Head Gasket failure or intake gasket Dexcool is the culprit, had to replace mine.
Even though you have already replaced the thermostat, there are other issues that can cause your Nissan Maxima to overheat. Your fan may be stuck and not operating as it should.
Low coolant? Wrong thermostat temperature range? Heater core plugged,restricted or airbound? Water pump not circulating coolant? Temperature control cable not adjusted properly?
Does that mean that you replaced the thermostat AND the sensor? If not, you really need to replace the thermostat. A sticking thermostat can cause temperature swings and potentially overheat the engine. BTW, BMW engines tend to have serious problems when they overheat. Don't let it overheat or you might be buying a new engine.
water pump
Would need to know if car was overheating before waterpump and thermostat was replaced.
it could be the water pump or a blown head gasket
Try flushing heater core Try flushing heater core
Could be several reasons but we really need to know the year, make and model of your vehicle to help you.
How did you change the thermostat?
flush out heater hoses
Ingeneral, the fan will run only if the temperature of the radiator is above the normal range. If the fan is running, then the radiator must be over temp unless the radiator fan thermostat or it's relay is defective. If the radiator truly is over temp then you have a larger over-heating problem You state the thermostat was replaced. if you replaced the fan thermostat then either the radiator really is over temp and it is doing what it should, or there is a problem with the thermostat-fan relay or switch. If you replaced the engine thermostat that controls the flow of coolent between the engine and the radiator, then that probably wasn't your problem and you should look elsewhere for an overheating cause. I would start by determining if the engine actually is overheating or not. If it is, I would look for coolent system problems like the engine thermostat (if you didn't replace it already), water pump, leaks, scale build up in the radiator, or blockages in the system. If the engine isn't overheating then I would consentrate on the fan, fan thermostat and relays.
Could be a head gasket or a warped or cracked Cylinder head.