Nissan Maxima

sydney4163 · July 2004

I am looking at a 2001 max se 5spd in mn. The car is fully loaded with all options including leather, sunroof, etc. Mileage is 35K. Car appears in good condition. Asking price is $18.9K. Is this price reasonable, or what would be a "fair" price to pay on this car? Any comments on the '01 max? Problems? Impressions?

Thanks in advance for your help.

ramped · July 2004

Car is priced at least 2 to 3 grand over what it is worth. I 'd be offering in the 16s. Check with Terry over on the Real World Values board in Smart Shopper. He'll peg a price for you.

pat · July 2004

Here is a link: Real-World Trade-In Values

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

p100 · July 2004

About four months ago I looked at a used 2002 SE Maxima 6 speed with 11 K miles in mint condition. This car was offered for sale by an Infiniti delaer (new car trade in) for $ 18K. The car did not have leather but had sunroof. So your 2001 with 35 K miles seems a little high.

Keep in mind that 2002 and later models have a 3.5 liter engine and 6 speed manual vs 3.0 liter and 5 speed manual for 2001.

92camrywagon · July 2004

Thanks for the SAB tips. As far as I can tell, it's pretty rare to get SAB in an 00-01 Max unless the car already has every other option. So I think I'll go for one of the less-well-equipped GXEs or SEs that are so plentiful right now.

Here's hoping I don't get T-boned on the way back from the dealer...

lichtronimo · July 2004

I got a call from my dealer yesterday to say that Nissan cancelled my order last week. I ordered a 2004 SE 6spd. at the end of May for delivery at the end of July. It appears that Nissan is building out the final 2004s and that they are limiting the number of 6spds.

I asked my dealer to see if he could find an existing car at another dealer. He called back the same day to say there is one in the same metro area as I live and also one in an adjacent state. Using the internet, I found the two cars and they are an exact match to my order.

Perhaps this is a question for Bowke, but how hard is it for one dealer to get a car from another? Ultimately, I could bail on the guy I've been working with and go to the other local dealer for my car, but I feel like I owe the guy a shot. He's been helpfull, professional and pricing is a consistent $200 above invoice (before incentives).

bowke28 · July 2004

sounds like your guy is making an excuse for his error. nissan doesnt cancel orders once they are entered.

it should be very easy to get them from another dealer.

i have a feeling, though, that they told you it was cancelled to get you to ask to go get one. this gives them a deal now instead of later on.

i would tell them to go get it, but be wary of scummy stuff...sounds like they are starting weird stuff.

sydney4163 · July 2004

Thanks for the input. I will keep that in mind. My only concern with the '02 and later is the headlight theft issue.

lichtronimo · July 2004

Someone else posted on the Nissan Owners: Problems and Solutions Board that the same thing happend to them last week after placing their order at basically the same time on the same car.

bowke28 · July 2004

the only thing i can think of is that the orders were placed after the cutoff...ie, after the 7th.

was your order placed in june or july?

lichtronimo · July 2004

The order would have gone in the first week June, before the 7th. However, they did have to resubmit because it was kicked out intially because I ordered a 6spd., premium audio, and sunroof and Nissan was requiring the Sensory Package with that setup. It took into the next week for them to confirm the change with me and resubmit. The dealer said that the change wouldn't effect deliver, but maybe it did miss the cutoff.

Anyway, it all works out because the dealer got the Maxima here in the Twin Cities for an Altima in trade. Better yet, its a week or two early.

bowke28 · July 2004

glad to hear it was corrected. if they re-submitted it after the 7th, then it wont be a valid order. they should have known this.

mparis1 · July 2004

what is going on. took my car in for service and all i been getting from the service people......"don't forget to fill -out the survey" bring it back to us ...free oil change....show nissan how much you liked us....thank you.....sir....free-oil changes>>>>>>>>>>>>>>WH- AT IS HAPPENING????? IS IT FOR NISSAN TO KNOW ABOUT THE DEALER OR HOW WE FEEL ABOUT NISSAN...and the xenon-stolen lights..the way they dealt with the 2002/2003 cars.....boy can't what to give them a pieceof my mind on their poor responses...

eampofo · July 2004

I live in the Washington D.C metro area. Of late I have seen a few Maxima's with custom grills and they look fantastic. There was one I saw that had a billet look to it, kinda titanium-ish. The other one I saw looked very bright indeed. It had a polished aluminum look to it. I hope Nissan is keeping an eye on these custom grills when they decide to replace the so called "corporate tooth" grill on the current vehicle.
Personally I don't think Nissan would only replace the grill, it would have to be when the current vehicle is due for a makeover, whenever that is.

lichtronimo · July 2004

Took delivery of my new 2004 Maxima SE 6spd last evening.

All I can say is OUTSTANDING!!!

This 4,000 RPM limit for the first 1,200 miles per the owners manual is going to kill me however.

kyleknicks · July 2004

did you have a pre-2004 max too?

sydney4163 · July 2004

Thanks for the info and link. I posted on RWV, but never heard back from Terry. In the end it didn't matter. I let this one go. Too much money for this car. I will be continuing my search and hopefully will have a Max soon. thanks!

lichtronimo · July 2004

No, we have two Honda Accords (a 97-SE and 01-EX)

This is my first Nissan. All is well, but I think I have the dreaded parcel shelf rattle.

p100 · July 2004

They are extremely rare here in Florida - in fact the other day I was searching nissanusa.com website and found one 6 speed for maybe 300 automatic SE Maximas. Nobody drives manual in this country anymore?

blh7068 · July 2004

6 speeds are hard to find anywhere...

but in Florida as p100 pointed out 6 speeds are even rarer, likely
due to demographics(older retired folks that wont drive stick).

p100 · July 2004

It is interesting that manual transmission Mazda 6 V6 models, for example, are much more common here in Florida than 6 speed Maximas. I even saw several 5 speed manual Mazda 6 wagons at our local Mazda dealership.

dklanecky · July 2004

IMO, Nissan dealers rarely order any manual transmissions in the Maxima, regardless of geographic location.

The only new ones I've seen on a dealer's lot since 1994, (when I started following the Max)were orders for customers who backed out of the one they ordered after driving the vehicle when it arrived.

Since the dealers never have available any for test drives, they end up having to leave the buyer an "out" in the sales agreement, contingent on driving the vehicle.

It's almost as hard to find V-6 Altima's with the manual here in the Milwaukee area (we have 5 Nissan dealers).

I think we may start to see a few more manuals just because of the higher gas prices and the slight mileage gain most makes seem to have with manual transmissions vs. automatics.

I think this might show up more in the lower priced entry level cars like the Mazada 6's and Altima's, but then a V-6 Altima isn't exactly a lower priced vehicle.

p100 · July 2004

Several years ago I rented a car in Rio deJaneiro, Brazil. They did not have a single vehicle with an auto transmission. Not even their VW vans had an auto transmission. Fortunately I drive manual transmission cars in the US so this was no problem for me. Not so for some other American tourists who could not drive a manual transmission car.

You will not find a single vehicle with a manual transmission at any rental outfit in the US.

p100 · July 2004

I want to change the oil in my 98 5 speed Maxima transaxle. I found the filler plug immediately, but I cannot readily identify the drain plug, which appears to be different from the fill plug. Nissan typically uses pipe plug type fill and drain plugs with internal square 14 mm opening. The drain plug appears to be a slotted smaller bolt on the bottom of the transaxle. Or it could be a hex head bolt that is located more toward the back of the transaxle. I have a Haynes manual for the car, but is does not show the drain plug. Which of these two bolts is the drain plug?

bksward · July 2004

You will not find a single vehicle with a manual transmission at any rental outfit in the US.

Almost every major city has an outfit like this:

http://www.dreamcarrentals.com/

p100 · July 2004

You know exactly what I meant: regular car rental agencies like Avis, Hertz, Alamo, etc. The outfit you mentions caters to those who cannot afford exotic vehicles like Ferrris or Vipers and pay a hefty rental fee just to be able to drive one. Would you care to mention what their rental fees are a week for say a new Ferrari, and how affordable this may be for a middle class family?

I am sure that you can rent a Mercedes 500 SEL (which comes only with an auto transmission) in Rio for a premium price too.

bksward · July 2004

You know exactly what I meant: regular car rental agencies like Avis, Hertz, Alamo, etc. The outfit you mentions caters to those who cannot afford exotic vehicles like Ferrris or Vipers and pay a hefty rental fee just to be able to drive one Would you care to mention what their rental fees are a week for say a new Ferrari, and how affordable this may be for a middle class family?

But that isn't what you said. If you had said that you won't find manuals at any of the major or mainstream renters, that would have been fine.

(I was also recently in Vegas and this gave me an excuse to look up what they wanted for the rentals...)

The Ferraris are $500 a day for a 348 and $750 a day for the 355. You can rent a Viper for $400 a day. An S2000 is only $170/day.

Sure its a lot of cash, but compare $270 to rent a Viper for 5 hours and driving out to Hoover Dam with buying a pair of good seats for a big-name Vegas show. Blue Man Group tickets are $70-$100 a pop.

Whether either one would be considered a good use of money is up to the individual.

Lots of people rent jet skis at $120 for 2-3 hours...

p100 · July 2004

Now that the argument about car rental agenies is settled, I will follow up on message # 8312. Nobody responded to my question, so I went to the local Nissan dealership and they asked their technician where the drain plug is and he did not know. Apparently, he does not own or read a shop manual for this car. There is a drain plug about 6 inches forward from the shift linkage entering the transaxle. The drain plug is a 12 mm heax head small bolt. The filler plug is a typical Nissan pipe plug type with an internal 13 mm square opening (no, it is not a 1/2 inch, although that is what they use at Nissan dealerships. Nissan does not use SAE sizes. 1/2 inch is exactly 12.7 mm, so this will work, but 13 mm is a better and more exact fit. I happened to find a special tool for these plugs after month of searching. Nissan supposedly does not sell any.)

Anyway, I refilled the transaxle with MT-90 Redline synthetic GL-4 oil. Nissan specifies GL-4 oil in manual tranxles, so do not use GL-5 oil! GL-5 oils have suphur additives needed for extreme pressure conditions and are characterized by pungent odor. You can damage the brass transmission synchronizers if you use GL-5 oil. 98 Maxima 5 speed transaxle takes about 4.8 quarts of oil to refill. Interestingly enough, the 2002-on 6 speed manual transaxle oil capacity is supposedly only 2.8 quarts, so almost half of the 5 speed transaxle capacity! What is wrong with this picture? The less oil, the better the transmission? Especially one rated for more horsepower and torque? Somehow I have a feeling that the 5 speed version will last longer. Just how much money did Nissan save by making the oil capacity less on the new transaxles? I wonder if they pulled the same stunt with the auto transaxles too.

nd4spd · August 2004

Guys,
I just put the AirHog filter in and installed the Tornado Fuel Saver and what a difference.
My 2004 Maxima is faster than ever. I hit 110 mph
on the on-ramp the other day, ma previous record on the same ramp was 95 mph. So I know this works. The car sounds a lot better as well. All this only cost me $120 and took 15 min. to install. The next step is the INJEN cold air intake. Have fun.

p100 · August 2004

And the next step will be a $ 250 speeding ticket and mandatory appearance before a judge, if you are lucky that is. In some states exceeding 100 MPH is considered a felony and you can end up in jail. So you better check into that before you break anymore speed records on a public roadway.

Some time ago there was a story in the news about a guy who got caught doing 145 MPH on his motorcycle in a 45 MPH zone. He was arrested, fined $ 10,000, his license was suspended for a considerable period, and I am sure that his insurance premium went up considerably.

kennyg5 · August 2004

The OEM all season Bridgestone Turanza EL 42 tires (17 inch) on my 03 Max GLE is not very good for the snow and I am thinking of getting winter tires. I visited Tirerack but there are "no tires" that would provide a perfect match. So, I called Tirerack and they recommended Dunlop Glaspic SP2. However, I can't even find that tire on Tirerack's website (they only list SP1). Does anyone have any experience with that tire? Are there better all season tires out there other than the Bridgestone that would fit the Max?

kennyg5 · August 2004

Is it not true that Nissan provides an 8 years or 80k miles warranty for electronic emissions part? Is that warranty period nationwide or is it state specific?

nd4spd · August 2004

Thanks for the warning, don't get so worked up about this, at least you know what your car can do now. I don't do this very often, and not when there are other cars around.
If you think I drive unsafely, check out GA, and FL drivers during rain: These idiots fly on I-95 at 75 mph in a rainstorm, the result is: 8 car pileup. I have witnessed myself last Sunday. A lot has to do with people not understanding the basic laws of physics => wet surface = no traction and long braking distances. As a result 8+ people were injured and 8 cars were totaled.
I feel their pain but at the same time, they had it coming.
Best regards.
As for your concern about my driving, don't worry; be happy, life's too short to get worked up because of this.
Cheers

jimmy1958 · August 2004

'02 MAX with 3.5. I've seen references to smelly exhaust at start-up in this forum, but no one seemed to know what was going on or what was cuasing it. Has anyone discovered the cure?

getz · August 2004

Going to have to call bs on the two aforementioned performance mods, as the only real benefit in acceleration you will see would be attributable to your carrying a lighter wallet. For your maxima to have improved form a quarter mile time of 95 mph to 110 mph would be equivalent to a gain of approximately 100 hp. Unless you bolted on a 100 shot of nitrous in series to that air hog and tornado, along with racing slicks, I'm most certain that you didn't pick up that type of power.
-Getz

chadrapp · August 2004

Does anyone know what the maintenance schedule is for the timing belt/chain? is. The car has 67000 miles and I'm wondering how soon it will need maintenance.

ccermak · August 2004

scheduled maintenance on a timing belt on a Maxima = when it breaks ;-)

ccermak · August 2004

I should've said timing chain, not belt. I think the real answer to that question is never, meaning that it's supposed to last the life of the engine. P100 or somebody help me out. Maybe it is 100 or 150k.

dklanecky · August 2004

It was (and is) life of the vehicle.

Mine was still fine at 192,xxx miles on my 95 GLE when my son totaled it last summer.

My 00 Maxima has 142,xx on it as well. (Original timing chain.)

Matter of fact, I don't recall anyone ever saying they changed one and the VQ with the timing chain was introduced in Summer 1994 in the 95 Maxima, so there's lot of miles on a lot of them by now.

p100 · August 2004

There is no recommended replacement interval for the timing chain, but chains do stretch and over period of time they can stretch to the point where the chain jumps a few teeth on the crankshaft or camshaft sprockets and will leave you stranded. This happened to me in 1977 on a '70 Chrysler Newport with 85K miles at that time. Years ago US manufacturers used cheap plastic timing chain cam sprocket, so the sprocket generally wore out before the chain did. I found these plastic sprockets in Chryslers, Fords, and GM vehicles. I have never seen plastic sprockets supplied in any timing chain replacement sets, so apparently they are not good to use, only cheap.

In some case timing chains have been known to break: for example Mercedes Benz recommends replacement of timing chains on their 5 cylinder OHC diesel engines around 150K miles because a broken timing chain will surely cause serious damage to an interference type engine.

My recommendation on the Maxima would be to check the timing chain(s) at 150K for signs of excessive wear and stretch, check the cam and crankshaft sprockets for tooth wear or damage and go from there. Personally I would replace the timing chain(s) at 200K miles in any case.

Timing chain kits with timing chain, and metal crankshaft and cam sprockets, are ridiculously cheap for the old V8 engines. I recently replaced the timing chain in my '67 T bird with original 62 K miles. It too had a plastic cam sprocket and the sprocket was already cracked in several places. I paid about $ 25 for the timing chain kit for this car. I am sure that the timing chains for the Maxima are not so cheap and the labor involved is considerable.

kyleknicks · August 2004

i wasn't sure when the maxima changed from a belt to using a timing chain.. now i know its with the 95 maxima's

ace3013 · August 2004

I have been following the forum for a while and I am now ready to purchase a 04 SE base model. This is what I have so far.

invoice $24780
customer incentive -1000
dealer hold back 3% -813
destination +560

Supposed dealer cost in car $23527 What should I pay ? Am I missing anything? There are lots in the New Orleans area so they are not in short supply. Is 24 a reasonable price?
I am looking for a plain SE and would like to know if my numbers are correct. Do the rebates traditionally run out at the beginning of the new year.

I am looking for a Champagne mist color (Plain GOLD). Will it be available in 05?
Was it availalble all of 04, seems to have disappeared from the end of the year 04 booklets ?

Will the $1000 rebate continue into 05? How about the 2% financing? Is there any thing new on the horizon I might wait for ?

Are there any factory to dealer rebates that are not publicized ?

I have come across several used 04s at dealers with 16-25 thousand miles. How do dealers decide on a used price because they don't show up in Edmunds, kelly or the NADA book? What is the formula? If a new 04 is $24 a perfect used one is worth $20,21,22??

Thanks for the help and sorry for thr stupid questions!!

bowke28 · August 2004

try to dip into dealer holdback at your own risk. some dealers will flat out stop negotiations if you do. just because you know about it doesnt mean its a negotiable amount. not only that, but its not a profit center. its assistance from the manufacturer in paying for the floorplan interest. also, the holdback is a dwindling amount. the assistance is usually used up within 90 days from the car's arrival on the lot. stick to invoice or above minus the rebates, and you should be OK.

perna · August 2004

Try $24k OTD. Don't mention holdback or the rebate. Let 'em squeak you up to $24.5k if need be, but that's as high as I would go. They want to dump '04s, not keep them around as lawn ornaments.

perna · August 2004

Almost forgot - the rebate and any special financing will certainly go away on the '05s, and probably won't reappear until after Christmas. That is just my observation shopping for Nissan products over the last couple years (I bought an '03 Max in 03/03, and my folks just took delivery of an '04 Quest yesterday).

diz1 · August 2004

Just wanted some feedback. I have been researching and am looking to buy a 99, 00, or 01 Maxima and will be doing a fair amount of driving on longer trips. Is this car comfortable during these long journeys. I am a bigger guy 6'3" and want to be comfortable. I am narrowing down my choices to Maxima, Accord, or Camry. Any feedback would be great. Thanks.

habitat1 · August 2004

I have a 1995 4th generation Maxima (95-99) w/ 153k miles. I have the SE version that has more supportive seats w/ manual lumbar support, compared to the standard seats of the GXE model.

I would rate the comfort of the Maxima on longer trips as about a 5-6 on a scale of 10. I'm not as tall as you, but have minor back problems and I can last 5-6 hours of highway driving with minimal rest stops. However, my wife would rate the passenger seat a 4, since it does not have any lumbar support. Compared to the Accord or Camry, I would say theat the 1995 Maxima SE (and likely 1999) was clearly superior to either of these. They offered little or no side bolstering or lumbar support at that time. Newer versions may have improved, but I doubt they were better than the Maxima, since both are considered less luxurious.

For what it's worth, our 2004 Acura TL has about every new technology you could want in a car, a great 6-speed gearbox, far improved handling and performance, but seats that hardly rate any better than our 1995 Maxima. With the exception of my former Honda S2000 (seats made by Recaro), I just don't think the Japanese get it, when it comes to seat design and comfort. A bottom of the line Volvo or BMW is far superior to most [non-permissible content removed][anese "premium" sedans in seat comfort. But try them out yourself.

P.S. I focused primarily on seat comfort. Our 1995 Maxima drives great on the highway. The 3.0 liter V6 has very good power and the car handles and tracks very well. The same cannot be said for a 4-cylinder Camry or Accord and even the V6 Camry is pretty weak, IMO. Besides seat comfort, I wouldn't want to "drive" either of these others on long trips nearly as much as the Maxima.

suydam · August 2004

This is the best car I have ever had for long trips ('01 GLE). I drive 300 miles to a conference every spring and in the past always arrived completely exhausted. The first time I took the trip in the Max I felt fine when I got there -- couldn't believe how much difference great seats and suspension can make! My son, who is 6'3", loves this car. The power seat adjustments are wonderful and so intuitive you can change them while driving. We have two children who live 500 and 600 miles away respectively and this is our vehicle for those kinds of trips. You won't be sorry. I would definitely get the GLE though as the stiffer suspension in the SEs can be tiring on long trips according to some. You do sacrifice some handling but on major highways this isn't really an issue.

jbarkan · August 2004

I purchased the maxima new, in december of 2000. I have approximately 20,000 miles on the car. I was just told by the Nissan service center the car requires new front and rear brakes. I also just recently replaced the alternator as well.
Just want new owners of Nissan Maximas' to know the brakes and alternator may need replacement with low mileage on the car. Toyota will be my next car. Disatisfied with Maxima wear and tear.

kyleknicks · August 2004

have known brake problems... from wearing out way too quickly to warped rotors...

i had my 2000 maxima rotors turned at 15k, 35k, and recently got a new brake job with new pads and turned rotors at 42k miles. Even now, i think the rotors aren't right... so i'll be looking to replace with aftermarket rotors and pads when the wintertime comes..

Nissan Maxima

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