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Nissan Maxima

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Comments

  • lelandclelandc Member Posts: 26
    Can you tell me the name of the Nissan dealer in Ohio that is offering $5,000 off MSRP on Maxima's?

    Do they have a website?

    TIA,

    Leland
  • berbelberbel Member Posts: 167
    TO: weltonw, kbalch and riez

    Thanks much for your taking the time to eval. your
    6-speeds. Your comments and those of others have
    been very valuable. I really wanted a 6-speed and
    having read some magazine reviews which were not
    exactly "complimentary" I started to have second
    thought about a manual trans.

    kbalch: You had no way of knowing but I already
    own a Max SE. I was turned off very quickly by
    the Altima SE after seeing the "Ford Motor Co."
    interior which I think is cheap and tacky.

    hookedoncars2: I am a fellow "buckeye." To what
    dealer in Ohio were you referring when you discussed it earlier on this forum?

    Thanx all/berbel
  • mrscottmrscott Member Posts: 4
    Here are links to the TSB I asked about.


    http://u1.lvcm.com/adman/MaximaOrg/TSB_NTB01-059__1_.jpg


    http://u1.lvcm.com/adman/MaximaOrg/TSB_NTB01-059__2_.jpg


    I hope the dealer does not give me the runaround.

  • beanctrbeanctr Member Posts: 99
    Berbel,

    I have a 2002 Maxima SE with 1400 miles on it and have been pleasantly surprised by the smoothness of the shifter. Like you I heard some of the negatives (i.e. notchy, long-throws)prior to purchasing my Max but so far I have no complaints. I haven't encountered any notchyness and I don't feel the throws are overly long. My expectations were high for a manual transmission car having just sold my 97 integra GSR. Honda/Acura in my opinion makes one of the best manual transmissions and my acura was the smoothest best shifting transmissions I have ever had. I would recommend the Max with the 6 speed. The only negative that I can say about the 6 speed is it has a long clutch take-up (at least longer than other cars I have owned). You should take one for a long test drive and determine for yourself.
  • danny25danny25 Member Posts: 119
    You can order the Bose 6 disc in dash CD changer from the parts dept. at you dealer for about $400. I don't know how that price compares to a trunk mounted changer, because I've never shopped for one, but even if it's more expensive, it's so convienient to be able to change discs without getting out and going to your trunk.
  • argieargie Member Posts: 22
    Thank you all for the advice. I had my keys reprogrammed anyways. It was done per dealer's advice due to past problems encounter by NISSAN CORP. They said that they were instructed to do so first, from the CORP.

    I would wait and see if anything else turns out from this situation. If it happens again (hope not), I would follow your suggestions.

    Thanks.
  • howardchenhowardchen Member Posts: 6
    My I35's A/C really stinks when I turn it on (heater/ECON). The smell is nauseating.
    The car has only 3200 miles and started to have acid like smell since 2750 miles.
    I took it to the dealer and they spray something in the A/C. The smell
    does disappear for a few days, but it comes back every time I turn on the A/C.
    If I set to AUTO (cool air only), there is no stinky smell (well..actually it
    happened once when it's on AUTO mode).

    If anyone has similar experiences with the Maxima/Infiniti I3X A/C, please tell me.

    Thanks.
  • zhangjozhangjo Member Posts: 5
    Ask them to check the heater Coil, most likely, there is fungus growing on it. The only way to completely get rid of it is to replace the coil, very expensive for labor. The dealers will try to trick you as much as they can in order not to replace the coil. You can search internet about car stinky smell, you will find a lot topics about the heater coil smells. From your case, it is the heater coil if it is OK for cool air only.
  • aggiedogaggiedog Member Posts: 238
    I'm no expert yet 'cause I've just had my 02 SE for 2 weeks (400 miles), but reading thru the manual, it says that ECON is for HEAT only while AUTO is for both dehumidified A/C and Heat. If the MAX and Infiniti share the same AC/Heating system, you may not have an A/C problem at all. Just something to think about when talking with your service people.
  • gerapaugerapau Member Posts: 211
    Well, an unfortunate encounter with a nail has forced me to replace a couple of tires on my 2K SE. The fact that Nissan decided to put an odd sized tire (225/50R17) on this car really limits the options when it comes to replacement tires. I looked into putting a different sized tire on the car but the 7" width of the wheels means anything wider then the 225s is not an option. Also, since I leased the car, and Nissan would complain if I returned the car with narrower tires on it, I will have to stick with the stock size. In my area, Ottawa Canada, the only tires that I could find (without paying big $$$s) in this size were the RE92 that comes stock on the SE and the Goodyear Eagle RSA. I checked out Tirerack to see how the RSAs were rated (I hoped that they would rate better then the RE92, especially in the rain) but found that they don't rate any better then the RE92s. Does anyone here have any experience with the RSAs? How would you rate them?

    For anyone in the Ottawa area, I found that both tires are on sale at a local tire place (Gary's on Merivale) with the RE92 going for CA$170 and the RSA going for CA$165 (much cheaper than TireRack which has the RE92 for US$159). This is a good deal considering Gary's in Bell's Corners is selling the same tires for over $60 more each.
  • georged98georged98 Member Posts: 34
    I have a new 2002 Maxima GLE with 1,000 miles on it so far. Has anyone or is anyone using synthetic oil in their Maximas?? The owners manual does not recommend synthetic oil. I regularly change oil and filter every 3,000 miles and have never had oil related issues but have never used synthetic. Is it worth the added cost or staying with the time tested true blue regular oil be enough.
  • bjornbbjornb Member Posts: 2
    GeorgeD98:
    In my 92 and 96 Maxima SEs, I used strictly synthetic oil (Mobils 1 5W30) after the 6K mile break-in (synthetic has too high of a film strength, so you need to use regular oil at first).
    Never a problem, and I have used 10K change intervals (remember Mobil used to advertize 25K mile or 1 year oil changes??).
    My 2002 SE will get the same diet.
    If you are going to use reqular oil, keep in mind that the 3K oil changes went out with leaded gas and that now 5K is more than adequage.
    Good luck!
  • berbelberbel Member Posts: 167
    Hey beanctr:

    Appreciate your critique. I do believe, all things
    considered, that a 6-speed is now in my sights.
    Incidentally.......re the clutch take up issue you
    mentioned. I could be mistaken, but, I believe that
    the point at which the clutch engages can be ad-
    justed by a service tech. My last ride was a Ford
    Contour SVT. I had the clutch adjusted a couple
    of times when it started to give me too much distance before it engaged 1st gear.

    *************GERAPAU***************

    If you go back to the Tirerack web site and look
    for it, I think you will find a link to consumer
    comments about various brands and models of tires.
    I posted similar concerns about replacement tires
    early last winter. Incidentally, the RSA of which
    you spoke is the OEM tire on the new Cadillac CTS.

    Synthetic Oil: The "Car Doctor," a nationwide
    syndicated auto advice column, highly encourages
    the use of synthetic oil but only after 1000-1500
    miles on the odo. The guy that writes the column
    swears by it. Unless they changed the owner's
    manual since model year 2000, Nissan DOES NOT
    say that synthetic oil is unacceptable. I have
    been using it for years!

    berbel
  • obiwankenobi1obiwankenobi1 Member Posts: 290
    I have a 2K2 SE Max and I got a nail in one of my tires recently. However, back in October, I swapped my stock SE wheels (225/50 VR17) with a 2K2 GLE wheel (215/55 HR17). I have not noticed a performance difference even though the Turanza's aren't performance tires like the Potenza's, they handle quite well. Plus, the tread will last a lot longer. I paid $126.00 U.S. for a new tire.

    So, depending on what you do NOW. You might want to make that decision when getting all new tires.

    Did that make any sense at all??

    Obi
  • gerapaugerapau Member Posts: 211
    berbel: I did check out the consumer comments that you mentioned. The bulk of the comments for the RSAs mentioned all the same problems that I have had with the RE92s (no grip when the roads are wet, performance is all downhill after the first 10-15K miles, bad treadwear) plus many people report that the RSAs have a bad tendency to howl when cornering hard. All in all, the RSAs don't sound any better then the RE92s so I will probably stick with the tires that I am used to.

    obiwankenobi1: As I mentioned in my last post, I am currently leasing my Maxima. This means that when the car is returned (summer of '03) Nissan will require me to put a set of tires on it that are similar to stock. The tires don't have to be the same brand but they do require that the tires are the same size and of the same quality (and have at least 4/32 tread left). I figure that whatever tires I buy now will still have the required tread next summer so I don't want to buy a set now and then buy another set next year. This means that buying a narrower set is out of the question. Also, buying a wider set is not an option due to the narrow wheel width (even though I have heard of many people upsizing their Max's tires, most manufacturers recommend at least a 7.5" wide wheel for anything wider than a 225 tire). I guess that this leaves me with the RE92 and the RSA as options. As I mentioned above, most people do not rate the RSAs any higher than the RE92s so I guess that I will be sticking to the RE92s.
  • habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    My 1995 Maxima SE came with RSA's (15-215-HR60) and, in mostly highway driving, I comfortably got 52k miles out of the first set and 55k out of the second, with reasonable tread left. Obviously, the higher speed rated, lower profile tires on the new Maximas will likely wear faster.

    The last replacement was with less expensive Toyo's which, after 17k miles are showing some signs of faster treadwear. They are also slightly noisier.

    P.S. A friend of mine is shopping for a 2002 Maxima SE 6-speed, so I gave him my 1995 for a day to drive around for comparison. He claims that he liked the handling of the 1995 at least as much, if not better than the 2002. So for all the increased wheel size and tire size, not much, if any, improvement in handling. The weight gain from 1995 to 2002 probably contributes to the equation, as well.
  • gg2k2segg2k2se Member Posts: 109
    I've never purchased them but I hear good things about Nitto tires and they supposedly have our size. See nittotire.com
  • bigbadboss101bigbadboss101 Member Posts: 54
    I have had mine for about 5 months. The car as a whole is very good, but there are minor issues.
    I find the lumbar support position a bit off. The seats aren't as long as the previous versions (eg. leg support).

    The shifter is notchy, but I am getting used to it. The sunroof doesn't tilt much, oh well.

    The stock Potenza RE92 isn't great for Canadian winters. I put on some Blizzaks soon after I got the car.

    I love the looks, and the performance. It would look better if the car is slightly lower, and the 2001 AE body kit would be nice.
  • obiwankenobi1obiwankenobi1 Member Posts: 290
    Well, I know I said the hood flapping on my 2002 Maxima SE didn't bother me, but I figured I'd get it fixed anyhow.

    Adjust the hood stoppers up a bit and it fixed it. Easiest fix I ever made. I also don't notice a big gap from doing it. The car still looks perfect.

    Obi
  • djp2cdjp2c Member Posts: 39
    Does anyone have any information on the Hood Bounce Syndrom?

    I just drove 2000 Klms. and noticed it seems to vibrate (or bounce) about the middle of the hood.

    My service tech says he has no info on this and I thought I had read about the problem in the US

    Any help appreciated.
  • obiwankenobi1obiwankenobi1 Member Posts: 290
    Read post #4521

    My post! Easy fix

    Obi
  • jeff186jeff186 Member Posts: 95
    anyone know the current cash back or finance deal on the Max? I just saw a TV ad for the Pathfinder, offering $1,000 cash back AND 3.9% over 60 months. In past months, the Max and Pathfinder had identical offers.
  • eblumeblum Member Posts: 52
    Any suggestions on tires? I have narrowed it down to Yokohama Avid V4's or Dunlop Sport A2.

    I think that I have worn the Toyo's to their limit. New, they were good, but the past 20,000 miles have been disappointing...have 55,000 on them now.
  • mirthmirth Member Posts: 1,212
    The deal on the Max is $1000 cash back OR 3.9% financing 37-60 months. Not both. Currently good until the end of the month, but they said that last month and the month before so I imagine they'll extend it.
  • b_doggb_dogg Member Posts: 6
    Hi there,

    I'm hoping one of you kind people can help me. We have a '95 Maxima that we love dearly. It only has one flaw. Once the car is warmed up, the car makes a high pitched whistling noise when it comes to a stop and is idling. As soon as the gas pedal is pressed, the sound instantly stops. As you can imagine, in stop and go driving this can be very annoying.

    The car is otherwise perfect. We took it to our local Nissan dealership service and they suggested it may be the water pump in the engine ($525 to fix) or else it was something else in the engine which would require taking it completely apart (around $2000 to fix!).

    So, we thought that we'd ask around on the Internet and see if any of y'all Maxima fans could lend a helping thought to us.

    Thanks!

    B_Dogg
  • bcohenbcohen Member Posts: 58
    Wow! I just took a test drive in a 2002 6-speed Maxima SE (I also got a nice Kenneth Cole watch for doing so!). I have been thinking about a Maxima as my next car, but I hadn't driven one yet. It was incredible. There is no doubt in my mind what my next car will be. I will probably be buying a slightly used model, but I imagine the experience is similar. Some of the people in previous posts were complaining about how the resale value has gone way down, but that is certainly very enticing. A used Maxima is probably the best used car bargain out there right now. I've been reading the thread for a while, and hope to join in the discussion as an owner in the not too distant future. Enjoy!
  • johngoldenjohngolden Member Posts: 2
    I had a similar hood flutter on my 2002 SE (went in for an oil change on my 208K 1991 Sentra and came out with a Maxima) at high speeds or when driving into strong head winds. Mine was particularly noticeable at the hood's edges.

    I spoke to my service guy at the dealer and he knew exactly what I was describing. They installed a supplemental hood gasket kit that prevent excess air from flowing under the leading edge of the hood. For obvious liability reasons, they don't do a high speed test drive to verify the problem.

    The kit consists of 3 gaskets - one each along the top of the headlight assemblies and a third on the underside of the leading edge of the hood in the area over the radiator (except where the air inlet to the engine is located). I'm not sure if there is a Technical Service Bulletin on this, but it was done under warranty and there seemed to be a repair kit.

    Not sure how the part numbers would be in Canada but here's what it said on my service order:

    "Hood flutters a highway speeds
    If required test and repair hood bond joints, install bumper/head lamp pack components.

    Parts: [all descriptions were truncated]
    65829-50A00 Bumper-Hoo
    65829-2Y900 Pack-Rim F
    65829-2Y900 Pack-Rim F"

    Apparently Nissan allows them to bill 0.8 hours for this repair, so its not major.

    I've had no problems since then. The installation is neat and the gaskets don't look like some second thought add-on, so I'm satisfied. I did notice that my friend's new I-35 had the same gaskets installed on the top of the head lamp assemblies, so apparently this affected Infiniti also.
  • danny25danny25 Member Posts: 119
    bcohen,
    Did they give you that watch there on the spot, or something you have to mail to get the watch shipped to you later. I drove an Altima a few months ago and got the same watch shipped to me a few weeks later.
  • parnolaparnola Member Posts: 141
    Is the Maxima still made in Japan?
  • oehrleinoehrlein Member Posts: 30
    Yes Maxima's are still made in Japan. I'm not sure starting when but Maxima's will be built in USA. I wonder if they will be built in Japan and USA or just built in USA. Maybe someone out there can bring us up to speed on this subject.

    Semper Fi
  • qx4qx4 Member Posts: 99
    japan but the newer generation will be in the states. Which would be summer of next year if not earlier.
  • parnolaparnola Member Posts: 141
    I hope when production moves to the US, quality doesn't suffer. The '99 Camry I have is made much more poorly than the '89 made in Japan model.
  • qx4qx4 Member Posts: 99
    Not sure, but you can always go with the G35, its made in japan if you are worried about stuff like that.
  • roar1roar1 Member Posts: 193
    johngolden, the (3) rubber gaskets or trim pieces that the dealer added
    to your car were actually STANDARD equiptment on the 2k Max. I guess
    Nissan did some cost cutting in later models so that they could up-content
    the Max a little........ie. auto-dimming mirror, Steering wheel mounted
    audio controls etc.

    Also, I saw a TSB somewhere that mentions numerous fixes for the hood
    flapping. Some cars will have problems in different areas of the hood. One
    vehicle may only need the hood stops adjusted and another may have some
    spot-welds missing which would require the dealer to use adhesive
    in those areas of the hood.
  • bcohenbcohen Member Posts: 58
    It was actually the Altima testdrive offer, but I wanted to drive the Maxima instead. I should be getting this watch in the mail in a while. Not a bad deal...I get to drive a beautiful new Maxima...and get free stuff for it!
  • tclemonstclemons Member Posts: 31
  • tclemonstclemons Member Posts: 31
    I had the same deal when I bought a 2002 Frontier King-Cab. Actually found out about the offer a month after I bought the truck. Had to send my address to Nissan and they sent me a brochure and a "test drive card". Took it to my dealer and the sales manager signed the card and attached her business card (required by Nissan) and I mailed the card back. I had a choice of a Fossil watch or a picnic basket. Can't afford to eat after buying the truck so I chose the watch. At least now I know what time it is for the meal that I can't afford to eat! Really nice watch with the only problem being that it doesn't show the date.
  • landsteamlandsteam Member Posts: 9
    My service engine soon light came on today. It's a 2002 SE auto with 700 miles. I went to the dealer they wanted me to sign a paper that if the light was cause by the gas cap not sealing properly I was to pay $75.00, I told no way will I sign, I bought the car 1.5 months ago.
    What would anyone recommend for me.
  • oilers1oilers1 Member Posts: 17
    Take it to a different dealer if you have the option. It only takes a few seconds to read the codes and reset the light so $75 is rich. If it is a loose gas cap, a few engine start cycles should reset the light without dealer intervention.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    ALWAYS click the gas cap 3-5 times when installing it to prevent this problem.

    And $75 is what a Mazda dealer told a friend of mine for the same thing.
  • imprtlvrimprtlvr Member Posts: 38
    VW Passat for one, I've been comparing both of them for a few months now. Passat is a better more well rounded car in my opinion, better styling inside and out to begin with. Feels like you're sitting in a Bimmer. Less power yes, but no annoying torque steer to deal with, plus no odd looking rear end. You get the tiptronic shifter on the Passat, it's awesome. The options you get on the less expensive Passat cost alot extra on the Max. The Max also has the plasticky interior, although not nearly as bad as the Altima. Resale drops like a rock too, just like my 2001 Frontier Crew Cab has. Plus Nissans have always been overpriced. Any comments?
  • amazing2uamazing2u Member Posts: 67
    Imprtlvr,

    It's your decision BUT if you think the Maxima is overpriced then you're in for a surprise with the maintenance of a Passat. :)

    Both cars are nice but if you ask me the Maxima with the VQ engine (doesn't burn oil as the VW engines do) and its proven track record (up there with the Toyota Camry) makes it the better choice of the two.

    And about the price, I don't know about you guy's in the States but up here in Canada a fully loaded Passat is a lot more expensive than a Maxima GLE.

    Just my 2 cents.
  • imprtlvrimprtlvr Member Posts: 38
    Some older VW's had problems, but they've redesigned the Passat and Jetta inside and out starting in 2001. Looking around at dozens of car sites, nobody is reporting anything wrong with the new Passat. The Passat shares most of its parts with the Audi A4. You don't hear about Audi quality problems. Well, to me it just comes down to the Passat seems like a higher class car. It's also the safest car in the class, and also has 8 air bags standard.
    You can get a loaded Passat with leather, Monsoon sound, rear sun shade, 8 airbags ,stability control, sunroof, tiptronic shifter(auto/manual) for under 25k for the 4 cylinder turbo. That's recommended over the V6 since it's cheaper and just as fast b/c of weight issues. The Maxima SE with leather around here is at least 27-28k. Plus, the options on the Max are so expensive for things that come standard on the Passat, the Bose is what $700? The Monsoon in the Passat is only $300 and was rated better sound by Car and Driver.
    Also, a little point, but the cloth interior in the Maxima is so cheap looking. Just my opinion though. The Max's engine is definitely its strong point, but it exibits bad torque steer which is unsettling when driving.
  • oilers1oilers1 Member Posts: 17
    Obviously you've made your decision so, go buy one. As for torque steer, have you really driven a Maxima? Sure there is a little torque steer, but it shows itself when I am flying by a lesser car such as a Passat. Troll.
  • obiwankenobi1obiwankenobi1 Member Posts: 290
    Thank you for saying exactly what I wanted to say! You stole my thunder! ;-)

    I absolutely LOVE my 2002 Maxima SE! I eat Passat's for breakfast!

    Obi
  • qx4qx4 Member Posts: 99
    Last time i checked (and i keep my self updated very frequently), the Nissans have some of the best values in their class.

    specifically the VQ powered sedans
  • hookedoncars2hookedoncars2 Member Posts: 10
    Sorry to respond to your questions in such a tardy fashion.

    The dealer is Ricart in Columbus, Oh. He usually has a decent selection of Maxs, more so automatics. His $5000 off offer was advertised in the Columbus Dispatch (Sat. edition) a couple weeks ago (in April). When I visited his dealership, I asked about the offer. It applies to any GLE or SE on the lot.

    By the way, regarding recent comments about the Passat ...

    Nice car, but not as nice as a Max. I test drove the 4cyl turbo recently through some twisties, and IMO, it just feels too soft and the tires gave way much too early compared to the Max (SE). Plus, the engine ... turbo lag from the 80s. No thanks.
  • aggiedogaggiedog Member Posts: 238
    With almost all cars, if you simply disconnect the battery and then reconnect it, That will reset all codes issued by your cars computer. If it is a recurring problem, the service engine light will come back on and you can go from there. If it stays off, you've saved yourself $75. Make sure you disconnect the ground wire first so your battery doesn't lose its charge and replace them in the opposite order.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I have a Jetta, and have driven both a Passat and a 2002 Maxima SE. The torque steer on the Maxima was very heavy, it was an SE without traction control. When I would push the pedal to make a turn, the wheels would spin. I liked the car alot, but felt the frequent spinning compromised control.

    And the Passat is nicer inside than the Maxima, sorry to have to say. That's, of course, opinion. The Maxima is a very nice car though. And it IS cheaper than the Passat.
  • gg2k2segg2k2se Member Posts: 109
    Yes the Passat was a close 2nd choice for me and I would be extolling its virtues if I had bought one. Lots of variables to consider, each has pluses and minuses and your actual opinion may differ than mine.

    At this price range, I don't think $1000 either way is a swinging point, but I did find the passat to be slightly more expensive. The biggest drawback for me was that it felt much smaller inside, like the Acura that I was also looking at. It is 7 cubic feet smaller and was definitely noticeable. A 4 cylinder was a definite no and the 190 HP is a little low for this class of car.

    Overall, I found a loaded SE to have the best combination of fun, luxury, size and cost. Passats are a nice, safe, smaller car, kinda like a German Honda, but a Max is a little stronger and edgier if your tastes tend that way.
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