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#BS-1997-NISMAX-533A

1997 Nissan Maxima

Based on reports from 123 owners and 6 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
123
Crashes
8
Fires
19
Recalls
6
TSBs
75
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 123 complaints, 8 crashes, 19 fires, and 6 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

check engine light comes on

3 complaints • Severity 5.3/10

$X,XXX
2

jerking hesitating

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
3

starter takes too many tries to start

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Electrical System:alternator/generator/regulatorHIGH

27 owners reported electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator issues — failures commonly reported around 86K miles.

!Inspect the EngineMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

4
0–30K
5
30–60K
12
60–90K
12
90–120K
6
120–150K
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (12 reports) • Median: 86K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Electrical System:alternator/generator/regulator (27 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Electrical System:alternator/generator/regulator27 (22%)
Engine6 (5%)
Air Bags:frontal5 (4%)
Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood5 (4%)
Electrical5 (4%)
Airbags4 (3%)
Fuel System3 (2%)
Suspension:front2 (2%)

1997 Nissan Maxima: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Electrical System:alternator/generator/regulator Issues

Electrical System:alternator/generator/regulator complaints account for 22% of all reports filed for the 1997 Nissan Maxima, with 27 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 85,892 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 86K-mile mark.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 1997 Nissan Maxima, with 6 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Air Bags:frontal Issues

Air Bags:frontal complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1997 Nissan Maxima, with 5 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to air bags:frontal-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood Issues

Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1997 Nissan Maxima, with 5 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical system:wiring:front underhood-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

11
00
11
01
18
02
23
03
13
04
8
05
3
06
1
07
4
08
3
09
2
10
5
11
1
12
2
14
2
18

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1997 Nissan Maxima. Recent trend: stable.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (6 recalls)

02V171000Jul 2002

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, ONE OF THE DIODES USED IN THE ALTERNATOR MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED WHEN BUILT. THIS CAN EVENTUALLY RESULT IN FAILURE OF THE DIODE AND AN ELECTRICAL SHORT WHICH COULD MELT THE PLASTIC HOUSING.

06E026000Apr 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

06E049000Jul 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

08E050000Dec 2008

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

K2 MOTOR IS RECALLING 1,921 AFTERMARKET HEADLAMPS OF VARIOUS MODELS SOLD FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS ARE MISSING THE AMBER SIDE REFLEX REFLECTOR WHICH FAILS TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

09E012000May 2009

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

+ 1 more recall in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Nissan Maxima is the 2004 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is transmission.

1997 Nissan Maxima vs. Class Average (Midsize Cars)

This vehicle

123

Class avg

204

Below the class average — fewer complaints than typical midsize cars vehicles. A good sign.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 123 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 6 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Nissan Maxima Model Years

202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000199919981997199619951994199319921991199019891988198719861985198419831982
View all Nissan Maxima years →

1997 Nissan Maxima: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1997 Nissan Maxima?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1997 Nissan Maxima is related to the electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator, with 27 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1997 Nissan Maxima reliable?
The 1997 Nissan Maxima has 123 complaints, 8 crash reports, and 19 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is below the class average — a positive sign for reliability.
How much does it cost to fix 1997 Nissan Maxima problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1997 Nissan Maxima have any recalls?
Yes, the 1997 Nissan Maxima has 6 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Nissan Maxima problems start?
Based on 39 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 85,892 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 123 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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