Problems with 2004 Nissan Maxima TIRES

The nissan dealer told me that i needed 4 new tires for a 2004 nissan maxima. the tires were cracked on all 4 tires on the inside tire walls. these are those goodyear 245 45 18 that came on the car. these tires are defective!

I've got a 2004 nissan maxima. i have aprox 21,000 miles on it. my goodyear rsa tires (oem) have started to split on the side wall. my tires still have over 60% of the tread left. goodyear is prorating the tires at 25% of tire wear used. my concern is that i know for a fact that my maxima is not the only car that has had trouble with these tires. it would be horrible, if someone with the same problem didn't know about it and had an accident because the side of their tire blew out. forums.maxima.org has many people that have reported this same problem.

In september 2004 i took my 2004 nissan maxima in for some warranty work, and scheduled maintainence. i advised that my front end felt funny, i eventually had to bring it back in for the skyroof recall and again advised that the car still felt rough, i was advised it was just from the tire rotation and would eventually smooth out, it never did. the skyroof started leaking and it took three more trips to get it fixed, every time i took my car in i told the service dept. that the car still felt rough. on june 15, 2005 i took my car back in for the 30,000 mile maintainence. the service dept. called and said all four of my tires were coming apart on the inside sidewall, the tires were actually splitting the entire circumfrence of all four tires. they said they had never seen tires split like that. the service dept. called goodyear and were told they were having a few problems with those tires and would sell me new ones for $900.00 the dealer declined that price and goodyear came up with a price of $550.00 for new tires i was called and told of the final price and advised the dealer i would be contacting an attorney. then dealer then called me back and said they had a set of tires and rims they would sell me for $400.00 i agreed because i was leaving for a trip to indiana the next morning. the tires that they put on my car were the same exact goodyear eagle rs-a p245/45r18 that were defective. my husband called a friend at a local tire dealership and was told they were seeing alot of those same problems with the goodyear eage rs-a. i cannot believe that a company would endanger the lives of the very consumers that buy and trust their products to be safe. i sent a letter to nissan north american consumer affairs dept on june 20, 2005 documenting all the problems, and have had no response so i have turned to you for some guidance as to my rights to be warned and protected when they know there is the potential for diaster with their product.

Dt: consumer leased new maxima. about 6 months later had to replace a tire. took vehicle to service dealer and had replacement. over this weekend a different tire came off while driving, but the repaired tire has slits in the tread as all the other ones do as well. the dealer noted this was a problem with the 2004 maxima. also there is shock problems known to nissan but no recalls but dealers are aware of this and must replace those issues including the sunroof which apparently can shatter under extreme heat. car is currently in shop for repair. *ak

Purchased 2004 nissan maxima 3.5 se in july, 2003. it has aluminum wheels ("rims") and low profile tires. in march, 2005, i hit a pothole, which flattened the front passenger tire and dented the rim. i had to change the tire, and then replaced that rim (tire was ok). in may, 2005, my front driver tire was low. i drove a half mile at 20 mph to the closest gas station and filled the tire. i took it to the dealer to investigate why it was low. they noted that the rim was cracked, said it was dangerous to drive that way, and put the "donut" spare on in place of the cracked rim. besides the cracked rim being a safety issue (the dealer says that i "must have hit something", and claims to have no warranty liability), i believe the wheel/tire design of the 2004 maxima is a safety issue. i have been driving for 32 years and never had a problem with a rim on a car. now in the space of a month or two, i had a dented rim that stranded me in a remote area until i could change the tire, and now a cracked rim that i had to immediately remove from the car. i don't know whether it is because the rim is aluminum and perhaps brittle and not sturdy, or because low profile tires leave relatively little tire between the road and the rim, making "everyday potholes" that are common in the northeast in the springtime a hazard to the wheels ("rims"). but after having two rims that failed just a month or two apart such that they each had to be totally replaced, i believe there is a design flaw in this car that lends itself to these safety problems that i experienced with my car. i opened a complaint on this issue with nissan, file #4947551. i was given no assurance that any action would be taken, except that they would "look at this", and was told they would not even send me any response to my complaint to let me know their decision as to what they do or don't plan to do regarding my issue.

I have a 2004 nissan maxima, it came with goodyear tires. the tires now make very loud road noise. the dealer, after 3 or 4 trips advised the road noise was due to a bent rim. (the car has never been driven roughly, bent rim must have been from ordinary driving and/or average pot hole). i had the bent rim fixed. however, the loud road noise continues. the dealer says there is no recall on these tires & tells me i need to take the issue with the tire dealership, or manufacturer. they evidently refuse to back the products, they put on their new cars, they sell on their lots. i also had a defective strut on the right rear. it took three trips to the dealership, before the problem was finally found. and then a fourth trip, to have it fixed, once they had ordered & received the part. it's too bad such a potentially great car, has created such a bad experience for me, a first time nissan buyer. this, due to lack of support from nissan motors & lack of quality control on suspensions & tires. i will never purchase another nissan automobile, due to this experience & lack of product backing by the manufacturer. *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. the vehicle has goodyear rsa, size 245/45/r18 tires. while driving 15 mph, the driver side front tire blew out. the vehicle was towed to the repair shop and they stated that all four tires had cracks on the sidewalls. after 34,000 miles, the tires began to crack again. the vin, engine size, and dot number were unknown. the failure mileage was 58,000 and current mileage was 92,000.

I purchased a 2004 nissan maxima se with goodyear eagle rsa 245/45/18 size, in sept. 2003. in april 2005 i had all 4 tires replaced because of the sidewall cracking. my car only had 22,000 miles on it. in oct 2006 i had a blowout on the expressway and goodyear couldn't determine if it was from the cracking and i bought a new tire. in june 2007, with only 46000 miles i suffered 3 flat tires due to the cracking (the new tire i just bought was fine). i complained to goodyear and they replaced all 4 free of charge with a set of dunlop direzzas. i feel this is a tremendous safety hazard and something should be done about it. *tr

2004 maxima has had timing chain noise for years has been blowing oil for 2 years now transmission is banging and shifting very hard losing power etc. for 3 months now had trans flushed did not help at all tires were defective in the first year a/c has not worked for 2 years this car is very much a lemon. *tr

Goodyear has a known defect on their goodyear eagle rs-a tires (245/45r18) that were installed on the2004 nissan maxima (and who knows how many other vehicles). the tire sidewall was not properly made and depending on miles (i have seen the problem on maxima's with mileage ranging from 4,000 miles up to 30,000). goodyear states you should continuely inspect them and if cracking occurs, then they will replace them. i am very cocerned for my families safety when driving now, especially long distance, i may be able to inspect the outside sidewalls, however not the inner. if i can't see the problem i cannot get it corrected. the cracking and composition of the sidewalls could lead to a bowout or rollover if in a turn when the pressure against the tire sidewall is greatest. a nissan maxima is a performance family sedan so sometimes driven hard. my next concern is having to hear about this problem from word of mouth through other maxima car owners. no safety letter from goodyear telling owners to inspect tires regularly, nothing. they are playing the numbers with my family and my life and this is unacceptable. please force their hand to do something. thank you. also you can read an internet thread from other customers with this problem at, over 5 pages: http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=388048. *ak

Dt: contact states the tires on his vehicle have large cracks on the inside wall. the tires only had 20,000 miles, the service dealer stated they were 75,000 mile tires. the tires have been replaced by a local service dealer.

Eagle rsa p245/45r18 i was driving my 2004 nissan maxima down rt. 3 east in nj going approximately 65 mph. all of a sudden i felt the car start to vibrate and shake terribly i realized i had a flat. before i could even have any reaction, the car jerked to the left, then to the right, i tried to stop it and i spun out of control on the highway and crashed into another car who was trying to pass on my right. my car came to a rest with my driver's side door facing oncoming traffic, and my car blocking off the left and the middle lane, and literally 1 inch from crashing into the concrete divider. luckily oncoming traffic stopped, and the passenger and myself in my car were not injured. however there were two people in the other car we hit claiming injury after the accident. the inside wall of the tire was completely separated from the rest of the tire. my mechanic told me he never saw any tire like that. i filed a complaint with goodyear, and i was told to have the tires sent to akron, ohio for testing,(the adjustor that came to pick up the tire told me she never saw a tire like that either) that was 10 months ago and i haven't even gotten an answer from them. now as i was once again driving on the highway (december 22, 2005) going approximately 70 mph, my front drivers side tire blew out, there was no accident this time. i am worried that i am not going to be so lucky when this occurs for a third time. i rotate my tires every 6,000 miles and check the air pressure in them regularly. i've filed another complaint with goodyear but what good is that going to do? they won't give me an answer and i have to wait to be contacted again by their insurance adjustor. i don't know what to do with this, i bought a $30,000 car, and i am afraid to drive it. after reading the entries on this site, i know that i am not alone now with this problem, these tires are defective and need to be recalled before someone gets killed! i am looking for help with this situation. *nm

I own a 2004 nissan maxima sl. it has 21,450 miles on it. during a regular maintenance procedure at the dealership, i found out that all 4 oem continental tires had longitudinal cracks on the inside sidewall. i asked the dealership for the tire waaranty and they sent me to the local continental distributor for tire checkup. the distributor found indeed that all tires were defective and needed repalcement and the dealership advised me not drive the car for long periods of time or in the highway because tire might fail. even tough both the tire distributor and the dealer agree that these tires need repalcement, both are blaming each othe and giving me the long run. feel very unsafe driving this car. i truly beleive this is a serious safety issue and both the dealership and the tire manufacturer should solve this problem as soon as practical. can you help?*ak

I took possession of my 2004 nissan maxima in the first week of january 2005. i noticed a constant, but gradual tire pressure issue. i took the car to the local nissan dealership and they indicated the tire had to be patched. i asked about the actual sidewall and they did not feel there were any problems involving the sidewalls. i took the car to an independent dealership that felt there was indeed some manufacturer problem with the tires. i called the dealership and they reported that there were no recalls and that the warranty would not cover this issue. they explained that if i chose to i could initiate a claim with both or either the good year eagle manufacturer or nissan. the good year eagles installed on my maxima had less than 11,000 miles and as the dealership was not amenable to reconciling their opinion on the tires to that of an independent tire inspection i decided the best course of action was to replace the good year eagle tires with nokian tires. this replacement occurred on october 6, 2006 with only 11,000 miles on the tires. i was very hesitant to drive the car due to the tire pressure. i was filling the tires every two-three days to maintain some type of safety while driving. when i applied for the reimbursement on the goodyear eagle rs-a tires my claim was denied because there was no indication that the replacement was due to 'a sidewall issue.' who in their right minds would willingly choose to replace 4 tires at once with brand new tires at only 11,000 miles if there was no safety issue??? of course this is a safety issue and i wasn't willing to be involved in an accident to prove the point. the following is a website (just one of many) that notes the issues and lack of company response. www.consumeraffairs.com/tires/goodyear_tires.html. clearly the company is not correcting or reimbursing consumers for their faulty products. i spent what i consider to be a good deal of money to make my 'dream' car safe to drive. \ *jb

The driver noticed while driving,a squeaking noise was heard coming from the rear of the vehicle. the vehicle started vibrating uncontrollably. the driver was able to maintain control of the vehicle and drove to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the driver that the structure of the vehicle was design defect from the manufacturer. a fix was not available at this time. *nm two months after purchase, the brakes began to squeal. dealer said it was a creep groan and could not repair the problem. consumer experienced 4 flat tires (goodyear p245/45r18 - model # 96vs2eagrs-avsbrptl) all found to have defective splits called sidewalk circumferential cracks. consumer received a safety recall notice regarding a sun roof shatter condition. *tt

The goodyear rsa tires on my 2004 nissan maxima have splits on the side wall. goodyear claims to have no knowledge of any problems with this tire size, 245/45/18. numerous maxima owners have had tires replaced for this problem but goodyear is uncooperative.( maxima.org) i have called goodyear and they have given me the run around. if they have knowledge of a tire problem they need to issue a recall before there is a fatality. i checked with nissan and they have no knowledge of a tire problem. your assistance with this matter would be greatly appreciated. *jb

The windshield rubber on the top was loose when i bought this car. also i noticed there was a scratchy sound when i turned on the wiper right on the first day i took this car home. i checked it and found out that the wiper rubber was came loose and the steel touch the windshield class. it scratch the windshield. the stevens creek dealer was very nice and they did change the windshield and tighten the seal arround the windshield. 2 days ago it was rain preaty hard in where i live. in the morning when i drove the car i was shock that there was water coming out from the lights interior. it was preaty bad and i couldn't believe i paid so much for this piece a junk. many times the engine would stalled, you can't gas and loose the power. i brought it to the same dealer, they couldn't regenerate the problem thus they don't know how to fix it. the tire vibrate between 50-80 mph and they couldn't fix that one either. i've been driving so many cars...and this is the worst one. this is would be my first and last nissan and i'm planning to sale it asap. i have a feeling that this car's resale value would be lot lower the mistsubishi. one more thing; the driver seat cover on the back came loose also and it hanging on the seat and shows the inside of the seat. did i tell you this car is a piece of junk already? now you know.*ak

I own a 2004 nissan maxima. last week while viewing a maxima forum, i noticed a lot of people complaining about their oem goodyear rsa developing sidewall cracks. after inspecting my vehicel, i noticed two 2' cracks on the sidewall. i drove the vehicle to sears tire center for further inspection. i was told to bring the car straight home and to park it until the tires were replaced. they found major cracks in three of the tires. these tires only have 20,000 miles on them and i have no idea how long the cracks were there. *ak

Dt: contact states that the goodyear tires on her vehicle are cracking. one tire is cracking on both sides, three are on the inside of the tire.*ak dealership told consumer that cracked tires were good. consumer had to replace all the tires.*sb

Cracks in all four tires necessitated replacement after only 21,000 miles. *ak

Sidewall tire cracks - goodyear eagle rsa 245/45/18. these tires came stock with my 2004 nissan maxima se. i have approximately 20k on these tires and they have been rotated 3 times since i purchased the car in november 2003. in december of 2004 while mounting my snow tires on this vehicle, the technician pointed out cracks in one tire which ran laterally around the entire circumference of the inner tire wall. upon further examination, one other tire appreared to have smaller/finer cracks in the same locations. i visited the webiste maxima.org and noticed there is an abundance of similar complaints from other 2004 nissan maxima owners who have this tire on their vehicle. i contacted the goodyear corporate office and informed them of this issue. once i identified that i owned a 2004 nissan maxima with these tires i was immediately referred to a local dealer to have the tires inspected. the rep. in the corporate office instructed me to give my local service manager a reference number and have him call goodyear after the inspection was complete. the only information requested of me was the miles on the vehicle.

All 4 of the stock goodyear rsa 18" tires had cracking on the inside sidewall. what i mean by the inside sidwall is not the actual inside of the tire, rather the sidewall that faces towards the vehicle. no visible cracking was occuring on the outside sidewall. pictures of this can be seen on: http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=354119. *ak

2004 maxima with cracks on the sidewalls of the tires. customer states that the tires had cracks in the sidewalls and goodyear further stated he is ineligible for reimbursement. *kb the consumer was denied reimbursement because the information he submitted did not show proof that the his tires were adjusted for sidewall cracking. *tr

Engine was repaired 1 1/2 months ago. went out of town for thanksgiving weekend when the alternator failed in birmingham, ala.,which left me stranded!i'm back in kenner but my maxima remains in alabama still waiting for another alternator? plus i'm still waiting for the skyview roof to be replaced!!*ak

Goodyear tires eagle rsa 245/18 side wall has cracks in tire.*ak

After a 600 mile trip on the pennsylvania turnpike, by left rear tire sidewall failed. the outer wall separated from the inter cord for about 3 inches. the manufacturer said it was not a manufacturing problem. the tire was almost new. it had 3,700 miles on it, was properly inflated and i hit no road hazard. the tire lost air and we lost control of the car. some minor damage. it appears to have failed due to heat. manufacturer: continental, conti-touring contact p225/55r17 95v. it was original equipment on a nissan 2004 maxima. i replaced the tire with same and kept the defective tire.*jb

Goodyear eagle tires sll cracked on inner sidewalls and could not be used, had tires replaced. *bf all of the tires were cracked on the inner sidewalls. *sc

Steering wheel shimmies at speeds from 50-80 mph and also shimmies harshly when braking at lower speeds. i had this in for repair twice so far. the first time they turned the rotors. the next time they rotated the tires. also, had gps/nav system in for repair three times to date. the dvd was reprogrammed the first time and replaced twice. i'm getting ready to file a lemon law complaint. *nm

Front driver side tire cracked on the inside of the sidewall. *ak passenger side front tire cracked on the inside of sidewall. goodyear representative stated there was a bad batch of tires and that they had replaced a number of bad tires with the same problem. all four tires replaced . *tc

I am experiencing severe vibrations in the steering of my 2004 nissan maxima. in march of 2004 after several trips for rotations and balancing, all four tires were cracked on the enter wall of the tires. nissian suggested that i go to goodyear dealer and have the tires replaced. goodyear replaced the tires and five months later, all four tires have cracked again. we questioned nissian to see if there was a problem with the vehicle that was causing the tires to crack. nissian advise any problem concering the tires should be taken up with goodyear and said it was nothing they could do. at this time, august 17, 2004 i still have all four cracked tires on my vehicle and it is vibrating even more. goodyear advised that the only set of tires made for this vehicle is goodyear eagle rs-ap245/45r18. goodyear advised us that they do not have this tire in stock and it will be about a week or so before they can get it. i was informed that they have replaced several tires for this year make and model car. *jb

2004 nissan maxima with defective tires customer wants to be reimbursed for the tires**nar**cc the consumer wanted to be reimbursed for purchasing 4 new tires due to sidewall cracks in the tire. *tr

I am experiencing severe vibrations in the steering of my new 2004 maxima. after several trips for alignment, rotations and balancing - i was advised i had a bad tire by the local nissan dealer. they suggested i go to the local good year dealer and have the tire replaced. upon arriving at the good year dealer - i was informed that they had replaced several tires for the year, make and model and it was suggested that there was a manufacturing defect in the design of the car and it's ability to absorb oscillation of the tire.*ak

Front end vibrates when driving on the freeway. car has been to dealer multiple times for tire rotation, tire replacement and lowering of air pressure in tires. issue is still not resolved and i am told this is how nissan cars drive. *ak the consumer has requested that nhtsa disregard this complaint. *sc the consumer was responded to about her request to drop the complaint. front end vibration as described by the consumer may result in a steering or suspension system failure therefore nhtsa requests from the consumer for information to be kept in files. *tc

Good year eagle rsa tires size 245-45r18 these are orginal eq. on my 2004 nissian maxima. these tires have developed splits only on the inside side walls of all 4 tires they have 32000 miles on them w/some good tread. i fear these splits will seperate the tread and cause some damage or an accident. the splits were brought to my attention when i had my tires rotated and balanced the other day. yet on the outside side wall everything apears to be ok. this is possiblely a very dangerous situation due to the fact these splits in the side walls are only on the the insde sidewall of the tires.

Goodyear tire 245/45/18. *ak

I have had problems with my 2004 nissan maxima since purchasing it brand new. within 60 days of purchasing the car, i had to take it back to the dealership due to a malfunction with the brakes. i have spent over $1,500 since keeping the brakes and rotors repaired. i am on my fourth set of tires and have had three alignments and my front end inspected. i have had to replace an engine mount. in 2006 my air conditioner went out and i spent over $500 having that repaired. now i am in need of a new transmission because there is internal damage due to the clutch slipping even though it is an automatic car. i have two friends with the same model/year car and they have experienced similar or the same problems. once of my friends just replaced his transmission in his 2004 maxima. this car has cost me at least $5,000 in repairs since i have purchased it and i have never ever received a recall notice on anything. i know that nissan is well aware of the defects in the 2004 maxima, but are not owning up to their responsibility in taking care of all of the problems that i have read about and talked about with different 2004 maxima owners. i have also had the battery replaced twice. the body style of the car is beautiful, but the car itself is a piece of crap due to poor mechanics. *tr

I have a 2004 maxima with less than 1500 miles. there is a noise apparently coming from the tires that sounds like a ringing noise. when going over a line crack in the pavement or bump between 20-50 mph it sounds like a hollow ringing sound. i upgraded tires from factory installed to michelins at about $500 more and the ringing continues. what gives? *nm

Steering wheel shimmies at speeds from 50-80 mph and also shimmies harshly when braking at lower speeds. *nm

March 2004 all four tires on my 2004 nissan maxima found to have cuts to the inside sidewall all the way around all four tires.the right rear tire run flat, due to the cuts and cracking on the tires.car taken to nissan dealer.service department advised me that there was a manufacturing defect in the tires.suggested i go to goodyear dealer and have tires replaced.suggested that the tires caused vibration in steering.goodyear replaced all four tires in march 2004.auguest 2004 five months later the same problem persist, all four tires have cuts and cracks all the way around them same as before.car steering is vibrating moore.problem not solved car taken back to nissan service department.service manager advised that problems with tires have to be taken up with tire manufacture,did not even look at tires,told me he could not get to me today aug 18,04,come back aug20,04 and they would see what they could do.goodyear inspected the tires and informed me that they have replaced several tires on this year ,make and model car.it was suggested that there was a manufacturing defect in the car that is causeing the problem with the tires,the goodyear dealer do not have the tires in stock,and do not no exactly when they will have them.goodyear only make one tire to fit the maxima se p245/45r18.meanwhile i am still traveling on the defected tires putting my life at risk.i have to travel 45 miles oneway to get to the nearest nissan/goodyear dealer.this was not taken into considaration.goodyear and nissan are play ing pass the buck.however they are playing with my families life.please do not wait untill a life is taken before you act,to many lives are at risk.*all

When driving at speeds of 50-60 mph the steering wheel shimmies. all four orginal tires were rotated and balance on four seperate occasions among three different service dealers. the tire manufacture replaced two tires that were on the front of the car, but it did not correct the problem.

The car rpm drop down below 500, last year it led to service engine light and spend around a grand, but never fix,until today the dealer claim that this happened to nissan maxim 04, and last year i start having steering shaking, the dealer told if i change my rims and tires it will fix it, and in aug-2008 i have 4 new rim and good years tires, but the problem exit, i went in jan to the dealer, and they told if they tightened some thing it will fix, but no i still have until today, car shakes if you exceed speed of 55 or 50 m/h. i am still having those problem until today. *tr

Front end vibration. dealership did a front end alignment, but it corrected the problem temporarily. also, dealership noticed cracks in the front driver and rear passenger side tires. the tire cracks may be the cause of the vibration.*ak

Informed of split tire while in for service on 2004 nissan maxima after trip to ohio when air sensor failed and had to drive home below 55 mph in limp/safety mode. tire: goodyear rsa 245/45/18. paid for two new tires. *nm