There are 5 stored owner reports matching the engine leading-label group for the 2008 Nissan Maxima in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 5 of 5 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS PREMATURELY WEAR, CAUSING A WHINING NOISE AS THE CHAIN RUBS AGAINST THE TENSIONER WHILE THE VEHICLE IS TURNED ON. THIS WEAR EVENTUALLY GRINDS THROUGH THE TENSIONER RESULTING IN COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE WHICH CAN LEAD TO A CRASH OR INJURY. THIS BEGAN TO HAPPEN FOR ME JUST OUTSIDE OF THE MANUFACTURER WARRANTY, AND IS A COSTLY REPAIR FOR A PART OF THE ENGINE THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE MAINTAINED WITHIN THE ENGINES EXPECTED LIFETIME.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND DROVE TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWO OTHER TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,000.
ABOUT 4-5 MONTHS AGO I NOTICED AN OIL SPOT ON MY DRIVEWAY AND AS THE MONTHS PASSED THE SPOTS GOT LARGER AND LARGER. NOW IF THE CAR IS RUNNING MY 2008 MAXIMA LEAVES A LARGE OIL SPOT WHEREVER I AM STOPPED. IT IS GETTING VERY AGGRAVATING BECAUSE I NOW CAN'T DRIVE MY CAR ANY LONG DISTANCES FOR FEAR OF IT RUNNING OUT OF OIL AND CAUSING SEVERE ENGINE DAMAGE. PLEASE HELP! *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THAT DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, A LOUD TICKING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE ENGINE. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR AN UNRELATED REPAIR WHEN THEY DETECTED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,280.
ON APRIL 30, I WAS DRIVING IN THE CITY, AND AS I WAS PICKING UP SPEED (35-40MPH). THE DRIVER SIDE TIME BROKE CAUSING THE CV AXLE TO GIVE-OUT AND ME TO LOOSE CONTROL OF MY CAR. IN ADDITION, THIS IS A BRAND NEW CAR THAT ONLY HAS -4000 MILES. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE WITH THIS CAR BECAUSE I AM AFRAID THAT THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR
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.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Apr 28, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.