BumperScan
Powered byNHTSA|EPA|Community Reports
Your report: 3 of 4 steps complete75%
Car identifiedData collectedBasic analysisFull AI analysis

Free Preview

#BS-1998-NISMAX-533A

1998 Nissan Maxima

Based on reports from 133 owners and 6 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
133
Crashes
14
Fires
13
Recalls
6
TSBs
74
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 133 complaints, 14 crashes, 13 fires, and 6 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

gauges going haywire

2 complaints • Severity 6/10

$X,XXX
2

srs warning light flashes

2 complaints • Severity 6/10

$X,XXX
3

premature hood shock wear

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

Each card shows a real sample from your report — unlock all 10 sections from $1.20

Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the AirbagsHIGH

11 owners reported airbags issues — failures commonly reported around 110K miles.

!Inspect the Electrical System:alternator/generator/regulatorMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

2
0–30K
8
30–60K
9
60–90K
8
90–120K
8
120–150K
13
150K+

Peak failure range: 150K+ miles (13 reports) • Median: 110K 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: Airbags (11 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

Airbags11 (8%)
Electrical System:alternator/generator/regulator11 (8%)
Air Bags:frontal8 (6%)
Wheels & Tires7 (5%)
Electrical7 (5%)
Other5 (4%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip5 (4%)
Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control Module4 (3%)

1998 Nissan Maxima: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 1998 Nissan Maxima, with 11 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 110,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 110K-mile mark.

Electrical System:alternator/generator/regulator Issues

Electrical System:alternator/generator/regulator complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 1998 Nissan Maxima, with 11 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Air Bags:frontal Issues

Air Bags:frontal complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 1998 Nissan Maxima, with 8 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to air bags:frontal-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Wheels & Tires Issues

Wheels & Tires complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 1998 Nissan Maxima, with 7 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to wheels & tires-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

27
00
6
01
10
02
12
03
10
04
4
05
6
06
3
07
4
08
1
09
7
10
2
11
5
12
4
13
3
14
1
15
1
21

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1998 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

Get Report — From $1.20

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.

Unlock

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.

1998 Nissan Maxima vs. Class Average (Midsize Cars)

This vehicle

133

Class avg

246

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. 133 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 →

1998 Nissan Maxima: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1998 Nissan Maxima?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1998 Nissan Maxima is related to the airbags, with 11 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1998 Nissan Maxima reliable?
The 1998 Nissan Maxima has 133 complaints, 14 crash reports, and 13 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is below the class average — a positive sign for reliability.
How much does it cost to fix 1998 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 1998 Nissan Maxima have any recalls?
Yes, the 1998 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 48 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 110,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 150K+ 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.
RaccoonEagleRoverCat

Get the Full 1998 Nissan Maxima Report

10 sections of AI analysis based on 133 owner reports. Know before you buy.

Get Full Report — From $1.20Money-back guarantee
Instant delivery|One-time purchase|No hidden fees