Dt*: the contact stated the check engine light illuminates after 55-60 trips to an independent mechanic. In addition to the check engine light illuminating the engine made a pinging noise when accelerating. On one occasion,the mechanic cleaned the coils. The independent repair shop suggested replacing the egr valve, but the contact declined because the state would not allow the installation of a used egr valve. The codes were cleared several times in order to get the light to go off. The check engine light always comes back on. Sometimes it came on within 30 minutes of being repaired.
1996 Nissan Maxima: check engine light
5 of the 96 complaints about the 1996 Nissan Maxima describe check engine light.
- owner complaints
- 5
- of this car's complaints
- 5%
- recalls
- 0
Check engine light by model year
What owners say
Check engine light stayed on even after routine maintenance was done. The cruise control stopped working after the 1st year I bought it. In the 5 years I have owned the car, the starter has been replaced twice, the differential was replaced, tie rod ends were replaced, struts were replaced, a new muffler/tail pipe was replaced, and this year, 2 oil leaks developed, 1 inside the engine. The mechanic said this was a defect of nissan, not anything that I did or didn't do. It cost over $700 to fix the leaks. The leaks blew out the sensors, and the car didn't pass the emissions. I spent another $850 in getting new sensors. Once the sensors were replaced, the mechanic said there was a short in the fuel injector and he had to replace that. There is still a short in the car somewhere as one of the back lights turns off and on when it feels like it, as does the light for the radio console (which its the original radio that came with the car, so it's not like someone messed around with it.) after replacing the sensors, the check engine light came on after the 2nd emissions test, which it rejected the car because it wasn't ready yet. The mechanic spent 7 (yes, seven) days trying to figure out what was wrong with the car, only to replace the entire dash board. After 1 day of driving, the check engine light came on again. No one can seem to figure out why the check engine light is on. Now the car feels unsafe when I'm driving it, as when the car hits 20 MPH and 40 MPH, the car jerks to the right and I have to concentrate on making sure I don't hit anyone. No one can seem to figure out what that is either. The fan is starting to sound loud when the air/heat is on or when the car is idle (stopped at a light) and the air only gets cold when its cool outside, not when it's hot. I spent $22,000 buying this car, and about another $5000 in repairs to date and its not yet 10 yrs. Old.
Malfunction indicator light failed.
Engine light came on.
Engine warning light illuminated twice.
Service bulletins that may apply
- This bulletin contains a new timing chair tensioner, tensioner gasket and guide if a rattle of either...
- Some customers may indicate that a light ticking or humming noise CAN be heard coming from the blower...
- Vehicles experiencing incidents involving certain parts of the emission control system causing the...
- Some vehicles are experiencing incidents involving certain parts of the emission control system which are...
- Vehicles exhibiting a MIL 'on' with one or more of the below dtcs stored, the cause may be insect nest(s)...
- Experiencing spark knock during engine start
- Vehicle having difficulty starting after 2 to 4 hours cooling from operating temperature
- Information on spark knock
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 1996 Nissan Maxima check engine light
Is check engine light a common problem on the 1996 Nissan Maxima?
5 of 96 owner complaints about the 1996 Nissan Maxima (5%) mention check engine light. The model year with the most reports is 2000.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1996 Nissan Maxima?
There are 0 recalls and 8 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
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