- The problem
- On certain vehicles, the rear subframe may have been manufactured incorrectly, which could result in a crack in a bracket which holds part of the rear suspension.
- The risk
- If the bracket is cracked, the stability of the vehicle may be affected under severe driving conditions. This could lead to a loss of control of the vehicle which could result in a crash.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect the rear subframe to determine if it was manufactured incorrectly and replace it, if necessary. The recall began on february 27, 2006. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Vehicle safety record
2006 Nissan Maxima Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 576 complaints about the 2006 Nissan Maxima with NHTSA, most often about the transmission & drivetrain (393) and the engine & cooling (71). Those complaints describe 21 crashes, 4 fires and 12 injuries. It is covered by 2 recalls, the latest in February 2006 for the rear. For comparison, the 2005 has 948 and the 2007 has 129.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical Maxima year, for its age
#31 most complained-about 2006 vehicle
- Complaints
- 576
- Recalls
- 2
- Crashes
- 21
- Fires
- 4
- Injuries
- 12
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2006 Nissan Maxima problems
Share of all 576 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2006 Nissan Maxima recalls 2
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- On certain passenger vehicles equipped with the driver preferred package, the wire harness from the driver's seat power lumbar support switch may be routed incorrectly and could be pinched under the driver seat.
- The risk
- A pinched harness, in combination with driving vibration, may result in a short circuit in the harness that could lead to a fire in the seat.
- The fix
- Dealers will replace the wire harness and route it correctly. The recall began on january 16, 2006. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
What owners say
Problems or none - your experience is exactly what the next buyer is looking for. Write it now
576 complaints about the 2006 Nissan Maxima
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 24.
This Vehicle is Severely Defective. This Vehicle is not safe to be on the road. This Vehicle has had several repairs for the same repair issue but the problem still exists. I have spent thousands on this Vehicle and this vehicle is still inoperative and not drivable. This Vehicle is a hazard for the road. VEHICLE IS UNSAFE! VEHICLE has still not been Repaired. Please I like to be Compensated and Reimbursed for the Loss I have suffered. Please compensate and/or reimbursed me for the $10,000.00 I lost in a Defective,...
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Inoperable, and Unsafe Vehicle. Thank God My Child and I did not get seriously hurt while I was driving this vehicle. I remember one incident while I was driving this vehicle: Right in the middle of me driving this vehicle I was going about 40-45 mph on the highway, the vehicle just shut down all of a sudden. The entire Electrical System just Shutdown. That was very frightening! So, yes I like to be Fully Compensated for all my troubles with this vehicle.
The contact filed the complaint on behalf of the owner of the 2006 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stationary and being serviced with the engine running, the service technician closed the front driver's side door and moments later the front and rear driver's side curtain air bags deployed. The contact stated that during the failure, there was no one seated in the vehicle. The contact stated that there was no impact to the vehicle to cause the air bags to deploy. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 90,948.
My brakes dont work unless my 3 dashboard lights come on. Slip, tcs and abs. Sometimes I forget and drive off. When I brake at the light you could here the wires buzzing as if there was a short circuit. Finally on my passenger side in the 'back, the tire was wiggling and noticed some lugs were missing plus the hubs lugs were loose. I haven' t taken to go get it inspected because I dont have money at the moment.
When you're driving in hazardous conditions the car loses stability and it caused me to go into a spin and hit a wall, anytime it rains you can feel that the car starts to lose grip of the road and I fear for my life every time it remotely starts to rain or the road is wet. And there's a recall on the Nissan Maxima regarding the rear suspension something and the effect of the recall on that vehicle is what's happening to my vehicle.
Well my car while driving it will completely shut off in me while im driving it. After it cranks back up it is very slow to take off
I bought this 2006 nissan maxima sl with 137,806 miles. I drove it home. The next day, it would not start, I went and bought a battery, on the way the service engine soon light came on., Then the tcs and slip light came on. Took it to a mechanic shop, he keep it almost 4 weeks, and then told me it was not worth fixing/repairing it. I could not believe, I just spent over $4,000.00 On this car and I only drove it home!!, I took it to another well known mechanic shop, he tells me that it needs a new transmission,...
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motor mounts, sensors and probably more. It is not worth fixing it. I am a 57 year old lady and I dont have the money to buy another car and I dont have the money to fix it. I hear that these cars have alot of transmission problems and more. I wish I had known that before buying it.
Transmission slipping from 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th with a hard knock going from park to drive. While driving and slowing to 25mph to go around a turn the car jerked and hard kicked downshifting causing me to almost to hit from behind.
I was driving in a residential area and suddenly steering wheel got stiff, brakes seemed to be on, dashboard lights appeared with "tcs off" "slip" and "check engine " all appeared on dashboard. I almost crashed due to this.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan maxima. While driving approximately 20 mph with the accelerator pedal depressed, the vehicle suddenly failed to accelerate and began to roll backwards down a slight incline. After restarting the engine, the vehicle would not drive forward. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000. The vin was unknown.
When accelerating in low gears, the vehicle jumps and jerks and sometimes revs up the engine. Bad transmission. When placed into reverse, it stops and jerks.
"Takata recall" in motion, shifting has a large clock sound I'd like to know if it's a recall on the coil. Both city street and highway, when accelerating it seems to stall in moving to the next gear or actually not even shift into the next gear in motion, so will not allow the car to pick up any momentum. Reverse is very loud with a somewhat bang to it. As I said before it could be the coil but I'd like to know how to identify if it's also a driveshaft.
TRANSMITION FAILING.SLIPPING OFTEN
My car caught fire due to electrical in the engine the whole front of my car is burned me and my family was asleep the neighbor came and knocked on the window and said my car was on fire I called the fire department they put the fire out and I asked how was the fire started the firemen told me the fire started from the engine
Car has issues shifting from low gears, jerking and bucking
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan maxima. While driving various speeds, the transmission slipped and did not switch into the correct gear. The vehicle was taken to kelly nissan of route 33 (3830 easton-nazareth hwy, easton, pa 18045, (610) 756-1442) where the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,854.
My car was under 90k miles when it experienced transmission slippage, premature clutch wear, overheating, and other problems that ultimately resulted in serious and expensive damage to my vehicles transmission.
Transmission has a wicked vibration. Have had sensors replaced, but that didn't help. Was told that I need a new transmission... Apparently I'm not the only one!
Transmission slip, no power, jerk slip, revving up no power to make car move
Passenger side floor boards rusting out. My 2006 maxima has 106701 miles and has been garaged since I bought it new. It now failed inspection
My 2006 nissan maxima se 81k miles just quit shifting. It will not go forward or reverse.
Transmission jerks into gear and when shifting. Acceleration can be slow and has caused me to nearly have and accident when I could not clear an intersection as quickly as necessary. Sometimes the car will clunk into gear when shifting and when driving. Transmission will stick in 5th and need to shift manually to move at all. This is a problem waiting to happen as I might need to get out of the way of traffic, or a train, and the car won't move. I have read multiple forums where others have the same problems with...
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their 2006 nissan maxima. I have had this car since it was new. Now, 147,000 miles. Amazing that other cars continue to run, safely, well into the 300,000 mile range. Disappointed with nissan for not having a recall on this transmission.
TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTING HARD AND SLIPPING
The car shuts down in the mest of driving or a the stop sign. Some times it will crank back up and some times it will not .So now it will not crack back up.
Takata recall: I received a recall notice in the mail regarding the airbags in my car.
Car has a little over 50,000 miles, was dealer maintained and, transmission failure. The car has less than average wear.
Nissan Maxima: every year compared
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 275 | 1 | F |
| 2009 | 339 | 1 | F |
| 2008 | 79 | 0 | B |
| 2007 | 129 | 1 | C |
| 2006 | 576 | 2 | F |
| 2005 | 948 | 2 | F |
| 2004 | 1,426 | 2 | F |
| 2003 | 206 | 4 | D |
| 2002 | 220 | 9 | F |
2006 Nissan Maxima vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 Nissan Maxima | 576 | 2 | F | |
| 2006 Nissan Pathfinder | 837 | 5 | F | Compare |
| 2006 Nissan Altima | 824 | 4 | F | Compare |
| 2006 Nissan Murano | 803 | 4 | F | Compare |
| 2006 Nissan Xterra | 780 | 5 | F | Compare |
| 2006 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab | 617 | 0 | F | Compare |
| 2006 Nissan Frontier King Cab | 617 | 0 | F | Compare |
| 2006 Nissan Titan | 430 | 7 | F | Compare |
| 2006 Nissan Armada | 266 | 5 | F | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2006 Nissan Maxima
Does the 2006 Nissan Maxima have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2006 Nissan Maxima: rear (February 2006); power adjust (November 2005). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Nissan Maxima?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the transmission & drivetrain (393), engine & cooling (71), brakes (59).
How many complaints has the 2006 Nissan Maxima had?
576 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on February 8, 2006 and the latest on May 17, 2024. Of these, 21 describe a crash and 4 a fire, and together they report 12 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2006 Nissan Maxima a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 10 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Nissan Maxima year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Nissan Maxima years have the most complaints?
2004 (1,426), 2005 (948), 2006 (576). See every Nissan Maxima year compared.
What should I do if my 2006 Nissan Maxima has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data