Crash Test Rating
Source   NHTSA
MPG (up to)
20 City / 26 HWY
Horsepower
255
Seats
5
Front angle view.

Positive Owner Reviews

accountCircle Shayla D
The Nissan Maxima is a great sporty, economical car.
My 2003 Nissan Maxima is an extremely nice car. It is sporty but also very economical. I get 26 miles to the gallon. It has heated seats and everything is power including the sunroof. I just love this car.
accountCircle Mar P
My car is a good car. It's a sports car.
My car is good. Has no problems. It's 4 doors. It's a sports car. It's a early 2000 make. It still works well.
accountCircle Reneha M
It's very dependable. I've had my car 15 years and haven't had any major problems.
My vehicle is very comfortable to drive. I haven't had many problems with my car since I've had it. I like the fact it gets good gas mileage. There really isn't anything I dislike about my car.
accountCircle John N
It is a wicked fast sleeper that can be had used for little cost
I love how beefy the engine is. It has the legendary VQ35 engine. It also is very VERY stylish and despite being 15 years old has aged well. It even gets good gas mileage by modern standards. I dislike that the console armrest awkwardly pops up and that I've had to replace the brake calipers more often than anticipated
accountCircle Virginia D
New looking most all the time except when it needs a spray off now and then.
Really good gas mileage easy to adjust to fit your body the color has not faded after all these years. . . Leather interior is still like new, looks great when you wash it and give it a wax job. By hand, not one of those automatic car washes does not show dirt and grime hardly at all I keep mine inside my garage which really helps too.
accountCircle Emma R
Comfy and easy to love car.
I love my car, it gets pretty good gas mileage and drives really smooth. The cruise control features are very easy to use, and I love the seat and steering wheel warmers. The back seating is very roomy for a car, and the trunk has great space as well.
accountCircle Angela S
Great gas mileage, 32 miles to the gallon on open road.
Have had my car for 10 years now. Have not had any major problems. My master air flow sensor went bad which wasn't a major problem and didn't hit the wallet to hard when it came time to fix it. Gas mileage is awesome. On the open road when the car is tuned up I get 32 miles to the gallon.
accountCircle Joe O
Cheap, fast, and practical
A lot of reviews call this a 4-door sports car, and it's fairly accurate. Steering and handling is nice and precise, and it goes fast enough where you can definitely surprise some people in their Chargers trying to cut you off coming up to a merge. It's practical and comfortable, and it doesn't look terrible, although I could do with a different front end design. I like the gated 4-speed automatic so that I can drive it like a pseudo-manual when I want to have fun and leave it in D when the weather's bad or I'm not feeling like going that fast. Sounds decent for an old V6 sedan. Had a few maintenance issues, mainly in finding parts, specifically the fuel pump and exhaust, but it's overall reliable. For the price, it's a great car.

Negative Owner Reviews

accountCircle Aaron W
That it's a powerful car. The 2003 Mustang GT came out with 260 horsepower and my Nissan Maxima had 255 horsepower.
It's a good car gas mileage is ok. For the mileage, I currently have on it which is 208,000.
accountCircle Noah I
Great and reliable car to have with little to no problems.
Great and reliable car. Not really any problems. Also a great looking car and could do a lot of things to it to make it faster and make it look better than it already is. Could last a long time if you keep up to date with it. I don't think you can get better then a Nissan.
accountCircle Jaycee
Mixed emotions
Loved the car when I first got it. Then hated it. It's a 2003 and had almost all the bells and whistles (heated seats, heated steering wheel, sunroof etc..) but then comes the check engine light and my nightmare begun. Changed all spark plugs and coils (nothing) changed vias (nothing) maintenance (and the process of elimination) changed oil and filter, air filter, checked all fuel injectors, and car was still running like c**p (well barely) but good news is that after all the blood sweat and tears it was just that I had 2 faulty ignition coils. Whew.... Purrs like a kitten again. But.... Rusted right out underneath car, muffler literally rusted off. I didn't look when I purchased used. Oops. Lesson learnt. But all in all, I'm back to loving the car and can't wait to take it on my trip through the mountains to BC. ???️?
accountCircle Colin O
Good car: bad turning radius.
It runs very well and is extremely reliable. The major flaw is that it's turning circle awful. It gets good gas mileage and has a roomy interior. The engine is powerful and has a good initial acceleration. It does not handle very well in icy conditions. The trunk is very large and the backseat has ample room to sit 3. The ceilings are a tad low, a problem if you are 6ft 4in or taller.
accountCircle Ted L
It was great in the beginning. It can be great again.
The vehicle was great when I first purchased it. Throughout the years wear and tear on the vehicle has made it an inconvenience to drive. It can be worth the money to fix it if you want to. But I would not blame someone for not wanting to put money in to keep fixing it.
accountCircle Michele W
The anti lock system won't let me in my car
It needs repairs at least once a month, is leaking oil, and only has 140,000 miles. It is rusted out. But the biggest problem I have is the anti theft system and since a new ignition was put in we can't reset the anti theft system so it won't let me start my car
accountCircle Whitney N
Was probably a decent car when it first came out
My vehicle was good for about a year, and then the battery started dying for no reason. It is an issue with the breaks I believe. And the blower motor also needed replaced quickly after purchase. It has some major issues for sure. One other problem it has is that the stereo cuts in and out the bass shuts itself off and the front drivers side seat controls don't work.
accountCircle John V
Has a v6 engine good to drive on freeway or highway roads.
The engine in the car runs great. The transmission also shifts well to. The issues I have with the car is mainly the catalyst converter. It has a three way catalyst converter so all three need to be replaced. Replacing each piece of the converter is $700-800 a piece. If the converter doesn't get replaced it usually affects the cars performance. For the fuel it recommends using premium fuel. It has power lock and windows and has radio.

Nissan Maxima Models

Models also known as Trim Levels, are used to identify a vehicle's level of equipment or special features.

car
GXE
255 HP 23-23 MPG 5 Seats
car
SE
255 HP 23-23 MPG 5 Seats
car
GLE
255 HP 23-23 MPG 5 Seats
Photos may not match model

2003 Nissan Maxima Owner Reviews

4.05
44 Reviews
close Write Review
5 stars 39%
4 stars 27%
3 stars 34%
2 stars 0%
1 star 0%
accountCircle Zachary A on March 22, 2021
Family and also race car.
I have owned 3 or 4 Nissans. If they have problems they are really easy and cheap to fix. They are extremely reliable. Some are fast and they are race cars in away. So if you are into speed this is a great car. They can also be family cars. I have a 4 year old and he loves daddy's car.
accountCircle Elizabeth L on March 3, 2021
Nissan makes excellent family cars.
The car has great gas mileage, is very safe, is very comfortable and is easy to drive. I love it. Great family car. The back seat has plenty of room for passengers. The trunk has a ton of space. Plenty of room for traveling. This is a very dependable company and car.

Ranks #4 Large Cars by Owners

The 2003 Nissan Maxima has an average owner rating of 4.05 out of 5 which ranks it #4 of 11 other Large Cars.

1
car
4.31
2
car
4.15
3
car
4.14
4
car
4.05

Ranks #3 Large Cars by Fuel Economy

The 2003 Nissan Maxima has a combined MPG of 29 which ranks it #3 of 11 other Large Cars.

1
Tie
car
29 MPG
1
Tie
car
29 MPG
3
Tie
car
26 MPG

Is The 2003 Nissan Maxima A Good Car?

My 2003 maxima is an awesome vehicle. This is my third maxima and I plan on sticking with Nissan for good.
Marie C.

How Reliable Is The 2003 Nissan Maxima?

Very reliable. Easy to get parts and runs forever, very attractive vehicle and very good stock Bose sound system!
Jasmine M.

Is The 2003 Nissan Maxima A Good Value?

I paid 2 thousand for mine but it was almost 15 years old when I bought it used. I say it is a very good value for the money. I've had multiple maximas and plan on sticking with Nissan for my future... Read More
Chris L.

Related Articles for 2003 Nissan Maxima

From the Vehicle History blog

car
Best and Worst Years for the Nissan Maxima

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 2003 Nissan Maxima idle air control valve location?

Answer: The 2003 Nissan Maxima idle air control valve location is found by watching: https://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=k4H80oy4o-E The coolant needs to be changed every 60,000 miles or so. Your air filter needs to be...

What are some of the 2003 nissan maxima alternator problems?

Answer: The biggest problem that arrises with the alternator in a 2003 Nissan Maxima is usually with the voltage regulator on the alternator. This is the component that is designed to help determine the voltage that...

2003 Nissan Maxima: What is the oil type and capacity?

Answer: The 2003 Nissan Maxima uses SAE 5w-30 full synthetic oil. It has a capacity of 4.4 quarts. Oil keeps the internal parts of Your engine lubricated and it also removes dirt, sludge, and other impurities which...

How much oil does the 2003 Nissan Maxima take?

Answer: The 2003 Nissan Maxima uses up to 4.4 quarts of SAE 5w-30 fully synthetic motor oil in its engine. You can find this oil in one-quart containers, and You will need 4 quarts to complete a full oil change. You...

Answers are provided by third parties. We do not guarantee accuracy of responses

Safety & Reliability

NHTSA Logo
NHTSA Crash Test

Overall

Front

Rollover

Side

*National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
IIHS Logo
IIHS Crash Test

Moderate Overlap Front

Side

Not Rated

Roof Strength

Not Rated

Driver-side Overlap Front

Not Rated
*Insurance Institute for Highway Safety