Chrysler 300 vs Nissan Maxima: which is more reliable?
The Nissan Maxima is ahead of the Chrysler 300 on the federal record, 81/100 against 74/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Chrysler 300
- 13 model years scored
- 1,676 owner complaints on record
- about 10 complaints per year on the road
- 53 recall campaigns, 36 safety-critical
- best year 2022 (91/100) · worst 2012 (28/100)
Nissan Maxima
- 9 model years scored
- 471 owner complaints on record
- about 5 complaints per year on the road
- 11 recall campaigns, 9 safety-critical
- best year 2023 (93/100) · worst 2016 (32/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: 300 against Maxima
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
What owners actually complain about
Chrysler 300
- Electrical System — 682 complaints
- Power Train — 269 complaints
- Air Bags — 242 complaints
Nissan Maxima
- Power Train — 102 complaints
- Air Bags — 77 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 72 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the 300's complaints concentrate in Electrical System, the Maxima's in Power Train. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Chrysler 300 — avoid: 2012, 2013, 2014.
Nissan Maxima — avoid: 2016.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Chrysler 300 prices at about $27,600 and a Nissan Maxima at about $27,600 — they price within $1 of each other, which at this level is the same money, and they return 23.0 against 24.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Chrysler 300 or the Nissan Maxima more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Nissan Maxima scores 81/100 against the Chrysler 300's 74/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Chrysler 300 and Nissan Maxima years should I avoid?
Chrysler 300: 2012, 2013, 2014. Nissan Maxima: 2016. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Chrysler 300 and the Nissan Maxima?
The largest complaint group on the Chrysler 300 is Electrical System (682 complaints); on the Nissan Maxima it is Power Train (102).
Is the Chrysler 300 or the Nissan Maxima cheaper to own?
A recent used Chrysler 300 prices at about $27,600 and a Nissan Maxima at about $27,600, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.