Total Complaints
4 filings
NISSAN MAXIMA · model year
2021 NISSAN MAXIMA
4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
New Car Assessment Program
The 2021NISSANMAXIMA carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 5/5 rating, with 5/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 5/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2021 MAXIMA is electrical system with 1 filings, followed by unknown or other (1) and structure:body (1). 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 2021 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.
4
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
- Front Crash 5.0 ★
- Side Crash 5.0 ★
- Rollover 5.0 ★
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
NHTSA NCAP overall: 5/5 — Top NCAP rating
· Front: 5/5
· Side: 5/5
· Rollover: 5/5
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20240423ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while his son was driving at 20 MPH, the vehicle began to jerk and was shaking. The vehicle felt as though the brake pedal was being depressed. The oil light was flashing. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was a catastrophic engine failure. The vehicle was repaired. After driving the vehicle, the vehicle was parked, and his son noticed there was a puddle of oil underneath the vehicle. The vehicle failed to start. The contact checked the oil level and noticed there was no oil. The vehicle was towed back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with starter and an oil gasket failure. The dealer informed the contact that there was oil in the engine. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 72,600.
Mileage: 72,600
20210607UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Going down a road in Tennessee on my way to my sons house in Fort Campbell. No cars on the road anywhere 545 in the morning and the sun roof explodes out of no where. Parts have been ordered and the car is in my possession till the parts come in so no forms to upload as of yet.
20210607STRUCTURE:BODY
Going down a road in Tennessee on my way to my sons house in Fort Campbell. No cars on the road anywhere 545 in the morning and the sun roof explodes out of no where. Parts have been ordered and the car is in my possession till the parts come in so no forms to upload as of yet.
20210401ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
VEHICLE PURCHASED NEW WITH 4 MILES THEN AFTER 100MILES, THE CD CHANGER DOES NOT WORK AND THERE IS A DELAY IN THE ELECTRONIC COOLANT TEMPERATURE GAUGE. THE ANLOG TEMP GAUGE IS WORKING BUT THE ELECTRONIC GAUGE DOES NOT COME ON TILL 20-30MINS OF DRIVING.
Mileage: 100
Compare 2021NISSANMAXIMA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2021 NISSAN MAXIMA have?▼
The 2021 NISSAN MAXIMA has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2021 NISSAN MAXIMA?▼
The 2021 NISSAN MAXIMA received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 5/5, front crash rating of 5/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 5/5.
What are the most common problems with the 2021 NISSAN MAXIMA?▼
The most-complained component for the 2021 NISSAN MAXIMA is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and STRUCTURE:BODY.
Is the 2021 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. The 2021 NISSAN MAXIMA has an NHTSA safety rating of 5/5. 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.