1997 Nissan Maxima Problems

What owners report

Complaints on this model year center on the charging system: owners repeatedly describe alternator failures, battery drain, stalling and, in several cases, smoke or fire from the alternator area. A second cluster of reports covers the airbag warning light and airbags that did not deploy in a collision, plus smaller groups on stalling from wiring faults, the power steering rack, the hood support struts and rusted front radiator supports.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Alternator failure, battery drain, smoke and fire

   • 27 complaints (26%)
   • median 98,000 mi at 8.0 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • 12 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2001–2014

   Complaints describe the vehicle stalling or shutting off while driving, a battery that will not stay charged, and a burning smell or smoke from under the hood traced to the alternator. Some owners report flames at the alternator, damaged wiring harnesses and repeat alternator replacements shortly after a prior one. Several owners state the dealer replaced the alternator; some report being told their vehicle was not covered by the alternator recall because of its build date or VIN, or that coverage had expired. Reports span roughly 75,000 to 135,000 miles, though some complaints give no mileage.

   Recall 02V1710002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the alternator has been replaced and, if so, when and with what part; on a car that predates the recall build date, expect to check it yourself. Before buying, look for a burning smell or browned wiring near the alternator and have the charging system load-tested.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My wife backed the car out of the garage and noticed a burning smell. She turned off the engine and got me. When I opened the hood there was smoke and a burning smell. The alternator had started to burn as well as the wiring harness. This issue was covered by NHTSA campaign id 02v171000, but Nissan says my VIN was not among those affected and my car is not covered by the recall.”

   NHTSA complaint #10144199, filed 2005-12, 103,565 miles

   “1997 Maxima se. I pulled into my garage and could smell something burning. I lifted the hood of the car and saw smoke coming from the alternator. It drained the battery. As I replaced the battery, the alternator caught fire.”

   NHTSA complaint #10135103, filed 2005-09, 102,000 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Stalling and no-start from wiring or sensor faults

   • 17 complaints (17%)
   • median 94,000 mi at 11.5 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2001–2011

   Complaints describe the engine quitting without warning at various speeds or when coming to a stop, sometimes restarting and sometimes not, and the check engine light coming on with multiple codes. Owners report repeated replacement of alternators, starters, batteries, oxygen sensors and speed sensors without a lasting fix, and in one case a dealer diagnosed a short inside the engine wiring harness. Others report speedometer dropouts tied to the speed sensor circuit. Mostly reported between about 75,000 and 135,000 miles, with several complaints giving no mileage.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the check engine light is currently on and what codes were stored, and whether wiring or sensor repairs have already been attempted. A test drive that includes stops and low-speed manoeuvres can reveal an intermittent stall.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “It all started with the noises from the exhaust. So I fixed the flex pipe and no more noise, the mechanic said it's a common Maxima problem. Then the check engine light came on. So I fixed the o2 sensor and the knock sensor, the mechanic said it's a common Maxima problem. I drove the car to the inspection station a few days later and the light came on. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10237567, filed 2008-08, 135,000 miles

   “In the beginning I noticed it took me a couple times to start vehicle and it would loose power at certain stops or when I slowed down or came to a stop. And as time I felt it jerk and pull at times when I was not driving too fast this continued and then it was one day that it does not want to start up, new starter, new battery, tune up and it just wont start. I am just waiting to see if they find out what the problem is.”

   NHTSA complaint #10426551, filed 2011-09, 20,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Airbag light on, airbags not deploying

   • 9 complaints (9%)
   • median 64,139 mi at 7.7 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2004

   Owners describe the airbag warning light flashing or staying lit, and in some cases a dealer reset the system or replaced the airbag module, with the light returning after repair. Other complaints describe collisions in which the airbags did not deploy, and one describes airbags that deployed but did not stay inflated. Dealers reportedly reset or replaced components in the warning-light cases. Reports come at a wide spread of mileages, from about 64,000 upward, and in some cases with no mileage given.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check that the airbag warning light comes on with the key and then goes out; a light that stays lit or flashes points to a fault in the system. Ask whether the airbag module has been replaced and whether any stored codes were cleared.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Vehicle stopped in traffic. I was hit in the rear by a 2000 ford f150 truck. I was propelled forward, then back into the seat, the seat back collapsed. I sustained neck, shoulder, back, hip and knee injuries. My car was pushed into another car in front of me. The airbags in my car did not deploy!”

   NHTSA complaint #734395, filed 2000-10

   “Travreling 45mph when another vehicle was making a turn in front, consumer's vehicle swerved to avoid hitting the other vehicle. Instead, hit vehicle on driver's side then on passenger's side. Upon impact, the air bags beployed but must have popped or fizzled out. Driver's head made contact with the front windshild and there was smoke inside of vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #843453, filed 1999-07

Buying note. On this model year, the charging system and wiring faults are the most frequently reported problems, so have the alternator and charging system checked and ask for any repair history before buying. Also confirm the airbag warning light behaves normally and inspect the steering rack and hood struts, which are common older-car wear items on these cars.

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.