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2001 Nissan Maxima

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2001 Maxima.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2001 Nissan Maxima is a passenger car fitted with an automatic 4-speed transmission and EPA-rated fuel economy of 17/24/20 mpg, with routine oil service calling for 4.2 quarts of 5W-30 API oil. Within the 1990–2023 Maxima complaint record, this model year logged 181 owner complaints and 7 recalls, a comparatively modest total when set against the line's peak of 1,425 complaints for the 2004 model and the single complaint recorded for 2015. That said, air bags stand out as the top complaint area on the 2001, so researchers should weigh the lower volume against the specific recall and complaint history before treating it as a representative low-trouble year.

Model year2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2001

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.2 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque72-87 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy17/24/20 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 24F · 585 CCA battery, OE oil filter 1520865F0E. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 24F · 585 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP205-65HR15OEM · verified

Wheel / rim6, 7-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	1520865F0E
Engine air filter	16546V0100
Fuel filter	164002Y922
Spark plug	224011P116 alt 224011P115
Front wiper blades	288902Y907 alt 288902Y910
Serpentine belt	119202Y501 alt 1195031U00
Thermostat	212306N20A alt 1305031U00

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	190.6 in
Overall width	70.5 in
Overall height	56.7 in
Wheelbase	108.3 in
Curb weight	3199 lb
Track (front / rear)	60.2 / 59.4 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	62/38

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	17 / 24 / 20 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume	102 cu ft
Cargo volume	15 cu ft
Recommended fuel	Regular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Maxima of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

6.0–8.1 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.00 sec — 2003 SE

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
2000	SE 3.0L V6	6.70 sec	15.10 sec	222 hp	FWD
2000	SE 3.0L V6	8.00 sec	16.10 sec	222 hp	FWD
2000	GXE 3.0L V6	8.10 sec	16.20 sec	222 hp	FWD
2003	SE 3.5L V6	6.00 sec	14.70 sec	255 hp	FWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.2 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 72-87 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 22.0-29.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.2 qt
Power Steering Fluid	ATF

Engine torques

Engine Flywheel Bolts	61-69 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	22.0-29.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	72-87 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	188-245 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub	163 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-2-3-4-5-6
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	MT: 625, AT: 700 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	50 rpm
Spark Plug Manufacturer	NGK
Spark Plug Gap	0.039-0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque	14-22 ft-lbs
Ignition Timing	15 degrees
Ignition Timing Acceptable Variance	2 degrees

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.32-1.54 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	6.80 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	24F
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	585 cca

Service checks

Regulated Fuel System Pressure (Without Vacuum)	43.0 psi
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)	34.0 psi
Injector Primary Resistance	13.5-17.5 ohms
Engine Compression	142-185 psi
Engine Oil Pressure	57 psi
Engine Oil Pressure RPM	2000 rpm
Intake Valve Lash	0.010-0.013 in
Exhaust Valve Lash	0.011-0.015 in

Brakes

Torque to Knuckle	72-87 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.079; Rear: 0.039 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.0028 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	1.024 in / 0.354 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	1.024 in / 0.354 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	0.945 in / 0.315 in
Rotor Discard at or Under	0.944 in / 0.314 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages

Finger tight, Step 2

4.3 ft. lbs

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

14-15 ft. lbs., Step 2: 95

14–15 ft. lbs

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

14 ft. lbs., step 2: 60

14 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 5 stages

1	72 ft. lbs.	72 ft. lbs
2	Loosen all bolts completely.
3	25-33 ft. lbs.	25–33 ft. lbs
4	90-95 degrees.	90–95 degrees
5	90-95 degrees.	90–95 degrees

Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

24-28 ft. lbs., Step 2: 95

24–28 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs at 105,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Cruise Control System (inspect)
Every 30,000 mi	Drive Axle Assembly (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect)
At 60,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 105,000 mi	Spark Plugs (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The federal record shows complaints jumped from 176 in 1999 to 377 in 2000 before falling to 181 in 2001, still above the typical 1990‑1998 range of roughly 85‑126 complaints per year. Recalls rose steadily from 3 in 1999 and 2000 to 7 in 2001, then climbed to 9 in 2002, indicating an increasing recall trend through the early 2000s. Investigations remained low (0‑1) in 1999‑2000, increased to 1 in 2001 and stayed at that level through 2002‑2003, reflecting only a modest uptick. Technical Service Bulletins peaked at 126 in 2000, decreased to 109 in 2001 and further to 84 in 2002, showing a high volume of service guidance around the turn of the century. Because 2001 follows the 2000 complaint spike but precedes the later recall and investigation rises, its complaint level is moderate relative to neighboring years, suggesting average reliability for the generation; thus, a 2001 Maxima can be a reasonable used‑car purchase provided other condition factors are sound.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

109

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

181

Owner complaints

9 involved a crash · 4 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’00’01’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’22 ’23

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 181 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags25

Engine & Engine Cooling23

Electrical System23

Service Brakes, Hydraulic17

Suspension14

Power Train6

Vehicle Speed Control6

Tires6

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 7 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

20V008000Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator ModuleReported 09/01/2020

Nissan 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… Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators with alternate desiccated inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2020…

15V287000Air BagsReported 15/05/2015

Nissan 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… Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on June 15, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 109 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
NTB13-107G	2024-05-20	Electrical System	VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been…
NTB17-019H	2024-04-29	Visibility/Wiper	WINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY…
NTB13-028I	2024-04-29	Visibility/Wiper	REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See…
NTB09-081K	2024-04-29	Visibility/Wiper	WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last…
NTB08-097L	2023-09-21	Steering	DIAGNOSIS OF VEHICLE PULL (DRIFT) AND/OR STEERING WHEEL OFF-CENTER This bulletin has been…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Maxima. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 24F battery Vehicles taking 4.2 qt Engine oil filter 1520865F0E Engine air filter 16546V0100 Fuel filter 164002Y922 Spark plug 224011P116

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2001 Maxima take?

4.2 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2001 Maxima have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Maxima get?

EPA figures are 17 city / 24 highway / 20 combined mpg.