There are 9 owner-reported visibility & wipers complaints for the 2002 Nissan Maximain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25-35 MPH, THE AUTOMATIC SUNROOF INDEPENDENTLY OPENED. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND THE SUNROOF WAS CLOSED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SPORADICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE SUNROOF SWITCH WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 90,000.
I OWN A 2002 MAXIMA. RECENTLY WE HAD A COLD SNAP AND THE LINE FROM THE WINDSHIELD WASHER RO MY WIPERS FROZE UP. THE WASHER HAD THE CORRECT WASHER FLUID-RATED DOWN TO -25 DEGREES AND THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 11 DEGREES. MY DEALERSHIP REGULARLY MAINTAINS MY VEHICLES FLUIDS. I CALLED THE SULLIVAN BROS. NISSAN DEALERSHIP IN KINGSTON MASS. AND THEY SAID THEY HAD MANY REPORTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM FROM OTHERR NISSAN OWNERS WITH MAXIMAS NEAR OR AT THE SAME AGE AS MINE. THE DEALER SUGGESTED RUNNING THE CAR FOR 20 MINUTES OR SO TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I HAD ALREADY WARMED UP THE CAR BEFORE DRIVING IT, BUT FOLLOWED THE DEALER'S DIRECTION. IN FACT ,I RAN THE CAR FOR 45 MINUTES MORE SINCER THE LINE WAS STILL FROZEN AFTER 20 MINUTES. DRIVING TO WORK UNDER THESE CONDITIONS WAS NEAR IMPOSSIBLE AND EXTREMLY DANGEROUS. I COULD BARELY SEE IN FRONT OF ME AND HAD TO DRIVE IN AN UNSAFE CONDTION AND STOP AS FREQUENTLY IN MANY UNSSAFE LOCATIONS TO TRY AND CLEAN OFF MY WINDSHIELD. I AND ANYYBODY DRIVING A MAXIMA OR ANY OTHER VEEHICLE WITH THIS PROBLEM IS PUTTING THEMSELVES AND OTHES IN INNINENT DANGER. THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM SEEM TO BE THAT THE WASHER LINE IS DIRECTLY ATTACHED TO THE FENDER AS IT RUNS UP TO THE FRONT OF THE CAR. IT IS EXPOSED, UNNESSASARILLY, TO WHEATHER TEMPERATURE VARIANCES AND IT IS SO FAR AWLAY FROM THE ENGINE THAT ANY HEAT THAT MIGHT HELP IS PREVENTED FRM HELPING BY DISTANCE. MY FEELING IS THAT IF THE LINE WERE CLOSER TO THE ENGINE OR OFF THE METAL OF THE FENDER ,OR EVEN INSULTED , IT COULD PREVENT THIS DANGEROS PROBLEM. ANY ARGUMENT THAT THESE WERE EXTEME CONDITIONS THAT WOULD EFFECT ANY CAR IS UNFOUNDED. NEIGBORS AND RELATIVES EASILY DROVE THEIR VEHICLES WITHOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THEY WERE IN THE SAME WEATHER CONDITIONS. I HOPE THAT NISSAN HAS A RECALL ON THEIR MAXIMA'S WITH THE SAME DESIGN FLAW. I HOPE THET I HAVE WRITTEN TO THE ORGANIZATION THAT CAN HELP ME AND PERHAPS THOUSANDS OF OTHER QUICKY RESOLVE THIS UNSAFE CONDITION.
FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW WILL NOT REMAIN CLOSE. THE FRONT WINDOW HAS AN AUTOMATIC UP FEATURE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO PUT THE WINDOW UP WITH ONE CLICK OF THE BUTTON. WHEN ACTIVATED THE WINDOW GOES UP CLOSES AND THEN IT COMES BACK DOWN 4 INCHES. CAR HAS 24,000 MILES AND UNDER WARRANTY BUT NISSAN WILL NOT COVER ADJUSTMENT OF WINDOW OR REPLACEMENT OF MALFUNCTIONING PART STATING IT IS A SERVICE ITEM. *AK
THERE IS AN AIR LEAK IN THE REAR DRIVER SIDE WINDOW. I AM WORRIED THIS IS GOING TO CONSISTENTLY GET WORSE AND HAVE MY WINDOW SHATTER AT SOME POINT. AFTER READING ANOTHER COMPLAINT OF THE SAME PROBLEM I FELT COMPELLED TO FILE ONE OF MY OWN. I REPORTED THIS TO MY DEALER AND THEY HAVE NOT LOOKED INTO THE PROBLEM. WHILE IN FOR SERVICE, ANOTHER CUSTOMER WAS COMPALINING OF THE SAME PROBLEM. EVERY PERSON THAT SITS IN THE BACK SEAT NOTICES A VERY DISTINCT AIR LEAK IN THIS WINDOW. *AK
AFTER BUYING CAR I NOTICED AN AIR LEAK SOUND COMING FROM THE BACK DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW. BEFORE I COULD BRING IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THE BACK WINDOW COMPLETELY SHATTERED WHILE DRIVING HOME ONE NIGHT. THE ENTIRE BACK SEAT WAS COVERED IN GLASS. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS IN THE BACK SEAT. SERIOUS INJURY WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. NO EVIDENCE OF AN OBJECT BREAKING THE WINDOW. DEFINITELY A DEFECT WITH THE WINDOW. *NLM
LEFT HAND DOOR MIRROR VIBRATES EXCESSIVELY WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. CREATES SAFETY HAZARD, ESPECIALLY AT HIGH SPEEDS AND AT NIGHT OR IN BAD WEATHER.*JB
ON TWO OCCASIONS (SO FAR) WHILE DRIVING WITH THE SUNROOF CLOSED, THE SUNROOF HAS OPENED BY ITSELF. BOTH TIMES THE BACK OF THE SUNROOF OPENED, INSTEAD OF THE ENTIRE PANEL SLIDING OPEN. THE SUNROOF SWITCH DID WORK TO CLOSE IT. I HAVE NOT YET TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THIS DEFECT NOR HAVE I CONTACTED NISSAN.*AK
SUNROOF OPENS ON IT'S OWN AND ALLOWS RAIN AND WIND INTO CAR. JIM SIGEL AUTOMOTIVE REQUESTED A REPLACEMENT SWITCH FROM NISSAN. NISSAN WOULD NOT SEND NEW ONE AND WOULD NOT DISCUSS SITUATION WITH JIM SIGEL TEXHNICIAN! I E-MAILED NISSAN TWICE, ASKING THEM TO RESOLVE MY PROBLEM. TO DATE THEY HAVE NOT RESPONDED TO MY REQUEST. MY E-MAIL WAS SENT TO NNACUSTOMERAFFAIRS@NISSAN-USA.COM. JIM SIGEL TEXH. TOOK ANOTHER SWITCH OUT OF ANOTHER MAXIMA ON THE LOT AND REPLACED THE SWITCH IN MY CAR. IT APPEARS THE SWITCHES ARE BOTH DEFECTIVE. THE ONLY RECOURSE I HAVE AT THIS TIME IS TO DISCONNECT THE MOONROOF OPERATING GEAR! THIS IS CLEARLY A SATEDTY SITUATION, DUE TO THE INTEGRITOY OF THE ROOF AND THE TREMENDOUS (UNEXPECTED) RUSHING OF WIND WHEN THE UNIT OPENS ON IT'S OWN. NISSAN TECH. WOULD NOT DISCUSS ANYTHING WITH JIM SIGEL TECH, OTHER THAN THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM IN MORE 2002 MAXIMAS WITH MOONROOF THAN MINE. PLEASE CONTACT NISSAN AND RESOLVE THIS ISSUE ASAP. THANKS. *AK
RIGHT-REAR QUARTER WINDOW HAS A SEVERE PROBLEM WITH WIND NOISE. THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING AND HAS BEEN REPORTED TO NISSAN'S DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM ADEQUATELY. ONE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND NOTHING CAN BE DONE. NONSENSE. PLEASE HELP. THANK YOU! *LA
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026