The 2002 Nissan Maxima has 220 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 9 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are engine and engine cooling and air bags. Owners most often flag cvt reliability concerns: general anxiety about long-term durability, transmission "whine," and expensive repair costs ($6,000+ for a rebuild). frequency: very frequent.
Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2002 Nissan Maxima vehicles (US, public record).
Across the 4 Maxima model years we track, complaint volume runs from 1 (2015) to 1,425 (2004). With 220 complaints, the 2002 Maxima sits about the same asthe model's median of 220.
These are raw NHTSA complaint totals, not adjusted for how many cars sold or how long each model year has been on the road. Older and higher-selling years accumulate more complaints.
air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Campaign 20V008000Nissan 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-…
air bags
Campaign 15V287000Nissan 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 deploym…
exterior lighting
Campaign 09E012000SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMEN…
exterior lighting:headlights
Campaign 09E025000DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMEN…
Sentiment is sharply divided by generation, with a clear consensus that reliability and owner satisfaction declined significantly after the early 2000s.
Owner insights cover all generations of the Maxima. See the full Maxima owner picture and every model year.
Used Maxima listings typically run $13,498–$23,885 across 2014 to 2023 model years.
Compare every Maxima year side by side to see how 2002 ranks against the rest.