Worst 2003 Nissan Maxima Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
ENGINE
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
AIR BAGS
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2003 Nissan Maxima.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 43 | 1 | 1 | 132,460 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 39 | — | — | 91,526 mi | |
| AIR BAGS | 27 | 6 | 1 | 137,216 mi | |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 22 | — | — | 11,897 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 14 | — | — | 139,310 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 10 | — | — | 100,065 mi | |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 10 | 1 | 1 | 74,121 mi | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 6 | 2 | — | 56,242 mi | |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 5 | 4 | — | 47,167 mi | |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 4 | — | — | 198,500 mi | |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 3 | — | — | 120,147 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL | 3 | — | — | 46,834 mi | |
| EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. | 3 | — | — | — | |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 3 | — | — | 155,333 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 3 | — | — | 64,500 mi | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 3 | 2 | — | 10,000 mi | |
| STEERING | 3 | 1 | — | 79,000 mi | |
| AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW | 2 | 2 | — | 49,000 mi | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 2 | — | — | 11,018 mi | |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | — | — | 86,600 mi | |
| STRUCTURE | 2 | — | — | 50 mi | |
| SUSPENSION | 2 | — | — | — | |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 2 | — | — | 20,000 mi | |
| VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY | 2 | — | — | 20,000 mi | |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | 1 | — | — | — | |
| BACK OVER PREVENTION:WARNINGS:EXTERNAL/PEDESTRIAN ALERT | 1 | — | — | 3,000 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 | — | — | 22,000 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 1 | — | — | 32,600 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 | — | — | — | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 | — | — | 27,000 mi |
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2003 Nissan Maxima. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Recalls for 2003 Nissan Maxima
2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~1,398,531 vehicles.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and 2006-2010 M35 and M45 vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated, frontal passenger air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2001-2003 Nissan Maxima, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 and I35, 2003 FX35 and FX45, and 2001 I30 vehicles. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Other Nissan Maxima Years
Wider context: See the full Nissan Maxima reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
Check Your Specific 2003 Nissan Maxima
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud.
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