1986 Nissan Maxima problems & reliability
60 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1986 Nissan Maxima. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline → | 36 | 60% |
| Electrical System → | 10 | 17% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 15% |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 8% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 3% |
| Steering | 2 | 3% |
| Suspension | 2 | 3% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 3% |
| Equipment | 1 | 2% |
| Power Train | 1 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 11 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The ozone produced by the fan brushes of the internal fan blower is not vented to the outside of the car but to the internal passenger compartment. Long exposure to ozone will show up in chest x-ray as clouding of the lungs. I do not have the equipment to measure the levels of ozone concentration and was hoping that…”
Equipment · filed Oct 15, 2002
“Suspect fuel injection caused fire. Dealer worked on problem with gas fumes apx 6 weeks prior and did not check for recall on injection system. Nisssan contacted and denies investigation.*ak”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Aug 23, 2002
“The fuel injection system on my vehicle was recalled and replaced sometimes in 1997. Now, I experience the same problem as before: smell of burning rubber, and smell of fuel. I contacted nissan. The company refused to replace the defective parts that the dealer put in my car. They told me that if the fuel injection…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Jan 16, 2002
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FUEL INJECTOR ASSEMBLY LEAKAGE
Engineering Analysis EA94018 · opened Jun 23, 1994 · closed Nov 8, 1995 · led to recall 95I006000
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE94018 · opened Feb 22, 1994 · closed Jun 23, 1994
Technical service bulletins
3 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1986 Nissan Maxima.
Nissan: tire pressure monitoring system (tpms) warning light on/flashing. No models or model years listed. *pe updated on 08-11-2011. *kb
NTB-09-101 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 30, 2010
Nissan: vent control valve replacement. When replacing the evap canister vent control valve for reason: use the one listed on page 2; for vent control valve replacement procedure, refer to the appropriate section of the…
NTB-09-129 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 13, 2010
Nissan: the 12 volt battery is an important part of the vehicle electrical system and is required to stay connected when the engine is running. To prevent damage to vehicle electronic components follow the…
NTB-09-030 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 6, 2009
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1986 Nissan Maxima in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1986 Nissan Maxima?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.