Problems with 2004 Nissan Maxima POWER TRAIN

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. the contact stated that while driving 20 mph, the transmission slipped. the contact stated that he had to restart the vehicle in order to get the vehicle to function properly. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for inspection and they stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 30,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. while the contact was driving approximately 35-45 mph, the transmission began to jerk violently out of third gear without warning. the failure occurred whenever the vehicle was in operation. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing where the error codes were reset. the failure recurred six months later. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer several times for the same failure and the technician recommended that the transmission be replaced. the failure became progressively worse resulting in the transmission not being able to shift into any gear. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

Transmission slipping and hard shifting from 1st to 2nd. my next car will be american if this problem don't get corrected. *tr

2004 + nissan maxima's are having timing chain issues which starts to occur after 50k as per the thousand of forum members across different forum. i am a victim too. its a known defect in maxima's and there has been no recalls to fix this. this timing chain issue fix cost appx $1600 and difficult for us to pay such an amount which has been declared by nissan as a maintenance free item. this timing chain would gradually lead to all sort of problems leading to complete failure if not taken care of. we as a customer pledge nhtsa to take appropriate action. already contacted local dealer and nissan usa without any results. *tr

I was driving my 2004 nissan maxima with 60,000 miles with my wife and i in the car. i was getting on the interstate using the ramp and once i merged into traffic the car would not accelerate. i had to jump off of the road because a tractor trailer was approaching and nearly ran over me. i had to drive off into the grass to keep from getting hit from behind. problem is that the transmission is stuck in 5th gear. this would not allow me to accelerate in traffic. i am thankful that we were not killed by the oncoming traffic...... this problem has not been corrected and nissan says they have no records of transmission problem similar to this with 2004 maxima's. this is not true. i have researched the internet and there are thousands of complaint just like mine. luckily i was not injured. is that what it will take for nissan to admit there is a problem? how can i get this resolved??? *tr

2004 maxima automatic transmission - bought new; continually jerks when switching between gears with less than 100,000 miles; now the park lamps continually go out on the vehicle. *tr

Nissan maxima 2004 3.5 se: around 82000 miles the transmission began to jump into and out off gear. im at 95000 miles and the problem is worse. it slips out of gear easier causing the car to slow down, had close rear ended accidents, fortunately the cars behind me were paying attention. this problems happens when the car is at operating temperature. i switch from automatic to standard and the problem continues to jump into and out of gear. several times it has gotten stuck in 5th gear. had it towed once already for the same cause. 3 mechanics told me it was a problem with the valves in the transmission, estimates of $2000 to $3500 to fix. all have said that this is a known problem with this make, model and year of car. rpm shoots up past 7000 on some gear changes only to slip back out of gear. i can not accelerate properly when merging onto freeways because of this problem. check this web page.....http://www.carcomplaints.com/nissan/maxima/2004/transmission/jerks_when_shifting.shtml. *tr

When trying to merge onto highway or avoid traffic, the car slips going into gear. with the transmission slipping it is difficult to operate safely as its hard to predict the vehicles behavior. it is a costly repair and according to research the problem is not that uncommon with said vehicle. please investigate and recall. *tr

Hi my name is [xxx] i have a problem with my maxima 2004 because is jerking, i just took the car to the dealer and they told me is the transmission and my car have 51,000 miles wow i can't believe the transmission is bad they charging me 3,400 to fix. and i still paying my car and i have a family and bills to pay. i can't believe this.. i need help to fix my car... information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Transmission problems on my car, stranded in the middle of nowhere. let car rest for 10 minutes, then finally restarted only to find my car stuck in 5th gear with slow acceleration and high rpm if not careful. car stopped in the middle of traffic in a very busy intersection. i do not know extent of damages (financial burden) as car is left in mechanic shop, but already depending on friends for a ride to work. *tr

It is a 2004 nissan maxima sl. the transmission started heavily jerking at 98k miles. the jerking was so much that it could possibly cause injury. the car was religiously maintained. it needs a new transmission which will cody $3000 to fix. *tr

Last night while pulling out into a busy street, unknown to me my car was stuck in 5th gear. my vehicle has an automatic transmission. as a result, i could have been severely injured if not killed by the fast approaching traffic. no matter what i did i could not get the car out of 5th gear nor get my vehicle to accelerate. i had to travel very slowly and cautiously to get home. while home, i decided to research my problem with my car on the internet. to my surprise, there are tens of thousands of the same complaint with the exact same make of car listed on numerous web sites. the vehicle in question is a 2004 nissan maxima. from everything i have researched, nissan north america will not do anything nor acknowledge this problem even exists. from a safety point of view, this problem is just as bad as a stuck accelerator. i wonder how many deaths have occurred because of this defect as many of those who may have been killed were not able to report what had occurred. with the number of 2004 nissan maxima's on the road and the number of incidents reported, the nhtsa and nissan na should take immediate action to prevent further possible injury and death. my car is now stuck in 5th gear and i am afraid to drive it any longer as this defect can cause many dangerous situations to occur. i will be copying this complaint to the office of the connecticut state attorney general, richard blumenthal. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. she stated that while driving at speeds of 30 mph, the vehicle abnormally lunged forward, causing the vehicle to lose power for approximately 3 seconds, before regaining normal operation. the vehicle was taken to a local repair facility where it was diagnosed that the transmission was defective and would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been contacted. the failure and current mileages were 87,000.

2004 nissan maxima se. while driving on the highway and slowed due to traffic, vehicle lurched forward with a loud bang. occurred while transmission downshifted from 2nd gear to 1st. occurs when shifting from 2nd gear into 3rd and when parked and trying to shift from reverse into drive. two mechanics have suggested transmission replacement and appointment made for such. vehicle also has a horrible steering wheel shudder/shaking that gets worse the faster you go (highway speeds) told it was struts, so they were replaced, numerous wheel alignments and balancings to correct, with no satisfaction. *tr

2004 nissan maxima transmission failing after only 60000 miles. have had hard shifting since new and nissan knows this tranny is defective. vin number [xxx]. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Transmission in 2004 nissan maxima slips and lurches into gear. dealership has looked at it three times but says nothing is wrong with it, that the motor mounts need replaced. i am fearful to pass a car on two lane road that the transmission will slip and stall leaving me in the path of oncoming traffic w/o power to move out of the way. the shifting is not reliable leaving me vulnerable by not knowing the response i can expect from the car. *tr

2004 nissan maxima with auto 5-speed. car suddenly locked up in 5th gear as i was preparing to enter the highway from a standing start, on an on-ramp; had no power and my wife and i almost got rear-ended by an 18-wheeler. it was a terrifying experience. as i continued to drive to the next exit, the car still had just one gear available (5th), and would not downshift. only after i exited the highway and let the car cool down for a few minutes did the other gears "return." but then the same thing happened when i drove the car home. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. while attempting to accelerate from a traffic stop, the vehicle did not properly engage gears. the failure mileage was 110,000 and the current mileage is 110,250. updated 10/27/10. *lj 11/9/10 *cn updated 11/16/10

My 2004 nissan maxima is experience jerking between the 1st and 2nd gear. it's at 71,000 miles and have just finished paying it off. i have read many problems at this point and am afraid of what can happen. nissan should have a recall and take care of the problem. what is it going take for nissan to step up to the plate and fix it? hopefully not a death. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima se. the contact stated that while driving various speeds the vehicle would jerk violently. while sitting at a stop light the gears would shift on its own. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer and they advised him that the transmission was defective and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. the contact was attempting to decelerate when the vehicle began to jerk and switch gears violently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they performed a diagnostic test which confirmed that the transmission had failed and would need to be replaced. the contact was awaiting a response from the manufacturer in regards to the failure before proceeding with repairs. the vehicle was not repaired. the current mileage was 62,000 and the failure mileage was 55,000. the consumer stated his grandmother suffered a severely sprained neck, when the vehicle jerked violently while decelerating. his grandmother was taken to the hospital via ambulance. updated 06/03/11

One month after paying off my 2004 maxima, i started having problems with the transmission. it would slam into 1st from 2nd gear when slowing down, or jerk into 2nd or 3rd when accelerating. when i would have to back into a parking space, it would jerk into reverse from drive. i brought it into a nissan dealer and they told me it was the motor mounts - needed 3 replaced and had a few other things done - $2,000. a week later it is doing the same thing - not quite as bad as before - but is becoming more frequent. brought it back to the nissan dealership and they told me it would be $3,750 to replace the transmission. my car has 90,000 miles on it and from reading all other complaints online, nhts website and other blogs, this is a definite nissan problem and they should have a recall and replace the transmissions on these cars. i have already advised anyone and everyone that i talk to not to ever buy a nissan. *tr

When the problem initially started you could hear a very loud rattling noise. nissan certified dealer could not figure out the problem. last month they gave me a list which was half printed and half written meaning that the most costly, expensive, and important item were not put in their database system. the certified mechanic basically told me to get rid of the car ( car needs a new transmission due to broken tensioner, main chain). in order for them just to confirm that-that's the problem, it would apps. take 8 labor hours to take the motor apart. the car feels like it is literally going to fall apart. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. the contact stated that the vehicle would jerk violently when the engine would extend beyond 2-3 rpms. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was contacted who did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 69,900.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. while traveling at various speeds, the contact noticed that the vehicle would switch between gears independently and violently jerk. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they informed the contact that the transmission and motor mounts would need to be replaced. the contact stated that the motor mounts were previously replaced october 2010. the contact took the vehicle to a private mechanic who informed her that the motor mounts would need replacing again and would continuously fail prematurely until the transmission was replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the current mileage was 105,000 and the failure mileage was 90,000. the vin was unavailable.

2004 nissan maxima transmission issues hard jerks into gears. happens from 2nd gear to 3rd and from 3rd gear to 4th. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima se. the contact merged into traffic at 60 mph and there was a strong pull from the rear of the vehicle. on a separate occasion, the vehicle stalled twice while in heavy traffic and would not accelerate. the contact was able to drive the vehicle to his residence ,but it would not restart once parked. the manufacturer advised there were no recalls and to have the vehicle diagnosed by the dealer. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where he was awaiting a diagnosis of the failure. the failure mileage was 65,245 and the current mileage was 67,398.

Tl*the contact owns 2004 nissan maxima. the contact stated that the transmission failed at 79,000 miles. while driving 40 mph in first or second gear the vehicle jerked forward and began to bang loudly. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the warranty expired. the dealer will not repair the vehicle unless the contact assumes the repair cost. the manufacturer offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 79,000.

I own a 2004 nissan maxima 3.5sl 5-speed. a couple months ago the transmission started jerking bad everytime it switched gears. i have looked into this and there are more people with this problem. i would think they would have done a recall as this is a serious problem. it jerks really bad sometimes that it has almost caused me to get in a couple of car accidents because it takes long to shift and when it shifts it is really bad. if i need to pull out of somewhere quickly i can't because all the engine does is rev at a high rate until the tranny goes into gear. it gets really frustrating because when the car warms up it acts up really bad and the driving experience is not good at all. i don't really like to drive the car a lot but this is my only means of transportation so i don't really have a choice. i been looking for a solution for this problem but so far no success. is there anyone that can help me resolve this problem because i want to get it fixed before it causes me to get into a car accident. thank you *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. the contact was driving approximately 30 mph when the vehicle began to jerk with hesitation and the transmission would sporadically slip gears when driving at various speeds. the failure recurred intermittently and progressed over a period of time to a constant occurrence. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnosis where they informed the contact that three transmission mounts were faulty and would need to be replaced. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for repairs. the failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. the contact stated the vehicle would not shift from park to drive. in addition, when driving at speeds of at least 50 mph, the vehicle would suddenly decrease in speed without warrant. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who added transmission fluid to the vehicle but to no avail. the failure persisted. the failure mileage was 111,520 and the current mileage was 111,929. updated 06/0611 *bf the consumer stated h/she spent $ 1,900 to correct the transmission problem. updated 06/10/11

Own 2004 nissan maxima 3.5se and having transmission problems. particularly between 1st and 2nd gear and vice versa. when accelerating and breaking at around 20 mph feels like it loses power. it also bucks when braking at about 20 mph. occurs on a daily basis since around 83500 miles. brought it to my mechanic who states the codes reveal that there is a communication error between transmission and computer. i checked online forums and have zero faith in bringing the car to a nissan dealership and not getting ripped off. sounds like there are several options but at a significant cost which i believe nissan should cover. i have had many vehicles in my lifetime and never once had a transmission problem with any of them. my wife does not feel safe in driving our kids in the car for fear of not being able to control the car and crashing it. *tr

Car steering wheel got hard and it turn off on me, tried to start it up again, going 20-35 miles and hr because car wont accelerate after you come to a stop pointing..step on the gas, car barley moved, went to get car check out, the check engine light on, replace sensors, got it out of the shop and it still have the same problem, it will turn off once the car get warmer, found it, its the transmission problem. car is at 82,000 miles, had the car about over a year. *tr

Approximately three months ago i noticed that my automatic transmission began slipping when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. it would also slip when down-shifting from 2nd to 1st gear. i took it to the dealership to have the transmission fluid changed and have them check out the problem. they stated that they couldn't replicate the problem but as soon as i left the dealership the transmission began slipping again. as i was driving home i was making a left-hand turn and while i was accelerating my vehicle was stuck in first gear until the tachometer reached the red-line and then the transmission slammed the car into second gear launching my car into the adjacent turn lane and causing me to nearly miss an suv. the problem has gotten progressively worse and after researching the topic, it appears as though the problem is caused by a nissan engineering defect that causes the clutch to burn-up and debris to build-up in the transmission case. nissan hasn't recalled any parts associated with the transmission and the dealership has stated that i will be responsible for the transmission rebuild or replacement. i'm worried that nissan's poor-engineering will result in unpredictable acceleration, potential loss of handling, and down-shifting difficulties. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. while driving at 20 mph, the contact noticed that the vehicle suddenly jerked forward. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. the current and failure mileages were approximately 76,000.

2004 nissan maxima, i to have problems with 5 speed automatic transmission. when warmed up, i have shift shock going from 1 - 2 & 2 - 1, slipping from 2 - 3. went to dealer for drain & fill, he says it is common with my model, that there is a problem with the valves in the valvebody. he said he would change the valve body for $1500, and that it hasn't been re-called because it would cost nissan to much. *tr

Automatic transmission lunges while braking or accelerating at any given time. caused rear-end accident with my wife & kids in the car. i have read thousands of consumer's complain about this issue & nissan nor the government will fess up to the issue with the transmission. this is an on-going safety issue & needs to be addressed by nissan & the government needs to put pressure on nissan corp. to correct the problem @ there expense instead of the consumer. the date of the incident is incorrect due to this being an ongoing issue & the local dealer has no resolution. *tr

I've brought my 2004 nissan maxima in for a jerking from the transmission on two separate occasions. the jerking happens from 1st to 2nd gear and as i slow down the car jerks as it downshifts. first time i brought it in they said motor mounts were to blame, the problem returned on the way home from the dealership. second time was this past week and they said the problem was the timing chain. again on the way home from the dealership the jerking returned. the failure always happens when the car is warm and has been running for at least twenty minutes. nissan should recall the transmission as many 2004 maxima owners have had this same jerking problem. the dealerships are just running around the problem and fixing things that aren't the problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. the contact stated that when driving 30 mph and above, he would hear a loud abnormal noise from the transmission. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer and they advised him that they were unable to diagnose the failure. the manfacturer was contacted but there was no response. the failure mileage was approximately 84,000. the vin was unavailable.

2004 nissan maxima slipping in the transmission car is almost brand new hardly ever driven jerks really hard very afraid to drive this vehicle. *tr

Transmission has a major problem very unsafe to drive with my children hard jerking slamming in transmission car only has 35000 miles and it seem that's once they get to 40,000 to 60,000 these transmissions start failing i have kids and this car was my only transportation and this is of real concern and need to be recalled. *tr

I purchased a brand new nissan maxima 8 yrs ago. for the last 2 yrs it has been given me problems with the transmission. the car will get stuck in between gears and then suddenly jerk will i'm driving, which is very scary and dangerous. i've noticed that it tends to get worse when it's hot or i am going incline. i've done some research and it seems to be a recurring problem with the 2004 and 2005 models. i purposely bought a brand new car to avoid these types of problems. i don't think it's fair that i have to pay $3,000 to fix it when it's obvious that it is a manufacture flaw. it's very frustrating to see so many complaints filed against this model, and nissan not taking responsibility for it. i hope this can change soon. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. while reversing out of the driveway, the vehicle would not shift into gear. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where it would not move at first but suddenly jerked forward. the dealer stated that the automatic transmission was failing but the problem was not bad enough to be repaired although the contact had an extended warranty. the current and failure mileages were approximately 62,000.

I own a 2004 nissan maxima and loved it until a year ago. at around 100,000 miles the transmission started stalling and jumping. it has progressively gotten worse. now it is slipping so badly that i am afraid to drive my car. the car is not within the warranty and now nissan says that there is nothing that they can do about it. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. the contact stated that when attempting to shift between gears, the vehicle would jerk violently when the brake pedal was engaged. the rpms would also increase. the dealer advised the contact to have the transmission replaced. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who was unable to duplicate the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the current mileages were 120,000 and the failure mileage was 105,000.

2004 nissan maxima transmission problems, 3000 over my warranty. nissan needs to won up to these tranny problems in these $30,000 vehicles. i am not the only one having this problem. please see consumerafairs.com. *tr

i was driving on i295 in n.j. when i experienced lack of power in my 2004 nissan maxima it almost caused a horrible crash if i didn't change lanes it seems the transmission slipped i'm really concerned about this car is dangerous please help and investigate t.y. p.s. i won't drive this car again even though i owe alot of money on it. *tr

Transmission has a delay in shifting gears. it jolts/kicks really hard and the car slows down as if it's going to stop. i can't really drive beyond 30mph w/o having an issue. it started doing it once a day and the dealer said they "fixed" the problem. now, the car does it a lot more and the jolts/kicks are much worse then before. *tr

2004 nissan maxima severe jerking in transmission. my personal mechanic says alot of cars the same year have this problem and there should has been a recall. only 45,000 miles slipping and jerking when car is driven for a while i have all my service records for this vehicle. vehicle very unsafe to drive. *tr

Shift solenoid is giving me problems at 90,000 miles. the car jerks sometimes when taking off or at certain speeds the engine may rev high then jerk. a mechanic has explained that this is common on the 2004 maxima's. *tr