2016 Nissan Maxima: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
142 NHTSA owner complaints · 8 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 142 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 14.2
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
I took my vehicle yesterday to Monroe Nissan to check on hvac job done last May 2025 as ac was blowing hot air again I was told the ac compressor needs replacement along with that they recommended transmission replacement at a cost of 8000 plus. My Nissan is out of warranty but it only has 20000 miles. It didn’t even reach the recommended 30000 CVTs fluid change yet but already they notice the first code of CVT fai…
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate properly. The vehicle was shifted into neutral, and the RPMs revved up. The vehicle failed to move forward and shut off unintendedly. Several hours later, the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was shaking abnormally while driving, with an unknown warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle w…
There was a thermal combustion that caused a fire. Yes, the caught combusted at a local business. I had just entered the building and was told that my car was on fire. The police and Nissan inspected the car but refused to provide the inspection report. A light came on. I do not know the exact date that it appeared. I just received the recall notice and did not have the opportunity to get the car repaired.
Recalls: 8 campaigns (8 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 16V636000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima vehicles manufactured February 10, 2015, to August 19, 2016 and equipped with Intelligent Cruise Control, 2015-2017 Murano vehicles manufactured August 22, 2014, to August 19, 2016 and equipped with Intelligent Cruise Control, and 2015-2016 Murano Hybrid vehicles… |
| 15V486000 | Fuel System, Gasoline | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) notified the agency on July 31, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2016 Nissan Maxima vehicles manufactured February 10, 2015, to August 18, 2015. |
| 15V733000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Caliper | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2015 Altima and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured October 6, 2015, to October 7, 2015. |
| 16V193000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016 Murano vehicles manufactured December 17, 2015, to February 11, 2016, and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured November 25, 2015, to February 12, 2016 and equipped with an antilock braking system (ABS) and Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC). |
| 18V601000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Nissan Murano, 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2017-2018 Nissan Pathfinder, and 2017 Infiniti QX60 vehicles. |
| 19V807000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Nissan Murano, 2016-2018 Nissan Maxima, and 2017-2019 Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 vehicles. |
| 16V911000 | Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima vehicles manufactured January 3, 2013, to July 29, 2013, 2015-2016 Rogue vehicles manufactured October 14, 2014, to August 12, 2016, and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured June 4, 2015, to August 19, 2015. |
| 16V244000 | Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a full-size car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 25 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,050
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Power Train33 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Electrical System31 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Unknown Or Other27 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Service Brakes21 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Engine18 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Air Bags14 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
Other Nissan Maxima years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Nissan Maxima?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (33 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2016 Nissan Maxima a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 32/100, computed from 142 NHTSA complaints and 8 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2016 Nissan Maxima's most common problem?
33 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2016 Nissan Maxima sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is transmission service or clutch-pack repair: about 7.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,290–$4,040 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2016 Nissan Maxima cost to run per year?
About $5,389 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $26,948 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2016 Nissan Maxima have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 8 recall campaign(s) for the 2016 Nissan Maxima, 8 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 02/09/2016. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other fullsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2016 Nissan Maxima really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 142 complaints, 8 recalls on record
- 142 NHTSA complaints on record (14.2/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (4.5/yr)
- 8 recall campaigns, 8 touching safety-critical systems