2007 Nissan Maxima Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year report two broad themes: rusted-through floor pans on a car that is roughly a decade old, and a set of brake and ABS faults that also show up as speed-loss or limp-feeling acceleration. Air bag warning lights, a noisy timing chain, and transmission or CVT complaints appear next, mostly on higher-mileage cars. Many complaints read like problems that came on gradually and were found during routine service rather than failures at low mileage.

1. 1
   Body and structure

   Floor pans rusted through

   • 24 complaints (19%)
   • median 93,000 mi at 8.5 yrs old (21 state mileage)
   • filed 2011–2017

   Complaints describe holes and heavy corrosion in the floor pan under the driver and passenger footwells, often found by a mechanic during an oil change or inspection rather than noticed by the owner. Some say the rest of the undercarriage looked fine, and several report dealer repair quotes in the thousands of dollars. Owners often mention researching the problem online and asking whether a campaign or recall applies. Mostly reported between about 60,000 and 130,000 miles on cars roughly 7 to 10 years old, with several owners noting the car was garaged or not driven in winter.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Get underneath the car or have a shop put it on a lift and inspect both floor pans from below for soft metal, bubbling paint, or daylight; ask whether the floor pan voluntary service campaign work was ever performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I took my car in to the dealership due to all of my warning lights coming on. Upon putting it on the lift, they showed me where the underside was significant rust that caused the tire & brake sensors to fall off the struts. Additionally, the floor pans were completely rusted out with holes, which can cause my feet to crash through the floorboards causing an accident or carbon dioxide poisoning. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10766510, filed 2015-09, 129,000 miles

   “Took car to the garage for inspection. It did not pass due to rust under driver's and passenger's side floor boards. They told me the rest of the car was in perfect condition and that they believed it might be a manufacturing defect. The amount of rust is far beyond what an 8 year old car should have. Contacted Nissan but they told me the rust warranty is only covered for 3 years/36,000 miles and it is too far out of warranty for them to do anything about it.”

   NHTSA complaint #10714019, filed 2015-05, 100,000 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Brake and ABS faults, warning lights, speed loss

   • 20 complaints (16%)
   • median 55,001 mi at 4.7 yrs old (20 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,400 (median of 7 quotes)
   • filed 2010–2014

   Owners describe ABS activating during ordinary braking, clicking or grinding from a wheel, and a cluster of ABS, SLIP, TCS and brake lights appearing together. Several say the car then would not accelerate normally, dropping to 20-40 mph, and that the dealer diagnosed wheel speed sensors, wheel bearings, hub assemblies, or the ABS actuator at costs from several hundred to a few thousand dollars. Reported from about 35,000 to 130,000 miles, with a number of complaints clustering near 50,000 to 65,000 miles; some owners connect the sensor failures to moisture and road salt.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask about prior ABS sensor, hub, or actuator replacement and scan for stored ABS codes; on a test drive, watch for warning lights and confirm the car pulls and accelerates normally from a stop.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Clicking and popping when I make a turn or go over a bump. Brakes squeak sometimes when driving. I took the car to a Nissan dealer and it was driving worst than before. The car started pulling to the right.”

   NHTSA complaint #10326445, filed 2010-04, 30,932 miles

   “I was driving my children to daycare this morning when I noticed my brakes making a funny noise and sound. I could hear a clicking sound from the front, drivers side wheel, and the car began to shake as I tried to come to a stop. I immediately took the car to my local Nissan dealership where they told me the ABS actuator needed to be replaced. At a cost of $1,600. After doing my own online research I found that there are hundreds of Maxima owners out there with the same problem. This has got to be a Nissan defect. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10490827, filed 2013-01, 93,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Air bag warning light on or air bags not deploying

   • 16 complaints (12%)
   • median 98,240 mi at 8.0 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2011–2019

   Complaints describe the air bag warning light staying on or flashing intermittently, sometimes traced to the passenger occupant sensor or the wiring under a seat, and sometimes not diagnosed at all after dealer visits. A few owners report that air bags did not deploy in a collision, or that side air bags deployed when a door was shut while parked. Mostly reported between about 60,000 and 130,000 miles, on cars several years past the basic warranty.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Turn the ignition on and confirm the air bag light does its self-test and then goes out; ask whether the driver air bag module, spiral cable, or seat sensor has been replaced, and check that the car has not been sold with air bags removed after a crash.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Airbag warning light won't turn off. I'm worried it will spontaneously deploy at anytime. It is the opinion of various car wash establishments that roof and hood paint is a common defect on Nissan vehicles, including mini-vans. My car's hood and roof look like I've lived by the sea for years. Truth is that I've always lived inland. There's no reason why my car should look 20 years old!”

   NHTSA complaint #10659150, filed 2014-11, 92,240 miles

   “Nothing but problems with 07 Maxima we bought, later repossessed. The steering wheel and the whole front of the car would shake uncontrollably especially when brakes were used. Also wheels (not factory but they were on there when purchased, but asked to replace but never happened) were noticeably bent. And lastly, the front and side airbags deployed after shutting my drivers side door causing my arm to be burned.”

   NHTSA complaint #10876634, filed 2016-06, 100,000 miles
4. 4
   Engine

   Timing chain noise and engine stalls

   • 24 complaints (19%)
   • median 79,000 mi at 8.5 yrs old (19 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,969 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 2007–2022

   Owners describe a whine or rattle from the engine bay, then stalling at low speed or while accelerating from a stop, and sometimes a check engine light. Dealers and shops diagnosed a stretched or jumping timing chain, worn tensioner, or damaged valves, with repairs ranging from a timing chain kit in the hundreds-to-thousands of dollars and, in a few cases, an engine replacement. Some complaints mention a whining noise first being attributed to camshaft sensors. Reported from nearly new (under 3,000 miles) through about 130,000 miles; many complaints cluster between roughly 60,000 and 100,000 miles.

   What to check: Listen for a whine or rattle from the front of the engine at idle and on revving, ask for records of timing chain, tensioner, or camshaft sensor work, and note any rough idle or stalling on the test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On april 3, 2016 I started my 2007 Nissan Maxima which the engine shook then stalled after running for about 3 seconds. Had it towed to a local Nissan dealer which informed me that the timing jump and bent valves now needing a new engine. After researching found that there is a class action lawsuit against Nissan for their timing chain guide which causes the timing chain to jump and damage the engine. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10864705, filed 2016-05, 72,000 miles

   “My car has approximately 60,000 miles on it. When I took it to the dealer for a squeaky noise in the engine, they told me the timing chain was failing and needed to be replaced. My hood and roof also have the clear coat peeling up and fading. Since timing chain is a safety issue, I paid 2,000 for them to fix this. I contacted their consumer affairs and since my car is out of warranty, they cannot help me.”

   NHTSA complaint #10786874, filed 2015-10, 60,000 miles
5. 5
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission and CVT slipping, jerking, no acceleration

   • 32 complaints (25%)
   • median 73,000 mi at 6.3 yrs old (31 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,400 (median of 11 quotes)
   • filed 2007–2023

   Complaints describe jerking and slipping under normal driving, the car failing to accelerate past 20-40 mph even with the pedal down, and, in one case, a car that kept running and rolled after it was switched off. Repairs reported include transmission replacement or partial rebuild, and some owners say the problem returned after earlier repairs. Spread from very low mileage (under 5,000 miles) to about 140,000 miles, with most reports in the 80,000 to 140,000 mile range.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test the car from a cold start and again warm, checking for hesitation, jerking, or delayed engagement; ask for any transmission service history and whether the fluid was ever changed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The CVT trans has never worded like it should I reported it years ago I have babied this car for years they said trans was replaced but years later it was not just some parts replaced . Dont want money just want help with CVT trans”

   NHTSA complaint #11217987, filed 2019-06, 120,000 miles

   “When driving the car would loose power and not accelerate. Driving onto on ramp to highway and car would not accelerate and started to loose speed while merging. No lights came on dash or anything. Seems like the car went into limp mode or something.”

   NHTSA complaint #11302766, filed 2020-01, 129,000 miles

Buying note. Have any example inspected from below for floor pan corrosion and scanned for ABS and air bag codes before purchase, since those are the most frequently reported problems. Ask for service records on the timing chain, transmission, and ABS sensors, as repairs in those areas are the most expensive ones owners describe.

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.