2020 Nissan Maxima: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 21 owner complaints on record; most reports concern structure.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Sep 2020
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 21 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“2020 Nissan Maxima SR is experiencing CVT transmission issues that appear substantially similar to the defects described in the Nissan CVT Martinez Class Action involving prior Nissan model years.”Owner report · Engine · May 2026
“Forward collision warning turns on about 20 seconds after the car starts. There was no accident or obstructions to the sensors, this apperas to just be equipment failure on a car with only 30k miles on it.”Owner report · Forward Collision Avoidance · Aug 2024
“The sunroof inexplicably blew out while driving on a 3-lane interstate normally taken to work every day in the morning, windows were up. This movable portion of the sunroof is part of the panoramic sun roof. The sun shade was open, it is normally left open. Some small pieces of the glass fell onto me and seats but most was sucked up and away from the car. Thankfully, no glass hit me in the face and no cars were around me. I have rear cam footage of the glass flying out behind the car. Front footage shows nothing hit the car, no one was near enough to suspect otherwise. A picture is attached of what is left.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Apr 2024
Show 7 more owner reports
“The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and changing lanes, the hood unlatched, flew open and struck the windshield. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,214.”Owner report · Latches/Locks/Linkages · Apr 2024
“Was getting into the car. As we closed the doors, we heard the sunroof shatter. the edges of the broken glass were pushed up as if the air pressure inside the car broke the glass. If the inside cover was open, we would have been showered in glass. The manufacturer inspected and replaced the glass.”Owner report · Structure · Feb 2024
“1-Clips that secure the front grill and font quarter panels have broken for no apparent reason. 2-Body parts can fall off during driving if not repaired 3-Inspected at dealership 4-No warnings - the front camera looked "cloudy" because it had fallen when the grill clips broke and became loose The entire grill has to be replaced. All parts are on backorder with no date for restock. This is my daily driver with a mix of town and highway driving, so I typically drive 30-70 MPH daily and only about 10 miles per day to and from work. There is very little wear on this car, it has less than 12,000 miles on it and has not been involved in any collision.”Owner report · Structure · Jun 2023
“Was at a four way stop. Other driver pulled out in front of me and I tried to not hit their vehicle but couldn't avoid it. I was going around 15 miles per hour. The air bag discharged so hard it broke my windshield and injured my head, neck and lower back.”Owner report · Air Bags · Aug 2022
“The front passenger side A-pillar molding flew off while driving in windy weather. This piece could have hit another vehicle and impeded their vision while driving. The molding was not otherwise compromised.”Owner report · Structure · Jul 2022
“The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated the collision sensor system on the vehicle was malfunctioning, causing the vehicle to brake on its own while reversing in parallel parking. The contact stated the vehicle would always make buzzing sounds while parking. The contact stated while he was reversing out of a parking space on a hill, the vehicle inadvertently stopped, causing him to hit the vehicle in front of him. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000.”Owner report · Air Bags · Sep 2021
“While driving 2020 Nissan Maxima Sv the emergency park brake light up and rear brake light up and traction control light up on dash and it act like it looses power and when you go to settings on sonar it big green light in front of car And check engine light came on”Owner report · Back Over Prevention · Aug 2021
When filing, owners marked a crash in 2 of these complaints and injuries in 1 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 1 campaign
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Altima, Maxima and Leaf vehicles. The rear window glass may not remain properly secured to the vehicle.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the back window glass, free of charge. The recall began November 4, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC752.
How other years compare
Check your exact Maxima by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2020 Nissan Maxima reliable?
NHTSA has 21 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 2020 Nissan Maxima. The most complained-about area is structure.
Does the 2020 Nissan Maxima have open recalls?
1 recall campaign has been issued, the latest concerning visibility:glass, side/rear. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.