2009-2014 Nissan Maxima Front vs Rear Brakes: What Wears First and What to Replace

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

On a 2009-2014 Nissan Maxima the front brakes almost always wear out first, because the front axle does most of the stopping on this front-heavy, front-wheel-drive sedan. The rear pads usually last longer, but the rear rotors hide a small parking brake drum inside them, so a rear brake job on this car is a different job from the front. Here is how each end works, how to tell which one needs attention, and what to replace together.

How the Maxima brake system is laid out

The seventh-generation Maxima (chassis code A35) was redesigned for 2009 and shares Nissan's D platform with the Altima and Murano of the same era. Nissan's owner's manual describes front and rear disc-type brakes that self-adjust every time you press the pedal, so there are no manual adjusters for the service brakes at either end.

The key difference between the two axles:

• Front: vented disc rotors with a sliding caliper. This end carries most of the braking load, so its pads and rotors see the most heat and wear.
• Rear: smaller disc rotors with their own caliper for normal braking, plus a drum machined into the center (the "hat") of the rotor. Two small parking brake shoes live inside that drum.
• Parking brake: a foot pedal, not a center-console lever. The owner's manual says you firmly depress the pedal to set it and depress it again to release it.
• Fluid: Nissan specifies Genuine NISSAN Super Heavy Duty Brake Fluid or an equivalent DOT 3 fluid.

Because the parking brake shoes ride inside the rear rotor, replacing rear rotors also changes the drum surface the parking brake grips. That is why a rear job on this car has a couple of extra steps.

Which end wears first, and why

Weight transfers forward when you brake, and the V6 and transaxle already sit over the front wheels. The result is that the front pads do the bulk of the work on every stop. On a typical Maxima driven in mixed traffic, expect to replace front pads more often than rears.

That rule is not absolute. Rear pads can wear faster than expected when a rear caliper slide pin sticks, when the parking brake shoes are dragging, or on cars that do a lot of stop-and-go driving. The Maxima also has Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC), which can apply individual brakes, including the rears, to keep the car stable. The only way to know is to measure pad thickness at both ends every time the wheels are off.

Always go by the minimum thickness stamped on the rotor you actually have. Aftermarket rotors can differ slightly, and the stamped number is the one that counts.

Symptoms and how to tell front from rear

High-pitched scraping or screech while driving

Nissan's owner's manual says the Maxima's disc pads have audible wear indicators: when a pad needs replacement you hear a high-pitched scraping or screeching sound while moving, whether or not you are on the brake. Pull the wheels and check both axles, because the indicator tab can be on either the front or rear pads.

Low brake fluid warning with no leak

As pads wear, the caliper pistons move out and the fluid level in the reservoir drops. Brake and Front End notes that the Maxima's low brake fluid light can come on from pad wear alone. Check the pads before you top off the reservoir. If you add fluid to a system with worn pads, it can overflow when new pads push the pistons back.

Pulsation in the pedal or steering wheel

Pulsation felt mostly in the steering wheel points to the front rotors. Pulsation felt in the seat or pedal with a steady wheel more often points to the rear. The usual cause is rotor thickness variation that grows from lateral runout, often from rust or debris between the rotor and hub.

A single clunk or pulse right after starting

Brake and Front End reports that Nissan calls a one-time clunk or pedal pulsation after starting the engine a normal ABS self-check. Depending on the model it happens on the first brake application or the first time the car reaches about 5 mph. It is not a brake wear symptom.

Parking brake does not hold, or the rear drags

If the car rolls with the parking brake set, or one rear wheel is hot after a drive, look at the parking brake shoes and their adjustment inside the rear rotor. Nissan's manual says the car should be held securely on a fairly steep hill with only the parking brake applied.

What to replace together

Front job: replace pads in axle sets (both sides), and replace or resurface the rotors if they are below the stamped minimum, show heat checking, or have measurable runout. Install new abutment clips and clean and lubricate the caliper slide pins. You can find replacement brake pads and front and rear brake rotors in our catalog.

Rear job: same pad and rotor rules, plus inspect the parking brake shoes while the rotor is off. If the shoes are glazed, contaminated with grease or fluid, or thin, replace them. New rotors put a fresh drum surface against the shoes, so the shoes need readjusting either way. See our brake shoe selection and a brake hardware kit for the springs and retainers.

Whole car: if you are doing both axles, a matched front and rear pad and rotor set keeps the friction material consistent. Brake and Front End notes that the original Maxima pads use a non-asbestos organic (NAO) compound for squeal resistance and that these cars can be noise-sensitive, so if quiet stops matter to you, choose a pad with good shims and noise damping, such as a quality ceramic brake pad. Consider a fluid flush with fresh DOT 3 while the system is open.

How hard is each job

The front brake job is a straightforward caliper-and-bracket job most home mechanics can do with basic hand tools, a piston press, and a torque wrench. Torque every fastener to the value in the factory service manual.

The rear job is moderate. Removing the rotor means the parking brake must be fully released, and a rotor that has worn a lip against the shoes may need the shoes backed off through the adjuster hole before it slides off. After the new rotor is on, Brake and Front End describes the Maxima procedure: measure the inner diameter of the rear rotor's drum and set the parking brake shoes to that measurement minus 0.6 mm, then adjust the cable at the pedal (the adjusting nut is behind the lower left instrument panel) so the pedal engages at 4 to 5 clicks with medium foot pressure, and confirm there is no drag once released.

A general rule from the same publication applies here: never estimate a parking brake adjustment. Use the manual's clearance spec rather than backing off by feel, because shoes that are too tight cause drag, heat and noise.

Before you finish either end, check rotor runout with the rotor held on the hub. Brake and Front End recommends torquing the rotor to the hub at 40 ft. lbs. for that check and inspecting the hub face for rust around the studs, which causes the uneven mounting that leads to pulsation later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to replace front and rear brakes at the same time on a Maxima?

No. Each axle is serviced on its own schedule. Replace pads in pairs across an axle, and measure both ends every time so you know how much life the rears have left.

Why are my Maxima rear pads wearing faster than the fronts?

That is unusual on this car. Check for a sticking rear caliper slide pin or piston, parking brake shoes adjusted too tight, or a parking brake that is not fully releasing at the pedal.

What brake fluid does a 2009-2014 Maxima use?

Nissan's owner's manual calls for Genuine NISSAN Super Heavy Duty Brake Fluid or an equivalent DOT 3 fluid. It also says that if fluid must be added frequently, the system should be checked.

Does the Maxima have an electronic parking brake?

No. The 2009-2014 Maxima uses a foot-operated parking brake pedal connected by cables to small drum brakes inside the rear rotors, so no scan tool is needed to retract the rear calipers.

Why does my Maxima clunk once when I first drive off?

Nissan describes a single clunk or pulse shortly after starting as the normal ABS self-check. If the noise repeats on every stop, have the brakes inspected.

Do I need new parking brake shoes when I replace rear rotors?

Not always. Inspect them when the rotor is off; if they are glazed, contaminated or worn thin, replace them. Either way, readjust the shoes to the new rotor's drum diameter and bed them in.

Sources

1. Nissan USA - 2013 Nissan Maxima Owner's Manual - self-adjusting front and rear disc brakes, audible pad wear indicators, DOT 3 fluid spec, foot-pedal parking brake operation, parking brake hold check, VDC
2. Brake and Front End - Nissan Maxima Brake Job (Seventh Gen 2009-14) - A35 D-platform, NAO OE pads, ABS self-check clunk, low fluid light from pad wear, rotor turn-or-replace and runout figures, parking brake shoe and pedal adjustment
3. Brake and Front End - Adjusting Parking Brakes - never estimate parking brake adjustments; cable stretch and equalizer linkages