10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 4
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
35,400 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

1997 Nissan Maxima electrical problems

electrical problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 1997 Nissan Maxima:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

1997 Nissan Maxima Owner Comments

problem #5

May 012004

Maxima 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 83,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Car stalls without warning. It may run fine for several weeks, then suddenly stall. This has caused near-accidents, as engine suddenly fails to respond in situations where acceleration is required; passing, merging, crossing intersections. Dealer diagnosed as short in egi harness. Breakage inside the harness appears to be a frequently occuring problem in this vehicle, based on other reports on web discussion boards. Also, manufacturer has issued technical service bulletin, so they are aware that this happens, and have published a fix that works only in some cases (I.e., an unshielded wire short). Manufacturer, in spite of this being a common problem, refuses to offer any assistance in repairing, and ascribes it to normal wear and tear. The only solution for the consumer is to pay nearly $3,000 to have the entire harness replaced, when as I experienced, the short is in a shielded wire (per tsb).

- Pasadena, CA, USA

problem #4

Feb 082004

Maxima 6-cyl

  • 94,000 miles
After starting the vehicle a fire erupted under the hood. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. Fire was caused by problems with the alternator.

- Oxnard, CA, USA

problem #3

Sep 042002

(reported on)

Maxima

  • miles
Car was parked in driveway for about 1 hour before fire started, or was noticed. Fire dept. Suspected electrical problem. I found recall on web, which I had not been notified of!!!! poor work on notification Nissan! are they really sending notices out?

- Denver, PA, USA

problem #2

Jul 012001

Maxima

  • miles
I put the car in the garage and went inside the house. I came back out to the garage to get something else out of the car and I smelled a horrible smell, like plastic burning. I opened the hood and saw the flames. My neighbor helped me push the car out fhe garage. I ran a hose over the engine to put the fire out. Had I not gotten the car out of the garage, my car could have caught fire, burned my brand new house down and possibly killed me. I am apalled that I found out about this recall more than 1 year after my incident. I thought it was isolated until I read about it in the newpaper. It cost more than $650 to replace the alternator and fix the damage to my car. I am going to contact Nissan for reimbursement. I am very lucky that my situation did not end up killing me.

- Easton, MD, USA

problem #1

Apr 162002

Maxima

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
PE-02-034; vehicle was driven 30 minutes before turned off and parked. Consumer was notified that vehicle was on fire. Smoke came from beneath the hood, and flames blazed when hood was opened. Vehicle was not totaled. Dealer replaced alternator due to it going bad.

- Enid, OK, USA

Not what you are looking for?