Problems with 2005 Nissan Maxima POWER TRAIN

I bought my 2005 nissan maxima sl from a used car dealership. it had some vibrating and shaking in the steering wheel and they gave me a temporary fix in order to send me on my way. two days after having the car it started shifting really hard from 1st to 2nd and then when downshifting. it has shifted so hard that a couple of times it has jerked me forward in my seat. at highway speeds sometimes it will just shift down for no reason. if i tap on the break it will shift when its not supposed to. when i put the shifter from reverse to drive it will feel like the engine is going to drop out of the bottom. this clearly needs to be fixed. i had a transmission flush and that didn't fix the problem. i have only had the car 3 months and im scared im going to get stranded somewhere. *tr

While accelerating from a stoplight to approximately 45mph on northwest expressway in oklahoma city, the automatic transmission began shifting hard instead of the normal smooth shifting. it seemed as though it stuck momentarily or was even shifting down instead of up to the next gear. when i got on a residential street going at a slower speed, the transmission again shifted hard. the strange shifting happened again 2 days later while driving at a slow rate of speed. my husband looked at the transmission fluid on 3/12/13 and thought it appeared to be burnt looking. i took my car to fenton nissan west in oklahoma city on friday, march 15, 2012 and explained the problem i was having. after keeping the car most of the day, we were informed they did not find anything wrong, but the transmission fluid is burnt, but did not change it as this could cause transmission problems. we were not charged anything & were told to wait on doing anything else as there may be recalls. this seemed strange since they originally told us they had not heard from other customers about the transmission problems i had described. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that the transmission failed began to slip in every gear, but more in first and second gear with a big bang after every attempt to shift gears was made. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. the dealer did not give specifics on what caused the failure. the failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 132,000. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that while driving 20 mph, the transmission slipped. the vehicle was taken to a transmission shop for inspection where they stated that the solenoids in the valve body needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. the failure mileage was 70,000.

Vehicle when shifting to 2nd 3rd gear jerks like a mule kick, and occasionally over revs ( gear slip) resulting in sudden loss of acceleration. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shifted erratically. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was found that the valve body had failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 116,000. the vin was not available.

This vehicle has a problem with the way the transmission was built. my transmission is slipping gears "while driving" i can be on the highway doing 60mph and all of a sudden the gears will change and immediately "lock up" or the car automatically go to a lower speed. i have put in complaints with the maker, they are saying no recall as of yet, only the ones listed on this site for seat belts and the lower lubar switch. i took the car to several dealers and they are all saying the same thing and that is this vehicle falls under the list of poorly built transmissions. i bought the car used with 50,000 miles and is now facing a $6000 repair job??? really. i feel it is unfair a company can put out a bad seed and have no repercussions until an unfortunate event happens. *tr

Driving on a busy highway downhill going about 25 miles an hour, car hard shifted abruptly causing the car to decelerate very fast. car hit me from behind. at the slow speed it scratched the bumper of the car and caused my neck to whip. transmission design failure. *tr

I am experiencing transmission problems in my 2005 maxima. the vehicle has only 84000 miles to date and is starting to slip gears in between 1-2 and 2-3 while driving at a slow speed; this also occurs when switching in reverse. this problem needs to be fixed since it can be detrimental to fellow drivers on the road while driving due to the fact of the transmission causing the car to lunge forward when in the act of switching gears. this issue seems to be well documented at this point to nissan corporate as well as the nhtsa database and should be taken seriously. i believe a recall at this point should be in order due to the mass documented complaints of this specific issue. *tr

I purchased my vehicle on february 2 2012 at 86,000 miles car was fine. a year later i had to get it inspected the mechanic told me i had to replace my front motor and this was probably the reason for the jerking i had my motor mount replaced. and guess what still jerking. this problem needs a recall. i have spoken to different people with the same vehicle year make and model and they have the same problem. not every knows to come to make a complaint. nissan should voluntarily recall this make and model to make the repairs. this can also be a safety hazard to any non experience driver. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the vehicle would jerk abnormally. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and they stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. the failure mileage was 70,000.

I have been feeling a jerking in my car, which sounds like the motor is moving around. i had the motor mounts replaced, but still was having the same problems. i have now found out it is the transmission, which will cost me $3200.00, i have been told by the shop that a lot of 2005 maxima are having the same problems, if this is true why is there not a recall? *tr

The vehicle jerks hard when going from park to reverse, and reverse to drive. when driving it will shift hard from 1st to 2nd. it will slip before ramming in to gear. there is also slipping in 4th gear. when trying to accel on the highway it will slip before doing so. replace front & left engine mount, flush transmission fluid but still doing the same jerking issue. please investigate . *tr

Transmission is bucking and jerking between gears. car "slip" between gears while driving and causes the car to rev in neutral while driving and then suddenly "jump" into gear which causes the car to lunge forward suddenly. *tr

My father has a 2005 nissan maxima se equipped with an automatic transmission. for the past few months the transmission has been acting up. when we pull out of our driveway and shift into "d" the transmission takes a few seconds (about 5 or so) to actually shift gears into drive, and when it does it has a very rough jerk. we took the vehicle to our local nissan dealership where we left it 24 hours for a diagnostic but apparently the transmission was not showing the symptoms we described, and i believe them because it doesn't always do it. they did however tell me that it needed new timing chain guides which would run me about $1200 dollars with the installation, and they also said our transmission fluid was bad so recommended a transmission fluid flush (which we did for about $200). we were told to come back if the problem persisted. the issue was not resolved, and the car continues to jerk. the nissan dealership told us they had never heard of such an issue so instead of going back i decided to do my own research. i took 2.5 years of auto tech but i am no mechanic and in less than 20 minutes i found countless complaints about transmissions in 2004-2006 maximas (other nissans as well). many people state that "stealerships" will recommend a tranny fluid flush, next time you come back they say it's your motor mounts, next time you will need sensors, and finally (by this point people are extremely upset) they tell you the transmission is bad and needs replacement with quotes ranging from $3,000-$4,600. i am going back to the dealership in the next week and if i see the same trends other people have experienced i will have a nice chat with the manager, hopefully defame them in front of potential customers, and ultimately lose my lifetime value of a customer. if nissan doesn't fix this issue they will lose customers, profits and their reputation. *tr

2005 nissan maxima. consumer writes in regards to transmission slipping. *smd the consumer stated he had to drain and re-fill the transmission fluid to keep the gears from slipping.

2005 nissan maxima. car has 62,000 miles. driving home at night, at approx 35 mph, engine starts accelerating while car begins to slow. stuck in 5th gear, but car slows to a stop and will not re-start. busy highway. undetermined transmission failure. car required tow to repair shop. *tr

When shifting from park to reverse or drive; or drive to reverse, the vehicle jerks and jumps before being able to advance. gear changing is very "rough". traveling at speeds of 30-35 mph feel the transmission slipping. *tr

Serious transmission issue. it makes a loud noise when it shifts from 2nd and 3rd gear, sometimes it only goes high on rpm without giving any traction to the wheels. also the transmission kicks when i put in reverse after a while of being driving the car. i have already changed the 3 motor mounts because they were broken but i never i thought it would be due to transmission problems. i live in mexico and apparently it's very common also in maximas in mexico. *tr

I have a 2005 maxima and i am having very bad transmission issues. when i take off it jerks real bad between 1st and 2nd gear and then when i am slowing down about to come to a stop it also kicks and jerks real bad when it gears down to 1st and 2nd. and sometimes it just wont go at all..and then when i sit there a min and put my car from park to drive it hesitates for atleast 7 to 10 secs. and then jumps real bad and then goes into drive. it usually does all this when the car is hot. *tr

Traveling at 30 mph, vehicle began to upshift. also, made clunking noise when shifting to reverse, then to drive. *tr

I bought my car brand new via special order in 2005. the car cost me $33k and another almost $5k for an extended warranty for up to 7 years and up to 100k miles. needless to say the seven years was up in july of 2012. the car has almost 110k miles on it currently. for the past few months i have been experiencing severe jerking when up shifting and downshifting. my mechanic notified me that it is my transmission, the price of the fix is between $3800-4500. this car has never been beat up and is in immaculate condition. it has always been housed in a garage since i bought it. after doing a significant amount of research i found that technically this really should be a recall due to the amount of people effected by the same problem with the 2004-2006 nissan maxima. the jerking has recently began to get alot worse...so bad that my husband hit his head on the windshield and thought we were rear ended. i also have discovered that there is a class action lawsuit regarding the problem and i will be contacting them too. *tr

The transmission has begun to jerk excessively when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. sometimes it jerks so hard the occupants get tossed forward a bit. it lags when shifting from park to drive also resulting in the car to jerk violently. this is horrendous that a car that has 70,000-80,000 miles on would have such a serious transmission problem already. its dangerous and from research i've found is not isolated, but rather a widespread issue with the 2004-2005 nissan maxima's. its absolutely ridiculous that nissan hasnt made a recall on what they know are faulty transmissions. i had a honda civic that had well over 110,000 miles on it and i never had a single power-train or engine issue with that car. i for one will never by another nissan again! *tr

Noticed that transmission was not engaging between first and second gear. when it did engage there was a very strong forward surge. this became very serious when stopped at busy intersection and would proceed to cross intersection the car would surge forward. when driving on freeway and attempting to pass slower cars the same strong forward surge would occur. i returned the car to our local nissan dealer and was told that the motor mounts needed to be replaced at a cost of $800.00. they felt that would cure the problem. it did not! i signed on to the internet and discovered countless of the other 2005 nissan maxima owners with the very same complaint. i contacted nissan north america about the surge and they were not interested. my wife drives the maxima most of the time and is afraid that will cause a serious or fatal accident. no one has been injured or killed as far as i know. not yet!! i strongly believe that nhtsa should be concerned and have this car recalled for repairs. thank you for your prompt attention and concern. *tr

Experiencing severe transmission problems. the car has a 5 second or more delay in shifting into drive and once it does shift there is a violent jerk and clunking noise. when driving the rpm gauge goes up and down randomly. gears slip from 1st to 2nd at any given moment. i know my car has 100k miles but it has been superbly kept since manufactured so this is baffling to me. i have spent hundreds of dollars on transmission flushes and tune ups hoping to alleviate the problem to no avail. i don't see myself spending thousands of dollars to replace a transmission that obviously was predestined for failure! i love foreign cars nissan especially this is my second but at this point i am seriously considering toyota and never buying or recommending a nissan ever again! *tr

For about the last 5-6 months i have been noticing a new problem with my vehicle. when shifting from r to d with my automatic transmission, the car will hesitate and then jerk into drive. sometimes the jerk is very hard and loud, and sometimes not so much. it does not always happen, but at least 1 time a day or if i am driving more, then perhaps up to 5-10 times a day. i have also noticed it when driving at certain speeds. sometimes around 25-30 mph, the car will slow down, then jerk back into the correct speed/gear. i had some work done probably late last year which was $800+ and other times before that as well which were quite pricey. as of yesterday, now my ac will not turn off, it is stuck on full blast. have also had problems with the doors not locking/unlocking with the remote which has been repaired. now i notice the driver side door at times does not lock with the remote. i am mostly concerned with the shifting problem from r to d as that seems like the most costly repair that will need to be done and have noticed that there are many complaints online about other owners with the same problem. i am hoping to have this paid for by nissan as i would not be able to afford this after the other repairs that have had to be done with the car and this seems to be faulty with the car in general. *tr

I had the transmission flushed/serviced at a local nissan dealership. the transmission started slipping and jerking between speeds of 20 to 30 mph. sometime it also slips and jerks when i engage the reverse gear. i also started smelling a faint burning smell since then. at a 130000 i had the transmission fluid drained and filled again as the color of the fluid had changed to dark red. i had hoped that the slipping and jerking would go away, but that has not happened. in fact it has grown worse. i have gone online and have found out that mine is not an isolated problem. there are thousands of complaints from 2004-06 maxima owners who are having similar problems with their transmissions. i think it is about time that nissan owns up to this transmission problem with these 2004-06 maximas and issues a recall, replacement and a fix of these defective transmissions. there are posts on numerous nissan forums about owners who have figured out that all these problems are solenoid and valve related, within the bad transmissions. i did approach a nissan dealership, explained this problem in detail, but got nowhere with them. they refuse to acknowledge that such a problem exists. i however got estimate of $4500 from one dealership for replacing the transmission in my car. i also understand there has been a class action lawsuit by some nissan maxima owners since 2011. i am currently researching joining them in this lawsuit. i am on my third maxima since 1999. if nissan does not come through with a recall/replacement/fix of this problem, this is surely my last one. *tr

My 2005 nissan maxima transmission has been slipping since 75,000 miles. i have been doing alot of research and alot of other individuals with 04 and 05 maximas are experiencing the same issues. nissan maxima put defected transmissions in their 04 and 05 models. i contacted nissan usa however the refused to fix my car. *tr

Heavy shifting, not shifting on point, slipping transmission, bang when shifting or downshifting. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that while driving approximately 15 mph, the vehicle hard shifted from first to second gear without warning. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 100,000.

Transmission would delay engagement shifting from park to drive for 5 seconds then bang into gear. it would also violently slip and jerk when shifting from 2-3 and rough downshifting from 3-2 and 2-1. when coasting around 20-25mph then stepping on gas pedal the rpms would rev high then the car would lurch forward from second to third gear. overall the transmission was shot at only 57k miles and i'm on a second transmission which is already exhibiting signs of premature failure at 60k miles. there is a huge defect with this car and after researching, i'm not the only one with this issue. *tr

I just took delivery of a used 2005 nissan maxima with a 5spd auto transmission. i noticed a few times while driving today that the transmission takes some time between gear changes and at times can jerk pretty hard as it changes gears particularly between 1-2-3. it appears to be the early signs of a failing transmission as the shifting can be very rough. i now feel that perhaps nissan was not the right decision, and this will most definitely deter me from buying a new nissan in the future. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that when driving at low speeds and maneuvering from first to second gear, the transmission would slip without warning. in addition, the contact stated that after shifting to reverse, there was a six second delay before the vehicle would respond. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where they advised him that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted and stated that they were unaware of the failure. the failure and current mileages were approximately 79,182.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that while driving approximately 20-30 mph, he noticed that the transmission began slipping from second to third gear. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 85,000. the current mileage was approximately 89,500. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds and switching gears, there was a harsh jerk from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where they advised him that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 100,000. the current mileage was approximately 105,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the engine rpms increased excessively and as the brake was being depressed, the vehicle slammed into gear. the failure occurred whenever the contact accelerated from a complete stop. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who performed a diagnostic test and advised the contact that the computer did generate a failure code. the dealer was also unable to duplicate the failure. the manufacturer was notified and offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 42,000.

While going from park to drive the transmission jerks hard, makes a loud bump noise,while down shifting the transmission makes a loud thump sound. *tr

The transmission failed. it started jerking and shifting hard. i had transmission oil changed and flushed at a local nissan but it only worked temporarily. i have to replace the transmission at a cost of $3500-$5000. *tr

Automatic transmission shifting has become rough and abrupt. at medium speed 20-45 mph the transmission will slip, engine rpm's will surge and vehicle speed will decrease. nissan dealer flushed transmission fluid jan 2010 (83600 miles). *tr

While driving, shifting from 1st to 2nd and back from 2nd to 1st gear the transmission shifted very hard, then after a while, the transmission started to slip between gear changes and now the transmission seems to be locked in 3rd gear and will not shift and revs very high and seems to slip at times. when the transmission would slip at speeds and rev high, the transmission would catch again and jerk the car sideways as if changing lanes. very dangerous while driving on any road with cars around. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle began to jerk and lunge independently. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis and the contact was informed that the transmission would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. the failure and current mileage was 74,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated while driving approximately 15 to 20 mph he noticed the gears would slip between first and second which also included a harsh jerking motion. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who advised him that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 114,000. the current mileage was approximately 118,500.

I am experiencing transmission problems in my 2005 maxima. the vehicle has only 54000 miles to date and is starting to slip gears in between 1-2 and 2-3 while driving at a slow speed; this also occurs when switching in reverse. this problem needs to be fixed since it can be detrimental to fellow drivers on the road while driving due to the fact of the transmission causing the car to lunge forward when in the act of switching gears. this issue seems to be well documented at this point to nissan corporate as well as the nhtsa database and should be taken seriously. i believe a recall at this point should be in order due to the mass documented complaints of this specific issue. *tr

Vehicle started showing signs of transmission trouble with less than 68,000 miles driven. initially, random revving/lagging was less noticeable and jerking was minimal. the problem progressively got more frequent and shifting became harsher and jerking would result in a hard clunking noise. vehicle was brought to dealership service department for a diagnosis. recommendation was for replacement of the transmission, motor mounts and timing chain service to remedy a whining noise from the engine. extended warranty coverage was for 6years/75,000 miles so time constraint had expired although mileage was well under. thus, dealer would not cover under warranty so i contacted nissan corporate for assistance. they were also unwilling to cover replacement of transmission even with this being such a widespread issue with this particular vehicle/model year 04-06. *tr

i am having very bad transmission issues. when i take off it jerks real bad in the lower gears and then when i am slowing down about to come to a stop it also kicks and jerks real bad when it gears down in the lower gears. and sometimes it just wont go at all..and then when i sit there a min and put my car from park to drive it hesitates for afew secs and then jumps real bad and then goes into drive.it usually does all this when the car is warmed up. *tr

I own a 2005 nissan maxima se with approximately 70k miles. i began noticing the transmission slipping over the summer months. in the beginning of september, the transmission seemed to be stuck in 4th gear. i took the car to a shop that specialized in transmission, they replaced 2 electrical components in the transmission which repaired the immediate problem and made the car drivable, however the transmissions for the 2004-2005 nissan maxima appear to be known for early transmission problems. i also own a 1998 nissan altima and have never had problems. the transmission does not function like you would expect a 70k nissan transmission to perform - it slips, hesitates and stutters. there is an obvious manufacturer defect here. as i was driving home from work today, the car was once again acting up and i will, unfortunately, once again, be taking it to the shop. when researching this problem online, there are hundred of complaints about the automatic transmission in this year/model .... please help. *tr

Car began jerking and skipping. lost all control and car completely stalled out in the middle of 5 lane traffic. repairs were made and car has begun jerking again. *tr

Transmission slipping, jerking and needs to be replaced. i am filing a complaint to document this early transmission failure, hoping for nissan to issue a recall or assist with the repair. *tr

Transmission failure. was replaced at my expense for 3000.00 dollars and now march 9 , 2014 it has failed again. i suspect a factory defect. i am told that this is a common issue and recurs often with this model. dealership or nissan must replace at their own expense. internet is full of personal testimony by thousands for the same problem. nissan must accept responsibility and issue a recall. *tr

The car jerks when shifting into second gear. *tr