1999 Nissan MAXIMA problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
154 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
79,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1999 model year. Data snapshot: . 89 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Electrical System:Ignition is the most frequently named component, appearing in 39 of 154 complaints (25.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 13 | 8.4% |
| Engine operation | 10 | 6.5% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 9 | 5.8% |
| Transmission and shifting | 6 | 3.9% |
| Steering behavior | 3 | 1.9% |
| Fuel system concerns | 2 | 1.3% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Electrical System:Ignition | 39 |
| Electrical System | 16 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 16 |
| Electrical System:Ignition:Module | 10 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 9 |
| Electrical System:Ignition:Switch | 8 |
| Air Bags | 5 |
| Air Bags:Frontal:Sensor/Control Module | 5 |
Electrical System:Ignition: 39; Electrical System: 16; Engine And Engine Cooling: 16; Electrical System:Ignition:Module: 10; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 9; Electrical System:Ignition:Switch: 8; Air Bags: 5; Air Bags:Frontal:Sensor/Control Module: 5
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 2 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 11 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 29 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 13 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 28 |
| 150,000 and above | 6 |
Under 25,000: 2; 25,000 to 49,999: 11; 50,000 to 74,999: 29; 75,000 to 99,999: 13; 100,000 to 149,999: 28; 150,000 and above: 6
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (29). 65 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 11 |
| 2001 | 9 |
| 2002 | 11 |
| 2003 | 15 |
| 2004 | 22 |
| 2005 | 8 |
| 2006 | 24 |
| 2007 | 17 |
| 2008 | 7 |
| 2009 | 5 |
| 2010 | 9 |
| 2011 | 5 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 3 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
2000: 11; 2001: 9; 2002: 11; 2003: 15; 2004: 22; 2005: 8; 2006: 24; 2007: 17; 2008: 7; 2009: 5; 2010: 9; 2011: 5; 2012: 1; 2013: 3; 2014: 1; 2015: 3; 2016: 1; 2017: 1; 2019: 1
Pattern summary
Electrical System:Ignition leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 13 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 10 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 9 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10025535 · 2003-07-07 (July 7, 2003)
9/02 - WITHIN A 90 MILE DRIVE:TACHOMETER, SPEEDOMETER AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHUT OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS. AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ALSO FLASHING. THEN THEY WOULD EITHER TURN BACK ON BY THEMSELVES OR WHILE I WAS STANDING STILL THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD BE STUCK AT 100MPH. FURTHER INTO THE DRIVE ENGINE WOULD SHUT OFF BY ITSELF LOSING BRAKES AND POWER STEERING DRIVING AT SPEEDS 0-40MPH. FIRST WE REPACED THE BATTERY THEN TOOK IT TO NISSAN WHERE THEY FOUND "INTERNAL FAILURE DASH CIRCUIT BOARD" WHICH WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE LEFT SIDE SEAT…
Owner-reported narrative. 95,804 miles reported. Look up ODI 10025535 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10102200 · 2004-12-06 (December 6, 2004)
IGNITION COIL FAILURE. SERVERAL PROBLEMS WITH BRAKE SYSTEM AND ALIGNMENT/SUSPENSION. HAVE REPLACE 2 COILS SO FAR, IT WAS BETTER FOR A WHILE. NISSAN NEEDS TO RECALL THE IGNITION COILS SEVERAL PROBLEMS.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. 60,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10102200 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10063688 · 2004-03-23 (March 23, 2004)
VEHICLE FAILED TO START AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS. WHEN VEHICLE STARTED, THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. ENGINE WAS MISFIRING. DEALER RAN DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND RETRIEVED FAULT CODE P1320 FROM THE ECU. WAS INFORMED THAT ALL SIX IGNITION COILS WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. NISSAN ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB #01-060) IN SEPTEMBER, 2001, WHICH ADDRESSES THE PROBLEM INVOLVING THE IGNITION COILS. DEALER REFUSED TO COVER REPAIR UNDER MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY OR GOODWILL PROGRAM. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS MANUFACTURIN…
Owner-reported narrative. 30,940 miles reported. Look up ODI 10063688 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10079037 · 2004-06-29 (June 29, 2004)
VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY STARTED TO RUN ROUGH, MISFIRED REPEATEDLY, AND EXPERIENCED EPISODES OF NEAR STALLING, WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND VEHICLE CONTINUED TO OPERATE UNDER A SEVERE LOSS OF POWER BEFORE BEING ABLE TO SAFELY PULL THE VEHICLE OFF THE HIGHWAY. DEALER DETERMINED FAULT CODE P1320 WAS STORED AND ALL SIX IGNITION COILS WERE FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB #01-060) WAS ISSUED BY NISSAN IN SEPTEMBER 2001, WHICH OUTLINES THE IGNITION COIL PROBLEM. TH…
Owner-reported narrative. 77,678 miles reported. Look up ODI 10079037 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10001603 · 2002-12-27 (December 27, 2002)
THE COMPUTER CHIP KEEPS FAILING. THIS WOULD CAUSE EVERYTHING - ELECTRIC LOCKS, POWER WINDOWS AND THE WIPERS - NOT TO WORK PROPERLY. HAVE TAKEN TO A MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED OF POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. MANUFACTURER INDICATES THERE ISN'T ANY PROBLEMS FOR THEM.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10001603 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10015594 · 2003-04-10 (April 10, 2003)
THE WIRING IN THE HEAD LIGHTS, HAD TO BE REPEATEDLY CHANGED DUE TO MELTING. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10015594 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10056706 · 2004-02-06 (February 6, 2004)
I HAVE HAD MY 1999 MAXIMA FOR 4 MONTHS,HAVE FOUND PROBLEMS SWAYING OR DRIFTING SUSPENTION WHILE DRIVING,HESITATION IN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WHEN ACCELLING FROM A ROLLING STOP,SEATBELT LOCKING AND WOULD NOT RELEASE,LEFT HAND TURN BUMPY FRONT END SUSPENTION SHAKE...ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE VERY SCARRY AND DANGEROUS..EMMEDIATE ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN (BY MANUFACTURER) TO FIX THESE SAFETY ISSUES AT NO COST TO LOYAL CONSUMERS. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 54,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10056706 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10079671 · 2004-07-26 (July 26, 2004)
WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH VEHICLE STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED THREE TIMES SINCE LAST YEAR. A DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED. *AK THE ALTERNATOR AND IGNITION COIL WERE REPLACE PRIOR TO THE DEALER DETERMINING THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE TRANSMISSION. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 58,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10079671 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10185666 · 2007-03-20 (March 20, 2007)
I HAVE A POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEM WITH MY 133,000-MILE, 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA. IT MIGHT BE RELATED TO THE CRANK SENSOR ON NEWER MAXIMA, A STEERING COLUMN LOCK, A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH, FAULTY CLUTCH DEPRESSION SWITCH, AND THE ANTI-THEFT KILL SWITCH, PERHAPS EVEN A RANDOM GROUND. THE PROBLEM WAS CONCEIVABLY CATASTROPHIC.*AK UPON ENTERING MY CAR USING THE REMOTE, OCCASIONALLY THE CAR WON'T RESPOND, AND MUST BE UNLOCKED MANUALLY. IN THESE INSTANCES, NEITHER THE DOME LIGHTS NOR THE HEADLIGHTS SHINE. WHEN THE IGNITION KEY IS ROTATED TO T…
Owner-reported narrative. 132,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10185666 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10425579 · 2011-09-15 (September 15, 2011)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. UPON RESTART, THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS NORMAL MOMENTARILY BEFORE STALLING AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT TWO OXYGEN SENSORS FAILED. THE FUEL PUMP AND FILTERS WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MECHANIC EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AGAIN AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT EITHER THE ENGINE WAS NOT GETTING ENOUGH FUEL OR THE COMPUTER SYSTEM WAS FAULTY. UPON EXAMINING THE VEHICLE FURTH…
Owner-reported narrative. 182,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10425579 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10536710 · 2013-08-22 (August 22, 2013)
AFTER FILLING GAS TO THE FULL TANK, CAR WAS PARKED INSIDE THE GARAGE. SOON GARAGE SMELLED LIKE A GAS SPILL/LEAK. LOOKED AROUND AND UNDER THE CAR FOR LEAKAGE. NO VISIBLE SIGN OF LEAK. HAD TO MOVE THE CAR OUTSIDE THE GARAGE TO AVOID FILLING THE GARAGE WITH GASOLINE SMELL AND FUMES AND AVOID ANY POSSIBLE HAZARDS TO HOUSE AND HUMAN. NEXT DAY, TOOK IT TO THE NEAREST GARAGE FOR INSPECTION. MECHANICS CHECKED IT OUT AND MENTIONED THAT GAS FILLER PIPE (METAL PIPE BETWEEN GAS FILLING HOLE TO GAS TANK) IS RUSTED AND HAS HOLES FROM WHERE THE GAS LIQUID ES…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10536710 at NHTSA ↗