NISSAN MAXIMA · model year

1986 NISSAN MAXIMA

74 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.

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.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category 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). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 1986 MAXIMA. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

74
Complaints
3
Crashes
47
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

74 filings

Crashes Reported

3 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS12
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM11
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE6
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD6
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE5
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION3
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS2
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH2
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE2
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL1

Recent Complaints

20021015EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

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

20020823FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

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

20020116FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

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.

20010423STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

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

20010423SUSPENSION:REAR

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

20000911POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

MANUAL TRANSMISSION THROW OUT BEARING FAILED. NLM

20000218FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS

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

19990908FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE--CAUSE UNKNOWN.

19981014FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS

FUEL INJECTOR LEAK CAUSED VEHICLE FIRE.

19980708FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

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

19971223FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

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

19971024FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

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

19971021FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

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

19970811FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

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

19970318FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

TURNED ON THE IGNITION AND FLAMES SHOT OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. *AK

19970227FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

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

19970131FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

DEALER SAYS NO PARTS AVAILABLE, IT WOULD BE A FEW MONTHS BEFORE PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. *AK

19961231FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS

FUEL INJECTOR LEAKED, CAUSING FIRE. *DH

19961210FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS

FUEL INJECTOR FIRE.

19961119FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

AFTER HAVING THE FUEL INJECTION SERVICE CAMPAIGN REPAIR WORK DONE, THE VEHICLE IS SMOKING AND SOMETIMES IS HARD TO START. *AK

Compare 1986NISSANMAXIMA to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1986 NISSAN MAXIMA have?
The 1986 NISSAN MAXIMA has 74 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 47 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 NISSAN MAXIMA?
The most-complained component for the 1986 NISSAN MAXIMA is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS with 12 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE.
Is the 1986 NISSAN MAXIMA safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. 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.