2016 Nissan MAXIMA - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2016 Nissan Maxima has received a top safety rating of 5 overall. It excels in all crash tests including front crash, side crash, and rollover, with impressive ratings across the board. This model comes equipped with standard electronic stability control for enhanced vehicle handling and safety. Additionally, it offers optional forward collision warning to alert the driver of potential hazards. However, lane departure warning is not available with this vehicle.

In terms of complaints and recalls, the 2016 Nissan Maxima has attracted 114 complaints and has been subject to 8 recalls. While the safety ratings are outstanding, it is essential for drivers to stay informed about any potential issues and ensure that any recalls are addressed promptly to maintain the vehicle's safety standards.

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Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

114

Recall Count

8

Investigation Count

0

Safety Rating

5/5

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Safety Features

2016 Nissan Maxima 4 DR FWD Early Release Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2016 Nissan Maxima 4 DR FWD Early Release

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

Optional
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2016 Nissan Maxima 4 DR FWD Early Release Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2016 Nissan Maxima 4 DR FWD Early Release Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2016 Score 2023 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated 5 5
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 5 5 5
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 4 4 5

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2016 Score 2023 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated 5 5
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 4 5 5
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 4 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated 5 5
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated 5 5

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2016 Score 2023 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated 5 5
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated 4 5

Complaints for the 2016 Nissan MAXIMA

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"my 2016 nissan maxima has 59000 miles and im having problems with the cvt transmission juddering when pressing gas slowly hesitating to change gears ive seen articles about nissan vehicles having the same issue i guess a death needs to happen so it can be on recall what ashame"
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2024-03-04
Complaint:
"vehicle intermittently jerks upon acceleration and has become excessive. rpms drop and surge which cause a lack in power. vehicle was taken to my personal mechanic who diagnosed it as a software issue with the cvt transmission and i was told i needed to take it directly to a nissan dealer. my mechanic informed me that nissans have had several issues with the transmission. after further research i found an abundance of complaints from other consumers under lemon law that they experienced the same issue and some experienced stalling related to the cvt transmission.the dealer also informed me that the nissan does have known transmission issues but it is not currently considered a recall. i am requesting that this matter be looked into as a recall. my concern is that if the vehicle stalls on me in the middle of traffic that my safety and my family’s safety could be endangered."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2023-10-03
Complaint:
"the vehicle does not accelerate and it jerks, whines and cuts off. the repair shop mechanic said he would not touch it without new transmission. the engine light is on, sometimes it blinks but not 100% of the time. it also won't get any power and cuts off on incline."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2022-09-10
Complaint:
"my 2016 maxima sl has a faulty cvt transmission. it shakes, stutters and has no power on acceleration. it is a safety concern because i could easily pull out into traffic and my car will not accelerate. the problem has been confirmed by a nissan dealership. it has been inspected. there are no warning lights or any dashboard indications that something is faulty."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2021-01-09
Complaint:
"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. when put into drive or reverse with the brake released the car would not move. when the accelerator was depressed the rpms would flutter but the car would not move. i first thought that nissan's notorious cvt problem had plagued my vehicle. i made an appointment to get my transmission inspected at route 23 nissan in nutley, new jersey, and i had contacted nissan north america's consumer affairs department. after dropping the vehicle off at route 23 nissan, nissan's consumers affairs department got back to me within 48 hours and informed me that nissan had no interest in rectifying the situation because there was no recall and it was 'outside of the warranty period.' the company must be waiting for the first death to occur similar to the takata incident. if this situation were to occur while i was on the highway it could have resulted in the injury of others and myself. nissan technicians determined that the xtronic cvt had a complete failure and needed to be replaced because they could not be repaired. the repair cost is well over $4,000."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2021-07-03
Complaint:
"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"
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2020-12-11
Complaint:
"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."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2021-12-07
Complaint:
"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. its not right they should be covering a 4 year old cars transmission going bad in full when they know about the problems. *tr"
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2022-03-05
Complaint:
"tl* the contact owns a 2016 nissan maxima. while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle began to hesitate. when depressing the accelerator pedal, the speed began to decelerate. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the contact experienced the failure multiple times. in december of 2019, the ignition failed to start. the contact noticed that the battery was corroded. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and then towed to passport nissan (located at 5000 auth way, camp springs, md 20746, (301) 423-8400). the dealer diagnosed that the transmission and battery needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was 40,000."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2019-02-10
Complaint:
"when stopped and start to move the engine or transmission jerks and slips. slight loss of power as well. jerks and slips again n regains power. happens from a stop and also from first gear to second gear."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2017-10-07

Recalls for the 2016 Nissan MAXIMA

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"nissan north america, inc. (nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 nissan murano, 2016-2017 nissan maxima, 2017-2018 nissan pathfinder, and 2017 infiniti qx60 vehicles. the anti-lock brake (abs) actuator pumps may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal circuit board."
Consequence:
A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy:

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the serial number on the ABS actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 29, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: When brake fluid has leaked onto the circuit board, the ABS warning lamp will remain illuminated for more than 10 seconds after engine start up. If this occurs, owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and to not drive the vehicle.

Component(s) Involved: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC > ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
Date of incident: 2018-09-07
Recall:
"nissan north america, inc. (nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 nissan maxima vehicles manufactured february 10, 2015, to august 19, 2016 and equipped with intelligent cruise control, 2015-2017 murano vehicles manufactured august 22, 2014, to august 19, 2016 and equipped with intelligent cruise control, and 2015-2016 murano hybrid vehicles manufactured august 22, 2014, to july 19, 2016. the affected vehicles have anti-lock brake (abs) actuator pumps that may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal electrical circuit board."
Consequence:
A brake fluid leak onto the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy:

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ABS Actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 12, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: When brake fluid has leaked onto the circuit board, the ABS warning lamp will remain illuminated for more than 10 seconds after engine start up. If this occurs, owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and to not drive the vehicle.

Component(s) Involved: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC > ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
Date of incident: 2016-09-02
Recall:
"nissan north america, inc. (nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016 murano vehicles manufactured december 17, 2015, to february 11, 2016, and 2016 maxima vehicles manufactured november 25, 2015, to february 12, 2016 and equipped with an antilock braking system (abs) and vehicle dynamic control (vdc). the abs actuator may have a damaged o-ring that may result in a lack of brake fluid pressure."
Consequence:
Insufficient brake fluid pressure may lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ABS actuator, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 16, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Component(s) Involved: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC > ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
Date of incident: 2016-04-07
Recall:
"nissan north america, inc. (nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2018 nissan murano, 2016-2018 nissan maxima, and 2017-2019 nissan pathfinder and infiniti qx60 vehicles. these vehicles were previously recalled and unrepaired, or inspected and determined to not need a repair, under recall number 18v-601. in addition, this recall expands the previous population. the anti-lock brake system (abs) actuator pumps may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal circuit board."
Consequence:
A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy:

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ABS actuator, free of charge. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available, currently expected to be during summer 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: If the ABS warning light remains illuminated for more than 10 seconds after engine start up, owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and to not drive the vehicle.

Component(s) Involved: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC > ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
Date of incident: 2019-11-08

NISSAN Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

NISSAN ranks 5 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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2015 PATHFINDER
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  • Overall Safety Rating: 5
  • Complaints Count: 283
  • Recall Count: 6
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2019 FRONTIER
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  • Overall Safety Rating: Not Rated
  • Complaints Count: 14
  • Recall Count: 1
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2017 MURANO
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  • Overall Safety Rating: Not Rated
  • Complaints Count: 93
  • Recall Count: 3
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2015 FRONTIER
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  • Overall Safety Rating: Not Rated
  • Complaints Count: 27
  • Recall Count: 0
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