Problems with 2005 Nissan Maxima POWER TRAIN

My car began jerking violently when shifting into 1st and 2nd, just as bad or worse when downshifting it would literally jump around in traffic. i had to drive it this way until it broke completely or i saved the 2000 to repair the valve body. luckily i came up with this money before i was stranded. it was very nerve racking every time i drove because it would jerk and jump making me think i was going to hit someone or at times it felt like i'd been hit from behind when it slammed it 1st on downshifting. i was told by my dealer to trade it in, it was an issue with all these model cars. also every transmission shop in my town that i contacted knew exactly the problem because they had seen it so many times and had a fleet of them already at their shop to repair. then was told by nissan corporate that it was not a safety issue, so no recall. so this has cost so many people their time and money only to generate more profit for nissan. these bad valve bodies that they knowingly put in these models which are expensive and dangerous had to be purchased from nissan!!! this is so wrong on so many levels. i love my car otherwise but it infuriates me that nissan will not own up to what they did wrong!!! and are making more money off the people who trusted them and their products. *tr

2005 nissan maxima hard shifting from 1st to 2nd gear and also when car is stoped and put in park and then back to drive it takes about 7 seconds for the transmission to go into gear and it jerks real bad.and it also wont go into gearat like 25-35 miles. *tt

Over the past year (since feb 2010), i have contacted nissan about transmission problems with my 2005 nissan maxima. the car gives a hard jerks when going from 1st to 2nd gear. yesterday while driving my maxima on the freeway (luckily i was driving in the far right lane), it completely stopped and would not accelerate. my transmission went out. thank god, i was not hit and killed. nissan is fully aware of the 2005 maxima transmission problem that thousands of consumers are experiencing but yet they are doing nothing to correct the problem. i am filing a complaint against nissan because they were fully aware about the transmission defect. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated while driving approximately 50 mph the gear shift would move into neutral and the rpms would increase. the vehicle was taken to a dealer who advised him that he needed a new transmission. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 98,000. updated 10/26/11

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that while driving approximately 50 mph, the transmission began slipping gears with the vehicle jerking violently. the contact maneuvered the vehicle to the side of the road and shut off the engine. upon restart, the failure continued. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated the transmission would need to be replaced. the transmission had been previously replaced in 2010. the vehicle was in the process of being repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 70,000. updated 07/20/11*lj updated 08/03/11

Okay, i am like almost everybody on here! my car several years ago starting slipping in between 1st and 2nd gear. jerking forward and i have nearly gotten into several wrecks because of it. took to the dealership and they said it was my transmission valve body. i paid over a $1000 bucks and the told me my transmission would eventually go. which is a $3200 fix. what the crap. it's not my fault they made a faulty part. own up to it and fix it. well this past friday 08/08/2014, the transmission finally went. now i have lost my only vehicle and don't have the money to fix it. there should be a recall!! *tr

Slight hesitation when put in d or r then hard jerk and clunking sound when goes into gear. has a hard jerking when slowing down and down shifting. will slip in and out of gear while going down the road. rpm's will rev up to 6000-7000 before shifting into gear. this mainly happens when car is warmed up. but goes in and out of gear between 20-40 mph. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle began to jerk while shifting and the transmission would slip. also, there was an increase in engine rpms. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostics where the technicians stated there was a failure with the valve body. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

1. after warm up takes about 5 seconds to click into gear after the shift lever is put in "d" 2. very hard jerky shifts between 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 1st and accompanied by loud clunking noise. 3. transmission slips out of gear during regular driving alllowing the engine to rev freely then jerking back into gear with a loud clunk. the is followed by a burnt oil. *tr

I have a 2005 nissan maxima i've had it going on 2 years and my transmission is going out. i've kept the car maintenance by the dealer and has taken really good care of the car... i've heard alot of the 4 same complaints on these cars just wondering why nothing has been done about it. me and my daughter almost stopped in the middle of traffic because of it, its not safe and for it not be so many complaints on these cars there should be some kind action. *tr

Transmission issues. after 65,000 miles 2005 nissan maxima jerks between low gears shifts and slips frequently during normal driving. a transmission flush has been done on this vehicle as recommended by nissan service staff however issues continue. *tr

I bought a 2005 maxima 3.5 sl in 2006 brand new in south carolina. i first started having problems when i had my 60,000 mile service. about two weeks after the service my check engine light came on so, i took it to the dealership. they said there was no codes, and cleared the light. i then took my car in for the 90,000 service and once again around a week or two later my check engine light came on. i took it to the dealer and now their was codes saying my egr valve needed to be replaced. i told the dealership the same thing happened when i did my 60,000 mile service. needless to say their was a recall that they would have replaced it for free but i was just over the mileage where it could have been done at no cost to me. about 3 months later my car jerked really hard, and my car lost complete power then jerked once more and started to move. the gauges in the car went completely out and every light possible on the dash came on. first i was told i have to replace four sensors, and so i did so along with the egr valve. the car ran fine for about two weeks and started doing the same thing. when i went from drive to reverse or vice versa it would jerk real hard before engaging. i then took the car to the repair shop and they said my transmission sensor was bad. i just had it replaced two weeks ago, and now my car is back is the shop doing the same thing. the tcs slip, and every light on the dash is on, and none of my gauges are working. now they say it might be the computer that is bad. this last time i was on my way home from missouri and it disengaged and would not put up speed when i pressed the gas pedal. i was nearly rear ended, and had to pull over because my 12 year old daughter was in the car and got scared. *tr

I have a 2005 nissan maxima that has developed a transmission problem at only 71,000 miles. the nissan dealership says that i must replace the transmission or have the "valve" that is sticking when i shift from 1st to 2nd or from 2nd to 1st replaced. to replace the transmission or to change the valve is going to cost me somewhere between $2,500 to $3,500. i don't believe that a car with only 71,000 miles should be required to replace the transmission. judging from all the complaints on the internet about the 05 nissan maxima, i believe the problem is far more wide-spread and should be investigated. *tr

I am having trouble with the transmission in my wife's 2005 nissan maxima. it hard shifts in 1st gear and sometime hesitate to go. i have had the transmission rebuilt ($3000) and still have the problems. the car only has 116,000 miles on it. the old parts are available. *tt

2005 nissan maxima transmission issue-maxima has 76k on it, transmission keeps slipping, feels like you are getting kicked from behind or rear ended, maxima will also slip gears and rev up.. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that when shifting from first to second gear when driving 25 mph and above, the vehicle would jerk violently. the vehicle would also jerk when the vehicle downshifted to first gear. the vehicle was taken to a local transmission shop where the contact was awaiting a diagnosis of the failure. the failure mileage was 74,000. the vin was unavailable.

I bought my 2005 nissan maxima new from a nissan dealership with an extended warranty, but about 3-4 months ago, my car started jerking. it started to have issues going from reverse to drive, and i called the dealership to find out what was going on. they ran a diagnosis and told me that it was a transmission issue but that my car was out of warranty. i started to do some research because i've been told many times that my car isn't old enough, nor does it have enough miles on it to have a transmission problem. i decided to call nissan to see if they would help cover the repair; after 2 weeks of having no vehicle, i was told today that they would not cover the repair, but during this time i've done research and there are plenty of websites (carcomplaints.com, nissanhelp.com), forums, mechanics, and other consumers who are having the exact same issue. from the looks of it, the transmission in the nissan maxima from 2004-2008 has some sort of defect but nissan refuses to issue a recall and fix the problem. i don't see how a company can get away with doing this when so many people have voiced their concerns. i have also read that hyundai had the same problem but they recalled all of their vehicles and fixed the problem. i just paid for this car and am a quite devastated that its now falling apart, so what are consumers to do about this issue? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that the vehicle began to decelerate abnormally. the contact was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostics where the technician advised that the transmission would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the transmission started to shift gears unexpectedly. the vehicle also began to jerk violently and hesitate. the vehicle was taken to a local repair shop, who diagnosed that the transmission was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 85,000 and the current mileage was 93,000.

My 2005 nissan maxima has been having a transmission problem since it reached about 69,000 miles. right now the main problem it does, is that in drive it jerks between 1st and 2nd shift. it also jerks pretty hard when downshifting from 2nd to 1st. when the problem was starting to begin, it only affected from shifting from reverse to drive,but has moved to the crazy jerking it does now. at about 71,000 miles i had the car taken to a dealership and they couldn't find anything from using a code reader, but from just some simple shifting out of gears (park to drive, park to rev) they recommended a trans oil change (about $250) which i denied, because i looked a the oil myself and it was still cherry red, so that was too much to spend to just "to see if that fixes the problem". so at about 79,000 miles when the hard jerking started getting bad, i took the car to a different dealership ,which then they did recognize the problem, and told me it would be about $4000 to replace the transmission, which stunned me, especially cause i had just finished paying off the car and the warranty had ended. so i obviously i denied such a costly repair,but in talking to the mechanic at the dealership , i told him that the jerking problem isn't so bad at all when i use the manual gearshifts and i asked him why. well he told me that problem could also be in the valve body which could be a cheaper fix,but they replace whole transmission units not parts, because of warranty purposes, but that he's seen quite a few similar problems with other vehicles. since i told him it was too much for me to spend he recommended a trans repair center. so when i took it there, they confirmed that just changing out the valve body would be a "bandaid fix" and that a full replacement would be needed (about $3500 from them). now in reading other stories from people with the same problem as mine. *tr

1. takes about 5 seconds to click into gear after the shift lever is put in "d" 2. very hard jerky shifts between 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 1st and accompanied by loud clunking noise. 3. transmission slips out of gear during regular driving allowing the engine to rev freely then jerking back into gear with a loud clunk. the is followed by a burnt oil / electrical type smell that gets inside the car and evident outside after stopping. *tr

I have a 2005 nissan maxima and the transmission is going out. i am at 90,000 miles and it jerks real hard alot. it has been doing this since i got it last year. it also makes a humming sound when i get up to 45 miles per hour. when i'm going down hill and trying to slow or switching gears period. the compressor has gone bad on it as well.. *tr

My 2005 nissan maxima 3.5l se has started slipping from 1st to 2nd gear with a loud thunk as well as slipping and revving really high when going from 2-3rd gear. the jolt is very violent and i am worried about my safety when this happens. i need to replace the entire transmission my mechanic tells me. this is a very common issue i have heard a lot about in the '04-'06 maxima models. *tr

My problem began in april 2011 and continue still. my car was shifting hard and jumping in and out of gear. i took it in to ray brandt nissan and was told the motor mounts were broken and this was the problem causing the transmission to bump. as my vehicle warranty was approaching expiration i had it serviced to make sure things were in order. anyway, just 2 weeks ago (mid january 2012) i took my car in for transmission service. when i got my car back the transmission slipping started again and this time it is happening more often. i will be going down the road and all of a sudden the transmission winds like it was put in neutral and the bumps into gear giving me a whiplash effect (did i mention i suffer with neck pain). i am now really afraid to drive this car as it may shift into neutral while i am passing someone or crossing traffic and the result could be fatal. with all of the complaints made, i sure hope someone will come to our aid and have this problem recalled. i called the nissan complaint division and they said since they did not actually work on the transmission, they could not help me in any way. in other words, give me your money and forget you. it is sad when you buy a vehicle and pay alot for it thinking you will have dependable transportation you get screwed so badly. i will never buy another nissan again and will pass the word on to as many people as possible. p.s. i have owned toyota's in the past and they always stand behind you and help as much as they can. please help!!!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima se. the contact stated the transmission jerked and popped while driving 35 mph. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who stated that they could not duplicate the failure. they were unable to diagnose a failure, but the motor mounts were replaced. the failure continued. the vehicle was not taken back to the dealer, but the contact planned on taking it to an independent transmission shop for further examination. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 95,000 and the current mileage was 116,800.

I purchased a 2005 nissan maxima in november 2010 with 55,000 miles on it. we have recently noticed that the transmission shifts really hard when decelerating. i took it to aamco transmissions, and they have indicated that the vehicle needs a new transmission for about $3200.00 total. it seems awfully ridiculous that a transmission would go out after only 57000 miles. i was hopeful that a recall had been issued so that i wouldn't need to pay for the repair. *tr

I am a owner of a 2005 nissan maxima i have recently experienced some transmission issues i went to the dealership to report an issue that involving my vehicle ... i was almost hit by an eighteen wheeler in traffic after my car stalled in traffic i went to the dealership, at which time i was advised by the nissan dealership the transmission on my vehicle has had numerous complaints re: transmission problems. after being terrified i wrote nissan a consumer report letter explaining my issues with my transmission. i went to the internet and discovered this is not an issue nissan is concerned with. i am not the only person who has been given the cold shoulder after making a $30, 000 purchase that has almost cost me and my children's life. please someone needs to do something about this massive problem before some one is seriously hurt. after today i am parking this beautiful yet dangerous piece of machinery i can not in good faith believe that nissan has planned to do absolutely nothing to rectify a issue so large! some one needs to be responsible in the nissan camp for recalling this car. i can say this at least toyota stepped up to the plate and took responsibility for their issue. *tr

My maxima shifts hard when switching into 1st to 2nd gear. it pushes the car forward when moving at slow speeds. when downshifting from 5th to 4th gear, there is a temporary "no shift" where it feels as if the car is not in a gear and the rpm drops low. when putting the car directly into "drive", it takes the vehicle 3-5 seconds to switch into gear. when it switches into "drive", you can feel it push the car when your foot is on the brake. if you push the gas when it completely does not shift, the transmission will clunk and jerk the car forward. recently at 126,000 miles, the car is switching gears more freely than normal, constantly switching back and forth between 4th and 5th gear. when going around corners at a faster speed, the transmission will slip, losing power to the car and jerking back into gear. sometimes while driving, the car will come out of gear and go right back in. the transmission in the 2004-2005 maximas are obviously faulty. also, when pushing the gas, there is a delay on moving forward and results in a harder push forward. *tr

Transmissions shifting hard at 89,000 miles. dealership informed me that it needs replacing. after researching the internet it looks as though nissan is aware of this defect in the transmissions in 04 and 05 nissan maximas but has not implemented a recall. seems the transmissions are going out as soon as the warranty expires. cost to replace is $4,000-$4,800. why should we have to pay this when nissan is well aware of the issue? they bought the defected parts so they should pay to fix them all. *tr

My 05 nissan maxima transmission has been messing up and so have many others. when the car gets hot it shifts hard between 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 1st. also, when its hot, and you stop to put it from drive to reverse you have to wait several seconds for it to kick into gear. i have only had my car for 6 months and it only has 88,500 miles on it. there is no reason why a car with such low miles and not many years old should have such problems. i have had a car with 300,000 miles on it and never had any problems!!! these cars need a recall, i have heard and saw too many people with the same problems and its ridiculous!!! *kb

Transmission shifts hard. when in park to drive hesitates a few seconds than roughly shifts to drive. hesitates when car is driven for long periods of time. sporadically has issues that appears to be the transmission. have gone to several shops and have been told many things. reading all the forums this is a factory defect that should be recalled. i have only had the car for over a year. the manufacturer should be liable!!!!

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that when shifting gears from park to reverse, and when driving approximately 30 mph or less, the vehicle would jerk hard. the vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic and they were unable to diagnose the failure but after test driving the vehicle, the mechanic advised the contact that the transmission was defective. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer had not been contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that while driving, the vehicle would lunge forward and the gears would slip from first to second. the contact also mentioned that in some instances the vehicle would stall without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the failure. the vin was not available. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 85,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that the vehicle began to jerk while driving 60 mph. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the front engine mounts were replaced. the failure continued. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was advised to replace the transmission. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 38,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that when shifting to second gear she would feel a hard jerking motion and hear a knocking noise. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who advised her that they were unable to diagnose the failure and said it may be the transmission. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

I am a 2005 nissan maxima owner, after 82000 miles my transmission is now bad. as a college student i do not have the $4300 to replace my transmission. nissan has declined when asking for any for a assistance with this issue. this is a major safety concern. people could be seriously injured. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that the vehicle would violently jerk and shift between gears when driving at any speed. the dealer flushed the transmission and assured the contact that the repair would correct the failure but it did not and the failure persisted. the contact did not inform manufacturer of the failure nor was the vehicle repaired. the current mileage was 89,500 and the failure mileage was 88,300. the vin was unavailable.

My 2005 nissan maxima has never had any major problems. i bought it new. i do a lot of highway driving to and from work and have about 93,000 miles now on the car because of the long distances every day. the problem with the transmission has become more noticeable within the past couple months. the automatic transmission shifts very hard from 1st to 2nd and sometimes 3rd and back down and feels like a bucking bronco. today the trans slipped completely while accelerating at least three times on my drive in to work and the rpm's went flying. it's never slipped completely until today. the transmission is failing and it should be lasting a lot longer than 5 years. over the past 2-3 months the problem has gotten worse. now it does the bucking bronco thing every day, several times a day. i have already taken the car in once (to a local transmission shop) and they tried a transmission flush that cost nearly $400. it seemed to help for a couple weeks but the problem is back and is much worse now. i am planning to take it in again but i'm being told that it may cost me $1,500 to $2,000 to replace the transmission. i have seen hundreds and hundreds of reports online for the same issue. this can't be a coincidence and something needs to be done by nissan corporate right away!

Have a 2005 nissan maxima. it has automatic transmission. it is jerking real hard between 1-2 gear and when slowing down it also jerks. it jerks so hard it feel like im being rearended. this is ridiculous and nissan is aware of this problem and offers no assistance! they know they put a messed up taransmission in these cars! it is not fair! i am not goin to get killed because my car will not go when i pull out on freeway. i could of got killed! it jerks when going from drive to park. i pulled out on freeway this morning and my car would not go, almost got hit by a vehicle. this is a defected transmisiion and there are 1,000's of complaints all over the web about these cars. nissan will not help me at all. this is a major safety issue. someone can get killed because of poor workmanship done on these transmissions. this is not right! this needs a recall and nissan needs to fix this! nissan needs to fix this! they need to fix this!!! my family will sue them if we get hit by a car and me and my kids die because of my transmission not going into gear and getting stuck!

My transmission on my 2005 nissan maxima se slips and jerks when accelerating from under 30 mph. there's also times where it shifts roughly. i have checked my transmission fluid and its within operating parameters. i checked online and have seen other maxima owners with the same issue. *tr

I purchased a new 2005 nissan maxima. since then i have replaced the engine mounts 4 times. now at 88,000, i am told i need a new transmission. i am 47 years and have owned many cars in my lifetime. i researched this topic and found many americans with similar transmission problems who own 2004-2005 nissan maximas. the car jerks forward when going from 2-3 gear, neutral to reverse and neutral to drive. engines revs high when this is happening and jerks forward when driving. this is a public safety issue that has lead to accidents and engine fires. similar experiences and complaints can be found at-http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/nissan_maxima.html updated ivoq 05/10/11 *tr

I own a 2005 nissan maxima and i have been having a shifting problem for a while. there is a delay in shifting from reverse to drive and also a big jerk when it shifts from reverse to drive. i recently changed the tranny mount because i thought that was the problem. i problem did not go away. i think there is a general problem with the 2005 model of nissan maxima and it should be recall for transmission and shifting.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that while driving 25 mph the vehicle lunged forward and slipped out of gear. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer who stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. the contact stated that the transmission was replaced last year and was currently malfunctioning. the contact stated that the failure was a known issue with his year, make, and model vehicle; however the manufacturer had not addressed it. the failure mileage was 118,281.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. while driving approximately 30 mph the vehicle stalled. the contact stated that while shifting gear from park or drive a clunking sound was heard. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technicians stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 62,000.

Tl*the contact owns 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated when the vehicle was placed in drive the transmission began to hesitate and there was a hard thump when he tried to accelerate. the contact took the vehicle to a mechanic who stated the body valve caused the failure. the failure mileage was unknown. the current mileage was 100,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that while driving at 35 mph and trying to accelerate that the vehicle would lunge forward violently. the vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic who advised him that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

Transmission is slipping very bad. car jerks hard when shifting form 1st to 2nd gear. when coming to a complete stop car jerks and sometimes won't shift. when putting car in gear there is a hard shift or jerk. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the vehicle would downshift or prematurely engage. the contact also mentioned that the transmission would make a very loud knocking noise. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 65,000 and the current mileage was 90,000.

I purshased a 2005 nissan maxima 3.5se and right around the 86k mile mark, the transmission started jerking during upshifting & downshifting of gears. after taking the vehicle to the local dealership, it was recommended that i do a trans. flush & that would solve the issue. after a couple days, it was back to the same jerking during shifting of gears. i brought the vehicle back and was told that i needed to replace the transmission and it would cost me over $3000.00. the customer service was horrible and i was told i should have taken better care of the vehicle. after doing my research, i found that the nissan maxima years 2004/2005 had major transmission flaws. i contacted a very good friend, who's brother worked at a nissan dealership, and was told that i had a lemon! the transmissions in those 2 years had a lot of problems and they were constantly reparing them. i am filing this complaint because i believe that a manufacturer should stand behind their product 100%. i work for a corporate car company and have never had to deal with this. i have received no help from the dealerships nor the corporate. *kb

2005 maxima..very hard jerking. goes really high in rpms without notice. have read alot of complaints just like mines. motor mounts have been replaced because of the hard hitting from the transmission. nissan knows that there is a serious problem and just doesnt care. car stalls and i was in traffic and was glad that the car behind me noticed that something was wrong. i dont feel safe driving. such a nice car but not worth all the pain its causing. *tr