2009-2014 Nissan Maxima Brake Noise: Squeal, Grinding and Pulsation Causes

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

Most brake noise on a 2009-2014 Nissan Maxima falls into three buckets: a steady high-pitched squeal that means the pad wear indicators are touching the rotor, a grinding or groaning sound from worn-out or glazed pads and rotors, and a pulsation in the pedal or steering wheel caused by rotor thickness variation or runout. A light squeak on the first few cold stops of the morning is normal and needs no repair. Everything else points to a specific part, and this guide walks through how to tell which one.

How the Maxima brake system is built

The seventh-generation Maxima uses disc brakes at all four wheels. The owner's manual describes self-adjusting front and rear disc-type brakes, so there are no rear drums to adjust for the service brakes. The parking brake is a separate foot-pedal system that works small parking brake shoes inside the rear rotor hat, and Nissan calls for a parking brake break-in whenever those shoes or the rotors are replaced.

The hydraulic system runs on Genuine NISSAN Super Heavy Duty Brake Fluid or an equivalent DOT 3 fluid, per the owner's manual maintenance chart. That matters for noise diagnosis only indirectly: a falling fluid level usually tracks with worn pads, and a soft or low pedal is a separate complaint from noise.

Nissan's own service bulletin NTB00-033, which applies to all Nissan vehicles except the GT-R, sorts brake complaints into three categories: noise (a squeak, squeal, clunk or groan when the brakes are applied or released), judder (a vibration felt in the car, steering wheel or pedal while braking) and pedal feel. Use the same three categories to narrow down your Maxima's problem.

Squeal: normal, worn out, or a hardware problem

Not every squeal is a failure. Here is how Nissan's bulletin and owner's manual separate them:

The Maxima's disc pads carry audible wear indicators. The owner's manual says that when a pad needs replacement you will hear a high-pitched scraping or screeching sound while the car is moving, whether or not the brake pedal is pressed. If your squeal continues while cruising with your foot off the pedal, that is the indicator, and the pads are at the end of their life.

Squeal that only appears once the brakes are warm is usually vibration. Wagner's technical guidance explains that vibration is the main source of brake noise and that it generally comes from rust, distorted or loose components, or worn and weakened parts. Nissan notes that its OE pads use a non-asbestos organic compound chosen for squeal resistance, and that lower-cost replacement pads may not match that noise resistance. If quiet operation is your top priority, choose a premium pad with quality shims, such as the options in our ceramic brake pads collection.

Grinding and groaning

Grinding is the sound of something hard rubbing the rotor. On a Maxima the common causes are pads worn past the indicator down to the backing plate, a stone or debris caught between the rotor and the splash shield, or a heavily rusted rotor after the car has been parked for a while. Grinding from metal-to-metal contact means the rotor is being damaged with every stop, so the rotors will almost always need to be replaced along with the pads.

Groaning is different. Nissan identifies two kinds:

• Creep groan - a groan when you ease off the pedal just after coming to a stop. Nissan calls this a normal condition that needs no repair.
• Groan during stopping - usually caused by glazing of the rotor surface from heavy or frequent braking. Nissan's fix is new pads plus resurfaced rotors finished with sandpaper.

A single clunk from the front when you first touch the brakes is the pads shifting in the direction of rotor rotation. Nissan says it is easiest to reproduce with a light pedal and less likely with a hard push, and the cure is making sure the pads and pad hardware (shims, springs and clips) are installed correctly. A multiple clunk or pedal pulsation that happens only once after the engine starts is the ABS self-check, which Nissan says runs either on the first brake application or the first time the car reaches 5 mph, and needs no service.

Pulsation and judder when braking

If the pedal pulses or the steering wheel shakes when you slow down, Nissan's bulletin is direct about the cause: brake judder comes from rotor thickness variation and/or rotor runout.

• Thickness variation - the two faces of the rotor are not flat and parallel, so the pads move in and out as they follow the high and low spots. That motion travels back through the caliper pistons and is felt in the pedal.
• Runout - the rotor is not true to the hub, so the pads touch one point on each side with every wheel turn even with the brakes off. Over time that contact wears the rotor unevenly and creates thickness variation.

Nissan lists two contributors owners can control. The first is storage: when a car sits, the rotor area not covered by the pads rusts, and the difference in friction between rusted and clean areas can cause judder even after the rust wears off. The second is lug nut over-torque, especially from an air impact wrench. Always tighten the wheels with a torque wrench to the value in the factory service manual, in a star pattern.

Wagner adds that rust or corrosion on the hub contact surface and excessive hub runout can also cause vibration, so a new rotor bolted to a dirty hub can pulse almost immediately.

The fix: which parts to replace

Match the repair to the symptom:

• Wear indicator squeal: new pads on that axle, and inspect the rotors. Browse brake pads for the Maxima.
• Grinding, deep scoring or pulsation: new pads and new rotors on the axle. Shop brake rotors, or a matched pad and rotor kit from Power Stop.
• Clunks, rattles or warm squeal: fresh clips and shims from our brake hardware kits. Wagner notes that anti-rattle clips and springs can lose their spring temper from brake heat, and that binding or corroded guide pins cause dragging.
• One wheel hotter than the others, or a pull to one side: check for a sticking caliper piston or seized slide pins, and replace the unit from our brake calipers collection if needed.

When fitting new rotors, Nissan's bulletin calls for indexing them to the hub. Clean the hub face until the rotor sits fully flat, snug the lug nuts to 40 ft-lbs for the indexing check only, measure runout with a dial indicator 10 mm from the rotor edge, and rotate the rotor one stud at a time until you find the position with the least runout. Then install the wheel and torque it to the factory specification.

Installing pads so they stay quiet

Nissan calls correct installation and lubrication of pads, caliper parts and hardware essential, because it dampens the movement and vibration that cause noise. Keep grease off the friction surface. Bendix explains that shims reduce the transmission of vibration from the pads and rotor into the rest of the brake and that the right lubricant forms another damping barrier, while petroleum-based lubricants can make rubber boots and seals fail early. Use a brake-specific silicone or synthetic lubricant on the slide pins and pad contact points.

Follow the shim instructions for the pad you buy. Wagner notes that a slight coat of silicone lubricant on the back of a constrained-layer shim helps suppress noise, but pads with an integrated sound insulator should have no compound on the insulator at all.

Finish with a burnish. Nissan's procedure is to drive at about 30 mph, stop with medium pedal effort over 3 to 5 seconds, cool the brakes by driving about one minute without stopping, and repeat 10 times. If your pad maker publishes its own bedding procedure, follow theirs.

How hard is the job? Pads and rotors on a Maxima are a standard bolt-on job for a home mechanic with jack stands, a torque wrench and a caliper piston tool. The rear axle takes a little longer because the parking brake shoes live inside the rotor hat, so release the parking brake fully and leave the shoes alone unless they need service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my Maxima brakes squeak in the morning and then go quiet?

Nissan's service bulletin classifies a squeak on the first few stops with cold brakes as normal. Overnight moisture leaves a light film of surface rust that the pads wipe off within a few stops. No repair is needed.

Is a squeal that happens without pressing the brake pedal serious?

Yes. The owner's manual says the audible wear indicators make a high-pitched sound while driving whether or not the pedal is pressed. The pads are worn out and should be replaced as soon as possible, before the rotors are damaged.

Are my rotors warped if the steering wheel shakes when I brake?

What people call warped rotors is almost always thickness variation or runout, according to Nissan. New rotors indexed to a clean hub, with the lug nuts tightened by torque wrench to the factory specification, is the reliable fix.

Does the 2009-2014 Maxima have rear drum brakes?

No. It has disc brakes front and rear. The only shoes on the car are the small parking brake shoes inside the rear rotor hats, operated by the foot pedal.

What brake fluid does the 2009-2014 Maxima use?

The owner's manual specifies Genuine NISSAN Super Heavy Duty Brake Fluid or an equivalent DOT 3 fluid.

Should I replace pads and rotors together?

If you hear grinding, feel pulsation, or the rotors are scored or below the minimum thickness cast into them, yes. Fresh pads on a damaged rotor tend to bring the noise back quickly.

Sources

1. Nissan Service Bulletin NTB00-033I, Brake Noise/Judder/Pedal Feel Diagnosis and Repair (NHTSA) - noise categories, judder causes, rotor indexing, burnish procedure, ABS self-check
2. 2010 Nissan Maxima Owner's Manual - front and rear disc brakes, wear indicators, DOT 3 fluid, parking brake shoes
3. Wagner Brake: Squealing Brakes and Vibration When Braking - vibration as the noise source, hub runout, hardware, shim lubrication
4. Bendix Technical Bulletin: Brake Noise In-Depth - role of shims and lubricant, petroleum lubricant risk to seals