced.

   An excerpt from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Both back windows fell / stuck down. I took it to the dealer to get it fixed, and they told me I had to find the part. I went to/ called all junk yards/ auto shops in town, no one had the part. It is an all too common problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #10045051, filed 2003-10, 130,000 miles

Buying note. Check the fuel filler tube, tank and engine-bay fuel lines carefully for corrosion and odor before buying, and listen for valvetrain rattle at idle. Confirm in writing whether the fuel filler and airbag recalls were performed on the specific car, and expect to budget for window regulators on a vehicle of this age.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.