Problems with 2004 Nissan Maxima POWER TRAIN

I have a 2004 nissan maxima that has starting jerking when shifting or braking. i googled this and come to find out there are 100's of complaints regarding the exact same thing! basically we are being to told we must get a new transmission which is about 3300.00! my car only has 80,000 miles on it and it started this at around 60,000 but has progressively gotten worse. *tr

My 2004 nissan maxima (38,500 miles) bucks when moving from a stopped position. it feels as if the transmission and engine are moving forward in a jerking motion. there is also a noticeable whine coming from the engine. *tr

We have a 2004 nissan maxima (automatic) ever since we bought it i've always noticed a slight jerk when i accelerate but never thought twice. now that same problem has gotten worse where the jerk is more noticeable. i've gotten a transmission flush and changed out my engine and radiator mounts and still the same problem seems to occur. so i googled the problem and came across 339 complaints on this website alone. http://www.aboutautomobile.com/complaint/2004/nissan/maxima/automatic+transmission. it seems to be a recurring issue where the auto mechanic tells the consumer they need their transmission replaced. i have 3 little kids and don't want anything to happen to them. please help. *tr

Transmission jerks while driving. bought car with only 20k miles and it has been very well maintained. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. while the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light, the contact tried to accelerate but the vehicle would not shift out of first gear. the contact coasted to the side of the road and turned the vehicle off. when the vehicle was restarted and shifted from first to second gear, the vehicle jerked. the failure occurred when the vehicle was running hot. a local mechanic inspected and stated that the shift had malfunctioned, the transmission needed to be rebuilt and the valve body needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was 30,000 and the approximate current mileage was 81,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. the vehicle shifts into second and third gear and then shuts down without warning. the dealer diagnosed the vehicle and stated that the transmission failed. they further stated that it could not be repaired and a new one was needed at the cost of $4,000. the vehicle has not been repaired. the current and failure mileages were 95,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. while driving 60 mph, the vehicle would hesitate and make noise. the vehicle was driven to the dealer and they stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vin was unknown. the current mileage was 85,000 and failure mileage was 80,000.

I have a 2004 nissan maxima and the having major problems with the transmission, been to several nissan sites and seems to be a major problem with the 2004 nissan maxima's and you should have 100 of complaints on file. this problem is a manufacturers problem and should be on the national recall list, this is major safety hazard, it the when driving it shifts into gear from 1st to 2nd very hard and if your foot is not on the brake you the car can get away from you. please contact me for further details. nissan is trying to pass this buck to the consumer and that is not fear, they new they had a bad transmission in this model but failed to warn the consumer. and on sept 8 2008, the car got away from me and i all most crashed luckily i put my foot on the brake and stop the car from jerking. *tr

I just bought a 2004 nissan maxima and the transmission has been slipping and jerking. i went to the dealer and they said i have to get a new one, and it will cost me 4500 dollars !!!! *tr

I began having problems with my automatic transmission on my 04 nissan maxima at approximately 60,000 - 75,000 miles. the car would aggressively jerk while driving in 1st and 2nd gear. the dealership kept telling me that there was no problem and had me pay for a transmission flush several times. after taking the car back enough times, the dealership informed me that i needed a new transmission, which by that time my warranty had expired (very suspect). since i bought the car brand new in 2003, i have followed the nissan guidlines regarding transmission care services (spending thousands of dollars). i paid for a rebuilt transmission and i am still having severe jerks in 1st and 2nd gear. this is unacceptable and nissan corp. should be held accountable. this is definitely a safety hazard on the road. in addition, it is scary for the drivers who deal with these strong jerks causing our heads to severely jerk. the old parts to my vehicle transmission are not available, yet i have receipts and the phone number to the care repair place who replaced the transmission. please help before this issue severely hurt someone. *tr

My 2005 nissan maxima just started shifting hard between 1st and second. i have 97,000 miles on it, but i see that others are having the exact same issue i am. if this car was shipped with a defect that seems to occur for most right after the warranty has expired, then nissan should recall these cars and fix them. i have always taken great care of this car and do not drive it recklessly. there is no reason the transmission should have problems. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. while driving between 20-35 mph, the vehicle slips and stalls in and out of gear. the failure also occurs between first and second gears. occasionally, the transmission kicks into gear, but it is so severe that the vehicle finally accelerates to a very high speed. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that new engine mounts were needed. he did not believe that new engine mounts would correct the failure. the contact took the vehicle to a repair shop and was informed that the transmission failed. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 60,000 and current mileage was 70,000.

I am experiencing issues with my transmission slipping between 1st and 2nd gears, as well as going between reverse and drive. when the transmission slips there is a loud pop and the entire car shakes. *tr

When i accelerate or slow down the jerks. i have been to the dealership a few time they could not find a problem. yesterday my car would not move, now the dealer is saying that the transmission needs to be replaced. *tr

My vehicle first started jerking into gear around 9/2008. this was a very seldom thing at first and i assumed that i may have taken my foot off the brake too fast not allowing it time to get to the gear. i had about 90k miles then. it started to do it more than just going into reverse or drive but also when i would accelerate and slow down or stop. i took it to a local dealership and they could not detect anything at first. i brought it again at the time when it was jerking and the service engine was now coming on. they had a list of codes. i was instructed to bring it to a transmission specialist. i took it to 2 out of town and one local. it was stated that the transmission needed to be replaced @ a cost of 4,100$ approx. i was not financially able to handle this cost and pay a $570 car as well. i continued to drive the vehicle because it is my only transportation to and from work. the jerking came and went until now it does it everytime all the time when i am driving. it has progressively gotten worse. it w it now has about 112,000k. last week 3/26 it left me at the drive up window of the bank. i had to have someone push me out of the way. due to the large amount of other nissan owners that are having the same problems as i am i feel that this is a problem with our vehicles that is the responsibility of nissan. i am complaining because i have taken great care of my vehicle and it has failed me not because of normal wear and tear but because of an obvious manufacturer defect. i consider this vehicle an endangerment because with the jerking which feels like whiplash you are afraid to get into the flow of traffic because if you have to slow down it may jerk causing a halt or if you need to speed up or pass someone you never know if it will smoothly or just jerk and whine causing an accident. my vehicle has stopped and i will not be paying on it anymore causing my credit rating ...

2004 nissan maxima car is jerking when changing gears and taking off during driving and shifting. car also sticks between gears does allow you to switch from d to p without constant maneuvering which takes about 15 minutes. this has been going on for several weeks nissan states a fluid change will correct the problem it does not need a completely new transmission. *tr

Transmission problems with 2004 nissan maxima. the problem began with jerky while driving. sometimes the jerking was so severe the car would not accelerate at all. this resulted in a transmission that the mechanic says is nothing but scrap metal. the car will no longer move in drive. *tr

My car was having shifting issues with the transmission. the car shut off while i was driving and when i restarted it, it stayed in 5th gear. i took the car to the local dealership where they did something and resolved the problem but didn't inform me what it was. i then had the same issue about 3 months later i took the car to the same dealership they said they test drove my car but the mileage was only 1 mile different from when i dropped it off. so i know that was a lie. i was told they were unable to duplicate the problem. my vehicle was under warranty. i pleaded with the service manager telling him that i drive the car everyday and i have the problems all the time. he game me a smart ass answer like " when it does it again stop by and pick me up and show me what it is doing". now 4 months later my warranty is over and my transmission is shot. they are now saying they are going to do nothing to help me out with this issue. i have to pay $3600 to fix the problem. *tr

My car nissan maxima 2004 (transmission 5 speed) when low of 3 to 2 to 1 or 2 is a very strange knocking, also accelerated brother skating too, but this case when the car is already a hot or warm weather use. the computer does not come out any code of failure. change the oil and went black "burn" is performed twice and improved a little. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. while waiting to park the vehicle, the contact shifted into park. when he shifted into drive, the vehicle jerked violently. the vehicle was driven to the dealer and they performed a diagnostic, but found no defects. the vehicle was also driven to a local repair shop and the mechanic stated that the transmission was defective. the manufacturer stated that they were not liable for the repairs. the vehicle has not been repaired. the current mileage was 67,000 and failure mileage was 61,000.

I have a 2004 nissan maxima se and it is having transmission shifting problems. from what i have read on different website discussion boards is that this problem is very common. it is apparent that there is a defect and there should be a recall from nissan to help fix this problem. i hope someone takes notice and helps the consumers fix this problem. *tr

The automatic transmisson on my 2004 nissan maxima gets stuck in 5 gear and there is a very violent hard jerk when shifting from drive to reverse then back to drive. i have to park the car and shut it off for about 30-60 seconds for the gears to resto reset the gears back to first gear. i'm able to see the gears are stuck in 5th gear by shifting to manual and display on my dashboard shows the gear is in 5th gear. the engine light came on and i took my maxima to the nissan dealer. nissan told me the transmisson needed to be replaced based on the codes and was going to charge over $4000. i got a second opinion from and the failure codes indicated the cam shaft sensor was bad. they replaced the cam shaft sensor and the problem went away for a little while but the stuck in 5th gear problem still exists. replacing the cam shaft sensor didn't resolve the hard violent jerk problem. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) *tt

2004 nissan maxima se with 5-speed automatic transmission. 48,000 miles. normal driving/commute car. small amount of miles/short commute. initial observation of problem was slipping of the transmission and finally complete failure. transmission engages into gears (reverse and drive) with a violent jolt, equivalent to a minor collision. transmission doesn't shift gears while attempting to drive, only stays in what seems to be second or third gear. doesn't shift in auto or manual shift modes. there is often a distinct whining sound coming from the transmission as well. vehicle is no longer drivable. nothing has been done to transmission as the problem occurred immediately once the vehicle came out of warranty. *tr

I, like many i have found continue to have issues with my 2004 nissan maxima's transmission. while this issue has not caused an accident yet, on several occasions the transmission has stopped working (slipped) while in the middle of an intersection. this could obviously lead to a more significant event. nissan needs to acknowledge that this model and year has a design issue and recall the vehicle and rectify it. *tr

My 2004 nissan maxima is having a severe jerking and slipping issue that prevents me from driving my care and has caused me to get my transmission rebuilt. i have gone to quite a few websites for maximas and have noticed countless issues with nissan maximas and the severe jerking and transmission problems that have occured regardless of mileage or age of the car. this sounds like a major issue with nissan that should be looked into. many people believe that this is just wear and tear but it seems very likely that it is a nissan issue that they refuse to deal with and refer the tremendous cost on their customers. thank you.

Transmission slipping on a 2004 nissan maxima. this seems to be a common problem when car is shifting between 1st and nd and also when accelerating out of a turn. this occurs quite often. nissan says that this isn't a recall item even though it happens often on the 2004 model. *tr

I purchased my 2004 nissan maxima se in december 2006. august 2008 i began experiencing a jerking of my vehicle around 65k miles. 4 mechanics were unable to diagnose it. took it to nissan they said it was my ecu i paid 1389.50 to replace it. less than 15 minutes after pulling off the lot. the next day i took it back and was told that it was my transmission and it needs to be replaced for $3600. it occurs everytime i drive after 10 minutes of warming up, daily. *tr

Transmission problems- hard shifting from 1st to 2nd gear and from reverse back to drive. *tr

I have a 2004 nissan maxima se and am experiencing transmission issues. the problem is identical to dozens i've read from others online where there is harsh shifting from 2nd to 1st. i also have a hard shift when moving from reverse into drive. the car has 72k on it. the problem seems very common from all the similar complaints. why hasn't nissan been forced to issue a recall? they obviously know about the problem. *tr

In july/august 2008, i would get a jerking motion when the car shifted from 1st to 2nd or if i go from drive to reverse (vice versa). my car also wouldn't accelerate and the engine light was on. the car would jerk especially hard when making a turn and the car slows down and picks up speed again. i took my car to nissan in bayridge/brooklyn, ny and was told that i needed cam sensors, a tune up and a list of other things. all together, i paid $2000+ to repair my car. now my car is having the very same issues. i was told by nissan to replace my engine mounts ($500+). i've done that and my car is still jerking, it won't accelerate and the engine light is on. now they are telling me i need a new transmission. *tr

74,000 miles on my 2004 nissan maxima, and the transmission has failed and needs to be replaced. it bucks when changing gears, and makes a rattling noise as if something is hanging off the bottom of the car. *tr

I have a 2004 nissan maxima. the vehicle jerks when going into 1st gear from 2nd and vice-versa. i have noticed that this issue is actually pretty common based on what i've read in automotive forums on the internet. i don't believe nissan has addressed or fessed up to this as being a recall issue. i'm still not sure what the problem is but a mechanic told me it was the motor mounts. if not then it must be a transmission issue. any help in getting this pushed as a recall would be greatly appreciated. thank you. *tr

My husband and i purchased our car in 2006. it car starting making a "jerking" motion two years later and has since gotten progressively worse. upon taking the car to a nissan dealership, we were told that the problem was not the transmission; they did some minor repairs (about $600 worth) and said the problem would "go-away". a little over a year has passed and because the problem is still very much present we haven't driven it in quiet some time. we took it to another mechanic and we're now being told that it is the transmission. we can?t afford to pay for a new transmission because we?re still making payments on the car. i see there are approx. 356 complaints filed here, but not one single investigation came from those 356 complaints. it seems as though some one has to die or come near death for something to be done about this obvious problem. *tr

Transmission issue. car has really bad jerking motion up shifting and down shifting between 1st and 2nd gears. nissan suggestion is to flush transmission and change motor mounts which seem to be a waste and not address the specific problem especially since their is a tsb on how to fix it. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. while driving 35 mph, the transmission slipped and caused the vehicle to jerk when shifting from first to second gear. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. a transmission flush was performed, but the failure persisted. through online research, the contact discovered numerous complaints for the same failure. he believes that a recall should be issued. the failure mileage was 76,000 and current mileage was 83,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. whenever the contact is decelerating from 20 mph, the transmission causes the vehicle to jerk forward. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. there were no warnings prior to the failure. the current and failure mileages were 118,000.

I have on 3 occasions had my car shut off on me either while driving or while parked. i have had many parts replaced on my car. just recently, my car slipped gears and would not go above 25 mph. i figured it was the transmission and i was right. nissan replaced my transmission ( a few days before my extended warranty expired). then i noticed my alarm system did not work after i got the car back. less than a week later, my gears slipped, the car started to shake and it shut off on me in the middle of the road and it could not be restarted. luckily, nobody got hurt. this problem needs to be looked at and a recall should be issued. *tr

Transmission in 2004 nissan maxima went out. *tr

My ca r began slipping and jerking every now and then. after it got worse, i took it to dobbs nissan. they said i needed a tune up and a transmission flush. i paid $500 but it did not fix the problem. now it's worse than ever. it jerks anytime going from 2 to 3rd gear and sometimes gets stuck in 5th gear. after looking for similar problems and solutions on the internet, i saw that many people owning a 2004 nissan maxima are having the same problem. see comments below: 14th dec 2005, 18:15 i have a 2004 maxima se automatic with 59,000 miles. for about 5 months the car bangs and jerks when accelerating and decelerating. the problem has been getting worse as time goes on. this happens before the car shifts into 2nd gear or as it shifts into 2nd. my mechanic told me it was a motor mount problem and it will cost approximately $800 to fix. i am not very happy about this. has anyone had a similar problem with their maxima? fix the spelling and grammar delete this comment vote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31st dec 2005, 12:37 i have the same issue. the car jerks when it switches from 1st to 2nd gear. it's a 2004 maxima sl. i complained about it. after a few weeks, they spoke with some technicians and they said there's a piece that needs to be changed in the transmission - turbine sensor. after the fix, the car got better for a couple of months or so, but now i have the same issue again. i'm still researching it, i just don't want to give it to nissan technicians and they perform the guess-work again.. fix the spelling and grammar delete this comment vote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1st apr 2006, 21:17 there is much to love about my 04 maxima se, but there are some annoying problems too. the big one is the fact that the transmission slips quite often, especially between 1st and 2nd gear. the motor revs probably 1000 rpm or so bef. *tr

Transmission shifts hard from 1st to 2nd into third. *tr

I've had a problem with my 04 maxima almost from the beginning. basic symptom has been if the car sits idling in traffic jam, or after a 3-4 stop and go local trips, i develop a lot of play in the clutch pedal. normally, when i apply light pressure to the clutch pedal, i feel resistance immediately. when its acting up, i feel significantly less resistance in the pedal from the top, sometime almost half way through the pedal travel. if i continue driving it usually clears up on its own or if i park and leave it for 30+ minutes. definitely seems heat related and does not appear in the winter. despite the "slop" in the pedal, the clutch appears to be shifting ok and engages about mid pedal travel. last month new symptom appeared. twice, once after it was sitting at work all day and another time after returning from a 3 hour concert, the clutch pedal was all the way to the floor. i literally had to stand on it to get car into gear. once, moving, it returned to normal operation after a couple of miles of driving. originally took it to the nissan dealer, but they could never reproduce the symptoms. at 30k, nissan mechanic said it needed a new clutch without even looking at it. when to local shop. they replaced the master and slave cylinder and equalization valve without any improvement. they have never been able to reproduce the symptoms either. two weeks ago, at 60k, i had them replace the clutch, pressure plate, throwout bearing and flywheel assembly. the pedal to the floor symptom has not returned (yet) but the clutch pedal problem is still there. now i have a new problem which only started after they did this latest work. the stick is now popping out of gear which driving. twice in 6th, but predominately in 5th. i left the car with the mechanic for a day and they could not get it to happen. they checked the linkage and bushings and they say everything looks ok. i went for a drive with them and of course it did not do it, until tonight. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. she stated while driving at speeds of 30 mph, the vehicle shifted gears without driver intent. the dealer performed a diagnostic test but was unable to duplicate the failure. the dealer did advise replacing the transmission because the transmission fluid was unusually dark in color. there were no recalls for the failure and the manufacturer was contacted, who would not provide any assistance. the failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 123,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. the contact stated that while shifting gears, there was a loud, unusual banging sound. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the motor mounts were replaced yet the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where he replaced the motor mounts a second time but to no avail. the failure persisted and the motor mounts were replaced a third time but to no avail. the manufacturer was contacted but would not provide any assistance. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was approximately 90,000 and the current mileage was 136,000.

Transmission need to be recall by nissan at 50,000 miles that transmission is not functioning properly and my repair shop has informed me that the model above have apparent major problems and nissan need to do something about it. *tr

I purchased a 2004 nissan maxima. once the car reached over 70,000 miles the transmission started to jerk violently when switching gears from 1st to 2nd and vice versa. this is ridiculous and the nissan dealerships can't even diagnose the problem accurately so it can be fixed. i know for a fact that i am not the only consumer with this problem, and it angers me that nissan will not admit that there is one. there should be either a recall of 2004 nissan maxima transmissions or a boycott of nissan products period. i should not have to spend over 25,000 for a car and have to replace major parts on the car, especially when this is a mass problem. nissan needs to take responsibility for their jacked up parts. i will never recommend that anyone i know ever purchase any form of nissan vehicles ever. *tr

Transmission bangs when downshifting from 2nd to 1st gear. transmission surges when accelerating after slowing down. transmission hesitates at least 15 seconds before engaging into gear when in park or neutral. problem occurs regularly when car is warmed up. took to nissan dealer. they said they could find nothing wrong with transmission. took it back again today - no word yet. *tr

I have a 2004 nissan maxima and i must say this is the worst car i have ever purchased. my transmission just started jerking and shifting hard between 1st and 2nd gear all of a sudden. the shifting became so hard at times i felt like we would be thrown into the car ahead of us. not only has the transmission gone bad but there is some type of metallic scraping sound coming from the front passenger side of the engine. as i was driving to work the check engine light came on and the transmission slammed into 3rd gear and then the car lost all power while i was on the expressway (can you say near death experience). needless to say the car is being towed to a repair shop to have the transmission replaced (thanks nissan another bill). nissan should want to stand behind their product and do something about this problem before they kill someone. it's obvious that there is something major wrong with the 2004 maxima transmissions considering the amount of complaints i have found on the internet with everyone having the same identical problem. perhaps maybe some of the top executives for nissan should check out some of these sites and they can clearly see that there is a problem. due to nissan's faulty transmission i am highly inconvenienced with having to hitch a ride or borrow a car to get back and forth to work and my daily activities. nissan should really be ashamed of the product they produced, the so called 2004 nissan maxima. *tr

I have a 2004 nissan maxima with transmission problems. the car has 62,000 miles on and the problem is just starting to surface. i get a jerking motion when the car shifts from 1st to 2nd or it downshifts from 2nd to 1st. it jerks especially hard when making a turn and the car slows down and picks up speed again. the thing i hate the most is he problem is temperamental. it'll be fine one day and the next it jerks around like crazy. i asked a friend who also has a 2004 nissan maxima and his does the same thing. called the nissan dealership and they seem to have no solution. is there a coincidence that all of these maximas are experiencing the same exact transmission problem. there should be a recall. *tr

My nissan maxima has been experiencing a shifting jerk especially when shifting down into second gear. the nissan dealership said i needed a transmission flush even though i had just had one two weeks prior. it did not help. no one can seem to find anything wrong. the car only has 95k miles on it and should not be having these problems. i have read hundreds of similar complaints about the 04 maxima and decided to officially file a complaint. *tr

The transmission on 2004 nissan maxima completely starts to break down only after 50,000 or so miles near the end of the manufactures warranties. i have heard several similar stories and i am sure that this problem affects thousands of nissan customers. *tr