Total Complaints
74 filings
NISSAN MAXIMA · model year
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.
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 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.