See attached document for complaint.
The worst 2008 Nissan Maxima problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags23
- Body21
- Tires8
- Transmission8
- Engine7
- Electrical6
- Acceleration4
- Steering4
- Suspension4
- Brakes3
- Fuel system3
- Seats3
- Lights1
- Seat belts1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2008 Nissan Maxima
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Defect investigations
Transmission hose leak
This pe was opened for model year (my) 2008 nissan maxima vehicles based on early warning data that the automatic transmission cooler hose may have pinholes and/or cracks resulting in a transmission fluid leak.the leaked fluid can contact the exhaust system and ignite.nissan has shown that the root cause of the pinholes and/or cracks in the hose is excessive stress during the manufacture forming process resulting in hose deformation at loading onto a mandrel, or damage during un-loading.regarding loading stress, nissan states, when excessive stress is applied while loading the hose onto the mandrel, hose deformation (which looks like a bulge) can occur around the bending area.a crack will start to form on the inside of the hose at the area of deformation.regarding unloading stress, nissan states, after the curing process, in some instances the hose stuck to the mandrel tightly and the operator had to apply a significant amount of force to pull the hose from the mandrel.if this operation was performed roughly, the interior of the hose could be damaged by the mandrel edge. Nissan also states, because of the way the hoses received internal damage, a damaged hose was produced as a rare, random event rather than systematically.the transmission hose supplier, cooper standard automotive, implemented process improvements that limit excessive stress on the hose during manufacture. Nissan has shown that this transmission cooler hose was assembled on my 2007 and my 2008 maxima vehicles.nissan redesigned the transmission cooler hose on my 2009 maxima, and the hose is manufactured by a new supplier.nissan has also shown that the leaks mostly occur within the first 2000 miles of service with a severe drop in incidents beyond 2000 miles of service.most leaks have already occurred, and the one fire was minor. A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that no safety-related defect exists.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
PE08045
Technical service bulletins for the 2008 Nissan Maxima 83
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Wiring harness repair information
- Certification label and VIN plate replacement service information
- CAN communication codes – diagnostic tips and guidelines
- CAN communication – network diagnostic flow chart
- Vehicle key not detected / authenticated, engine will not start
- Windshield cracking
- Removing foreign material from the window glass
- Window glass warranty information
- VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2002-2006 ALTIMA AND 2004-2008 MAXIMA; FLOOR PAN Voluntary Service Campaign ID...
- Expiration Notification
2008 Nissan Maxima fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6‑cyl | FWD | 19 | 25 | 21 |
What 2008 Nissan Maxima owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Heavy Rust/corrosion/hole in driver & passenger floorboard. Visible from underneath vehicle when the vehicle is up on the lift. I’m concerned my feet will go through the floor. Inspected by an authorized auto body shop and they confirmed this is very unsafe and a manufacture defect.
The car ignition will not let me turn it
Airbag light has turned on. They where not deployed. Tried to reset the light but it still came on. Tried to erase the light with obd2 reader but the code never showed. The light turned on out of nowhere. Its been on for months.
Vehicle stopped forward movement in middle lane of I-95 north. Engine revolutions jumped to red zone but no forward movement. Had to coast, in light traffic, to edge of roadway merge lane. Engine then died. Engine re-started about 35 minutes later and traveled to us hwy 1 when same thing happened. Vehicle died in outer lane. State police arrived and assisted in pushing vehicle to business shoulder/driveway entrance. Had vehicle towed approximately 30 miles to transmission shop in fredericksburg, va where they told me the transmission was gone.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 nissan maxima. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated when the vehicle was started. The indicator remained illuminated for the past week. The dealer (94 nissan of south holland, located at 16269 van dam rd, south holland, il 60473, (708) 333-2000) was contacted by phone and informed of the failure. The contact was informed that a diagnostic test should be performed to verify the cause of the failure, but the contact declined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 96,000.
The timing chain tensioners prematurely wear, causing a whining noise as the chain rubs against the tensioner while the vehicle is turned on. This wear eventually grinds through the tensioner resulting in complete engine failure which can lead to a crash or injury. This began to happen for me just outside of the manufacturer warranty, and is a costly repair for a part of the engine that should not have to be maintained within the engines expected lifetime.
Have a 2008 nissan maxima and just found out I need a transmission after only having it 2yrs ..dealer never told me that it had a problem when he sold to me had I known nissan had a problem with this model I would never had purchase it...I need a whole new transmisson and for 3700 dollars I feel nissan should rplace it at no cost to me since it seems that this issue seems to be with all there models not just mine...it just crap that im stuck trying to fix it...nissan needs to make this problem or rather fix this issue that is so common in there vechicle they need to be held accountable ...check engine light came on and took it to the dealer cause it wouldnt shift and there it was a big heft bill to tell me that I needed a new transmission and had the nerve to tell me nissan are known for bad transmission...not what I wanted to hear...
Floorboards rusted out.
February 2009 I purchase a 2009 nissan maxima VIN#1n4aa51e29c....... There have been minor issues that I have dealt with. Let me explain, first the motors that move the steering column up/down (warranty covered) and in/out (a $600 estimate) both have gone out. Secondly, the left front tire pressure sensor ($186) was found to be faulty on february 20, 2015 with mileage of 47,859. Thirdly, the front left strut ($142) had to be replaced and both front strut mounts have been replaced ($176), which is a recall for some vehicles but not mine. I'm confused by this but let's move on the biggest problem I'm having with nissan. Today the only recall on my 09 maxima has been the escl, which was replaced on july 21, 2017 with 73,429 miles of the car. I immediately noticed a different sound when starting the car. I was told there was nothing they could do about the sound, so I drove the car home. Shortly after, the airbag light on the dashboard started blinking and the passenger airbag indicator came on. On february 19, 2018, my car was taken to a local nissan dealership to get the airbag system fixed with 76,443 miles on the car. The service department ran a diagnostic report ($95) finding code dct b1018 as a problem. They reported their findings to me and gave an estimate of the repairs to be between $2,000 and $4,000, a big difference. I talked with the service department about what had to be done to fix the airbag system, how much time the repairs would take, why such a wide spread in the financial estimate and what may have caused this problem. I learned a lot from this conversation. The biggest surprise was learning that nissan changed how their airbag system sensors worked from always on to off until a seat was occupied. I would feel more like a valued customer when nissan pays 100% of a problem that has been caused by 'no fault' of the consumer.
Compare the 2008 Nissan Maxima
Maxima vs Ford TaurusMaxima vs Chevrolet ImpalaMaxima vs Dodge ChargerMaxima vs Chrysler 300Maxima vs Toyota AvalonMaxima vs Buick Lacrosse
Other model years
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Questions about the 2008 Nissan Maxima
Is the 2008 Nissan Maxima reliable?
Owners have filed 79 complaints about the 2008 Nissan Maxima, fewer than a typical Maxima model year.
What is the 2008 Nissan Maxima year score?
The 2008 Nissan Maxima scores 78 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Nissan Maxima: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Nissan Maxima?
Airbags, with 23 complaints, typically around 70,000 miles. Next is body (21).
How many recalls does the 2008 Nissan Maxima have?
No recalls on record.
What year does the Nissan Maxima have bad airbags?
The Nissan Maxima model years with the most airbags complaints are 2009 (43 complaints), 2003 (35 complaints) and 2001 (29 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2008 Nissan Maxima get?
Official estimates for the 2008 Nissan Maxima range from 21 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.5L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 19 city and 25 highway.
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