Total Complaints
74 filings
NISSAN MAXIMA · model year
74 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1986NISSANMAXIMA carries 74 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 47 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1986 MAXIMA is fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system:injectors with 12 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system (11) and fuel system, gasoline (6). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 1986 MAXIMA. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
Total Complaints
74 filings
Crashes Reported
3 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS | 12 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | 11 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 6 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 6 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 5 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 4 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 3 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 2 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | 1 |
THE OZONE PRODUCED BY THE FAN BRUSHES OF THE INTERNAL FAN BLOWER IS NOT VENTED TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR BUT TO THE INTERNAL PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. LONG EXPOSURE TO OZONE WILL SHOW UP IN CHEST X-RAY AS CLOUDING OF THE LUNGS. I DO NOT HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO MEASURE THE LEVELS OF OZONE CONCENTRATION AND WAS HOPING THAT NHTSA HAS THAT CAPABILITY. MR
SUSPECT FUEL INJECTION CAUSED FIRE. DEALER WORKED ON PROBLEM WITH GAS FUMES APX 6 WEEKS PRIOR AND DID NOT CHECK FOR RECALL ON INJECTION SYSTEM. NISSSAN CONTACTED AND DENIES INVESTIGATION.*AK
THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM ON MY VEHICLE WAS RECALLED AND REPLACED SOMETIMES IN 1997. NOW, I EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM AS BEFORE: SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER, AND SMELL OF FUEL. I CONTACTED NISSAN. THE COMPANY REFUSED TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PARTS THAT THE DEALER PUT IN MY CAR. THEY TOLD ME THAT IF THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM FAILED AGAIN, I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE IT REPLACED.
CAR GARAGE KEPT FROM NEW/FRAME HAS RUSTED OUT ONLY IN THE AREA WHERE THE REAR ANTI SWAY BAR ATTACHES/RIGHT SIDE HAS DETACHED/LEFT SIDE ABOUT TO LET GO/IS CAR SAFE/ 85,86, AND 87 SAME PLATFORM?*AK
CAR GARAGE KEPT FROM NEW/FRAME HAS RUSTED OUT ONLY IN THE AREA WHERE THE REAR ANTI SWAY BAR ATTACHES/RIGHT SIDE HAS DETACHED/LEFT SIDE ABOUT TO LET GO/IS CAR SAFE/ 85,86, AND 87 SAME PLATFORM?*AK
MANUAL TRANSMISSION THROW OUT BEARING FAILED. NLM
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING WHEN VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM THE FUEL INJECTORS . CONSUMER SAID THAT THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE BACK OF THE CAR. *AK
VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE--CAUSE UNKNOWN.
FUEL INJECTOR LEAK CAUSED VEHICLE FIRE.
AFTER VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN AND PARKED FOR ABOUT 5-7 MINUTES, IT BURSTED INTO FLAMES. FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID FLAMES CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. ENTIRE HOOD WAS DAMAGED BY FIRE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A DRIVE-THROUG THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HOOD STARTED SMOKING. THE CONSUMER AS SOON AS SHE SAW THE SMOKE SHE PULLED TO THE SIDE OF PARKING LOT WHERE SHE HAS SEEN THE VEHICLE ON FIRE; THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND THEY SAID THE FIRE HAD STARTED ON THE ENGINE. A MECHANIC SAID EVERYTHING UNDER THE HOOD WAS BURNED, THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK
GAS WAS LEAKING OFF THE BACK OF THE FUEL INJECTOR, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH FIRE. THERE IS A SAFETY CAMPAIGN OUT ON THESE VEHICLES. OWNER STATES THAT SHE HAS NOT RECEIVED THE NOTIFICATION. SHE HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ALONG SMELLED GAS, AND KIND OF IGNORED IT BECAUSE WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH AUTOMOBILE. KEPT GOING AND WAS TOLD THAT HIS AUTOMOBILE WAS ON FIRE- HE RECEIVED HELP TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. *AK
RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE (95I006000) & MADE APPT. TOOK VEHICLE IN. WORK WAS DONE. VEHILCE FAILED TO WORK PROPERLY. TOOK IT BACK. INFORMED ANOTHER PART IS NEEDED THAT'S NOT ON RECALL & OWNER WOULD HAVE TO PAY. *AK
TURNED ON THE IGNITION AND FLAMES SHOT OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. *AK
OWNER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR HIS FUEL INJECTORS AND WAS TOLD THAT PARTS WERE NOT GOING TO BE AVAILABE FOR 6 MONTHS. RECALL NO.951006000. *AK
DEALER SAYS NO PARTS AVAILABLE, IT WOULD BE A FEW MONTHS BEFORE PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. *AK
FUEL INJECTOR LEAKED, CAUSING FIRE. *DH
FUEL INJECTOR FIRE.
AFTER HAVING THE FUEL INJECTION SERVICE CAMPAIGN REPAIR WORK DONE, THE VEHICLE IS SMOKING AND SOMETIMES IS HARD TO START. *AK
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1986 NISSAN MAXIMA; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.