2012 Nissan Maxima: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 107 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 0 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
107
Complaints
0
Recalls
6
Crash reports
2
Fire reports
7
Injuries
86.0
Severity index
Severity index 86.0 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 129 2012 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2012 Nissan Maxima ranks 41 of 129 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 68% of its model-year peers. See the full 2012 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 27 | 25.2% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 23 | 21.5% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 20 | 18.7% |
| POWER TRAIN | 18 | 16.8% |
| ENGINE | 11 | 10.3% |
| STEERING | 10 | 9.3% |
| STRUCTURE | 6 | 5.6% |
| SEATS | 6 | 5.6% |
The single most-reported system is AIR BAGS, cited in 27 of 107 complaints (25.2%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 6 |
| 2014 | 17 |
| 2015 | 6 |
| 2016 | 15 |
| 2017 | 7 |
| 2018 | 19 |
| 2019 | 13 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 1 |
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.