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#BS-2003-NISMAX-533A

2003 Nissan Maxima

Based on reports from 249 owners and 4 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
249
Crashes
20
Fires
4
Recalls
4
TSBs
64
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 249 complaints, 20 crashes, 4 fires, and 4 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

car shuts off while driving

3 complaints • Severity 7.3/10

$X,XXX
2

engine failure

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
3

stolen headlights

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the EngineHIGH

82 owners reported engine issues — failures commonly reported around 89K miles.

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

Failure Timeline by Mileage

42
0–30K
16
30–60K
31
60–90K
31
90–120K
21
120–150K
34
150K+

Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (42 reports) • Median: 89K 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: Engine (82 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

Engine82 (33%)
Airbags27 (11%)
Exterior Lighting:headlights22 (9%)
Electrical14 (6%)
Other11 (4%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine10 (4%)
Speed Control6 (2%)
Fuel System6 (2%)

2003 Nissan Maxima: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 33% of all reports filed for the 2003 Nissan Maxima, with 82 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 88,500 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 89K-mile mark.

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 11% of all reports filed for the 2003 Nissan Maxima, with 27 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to airbags-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Exterior Lighting:headlights Issues

Exterior Lighting:headlights complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2003 Nissan Maxima, with 22 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to exterior lighting:headlights-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2003 Nissan Maxima, with 14 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-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

1
02
30
03
29
04
18
05
4
06
11
07
11
08
10
09
12
10
13
11
2
12
7
13
14
14
24
15
13
16
15
17
10
18
6
19
11
20
5
21
1
23
2
24

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2003 Nissan Maxima. Recent trend: increasing.

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 (4 recalls)

03V455000Dec 2003

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR OR CAM POSITION SENSOR MAY HAVE AN IMPROPER SOLDER JOINT DUE TO SOLDER DEFORMATION CAUSED BY HEAT STRESS ACCELERATED BY THE EXISTENCE OF FLUX RESIDUE DURING THE SOLDERING PROCESS.

15V287000Jun 2015

AIR BAGS

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2001-2003 Nissan Maxima, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 and I35, 2003 FX35 and FX45, and 2001 I30 vehicles. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

20V008000Feb 2020

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and 2006-2010 M35 and M45 vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated, frontal passenger air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

22E066000Sep 2022

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain air bag inflator replacement service parts that may have been installed as part of a theft or collision repair. The parts include certain passenger-side air bag inflators designed to fit Infiniti 2002-2003 QX4, 2006-2010 M35 and M45; Nissan 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, and both driver and passenger-side inflators designed to fit 2007-2012 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback vehicles. Please see Nissan's recall report for the specific part numbers. These replacement inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

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.

2003 Nissan Maxima vs. Class Average (Midsize Cars)

This vehicle

249

Class avg

250

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other midsize cars vehicles from 2003.

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. 249 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 4 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 →

2003 Nissan Maxima: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2003 Nissan Maxima?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2003 Nissan Maxima is related to the engine, with 82 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2003 Nissan Maxima reliable?
The 2003 Nissan Maxima has 249 complaints, 20 crash reports, and 4 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2003 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 2003 Nissan Maxima have any recalls?
Yes, the 2003 Nissan Maxima has 4 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 175 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 88,500 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 0–30K 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 249 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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