Is the Chrysler 300 more reliable than the Nissan Maxima?

No, the Maxima comes out slightly ahead. Both stand good on reliability. The Maxima has a lower annual repair cost and far fewer recalls. The 300 has a lower chance that a repair is major and a lower complaint rate per car sold, so the difference is small.

Which has more recalls, the 300 or the Maxima?

The 300 has more. Federal recall records show 13 recalls across its 2018 to 2023 model years, compared with 4 for the Maxima over the same years. Check any specific VIN for open recalls before you buy either car.

Which is cheaper to repair, the 300 or the Maxima?

The Maxima is cheaper. Independent repair-cost data estimates $540 a year for the Maxima and $631 for the 300. Over five years that is about $455 less. Both average 0.3 unscheduled shop visits per year.

What are the most common Chrysler 300 problems?

Electrical trouble leads, with 80 owner complaints. The most common report is a Uconnect touchscreen that freezes or goes dark after a failed update, which can cut off the backup camera and climate controls. Air bag complaints are next and are the most serious, including failures to deploy in crashes.

Does the Nissan Maxima have transmission or power loss problems?

A few owners report them. Power train complaints are few, but one describes a failed transmission that stalled the car and needed a tow. Service brake complaints describe sudden power loss with many warning lights at once. The dealer could not reproduce the fault in one case.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Chrysler 300 vs Nissan Maxima: Reliability Compared

Chrysler 300

Good

More Reliable

Nissan Maxima

Good

A slight edge goes to the Nissan Maxima over the Chrysler 300, thanks to lower repair costs and far fewer recalls. Both stand good on reliability, so the gap is narrow. The 300's air bag complaints, including crash-linked reports, add weight to the Maxima's side.

How Do the Chrysler 300 and Nissan Maxima Generations Compare?

Second-generation cars make up the whole 300 range here. That generation began in 2011, was refreshed in 2015, and ended with the 2023 model year, so you are shopping the late years of a long run. The Maxima in this range is an eighth-generation car, sold from 2016 to 2023 and refreshed in 2020. Models from 2018 and 2019 carry the pre-refresh design, while 2020 to 2023 are refreshed. The refresh did not fix everything, since 2020 is still one of the Maxima's weakest years. Its strongest years, 2021 and 2022, came after it.

Verdict

The Nissan Maxima is more reliable than the Chrysler 300, scoring 76/100 vs 72/100.

A slight edge goes to the Maxima, and the gap is small because both sedans stand good on reliability. The Maxima costs less per year to repair, and federal recall records show far fewer recalls across the same six model years. The 300 does better on the chance a repair is major, and its complaint rate per car sold is lower. Cost, recall history, and the 300's air bag complaints, which include crash-linked reports, tip the call toward the Maxima.

Key Differences

1Nissan Maxima costs $91 less per year to repair
2Nissan Maxima has 9 fewer total recalls
3Chrysler 300 has 4.2 fewer complaints per 10k sold

Category Scoreboard

2Chrysler 300

—

4Nissan Maxima

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Chrysler 300 vs Nissan Maxima: Which Is More Reliable?

Chrysler 300 vs Nissan Maxima at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Chrysler 300	Nissan Maxima
Reliability Score	72/100	76/100
Years Tracked	6	6
Total Recalls	13	4
Complaints per 10k Sold	2.3	6.5
Annual Repair Cost	$631/yr	$540/yr
Repair Frequency	0.3/yr	0.3/yr
Major Repair Risk	13%	15%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2023 NHTSA	2023 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	0 (1 tied)	5 (1 tied)

What Are the Common Problems With the Chrysler 300 and Nissan Maxima?

Safety-related failures set the 300 apart. Owners report air bags that did not deploy in serious crashes, and bags that went off in an unoccupied car. Nine of those complaints are crash-linked. Its most common complaint is a Uconnect screen that freezes after a failed update, taking the backup camera and climate controls with it. Driver-assist faults dominate the Maxima's list: a forward collision warning light that stays on, and a front radar message that shuts off adaptive cruise control. It also has reports of sudden power loss and a transmission failure that stalled a car. None of its main problem areas shows a crash-linked count.

Chrysler 300 vs Nissan Maxima common problem areas comparison
Component	Chrysler 300	Nissan Maxima
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.4Very Low	0.9Very Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.7Very Low	0.5Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.5Very Low	0.2Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	—None	0.7Very Low
POWER TRAIN	0.2Very Low	0.3Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	—None	0.5Very Low
STRUCTURE	—None	0.3Very Low
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	0.2Very Low
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES	—None	0.2Very Low
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)	—None	0.2Very Low
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—None	—None
SEAT BELTS	—None	—None
STEERING	—None	—None
ENGINE	—None	—None
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	—None	—None
WHEELS	—None	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Chrysler 300 or Nissan Maxima?

Keeping the Maxima on the road costs less. Independent repair-cost data puts its annual repair cost at $540, against $631 for the 300. Over five years, that gap adds up to $455 in the Maxima's favor. Both cars average 0.3 unscheduled shop visits per year, so neither sends you to the shop more often. The 300 has the lower chance that a repair is major, at 13% against 15% for the Maxima. Both differences are small.

How Does Chrysler 300 vs Nissan Maxima Reliability Compare by Year?

Chrysler 300 vs Nissan Maxima year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Chrysler 300	Nissan Maxima	Edge
2023	75/1001R / 5C	77/1000R / 1C	Nissan Maxima
2022	73/1002R / 5C	77/1000R / 5C	Nissan Maxima
2021	73/1002R / 18C	77/1000R / 3C	Nissan Maxima
2020	74/1002R / 10C	74/1001R / 21C	Tie
2019	71/1002R / 59C	76/1001R / 18C	Nissan Maxima
2018	66/1004R / 151C	72/1002R / 36C	Nissan Maxima

Best years to cross-shop: The 2023 Chrysler 300 scored 75/100 and the 2023 Nissan Maxima scored 77/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Chrysler 300 vs the Nissan Maxima?

If you want the lower bill and the cleaner recall history, pick the Maxima. It costs less to repair each year, and it had far fewer recalls. Target 2021 or 2022, its strongest years. Skip 2018 and 2020, its weakest. Before you buy, test the driver-assist features and look for a lit collision warning or radar message, since owners report both. Ask whether the original warranty still applies, because owners with expired coverage paid for radar repairs themselves. If a lower chance of a major repair matters more to you, and you will check the details, pick the 300. Target 2023 or 2020, its strongest years. Avoid 2018 and 2019, its weakest. Spend time on the Uconnect screen during a test drive. Because the air bag complaints are the most serious in this comparison, run the VIN through federal recall records first and confirm all recall work was done. Also check the headlights, since replacement assemblies are dealer-only parts that owners report cost over $2000.

Chrysler 300 vs Nissan Maxima: Common Questions

Is the Chrysler 300 more reliable than the Nissan Maxima?: No, the Maxima comes out slightly ahead. Both stand good on reliability. The Maxima has a lower annual repair cost and far fewer recalls. The 300 has a lower chance that a repair is major and a lower complaint rate per car sold, so the difference is small.
Which has more recalls, the 300 or the Maxima?: The 300 has more. Federal recall records show 13 recalls across its 2018 to 2023 model years, compared with 4 for the Maxima over the same years. Check any specific VIN for open recalls before you buy either car.
Which is cheaper to repair, the 300 or the Maxima?: The Maxima is cheaper. Independent repair-cost data estimates $540 a year for the Maxima and $631 for the 300. Over five years that is about $455 less. Both average 0.3 unscheduled shop visits per year.
What are the most common Chrysler 300 problems?: Electrical trouble leads, with 80 owner complaints. The most common report is a Uconnect touchscreen that freezes or goes dark after a failed update, which can cut off the backup camera and climate controls. Air bag complaints are next and are the most serious, including failures to deploy in crashes.
Does the Nissan Maxima have transmission or power loss problems?: A few owners report them. Power train complaints are few, but one describes a failed transmission that stalled the car and needed a tow. Service brake complaints describe sudden power loss with many warning lights at once. The dealer could not reproduce the fault in one case.

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How we score the Chrysler 300 and Nissan Maxima

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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