Last updated: 2026-10-10

2019 Nissan Maxima Reliability Report
The 2019 Nissan Maxima has good reliability and beats most 2019 sedans, but a few owners report phantom automatic braking at highway speed.
Recalls
1
Complaints
18
Complaint Rate
5.1per 10,000 sold
Est. Repair Cost
$540
Annual Fuel Cost
$3,100
Detailed Score Breakdown
Component-weighted complaints normalized by sales volume
Independent repair cost ratings
Recall count weighted by severity
Breadth of reported problem categories
The Verdict
Rates well above other 2019 sedans with light complaints, though phantom automatic braking and one stalling report are the issues to check.
Top Issues to Watch
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (2)
- POWER TRAIN (2)
- SERVICE BRAKES (2)
Generation & Refresh (US)
2019 is year 4 of the Eighth generation (A36).
- Redesigned for the 2016 model year.
- Well-established in its generation — most early issues should be resolved.
- A refresh arrives in 2020.
- 8th generation Maxima (US).
What this means for buyers
Well into the generation cycle — most design and manufacturing issues should be resolved by now.
2016: Eighth generation (A36) Launch
Generation start — new platform.
2019: This Model Year
2019 is year 4 of the Eighth generation (A36).
2020: Mid-Cycle Refresh
Updated features and styling tweaks.
Should You Buy the 2019 Nissan Maxima?
Good reliability puts this Maxima well above the average 2019 sedan, and it sits in the middle of the six scored Maxima years. Independent repair-cost data estimates $540 a year model-wide, under the $590 typical for the class. The 2018 rates worse, with more complaints and an extra recall. The 2020 rates about the same.
Complaints are few, but two patterns matter. Two owners report phantom braking: the automatic system slams the brakes at highway speed with nothing ahead, and the dash lights red. One car stopped doing it after a dealer replaced an ABS sensor. Another owner had stalling without warning at about 70,000 miles, and the dealer could not find the cause. The single recall covers back over prevention.
Ask for records of brake sensor work and any dealer visits for stalling. Confirm the recall was done, and get the accident history, since one buyer reported undisclosed prior damage. A 2020 is a reasonable alternative.
Compared to the 2020 Nissan Maxima, which scored 2 points lower. See also the 2018 Nissan Maxima for an earlier comparison.
Pros
- +Acceptable reliability score
- +$50 cheaper to maintain than avg fullsize cars
- +Infrequent unscheduled repairs
- +Low major repair risk (15%)
Cons
- −UNKNOWN OR OTHER: Infotainment faults dominate this category (5 complaints)
- −ELECTRICAL SYSTEM issues reported (2 complaints)
Compare 2019 Nissan Maxima With

2019 Chrysler 300
Reliability: 71/100

2019 Buick LaCrosse
Reliability: 76/100

2019 Dodge Charger
Reliability: 71/100

2019 Hyundai Sonata
Reliability: 71/100

2019 Subaru Legacy
Reliability: 69/100
Common Problem Categories
Safety
LOW RISK- 1 manufacturer recall issued
Other
HIGH RISK- UNKNOWN OR OTHER (5)
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (2)
Recall Overview
1
recall on record
The 2019 Nissan Maxima carries 1 recall — a low count. Authorized dealers repair any open recall free of charge, regardless of warranty status.
NHTSA.gov →Complaint Breakdown
5.1
per 10,000 soldSegment avg: 19.1
Safety Incidents
2
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
Data sourced from NHTSA complaint filings and manufacturer recall notices. Complaint narratives are owner-reported.
2019 Nissan Maxima Recall Details
1 recall has been issued for the 2019 Nissan Maxima. All recall repairs are performed free of charge at authorized dealerships.
BACK OVER PREVENTION
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Consequence
The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200.
Buying a used 2019 Nissan Maxima? Check its history first
Electrical system problems lead owner complaints about the 2019 Nissan Maxima, and 1 recall was issued for it. A VIN check shows whether this car's recall work was done, plus accident, title, and odometer history.
- Accidents
- Open Recalls
- Title History
- Odometer Rollback
2019 Nissan Maxima NHTSA Safety Ratings
Crash Test Results by Configuration (expand)
Gas Powertrain
Rollover risk: 9.5%
Safety Technologies
Nissan MaximaRepair Costs & Maintenance
Maintenance Rating
3.5Maintenance rating: 3.5 out of 5Based on NHTSA complaint patterns, recall severity, and publicly available cost benchmarks.
Est. Annual Maintenance
$540
vs $590 avg for fullsize cars
vs $652 avg for all vehicles
Repair Frequency
0.3
unscheduled repair visits per year
Severe Repair Probability
15%
chance of a major repair
Annual Cost Comparison
Category-level averages derived from publicly available industry reports (AAA, CarMD). Model-level estimates produced by Auto Reliability Index.
MPG & Annual Running Costs
Gas
24 MPG
Running cost: $3,650/yr
Fuel + repair
20 city / 30 hwy MPG
Running cost includes EPA fuel-cost estimate and independent repair-cost data (repair cost estimated at model level). Excludes routine maintenance, depreciation, and insurance. Data as of 2019 EPA label cycle.
Gas trims
| Trim | Drive | Trans. | City | Hwy | Comb | Fuel Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maxima 3.5L 6-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AV-S7) | 20 | 30 | 24 | $3,100 |
Used Buying Checklist
Key things to inspect or verify before purchasing a 2019 Nissan Maxima.
Drive on a busy highway and watch for false automatic braking or a sudden red dash warning.
Confirm the ABS and AEB warning lights go out after startup and stay off during the drive.
Run the radio and CarPlay for the whole test drive. Watch for reboots, dropouts, or sudden volume jumps.
Plug a device into each front USB port and confirm it charges and connects.
Inspect the panoramic sunroof glass for cracks and fully operate the rear sunshade, checking for broken plastic.
Check both headlights for heavy condensation inside the housing and any headlight system error message.
Open the hood, rev the engine and let it idle. Listen for clanking, whining, or a thump as it settles.
Get a vehicle history report and check for prior accidents that could have damaged the transmission or body.
2019 Nissan Maxima Common Problems by Component
18 owner complaints grouped by vehicle system.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
5 complaintsInfotainment faults dominate this category. The radio head unit cuts out, reboots on its own, or switches on at blaring volume while driving, and resets often fail to fix it. CarPlay starts and stops, and front USB ports stop working. Two reports involve the panoramic sunroof. In one, the glass shatters with a gunshot-like bang while driving. In the other, the rear sunshade snaps apart with the roof closed, and the dealer quotes over $3000 to replace it. One report also describes an AEB warning light that stays on.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2 complaintsThe most serious report is stalling without warning, which begins after a hazard warning about a vehicle failure at about 70,000 miles. The dealer keeps that car for over 11 days and cannot find the cause. Stalling in traffic carries real crash risk. A separate report describes a headlight system error at night. The driver-side LED headlight shuts off, comes back on, and later flickers. Heavy condensation shows up inside that headlight assembly afterward.
POWER TRAIN
2 complaintsNeither report points to a specific drivetrain failure. One describes noises from under the hood: a clank like a pan hitting something, a whine at low speed, and a thump when the engine drops back to idle after pressing the gas. The other is about a dealer sale where transmission and body damage from an earlier accident reportedly went undisclosed. Both reports say more about an individual car's history and condition than about a repeated factory defect.
SERVICE BRAKES (2 complaints)
SERVICE BRAKES
2 complaintsPhantom braking is the pattern here. The automatic braking system triggers an abrupt stop at highway speed with nothing in the road, and the dash lights up red. Both reports describe repeat events in cars bought new. In one case the ABS light stays on until a dealer replaces a sensor, and the false activations stop after that. A sudden hard stop in traffic creates a clear risk of a rear-end collision.
VISIBILITY/WIPER (1 complaints)
VISIBILITY/WIPER
1 complaintI recently purchased a 2019 Nissan Maxima in November of 2025 from the Nissan dealership, with in the matter of 2 weeks after getting the car as I was driving the sunroof just exploded sounding like a gunshot. My son was in the car and luckily, I had the shade up, so no glass got all over us. The issue almost caused a wreck due to me having to swerve after thinking someone was shooting and or something fell out of the sky. I have a panoramic sunroof, and the insurance company say they do not cover sunroofs.
ENGINE (1 complaints)
ENGINE
1 complaintThe contact owns a 2019 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the oil level warning light illuminated and the vehicle started smoking under the hood. The contact checked the oil level and notice there was no oil in the engine. The contact added engine oil however, the smoking continued. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact stated that the spark plugs and intake gasket were replaced; however, the vehicle continued to smoke and the oil level remained low. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the engine needed to be replaced. The failure mileage was 70,000.
WHEELS (1 complaints)
WHEELS
1 complaintThe lug nuts on this vehicle are covered with a thin stainless "cap". This cap can, and was, easily damaged and deformed when attempting to remove it to change a tire. The stainless steel "cap" was able to rotate without rotating the lug nut it was covering. This made it impossible to remove the wheel. This is a very poor and dangerous design as a driver can be stranded with a flat tire and no way to remove the lug nuts holding the wheel to the vehicle. The vehicle had to be towed to a mechanic who had to cut away the cap and remove it from the covered lug nut before the lug not could be removed.
STRUCTURE (1 complaints)
STRUCTURE
1 complaintWhile driving on a windy day at approximately 55 mph, the hood popped up on the Maxima. The secondary latch prevented the hood from rising more than a couple of inches so no damage occurred, but had the hood come completely open it could have been a disaster. The car was pulled to the side of the road and the hood was closed tight. The hood was last opened when being serviced by my Nissan dealer. This is the first time this has happened and the car was driven home (approx 15 miles), under the same windy conditions, without incident. It has not been inspected by the dealer yet.
TIRES (1 complaints)
TIRES
1 complaintWe were traveling on a lightly crowded highway when all at once the car shuddered, tire and warning lights came on, noise and vibration levels increased dramatically. I managed to pull over and then off the highway in order to replace the damaged tire with the donut spare. The roadway was clear, and we did not run over any objects. The tire was utterly flat. It had failed instantly, as opposed to a leak. The attached photo shows that the inner sidewall of the tire failed simultaneously, in multiple places. NOTE!!! Earlier batches of this same brand/make/model tire have already been RECALLED! The tires on my car were made 3 weeks after the listed DOT batch week end. The recall period needs to be extended.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING (1 complaints)
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
1 complaintSafety-relatedDRIVING NORTH ON BISCAYNE BLVD 167TH ST NORTH MIAMI FL CAR DRASTICALLY WENT TO RIGHT AND WENT ON RISKING AND HIT POLES AND AIR BAGS CAME OUT I HAD NO CONTROL OF VEHICLE IT WAS MECHANICAL DEFECT I CALLED PRIOR TO RENTAL SAYING SOMETHING IS WRONG BUT NO ONE LISTENED.*DT*JB*DT CONSUMER RECEIVED A LETTER STATING VEHICLE WAS SOLD AS A SALVAGE.*JB
Best & Worst Nissan Maxima Years
Best Nissan Maxima Years to Buy
Based on reliability index scoreNissan Maxima Years to Avoid
No Nissan Maxima years are statistical outliers in our data.
Scores stay between 72 and 77 across 6 scored model years.
Nissan Maxima Reliability Score Trend
Scores 0–100. Higher is better. Current year highlighted.
| Year | Score | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 72/100 | Good |
| 2019 | 76/100 | Good |
| 2020 | 74/100 | Good |
| 2021 | 77/100 | Good |
| 2022 | 77/100 | Good |
| 2023 | 77/100 | Good |
Nissan Maxima Reliability Compared to Other Years
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the 2019 Nissan Maxima reliable?
What are the most common problems with the 2019 Nissan Maxima?
Does the 2019 Nissan Maxima have automatic braking problems?
Has the 2019 Nissan Maxima been recalled?
How much does the 2019 Nissan Maxima cost to maintain?
Don’t buy a 2019 Nissan Maxima without checking its VIN first — hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls could cost you thousands.
How we score the 2019 Nissan Maxima
Of the four inputs behind this score, the 2019 Nissan Maxima does best on recall impact (88/100) and worst on repair costs (70/100). 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.
Get notified when new recalls or reliability data is added for the Nissan Maxima.
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