The 2001 Nissan Maxima has 4 recalls, the most serious being a passenger-side frontal airbag inflator that can rupture during deployment and send metal fragments into the cabin, potentially causing serious injury or death.
The airbag inflator issue appears across multiple filings but describes the same defect: excessive internal pressure during deployment causes the inflator to burst. Prior repair attempts did not fully resolve the issue, which is why multiple recall campaigns address the same underlying problem. On the suspension side, a pin at the end of the front lower control arm can break where it mounts to the frame, causing a knocking sound and making the steering difficult to control, which raises the risk of a crash.