Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
22 mpgcombined; city 19, highway 26; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$18,290U.S. average; Ohio $17,240 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
Owners have filed 275 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Maxima. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Steering
158
0
0
0
Electrical system
79
1
1
2
Suspension
29
1
0
0
Unknown or other
24
1
1
2
Engine
20
0
0
0
Air bags
15
5
0
6
Power train
15
0
0
0
Structure
11
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
7
1
0
1
Seats
6
0
0
1
Electronic stability control (ESC)
4
0
0
0
Visibility
4
0
0
2
9 more parts
Visibility/wiper
4
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
3
0
0
0
Equipment adaptive/mobility
3
0
0
0
Service brakes
3
0
0
0
Tires
3
0
0
0
Wheels
3
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
2
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
2
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2010 Maxima over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 ALTIMA AND MAXIMA PASSENGER CARS. THE UPPER FRONT STRUT INSULATORS MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED OUT OF SPECIFICATION RESULTING IN A POTENTIAL FOR THE STRUT INSULATOR TO CRACK.
Risk: IF THE STRUT INSULATOR IS CRACKED, THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR THE STRUT ROD TO COME OUT OF ITS MOUNTING POSITION, WHICH COULD AFFECT VEHICLE STABILITY AND INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE FRONT STRUT INSULATORS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN OCTOBER 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-NISSAN1 (1-800-647-7261).
Carmakers sent NHTSA 116 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2010 Maxima, the latest on Apr 13, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (31), equipment (26), steering (15), power train (11), wheels (10).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2010 Maxima.
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data