general problems of the 2004 Nissan Maxima - part 1

Timing chain failure. Timing chain was bad from day one. Spent nearly 4000 dollars for repair. Then to look up online and find out many other people had problem. Now a few years later. Same problem.

Me and my boyfriend were sold this car for 2500 and the car needed a new battery, a new converter . Once I brought those items and put them in the car started having compression problems to the point it has a slow take off , cannot go up hills , and we have to shift gears just for it to move . . This car was sold to us like this and we almost fell off a cliff because of the compression problem and not being able to go up any hills . . The people who sold us the car said they will not fix the problem or refund our money .

04v326000 one of the recall number the other is 05v512000 not sure what to do at this point I've changed my timing chain also already I also received a letter stating if I had to replace it to contact Nissan I believe I'm just getting the run around.

Tl-the contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated while the vehicle was unoccupied it independently caught fire from the engine compartment. The fire department extinguished the fire. A fire report was not filed. A local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available. Tw.

My timing chain primary guide has broke ! this is a defective design assembly part! it's made of plastic and the plastic breaks and the chain looses tension! it cost 2000$ to repair. I'm driving the car. I can't go on the highway because if the chain fails the car will just stop!'dangerous Nissan has known of the defective part ! they notified all dealerships in 2004 TSB. Buyers avoid Nissan maxi as 04-08 models.

The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving at 65 mph, the brake pedal was depressed and the gear shift failed. The check engine warning indicator illuminated continuously. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the solenoid needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 188,000.

1 cove court.

My car is jerking and bucking really badly while into gear also while coming to stops and driving along. The take off is slow and hesitant and it loses power at times while driving. While putting it in gear it jerks really hard as well. Please help! I can not afford to fix this problem and I need my transportation for work.

Transmission problems causes car to jerk very badly, acts as tho it does not want to go. Pulling off you will have to make sure no cars are coming at all because if you just go, you're likely to be hit.

I took my car in for an inspection, found out that the floor on the passenger side had rusted from the inside out and there was a good size hole. It cost me a couple hundred to fix because it wouldn't pass the inspection. The next thing was the slack timing chain, the car sounds like a truck. I've been told it would cost up to $3000 to fix. Then the biggest safety issue is the transmission, this one is really concerning. The jerking, bucking, kicking, clanging, the seconds of hesitation between drive and reverse and then suddenly it engages and the kick could give you whiplash. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a rodeo. When the car sits for awhile (overnight) there is no issue with the initial start but once it warms up that's it. You can't accelerate properly once the car slows down, or is making a turn, going around a bend or comes to a stop because it drops out of gear, then there is the hesitation and at that point it just revs, this happens 2 or 3 times before it engages again then there is a massive bang and the car lunges forward, by then the traffic is right under your rear bumper. After this happens a few times there is no more acceleration, the pedal has to be pushed to the floor for the car to move. The engine light came on a month or two ago and hasn't gone off. This is a real dangerous, safety issue. A few days ago another issue appeared, I cannot open the driver side door with the remote door opener or the electronic door opener on the inside of the door. At this point I've read many complaints about these issues, they are all manufacture problems but the timing chain and transmission is the biggest when it comes to safety because you do not know when the car will stop. Why hasn't Nissan done a recall????? there are enough complaints.

The car is jerking is while driving. It is also revving while driving.

I bought a 2004 Nissan Maxima se a year and two months ago. It had 91,000 miles on it. The transmission started slamming gears a few months ago right around 100k miles. I had it looked at and no problem could be found. But then on 1/8/15 the transmission got stuck in 5th gear. It would go into park and reverse fine but in drive it went straight into 5th. I was able to get it to slowly drive to a friends house wher I parked and left it over night and borrowed a vehicle from them. The next morning I came back cranked it and it was fine. So I drove it towards the repair shop. It dies as I pull in. They run a diagnostic and they say the cam sensor is bad. The really expensive warranty that supposedly covers my car from bumper to bumper is claiming that this part is not covered in my bumper to bumper warranty so now I'm suck with a really expensive repair bill if I want to drive my car again. The thing is I get on line and see that there are thousands and thousands of people who have had the same problems I'm having and Nissan is aware of the defect in the year model of car and are doing nothing to fix it and no ones warranties are covering the repairs. I'm a single mother and I make very little money so I don't have the extra income to fix this problem that clearly should be a recall in the first place. I hope that you will make Nissan accountable one day for their blatant screwing of their customers.

When driving the car, it slams into 2nd gear and/or hesitates shifting into it. When idle and shifting from reverse to drive or from drive to reverse, there is a 2-3 delay and the car jerks and slams into that gear. The jerk is aggressive and can cause in injury. The car does not shift smoothly and constantly jerks and slams into gear. After having the vehicle diagnosed, they mechanics say it will either need a new valve body or new transmission on a car with 112k miles on it. This is a common issue for 2004-2006 Nissan Maxima owners and is very dangerous and and expensive.

Whenever I shift to reverse the car pauses and then jerks, same jerk behavior happens whenever I shift from reverse to drive. Sometimes when I am driving I can feel the car hesitating when switching gears. I have been told the transmission is going bad.

As I was driving home, traffic began to slow down due to congestion. As I slowed down, the car began to jerk violently. I was nearly hit from behind. The car jerked two more times as I made my way over to the side of the highway. I turned off the car and waited a few minutes. I prayed then started my car again. I was approximately 10 miles from home. As I got off the highway and pulled onto my local street, I came to a red light. As I slowed down, the car began to jerk again. I pulled over and turned the car off. After a while, I continued to drive home. I parked the car, checked my oil (levels were good) and started to call around for help. This is extremely dangerous.

Tl- the contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the abs light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, but the cause of the failure was unknown. The dealer did not diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact left the dealer and took her vehicle to her residence. The contact then noticed a fire emerging from the engine compartment. A police report was filed. There were no injuries. The manufacturer was not notified about the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000. Dyd . . . Updated 03/24/14.

Woke up to a horn steadily beeping, went to my window to see what was going on and I see flames shooting about 15 ft high and knew my neighbor's car was on fire, after the fire the owner told me he had not driven the car that day, and that it melted the dashboard and quickly destroyed interior and engine compartment of the car, there could have been fatalities or injuries as the car had a full gas tank, and luckily did not reach gas tank, but if it had there would have been major property damage to several homes, and many lives put at risk.

My wife's 2004 Maxima which she originally purchased new at the pomoco Nissan dealership in hampton, virginia has 59,000 miles on it currently and the vehicle's automatic transmission jerks violently when decelerating and then slams into gear. The event occurs around an estimated speed of 25-30 mph during downshifting of the transmission. The experience feels like someone has crashed into you from the rear. . . And the force from the gearing thrust throws the car forward violently. This happens every time the car is driven and is a critical safety concern for us. Vehicle was taken to wesley chapel Nissan dealership located in wesley chapel, florida for an inspection and the tech said the transmission needs to be replaced at a cost of $3300 for parts & labor. As reflected in the low mileage, the car has been driven very little and has been meticulously maintained by her and has remained garaged the majority of the time. I have done some research and discovered that numerous 2004 Maxima owners have experienced the same transmission (failure) problems with similar mileage range, but no recall was ever activated by the Nissan company to remedy the issue. However, there was an extended warranty issued for a few Nissan models regarding faulty transmissions excluding the Maxima. Called consumer affairs at Nissan to complain about the problem, but was told by rep that there was nothing they could do because the warranty for the vehicle had expired. I explained to the rep that there are numerous complaints regarding the transmission problems and that Nissan needs to do something to fix the problem since this is a recurring theme when it comes to this specific year of the Maxima model.

Car jerks when going from first to second gear. Sometimes it won't go at all. Accident waiting to happen.

My 18 year old son could not get the vehicle to engage in reverse. In an effort to drive the vehicle to the mechanic the transmission failed while driving and luckily I was able to coast to the side of the road narrowly escaping a traffic accident. I had recently passed this vehicle down to my son and I shudder to think what would have happened to him if he had been behind the wheel considering he is a less experienced driver. I have been informed that there are numerous incidents involving Nissan vehicle transmissions.

While I was driving onto a highway off of a ramp I went to accelerate to merge into traffic while doing so my car did not move and the engine rpms redlined after about 3 seconds my car jerked into gear and felt as if someone had rear-ended me however I noticed it was my car not being able to get into gear. Once it got into gear the car peeled out uncontrollably and I almost ran my car off the road. The vehicle is a very well maintained vehicle and only has 75,000 miles on it.

When ever I shift to reverse the car pauses and then jerks. I took it to the shop and had new motor mount put in to solve the problem. For a few days you could barely feel the jerking when switching to reverse. Literally by the next week it was bad all over again and the jerking returned. Also, sometimes when I am driving I can feel the car, to my knowledge, switching gears. For example, this morning I was driving to work and going only around 25mph and as I started to accelerate the car jerked and slowed down for about 5 seconds before it returned to my normal speed. Thirdly, the power locks are not consistent. When I lock my doors with the automatic lock on the keys or even by pressing the power locks on the door handle it will only lock the front right passanger and the back left passenger door. This can be very frustrating as I have left my car doors unlocked unknowingly.

The transmission slips frequently, often hesitation when switching from park/reverse/drive and when switching from 1st to 2nd or 2nd to 3rd. The slip often results in lack of power to the wheels and then a sudden jerk when it does finally kick in. It can be very dangerous when you pull into traffic and expect the vehicle to accelerate normally and instead get stuck between gears. Should be a recall on this transmission since it is apparent from online research that this is a very common occurrence.

After stopping at traffic signal, the car doesn't move and starts jerking when shifting between gears. 2 months back the gear wouldn't shift from 5th, took to dealer they replaced a bad sensor and now it jerks and doesn't move when shifting gears.

In 2012 my 2004 Nissan Maxima would not change gears properly. It would jerk, idle up, and take a while to change gears. The transmission was replaced by a Nissan dealership in 2012 for $3,725. 64. Since having my transmission replaced, I spoke to about 5 owners of a 2004 Nissan Maxima that I met at the gas station or grocery store parking lot who told me they had the same issue and had the transmission replaced. There are tons of complaints on line. Apparently, there is an issue with the Nissan transmission but Nissan is not taking responsibility. Please help us in this effort to investigate and receive reimbursement for the transmission problems. Thank you very much.

Transmission problem for Nissan Maxima 04 my Nissan Maxima 04 jerks when down shifting from 2 to 3rd, slips only after warmed up and im getting off the interstate from 3rd to 2nd after a long trip. It also sometimes shifts hard into gear but not always. Thanks,.

Tl- the contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated while traveling 60 mph the vehicle began to shake violently and then completely shut down. The contact was able to eventually merge to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to driven to the contact's home. The vehicle was driven to the dealer where it was confirmed that the transmission valve body had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the issue. The failure and current mileages were unavailable. Mh.

The vehicle has a very sever jerking or kicking sensation when shifting up or down around the speed of 20-30mph. It happens very often. Even when applying the brakes to slow, the car still jerks forward violently.

I have my transmission jerking turns out I need a valve body just like so many other Maxima owners this should be a recall.

Transmission slips and hesitates as you place in gear. Once you place it in gear from drive to park to reverse it jerks very hard which places pressure on the motor mounts causing them to have problems. All of the Nissan Maxima's have a serious manufactured flaw with there transmission. This is a serious flaw and should have been recalled by Nissan, all of the complaints made are all stating the same thing. This is clearly a manufacture defect. This defect occurs even if you are sitting still with your feet on the brakes and attempt to shift from park to drive to reverse the vehicle jerks so hard it moves the vehicle even though your feet is on the brakes. This is a serious issue. Once the engine warms up the transmission begins to slip even as the vehicle approach a stop light or stop sign the car down shifts itself and jerk as it shifts.

Tl- the contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated when she tried to shift the gear it would not shift. She stated after a while the vehicle would jerk and the gear would shift hard. The vehicle was taken to dealer. The dealer stated that they had to replace the transmission. The vehicle has not be repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 73,000 and the current mileages was 94,000. Jp.

For the 4th time in 35,000 miles the car began to misfire, run rough and lose power. Since we have experienced this before we quickly pulled over and had it towed to a mechanic. The mechanic told us that the same parts failed that failed the last three times. These consist of ignition coils (plural). Changing these fixed the problem for 5 weeks where the problem happened again although more catastrophic. Grounding cables ($2250, six coils ($1,100), and then whatever else (ecm is expected and maybe cylinder sensors). Doing internet research has resulted that this is a known problem for the 2004 line that Nissan has refused to compensate owners for.

I purchased a 2004 Nissan Maxima in August 2006, and it all seemed fine for a bit but once I reached about 84k miles, the transmission started having problems. First, when I shift from park to any other gear. It seems to either hesitate to shift into gear and once it does it shifts in a horrible knock! it continues to do the same problem as well as slip gears while in motion. It usually slips from 1st to 2nd, or 2nd to 3rd. It causes the car to rev and shifts when it wants. That makes it snap even harder. I took the car to a local transmission shop which placed it on the computer. The error was a faulty camshaft position sensor (bank 1). Cost was $181. 52. I'm still having the jerking with second gear but only when I slow down easily. The car shifts now, but the jerking continues. The local transmission shop said that I would have to replace the transmission for around $3,500 in order to alleviate the jerking and transmission slip issue. I bought a Nissan because they are supposed to be dependable long lasting cars. I would hope that it would last over at least 100,000 miles before any sort of problems would even occur.

I bought a used 2004 Nissan Maxima se and I'm having problems the jerking, thrusting forward and the bad down shifting. I took the car to the Nissan dealership act like they never heard of a problem before and they said the transmission needed a flush ($200), so I did, it continued kicking. I took it back to Nissan they drove it and told me it need motor mounts ($2,000), I got the motor mounts replaced at local auto shop. They have no problem wanting me to spending money on diagnosis the problem, when they know what the problem is. The transmission is a recall issue they don't want to make public. I'm very disappointed in Nissan. I've had 2 altima, I have a 1997 max and never had major issues (I drive that more than the new car) and I have a 2004 armada, I would not recommend them to anyone any more. They pride themselves in not selling lemons. . . Well I got one! I don't understand how I can have 1997 max and not have transmission problems and new model car 2004 and having all these issues. I cannot afford a $3,800 transmission and a new set of $500 motor mounts. . . . . Another problem I've had with this car is the a/c keeps going out. . . There is no leaks in the lines but there is something wrong with the a/c pump so I was told by a local repair shop.

The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that the vehicle would violently jerk. The dealer advised the contact to have the motor mounts replaced and performed the repairs however, the vehicle continued to jerk after repairs. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure nor was the vehicle repaired. The current mileage was 120,000 and the approximate failure mileage was 100,000. The VIN was unavailable.