2019 Nissan Maxima: problems, recalls and what it’s worth
Known weak spot on this generation: CVT transmission (Jatco). 1 recall campaign to confirm with a dealer. Few owner complaints for this year.
Cold test drive: hesitation off the line, judder under light throttle at 30–45 mph, a whine that rises with speed, or the tach flaring without acceleration. Look for a CVT replacement or reprogram in the service history.
Known problems on the 2019 Nissan Maxima
CVT transmission (Jatco) $3,300–$5,000 to fix
The Jatco CVT on this generation is a documented failure point — shudder around 30–45 mph, RPM flare, whining, then failure, frequently 60k–120k mi. Nissan extended the powertrain warranty to 84 mo / 84k mi on many of these and settled class actions.
Check for: Cold test drive: hesitation off the line, judder under light throttle at 30–45 mph, a whine that rises with speed, or the tach flaring without acceleration. Look for a CVT replacement or reprogram in the service history.
Basis: NHTSA complaint clusters; Nissan CVT extended-warranty program; multiple class-action settlements
Known patterns for this year and model, not findings about one car. A well-kept example may already have had the fix. Costs are rough US shop prices.
2019 Nissan Maxima recalls
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2019 Nissan Maxima. Repairs are free at a dealer for the brand, and a dealer can confirm by VIN which were already done.
- Driver-assist systems
The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Details 19V654000
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Fix: Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200.
2019 Nissan Maxima safety investigations and free repairs
No open safety investigations.
No warranty extensions listed.
Source: NHTSA, Sep 24, 2026.
2019 Nissan Maxima safety and fuel
From NHTSA’s crash tests and the EPA’s fueleconomy.gov.
What owners complain about
18 complaints filed with NHTSA for this year and model, which is few.
Share of complaints that mention each area. One complaint can mention several.
What a 2019 Nissan Maxima is worth
Rough trade-in values — roughly what a dealer would pay — by mileage, from published trade-in guides. Private sales and dealer prices run higher. For the exact car, add its VIN.
| Mileage | Trade-in (rough) |
|---|---|
| 40,000 mi | $13,500 |
| 80,000 mi | $13,038 |
| 160,000 mi | $10,700 |
From new to now
New, a 2019 Nissan Maxima started at about $34,975. At a typical 84,000 miles today it trades in for about $12,921 — roughly 63% less.
Typical mileage = 12,000 miles a year; values between two published mileages are estimated in a straight line. “New” is the base price (cheapest version) as published, give or take destination fees; higher trims cost more.
Other Nissan Maxima years
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2020 2021 2022 2023
Printable inspection checklist · Out-the-door price calculator