Owners have filed 21 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the body and structure, airbags, and door latches and locks. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2020Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2020 Nissan Maxima: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3
Engine off, key in hand0/1
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/2
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/3
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2020's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2020 checks
Worth adding to your 2020 checks
Worth adding to your 2020 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2020 Nissan Maxima. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | FWD | 24 mpg |
NHTSA complaints for the 2020 Nissan Maxima, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Body trim and glass come loose or break without a collision. Clips holding the front grille and front quarter panels snap, letting the grille sag and knocking the front camera out of position. In one report this happened before 12,000 miles, and replacement parts were on backorder with no restock date. An A-pillar molding blew off at speed in wind. Owners also describe a sunroof that shattered when the doors closed and a windshield that cracked with no point of impact. Parts falling off a moving car can strike other vehicles.
An airbag deploys hard enough in a low-speed crash to break the windshield and injure the driver's head, neck, and lower back. That collision happened at about 15 mph. The second complaint here is not really about airbags. It describes the parking collision sensor braking the car on its own while reversing, which caused a crash on a hill at about 25,000 miles. Both complaints involve crashes, and one involves injuries.
The hood unlatches while driving, flies open, and hits the windshield. That happened during a lane change at 65 mph with no warning light, at roughly 84,214 miles, and it blocks the driver's view at highway speed. The other complaint is minor and vague. It mentions the gas cap door lock and concerns about poor backup camera visibility. With only 2 complaints, no wider pattern shows up, but a hood opening at speed is a serious loss-of-visibility risk.
The transmission fails, and the car can stall in traffic. Owners describe an abnormal engine sound, then a jerk and a stall at around 30 mph with no warning lights. In that case the dealer found a failed transmission that needed replacement, and the car had to be towed. The same owner reports the car failing to start, or starting and then stalling several minutes later, more than once. Stalling in the middle of the road leaves the car stranded in traffic.
The forward collision warning light comes on by itself soon after startup. Owners say it flickers on and off before staying lit, or turns on about 20 seconds after the car starts, with no obstruction on the sensors and no prior accident. One car had only about 30k miles. Both complaints describe a fault warning rather than false braking or a crash, but a fault light like this can mean the system is not working.
The car loses power while driving and lights up a cluster of warnings at once. Owners report the automatic emergency braking, slip, rear automatic braking, parking brake, traction control, and check engine lights coming on together. One loss of power happened at 50 to 55 mph on a car with 8,296 miles. In that case the dealer could not reproduce the fault, and the manufacturer declined to authorize a repair or buyback. Losing power at highway speed raises the risk of a crash.
Excerpts from complaints Maxima owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
Was getting into the car. As we closed the doors, we heard the sunroof shatter. the edges of the broken glass were pushed up as if the air pressure inside the car broke the glass. If the inside cover was open, we would have been showered in glass. The manufacturer inspected and replaced the glass.
Filed with NHTSA, March 2024
The front passenger side A-pillar molding flew off while driving in windy weather. This piece could have hit another vehicle and impeded their vision while driving. The molding was not otherwise compromised.
Filed with NHTSA, July 2022
Was at a four way stop. Other driver pulled out in front of me and I tried to not hit their vehicle but couldn’t avoid it. I was going around 15 miles per hour. The air bag discharged so hard it broke my windshield and injured my head, neck and lower back.
Filed with NHTSA, November 2022
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2020 ranks second for owner complaints among 6 Maxima years, about 1.7 times the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2020 is the fifth model year of the Maxima's eighth generation (2016–2023).
It is also the first year of a mid-cycle update.
What changed for 2020
Recall repairs are free at any Nissan dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Altima, Maxima and Leaf vehicles. The rear window glass may not remain properly secured to the vehicle.
Risk: Rear window glass that separates from the vehicle can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the back window glass, free of charge. The recall began November 4, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC752.
Cars shoppers compare with the Nissan Maxima, with their own 2020 checklists.
2020 owner complaints, side by side
