2016 Nissan Maxima Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 33about this part
- Share
- 23%of 142 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 62,500miles
- Trend
- FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 33 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2016 Nissan Maxima, 23% of the 142 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 62,500 miles.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“While driving my son and I to the store the car stopped accelerating on a major highway with cars coming. We we almost hit by a truck. When I applied the accelerator the car stayed on 0 MPH but the RPM moved. After about 5 seconds the car began accelerating again. It also made a loud whining noise afterward. The Nissan dealer said the CVT transmission needs to be replaced. The car just hit 80,000 miles.”
NHTSA complaint #11341736, filed 2020-07, 80,000 miles“Vehicle stalls in the middle of traffic it looses power with n warning at all. I took to the vehicle to the Nissan dealership on 11/7/2020 and they could not duplicate what happen and stated they placed it on the computer with no codes showing. On the way home 11/12/20 as I was entering traffic on highway 85 I lost power again I was almost hit by two vehicles. I press the accelerator 3 times before it took off very fast. I will be calling the dealership again today”
NHTSA complaint #11374501, filed 2020-11, 86,000 miles“I purchased a 2016 Nissan Maxima at 57,000. The vehicle had undergone proper servicing and was in great shape. At 62,000 miles the transmission failed and the car would not drive. While heading home from work I felt my entire vehicle begin to shake. The vehicle would not accelerate when I stepped on the gas and there was a 10 second delay before it began to move, afterwards, it immediately jolted and vibrated rigorously. I decided to proceed with caution and pull my vehicle over before it caused me to get into an accident. …”
NHTSA complaint #11400377, filed 2021-03, 62,500 miles“Tuesday, dec. 22 my 2016 Nissan Maxima just shut off while driving in hayward, ca near industrial rd. Called triple aaa who jumped the battery and a short distance later on hwy 880 the car shut off again, I was towed off the freeway by caltrans. On january 4, it shut off again while on a city streets. A co-workers husband replaced the battery and I was able to safely drive it home. Jan. 30 a mechanic looked at ran diagnostics and found nothing wrong. I drove it without issue several times from el cerrito to san rafael the week. On feb. …”
NHTSA complaint #11395106, filed 2021-02, 80,000 miles“My Maxima is only 4 years old and it started jumping and hesitating while driving. The Nissan repair shop said that my transmission is bad and it looks like 'glitter' inside.they have to replace it. Apparently Nissan has a class action lawsuit against them because of these CVT transmissions. They are not acknowledging the problem with the maximas because they said it is not happening as often as in the smaller cars. My car is a little bit out of warranty so they still made me pay a portion of the transmission even though they knew it would break. …”
NHTSA complaint #11326126, filed 2020-05, 10 milesRelated service bulletins
- 11024393Oct 3, 2025CAMPAIGN BULLETIN CVT Warranty Extension In an effort to assure customer satisfaction, demonstrate our confidence in continuously variable transmissions (CVTs), and to address…
- 11001192Jun 7, 2024CVT/TCM CALIBRATION DATA “WRITE” PROCEDURE This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- 11001202Apr 18, 2024DTC P17F0 OR P17F1 STORED IN THE TCM This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Discard all previous versions of this bulletin.
- 10248651Dec 15, 2023CVT JUDDER AND DTC P17F0 OR P17F1 STORED This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Discard all previous versions of this bulletin.
- 10237565May 9, 2023CVT JUDDER AND DTC P17F0 OR P17F1 STORED This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Discard all previous versions of this bulletin.
- 10237563May 8, 2023CVT/TCM CALIBRATION DATA âWRITEâ PROCEDURE This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- 10233904Mar 29, 2023CLICKING NOISE FROM FRONT OR REAR AXLE DURING TAKE-OFF/ACCELERATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of…
- 10227268Nov 23, 2022DRIVE SHAFT BOOT SERVICE INFORMATION SERVICE INFORMATION If a Drive Shaft (Axle Shaft) Boot on an APPLIED VEHICLE is found to be leaking grease, AND There is no abnormal noise or…
- 10222714Sep 27, 2022CLICKING NOISE FROM FRONT OR REAR AXLE DURING TAKE-OFF/ACCELERATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of…
- 10218743May 17, 2022ENHANCED DIAGNOSTIC LOGIC FOR CVT JUDDER This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3 | 14% |
| 2019 | 3 | 17% |
| 2018 | 1 | 3% |
| 2017 | 11 | 10% |
| 2016 | 33 | 23% |
| 2014 | 22 | 23% |
| 2013 | 24 | 39% |
| 2012 | 18 | 17% |
| 2011 | 22 | 21% |
| 2010 | 15 | 5% |
| 2009 | 11 | 3% |
| 2008 | 8 | 10% |
| 2007 | 16 | 12% |
| 2006 | 393 | 68% |
| 2005 | 777 | 82% |
| 2004 | 934 | 66% |
| 2003 | 7 | 3% |
| 2002 | 14 | 7% |
| 2001 | 8 | 5% |
| 2000 | 22 | 6% |
| 1999 | 8 | 5% |
| 1998 | 6 | 5% |
| 1997 | 4 | 4% |
| 1996 | 12 | 13% |
| 1995 | 12 | 8% |
| 1994 | 9 | 10% |
| 1993 | 6 | 8% |
| 1992 | 5 | 5% |
| 1991 | 9 | 12% |
| 1990 | 10 | 9% |
| 1989 | 9 | 15% |
| 1988 | 1 | 2% |
| 1987 | 5 | 3% |
| 1986 | 1 | 2% |
| 1985 | 2 | 4% |
Other parts of the 2016 Nissan Maxima
31 complaintsOther or unknown
27 complaintsBrakes
21 complaintsEngine
18 complaintsAir bags
14 complaintsVehicle speed control
14 complaintsFuel system
10 complaintsSteering
9 complaintsBody and structure
8 complaintsExterior lighting
7 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
6 complaintsElectronic stability control
5 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2016 Nissan Maxima
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology