1983 Nissan Maxima problems
The Nissan Maxima is a car manufactured and marketed by Nissan and offered as Nissan's flagship sedan primarily in North America, the Middle East, South Korea, and China—and currently in its eighth generation. Having debuted for model year 1982 as the Datsun Maxima, it replaced the earlier Datsun 810. The name Maxima dates to the 1981 model year when Datsun marketed the upscale 810 as the 810 Maxima in North America. Like the 810, early versions of the Maxima had their origins in the Datsun/Nissan Bluebird. It is renamed to Nissan Maxima when the Datsun brand was phased out for the 1985 model year.
The Maxima was marketed as an upscale alternative to the Altima and prior to 1993, the Stanza, distinguished by features such as a premium interior and V6 engine. Most Maximas were built in Oppama, Japan, until North American assembly began in Smyrna, Tennessee for the 2004 model year.
For the US and Canada, Nissan ended production of the Maxima in July 2023.
Outside North America, the Maxima nameplate has also been applied to variants or trim levels of several other models.
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Common 1983 Nissan Maxima problems
The 1983 Nissan Maxima is known for a few common problems that have been reported by owners. One of the most frequently mentioned issues is difficulty starting the car after driving it for a short distance.
Another common problem with the 1983 Nissan Maxima is related to the car's ignition coil. Older models of the Maxima, including the 1995-2002, 2004, 2007, and 2009, are known to have ignition coil failure, which also turns on the check engine light. This issue can be caused by sparks that send feedback through the wiring harness, damaging other coils. It is important to fix this problem immediately to prevent further damage to other coils. The cost of replacing the ignition coil can range from $500 to over $660, depending on labor and component pricing.
The 1983 Nissan Maxima is also known for a power steering pump issue that may be difficult to diagnose. The most common symptoms include noisy and unstable steering caused by power steering pump leaks. The leaking fluid would drip on the lower control arm bushing, causing deterioration and failure. Overall vehicle control may be affected in extreme cases, so it’s best to get your car checked by a mechanic as soon as possible. This is a fairly common issue that happens around 120,000 miles. Total repair cost may vary, but is known to be on the expensive side, averaging from $400 to around $1000.
In summary, the 1983 Nissan Maxima has several common problems that have been reported by owners. These issues include difficulty starting the car after driving it for a short distance, ignition coil failure, and power steering pump leaks. It is important to address these problems promptly to prevent further damage and ensure the safety of the vehicle.
What is the main problem with Nissan Maxima?
RepairPal gave the Nissan Maxima a 4.0 out of 5.0 reliability rating, ranking it 9th out of 32 car brands in the same category. The Nissan Maxima suffers from a few common problems, including a leaking and low-pressure air conditioning hose, transmission malfunction and failure, and a faulty front-seat wire harness.
Are old Nissan Maximas good cars?
According to CarComplaints, Nissan Maxima 2004-2008 are the years to avoid. Any year before 2004, although it might not have the best reliability due to being an older model, will serve you well.
What year Maxima has bad transmission?
What year did Nissan have transmission problems? Nissan has had various transmission problems over the years with its various models. Some of those that have been known to experience transmission issues include the 2004-2009 Nissan Murano, the 2004-2006 Nissan Maxima, and the 2005-2007 Nissan Pathfinder.
Is the 1983 Nissan Maxima RWD?
The first-generation Maxima checked all the boxes for me – it had rear-wheel drive, 4-wheel independent suspension, a locking trunk, and an inline-6 that was shared with the Z-cars (albeit a 2.4 liter rather than a 2.8 liter that the contemporary 280ZX sported).
1983 Nissan Maxima car problems categorized by type of issue
After analyzing all complaints sent to the NHTSA and researching popular Nissan Maxima problems, we found that the most common problems with these 2023 model year vehicles are:
- Fuel system problems
- Gasoline problems
- Engine and engine cooling problems
- Steering problems
- Suspension problems
The graph below shows statistics for all 1983 Nissan Maxima vehicle components and the number of complaints received.
1983 Nissan Maxima complaints
The NHTSA has received 5 complaints about various vehicle components related to the 1983 Nissan Maxima.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-24
- VIN: JN1HU01S4DT
- Components: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
- Summary: AFTER CHECKING THE RECALL SECTION ON THE NHTSA WEB PAGE AND FINDING NO RECALLS FOR THIS PARTICULAR MODEL, I DECIDED TO LOOK AT THE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND FOUND A SIMILAR PROBLEM AND NOTED IN THE TEXT OF OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATIONS ID # 808550 A RECALL #95I000600, AT WHICH TIME I CALLED THE HOTLINE AND WAS TOLD THAT IN SPITE OF HAVING A RECALL # , THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. MY QUESTION IS, HOW CAN THERE BE A RECALL # IF THERE IS NO RECALL? *MJS
STEERING,SUSPENSION,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 1994-07-01
- VIN: JN1HU01S8DT
- Components: STEERING,SUSPENSION,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
- Summary: RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILED TWICE. IN ADDITION, FUEL INJECTORS LEAKED, CAUSING HEAVY FUMES AND LOSS OF POWER/ FRONT RIGHT BALL JOINT FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SHIMMY, AND ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM FAN MALFUNCTIONED. *AK
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 1997-01-01
- Fire: 1
- VIN: JN1HUO15S8D
- Components: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
- Summary: THE FUEL INJECTION IS LEAKING FUEL ONTO THE ENGINE COMPARMENT, CAUSING A FIRE HAZARD RECALL #95I000600. *AK
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 1995-04-21
- VIN: JN1HU0150DT
- Components: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
- Summary: FUEL INJECTORS LEAK. *DSH
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 1995-09-12
- Components: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
- Summary: INTERMITTENT STALLING. *SD
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