Problems with 2005 Nissan Maxima POWER TRAIN

We bought a 2005 maxima in june 2008 with approximately 30k[+/-] miles. on or about spring 2012 the transmission began to have shifting problems[65k miles], with hard & jerking shifts when traveling at 25mph and then sudden high rev's with sudden down shifts when slowing down. have gone on line to see if there has been a recall and found hundreds of like complaints for 2005 maxima transmission problems exactly like ours. had the transmission fluid changed at a nissan dealer, yet the "check engine" light did not go out. after driving a few miles light went out. however, the shifting problems returned after further driving a few months later.. had the code state "shift malfunction". as there are others, hundreds of other maxima owners experiencing the same problem, it is time for a major recall on the 2004 -2006 maxima for defective transmissions: "transmission problems" continued and we can not drive the car for more than a few miles locally and once it is warmed up the transmission begins to shift rough & hard, jerky in to and out of gears. if driven more than 15 minutes will freeze in 5th gear. this is a major safety issue and may cause serious harm to others while on the roads of america. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that the shifter gear would not shift out of neutral. the contact had to shut the engine off for a moment to be able to shift the gear selector into drive. the vehicle was taken to the dealer but a diagnostic was not performed. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and suggesting they buy the vehicle back. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 113,000.

The car will jerk really hard switching from 1st and second gear. sometimes the car will just rev when increasing speed and the car won't move! when u park the car and then go to shift it to drive it actually won't kick in for 7-10 seconds. the only reason i'm making a complaint about it is because i was searching online to see of other people had the same problem and there were literally thousands of complaints with the exact same problem and i don't think its right for me and all the others with the same problem to have to put 3000-3500 for a new transmission when clearly this should be a recall! *tr

I bought a 2005 nissan maxima about a year ago and the past couple of months (just right over 100k miles), i have noticed major jerking and pulling while driving or shifting gears. it is an automatic, but when i start to go, it takes it a few seconds to get in gear and jerks. i have heard many others have the same issue with 2004-2005 models. are there any recalls as of yet? i have always heard great things about maximas and do not want to have to replace my transmission, especially this early on! please help! thank you! *tr

Transmission problems started around 98k. i have been told by a transmission shop that it needs to be replaced or rebuilt.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated the transmission failed in second gear. whenever the vehicle was shifted from second to first gear, there was a loud noise before shifting. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who inspected the failure and advised that the transmission needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was also contacted who advised that a regional representative would be contacted for further assistance. the vehicle was not repaired.the failure mileage was 100,000.

Tl* the contact owns 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that the transmission slammed into second and third gear once it was warm. the contact also stated that the transmission would not downshift from third gear and the vehicle had to be turned off and restarted for it to function properly. the contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer and was told the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 70,000 and the current mileage was 91,500.

Tl* the contact owns 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the vehicle unexpectedly shifted in and out of gear, especially third gear. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 92,000.

At approximately 58,000 my vehicle started slipping and jerking. it gets stuck and doesn't move or will move at very high speed. it is dangerous to drive. when diagnosed by two different mechanics i was told it is a manufacture problem. contacted manufacture and reported the problem. *tr

Bought our nissan maxima new of the dealership lot in june 2005. i have had minor issues with this car. but started having major issues around 68,00.00 miles. transmission would feel like it would slip out then engine revs up and jerks forward. would happen every once in awhile. now it is happening more. now it lunges forward when i am stopping gears are responding. i have two young kids. i don't want them or anybody else getting injured over this. nissan needs to recall. these cars cost so much these days they need to last a lot longer then 70,00.00 miles. i have a toyota 95 that has never had any issues and is still going strong. step it up nissan and take care of these issue. there are complaints everywhere on the 2004- and 2005 models. i will never own another nissan again. please recall ...there is a lot of us out there these days trying to make a living and spend so so much on these vehicles and nissan is doing nothing about. shame on you nissan for not caring.. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that while driving 15 mph, the check engine and slip lights illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle proceeded to stall. the contact was able to restart the vehicle and noticed that it jerked while shifting into first gear. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, where they stated that the transmission failed. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileages were 103,000.

Time: 1630 hrs; place: arlington, tx; temp: 90 degrees; traffic stop and go for an hour on highway 121. after continuous depression of the clutch to drive vehicle in traffic at less than 5 mph the clutch resistance fell to nothing and the clutch pedal stayed to the floor. i was able to make my way out of the congested traffic using 5th and 6th gear while trying to avoid all stops. i was able to make it to a convenience store and after 30 minutes there was barely enough clutch pressure to put my vehicle in gear to get back on the highway to drive home. at my exit again i had no clutch pressure and had to pull into another convenience store. i called for a tow truck and after waiting for 20 minutes the was clutch pressure to drive home, only 1 mile away. i cancelled the tow. this morning i now have full pressure and the vehicle drives like normal. i have researched the internet and found other nissan maxima's and altima's with the same exact problem. this is not a one vehicle incident!!! there is definitely something wrong with the clutch system in hot weather, stop and go traffic. this situation needs to be looked at. *tr

With only 64,000 miles on a 2005 maxima the transmission started to shift hard from 1st to 2nd. the transmission would slip while shifting into subsequent gears causing the engine to race +/- 2000rpm until fully engaged. the car was driven directly to the dealer a distance of approx 6 miles. the service department stated that the transmission needed to be replaced with a cost estimate of $4500. it appears that there have been numerous complaints about this transmission. the owner contacted nissan customer support is waiting for a return call. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the transmission began to jerk with hesitation without any prior warning. the contact mentioned that on a separate occasion the gear failed to shift into the reverse or park position and the key would not release from the ignition switch. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer who stated the transmission exhibited early signs of failure and the shift lock unit was replaced. the manufacturer was notified and they advised there was not a recall related to the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle would not accelerate. the vehicle would jerk when the gear shift was moved. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing and the technician stated the valve cover body had to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure continued. there were no further repairs performed. the approximate failure mileage was 87,000.

Car clunks going into reverse at times and slips gears often. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact was driving under 40 mph when the vehicle failed to shift gears properly. the check engine warning light illuminated prior to the failure. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not notified. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 49,290 and the current mileage was 49,340.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that the vehicle violently jerked when shifting gears and when decelerating. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the contact also stated that the transmission was previously replaced once under warranty. the failure mileage was 78,000. the vin was unavailable.

I recently purchased an 05 maxima with 107,000 miles on it. the next day i heard a loud ticking from engine. my tensioners are failing an estimated $2000 repair. in the same day upon acceleration my wheel jerked violently, a sign of a failing transmission. $3000+ this is ridiculous. this is absolutely criminal that a recall has not been initiated by nissan.this is a problem for thousands of people, and a severe risk to the safety of the driver. i will be contacting every available newspaper and news agency in my area and will try to contact national news agencies this is absolutely atrocious. i beg other nissan owners to make this a problem for nissan that wont go away until proper actions are taken. *tr

My automatic transmission is slipping both in lower gears and at times, at acceleration. additionally, i put the car in reverse to back out of my driveway. when i put the car in drive, it takes a couple of seconds to go into drive, but then jumps hard into gear. so hard like i've been hit. luckily i don't live on a busy street. this is dangerous and from my research many 2005 nissan maxima owners are having the same problems. i just started research after learning that a friend of my daughter's whose parent owns a 2005 maxima is having the same problems. this should be a recall. *jb

Started out jerking hard when going from reverse to drive, began to hesitate between gear changes, and eventually shake. took it to mechanic and was told the transmission needed rebuilt as well as the motor mounts needed to be replaced because of transmission issue. did online research and discovered more incidents of the same thing and that it is a bad valve body. contacted nissan and was directed to a dealer that gave me the run around and when that didn't work refused to see my car because it has 102k miles and they only see cars with 100k or less. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact was driving 30 mph when the vehicle jerked while changing gears. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic. the mechanic stated that there was a problem with the transmission. the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 119,000 and the current mileage was 120,200.

We purchased our 2005 maxima used with approximately 93000 miles on it, at first seemed like a great car. the car started shifting very hard into and out of gears, some shifts would be so hard the car would lurch forward. i was actually driving the car when the transmission actually broke, making the car very hard to steer, fortunately i was able to get to a local garage. we paid over 3000 to have the transmission replaced, since i purchased the transmission from advance auto, the nissan dealership said that would not offer any type of warranty even on their labor. i had a 12 month warranty on the transmission and at about 13 months the transmission broke again, with less than 1,000 miles put on the "used" transmission. i contacted nissan consumer affairs and was pretty much told that it was my problem. so i now have a useless car that i am still paying on, and i am not willing to pay another 3000 to fix nissan's problem. *tr

When accelerating the car jerks/shifts very hard and when slowing down the shifting is very harsh to the point that it will shut off in the middle of traffic. the transmission specialist says that we need a new transmission, however, there seems to be a manufacturer defect. any transmission that comes from the nissan dealership will eventually result in the same safety hazard. when i researched the problem, there are numerous complaints filed with the nissan corporation, yet they refuse to recall or take responsibility for this problem that can lead to serious injury/accident or even death. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact was driving 60 mph when the vehicle began to jerk and change gears independently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. the transmission was flushed however the failure recurred. the vehicle had not been repaired. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 155,000 and the current mileage was 160,000.

Vehicle will not shift into drive unless the transmission lock is engaged (started @ 50k miles). abrupt downshifts at about 20 mph (started @ 70k miles). now the transmission is stuck in 5th and will not downshift (started at 75k miles). vehicle is unsafe to drive and i'm told it will cost at least $3000 to replace transmission. this is completely unacceptable for a vehicle with only 75k miles. i will never buy another nissan product again. *tr

When beginning to accelerate, transmission slipped. issue worsened when accelerating or decelerating rapidly. fluids changed regularly. problem was intermittent at first. has now become recurring. upon review, it appears to be wide spread throughout the 2005 and 2006 year model with the aisin re5f22a 5 speed automatic transmission. *tr

Just bought a 2005 nissan maxima 2 weeks ago (2/28/12). after noticing the jerks when it shifts into lower gears i decided to google maxima transmission problems and thousands of maxima owners are going through this same issue. obviously this is a defect and should be nissan's responsibility to fix!!! what is it going to take before a recall is issued???? please someone help!!!!! *tr

Vehicle started shaking/jerking when pressing breaks for a red light, continued shaking/jerking as i was pressing on the break. shaking and loud noise when car is turned on, jerking of gears as i am driving on freeway, seems to jump gears and takes a long time to catch itself on automatic gear changes. have had this car since brand new and has given all kids of problems. for the last few years i've invested too much on repairs and replacement of parts that had no reason to fail. i expected this car to be a dependable and reliable vehicle based on the reputation of the maker. love the internal features of comfort and luxury but this car fails where it counts....the transmission and under the hood workings. ---i read other complaints about a foul odor in the car... i have recently experienced that strange/stinky odor in my car and thought it was milk or food my kids left in the car...i tend to have my car very clean and after a thorough inspection haven't been able to identify the source of the odor...after reading the other entries i can say it comes from the car itself as other's are experiencing the same thing. *tt

Transmission started slipping, took in for diagnostic was told need new transmission and catalytic converter. read up on the issues and this has been a reported problem for 1000's of maximas. after some research, discovered a class action lawsuit has been filed for same problem as well. *kb

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 notice alot of the 2004 2005 2006 nissan maxima are having problems with the transmissions. i was wondering why nissan was not calling for a recall of this, they need to. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that the transmission failed and would cause the vehicle to jerk violently. the failure was so severe that when shifting gears, the contact believed that the vehicle was crashed into from the rear. the contact took the vehicle to a mechanic and was advised that the transmission gears were destroyed. the failure mileage was 94,000 and the current mileage was 96,000.

My 2005 nissan maxima has severe transmission problems. the gears jerk very hard and slips. i've had the transmission fluid changed,nothing has helped. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact was driving approximately 20 mph and attempted to accelerate when the vehicle began to jerk abnormally. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. the approximate failure mileage was 71,000.

Transmission is slipping, especially at low speeds and when putting car into or out of reverse. when the transmission slips out of drive the engine revs and there is a sudden jerk. the car also jerks whenever switching from reverse to drive. the transmission failures are becoming more frequent. the car has 70k+ miles and research shows that transmission failure is a common problem with this car at this mileage. *tr

Vehicle fails to shift form 1st to 2nd gear smoothly sometime jerks sometime revs rpms until reaches gear. also has problems shifting from park to 1st and reverse to 1st - extreme jerking. *tr

Driving 20-25 mph the transmission slips out of gear, took it to dealer and was told the motor mount was bad. had motor mount replace but the same thing happen over and over, took it back to dealer now he tells me that i need a new transmission, i researched and found that is a common problem with this model. this should be look into. *jb

The transmission is slipping, kicking, jerking, and hardshifting from gear to gear. additionally, the transmission hesitates and then jumps into gear. *js

I bought 05 nissan maxima 3 years ago!! it start having transmission problems when i was under warranty i took the car back to nissan dealership they said its motor mount problem!! i got new motor mounts and nothing happened! having the same problem as i got out of the warranty i went back to nissan dealership for same problem and they said its transmission problem that it jerks going from 2nd to 3rd gear and same when going back from 3rd to 2nd gear!! dealer said it would cost $3500 to fix it!!! i called corporate office with the problem they said after 3 days that they cant help bc its out of warranty! i still owe $5000 on the car and making payments i cant afford to get the transmission replaced!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that the vehicle jerked while shifting from first into second gear and hesitated to accelerate from complete stops. the contact also stated that the vehicle would stall intermittently. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 212,000.

It was a warm january day and on the way to lunch the transmission started slipping in the middle of an intersection and would not engage. the intersection was 2 mile drive from my house. luckily everyone was paying attention that day or my family could have been hurt. we pulled the car home. we don't drive it because im not taking the risk of it happening again in a different situation. nissan needs to fix this problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact was driving 25 mph when the vehicle started jerking and knocking, causing the transmission to seize. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who completed a transmission flush but the transmission continued to fail. the dealer inspected the vehicle a second time and advised that the transmission would need to be replaced. there were no recalls for the failure. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 103,000 and the current mileage was 104,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the transmission slipped and the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for a diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 100,000. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. the contact was driving 35 mph when there was an increase in the engine rpms and the vehicle switched gears without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer stated that the transmission and motor mounts needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not notified. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 109,798 and the current mileage was 109,993.

I bought a 2005 nissan maxima new in july of 2005-early 2012 i start having problems with the car. it would stall, hesitate and pull forward whe i drive. when i reverse and put it in drive it would not move for a few seconds then jump forward. its scary at times when i drive. i took it to repair shop and was told it was the engine mount-i had to pay over $800 to get it fixed. after it was fixed, i still have the problems. my niece was having problems also with her altima and went online and found similiar complaints. she drove my car on 11/29/12 and i told her to be careful, and to be aware of the issues with the car-she had her 3 week old baby with her, so i wanted to make sure if anything was going on she could let me know. she called later on and said the car she had before was doing the same thing and it turned out it need a new transmission. she googled my car and found 705 complaints about the same thing i was going thru-i was amazed of all the complaints, and nothing seem to be done about it. i called nissan consumers affairs and they want me to take the car to nissan to have them diagnose it, which would cost me $99 of whic i dont have right now. i took my niece to get her car on saturday 12/1 and a few of the salesmen there said yeah they know of the transmission problem and its going to cost me to fix. i would like someone from nhtsa to review all these complaints and have nissan acknowledge whats going on with their vehicles before we have a fatal accident. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan maxima. while driving 40 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. after restarting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated. in addition, while attempting to shift between first and second gears, the contact heard a loud clunking noise and the vehicle would violently jerk. the contact was awaiting a service appointment with the dealer. the manufacturer did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the current mileage was 92,000 and the failure mileage was 91,700.

I own a 2005 nissan maxima which i absolutely love! but about two months ago i started to experience problems with the transmission. after the car was warmed up and i have been driving it for about 20 min.s or so the transmission would act up when i was between 2 and 3 rpms and would either rev the engine or take about 5 to 10 seconds before shifting gears with a rough clunk noise and a hard jerk. the same thing happens when i go from drive to reverse it would take a while and then make a rough jerk before changing gears. i feel this is a safety hazard because you never know when the car will accelerate on its own or thrust into another car when changing gears abruptly. *tr

When transmission shifts between 1st and 2nd gear or from drive to reverse, there is sometimes a hesitation and then a violent jerk when the transmission seems to catch up to the engine. i was advised to have the transmission flushed and filled and this should correct the problem, after doing so, this problem went away for a couple of weeks and is now back and happening more frequently. *tr

Transmission will slip out of 2nd and 3rd at low rpm's. it downshifts very hard. it only does it when it has been driven more than 15 minutes. *tr