RecallMyCar

2003 Nissan Maxima Recalls, Complaints & Specs

3 safety recalls list the 2003 Nissan Maxima, and owners have filed 206 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

3
safety recalls
206
owner complaints to NHTSA
13 / 2
complaints citing a crash / fire
20–21
MPG combined (EPA)

3 safety recalls for the 2003 Nissan Maxima

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Inflator module (air bags)

    NHTSA 20V008000 Reported 307,962 vehicles potentially affected Nissan North America, Inc.

    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…

    Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators with alternate desiccated inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer…

  2. Air bags

    NHTSA 15V287000 Reported 1,090,569 vehicles potentially affected Nissan North America, Inc.

    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.

    Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on June 15, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: On December 18,…

  3. Engine and engine cooling

    NHTSA 03V455000 Reported 630,000 vehicles potentially affected NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.

    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.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the crank position sensors. Camshaft position sensor(s), and in some cases, the variable timing control sensor(s). Vehicles involved in a previous recall campaign, 01v357, are also included in this…

206 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 2003 Nissan Maxima have filed 206 complaints with NHTSA; 13 describe a crash and 2 describe a fire. Reports cite 12 injuries and 1 death. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 91,425 miles. Complaints peaked in 2003 with 28 filed that year.

Most-reported components

What owners are reporting

“The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. Additionally, while driving approximately 20 MPH,”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, August 29, 2023 · Engine

“The steering shimmies and pulls to the right. Power steering fluids are within there limits.”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, August 24, 2021 · Steering

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 2003 Nissan Maxima. Ranges cover every tested configuration.

Combined20–21 mpg
City / Highway17–19 / 24–26
FuelRegular
EPA classMidsize Cars
Engine6 cyl, 3.5 L
TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd; Manual 6-spd

Compare Nissan Maxima model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Nissan Maxima model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
1982 Nissan Maxima04
1983 Nissan Maxima05
1984 Nissan Maxima030
1985 Nissan Maxima154
1986 Nissan Maxima160
1987 Nissan Maxima0176
1988 Nissan Maxima060
1989 Nissan Maxima162
1990 Nissan Maxima1106
1991 Nissan Maxima176
1992 Nissan Maxima2110
1993 Nissan Maxima378
1994 Nissan Maxima289
1995 Nissan Maxima0152
1996 Nissan Maxima096
1997 Nissan Maxima1102
1998 Nissan Maxima1113
1999 Nissan Maxima0165
2000 Nissan Maxima0360
2001 Nissan Maxima3172
2002 Nissan Maxima6205
2003 Nissan Maxima3206
2004 Nissan Maxima21,426
2005 Nissan Maxima2948
2006 Nissan Maxima2576
2007 Nissan Maxima1129
2008 Nissan Maxima079
2009 Nissan Maxima1339
2010 Nissan Maxima1275
2011 Nissan Maxima0106
2012 Nissan Maxima0107
2013 Nissan Maxima062
2014 Nissan Maxima096
2015 Nissan Maxima01
2016 Nissan Maxima8142
2017 Nissan Maxima4103
2018 Nissan Maxima236
2019 Nissan Maxima118
2020 Nissan Maxima122
2021 Nissan Maxima03
2022 Nissan Maxima05
2023 Nissan Maxima01

Checking a specific 2003 Nissan Maxima

How do I know if my 2003 Nissan Maxima has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 3 campaigns currently list the 2003 Nissan Maxima; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Nissan dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 03V455000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Nissan models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.