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Comments
More important to me is:
Will the engine run another 5 years?
Is it a gas guzzler?
How will it perform in the snow?
I love the power but I could get a used 2.5L Altima for a lot cheaper and those seem to be much more plentiful here in Boston.
It's a bit outdated but loaded. I can get it at a dealer for $7999.
It sure is pretty but will it last? Any major problems with these after 100k mi?
I am planning on taking it back to the local Used Nissan dealership today to ask them to fix things. Maybe I should take it to a good local mechanic first to be sure what I'm feeling is wrong is in fact wrong.
I have discovered that this car sat on the Used car lot for 5 months. That isn't a good sign, is it?
Problem 1 - It takes bumps VERY hard and I noticed they changed the front struts but that apparently wasn't enough?
Problem 2 - Half the time when I turn on the engine I have to keep the key pushed forward for 3 full seconds in order for it to start. I fear this is one of those "bad" QR25DE engines.
I fear my mother and I, two kind, innocent looking women, got scammed by a used car dealer who frankly made my skin crawl. He offered us absolutely no incentives or waurantees on this car.
What could be wrong with the car and what course of action should I take with the dealership? They've got a "father" dealership nearby who I'd rather deal with, where the car initially was traded in to.
I own a Nissan Altima 2000. and have been driving for the past 10 + years
I got it new however from the beginning itself I had maintenance issues.
Every time I plan to get rid of it due to its high maintenance costs.. I am ending up keeping it.. cause each time I feel this is the last repair.. and the car should be good(since I got it new)I have currently around 110K miles.
I have had many issues. from intake manifold gasket replacements twice( costing around $800 each time); alternator; 02 sensors;AC compressor switch; gasket problems; Replacing radiator twice..
I feel this is the worst car on repairs
I have a 2005 pre-owned Altima S w/auto which came with 20,001 miles on it.
It had rust all over the engine compartment and the cabin seat bolts. Finally got a cleaning that cleaned up most of it or at least made it look better.
I've gotten 2 extended warranties, the last is the final one and not worth a 3d due to the car's age.
Over the past 7-8 years, esp. within the past 2-3 months, repairs have been growing even though the car has ~75,000 miles on it :lemon:
Vibration problems lead to replacement of suspension parts, new tires, new brakes, new steering wheel components, got confirmation upon replacing my rear fenders that car was previously involved in accident but didn't show up in Carfax when I bot the car (as Enterprise Rentacar, its previous owner, fixed it themselves shoddily and not reported) :mad:
Issues... you bet I have issues with MY Altima but most were, thank fully, covered by warranty except for wear and tear like the tires/brakes
I'm dealing with vibration issues now... winter is coming which means the fuel efficiency will DROP since the car's performance s@ck in Cold weather as the 23/27 city/hwy mpg I have (due to monitoring) drops to 18/23 city/hwy in cold weather esp. in the winter.
Get rid of the stock Continental Tires which, as many reviewers noted, S@CK. It has decent traction in warm weather but is lousy in cold weather and it wears down relatively easily!
Some people may not have problems with their cars while others do.
Good luck!
I purchased a 2006 Nissan Altima 2.5 S (special edition) in July 2010 with 45k miles on the clock. As far as I understand it was one of the last Atimas to be made before the updated model was released. Currently it has 71k miles. I became somewhat worried about some of the problems and recalls that I heard about the 2.5 engine, but so far, so good. So far the only unexpected repairs have been a suspension component and a battery. It starts first time when it's -20C outside. I've spoken at length with several mechanics who have seen this model reach 200k miles, they were much more negative about the Sentra and early Rogue. I have a friend who brought the same model on the same day as me in 2010, his car has higher mileage than mine and has had one minor issue so far. I will report back if I have some major problems. When you look through forums you'll undoubtedly see people posting about lemon cars, all manufacturers will make them (some more than others), but based on my experience I would recommend the Altima. It's a great car, comfortable, quick, much more interesting than the equivalent Toyota, Mazda, Chevrolet, Ford etc etc.
Bought it pre-owned with ~20,006 miles on it (rental car company car) and got an extended warranty so it became a CPO.
It lasted barely >10 years. Most issues occurred during the warranty period (Extended warranty with original purchase and another extended warranty).
The reliability really depends on the driver (how s/he drives the car) and the conditions it's driven (location of driver/vehicle). The older models are prone to Rust! That's an issue IF you live in the colder areas of the U.S. where salt/brine solution is used on the roads in the winter. You must get the undercarriage washed During and After the winter time esp. after snow storms!
The car will last longer IF you take very good care of it, like my old car.
Towards the end of its life, it needed a new suspension/shocks for the entire car which is pretty good considering ~>10 years. The muffler's outer shell was rusted through but the internal one was still good to last another ~2-3 years. The catalytic converter was covered under a 10 year warranty so that got replaced. The AC unit/pump was replaced ~<$1000 in ~8th year. All new brake sets were replaced by ~8th year. Newer tires needed ~5-6th years as the Continental Tires sucked (AVOID Continental Tires) !!
Used Full Synthetic oil so oil changes were ~5k-7500 miles.
Most repairs were covered under warranty and keep up with the regular maintenance like oil changes.
The major repairs were done towards the end of its life.
Considering that it was formerly a rental car for ~8 months with ~20,006 miles on it when I bought it, it was acceptable though it got very expensive at the end (suspension/shocks needed as stated previously).
MOST of the damage, IMO, was due to the Rust issue as there was some rust when I bought it.
Found out in ~3d year that it was in an auto accident but NOT reported in CarFax as the Enterprising car rental company fixed it without going through insurance (rear end damage). But at least it was 'fixed' to working condition and the car lasted ~>10 years!
The fuel economy was decent back then ~23mpg city, 27mpg hwy and 25 mpg mixed.
It was WORSE in the winter ~18mpg city, 25mpg hwy and 21 mpg mixed >:(
Make sure you use Good tires (AVOID Continental Tires!!) for good traction.
That car was traded in ($5000 but probably worth more if Not for lots of underside rust!).
That price acceptable considering that it was >10 years old
I now drive a newer 2014 2.5 SL which I intend to keep for many years, ~10 years
I live in Australia so I would comment in litres and I get 9.8 km per liter which equals to 35mpg in your terms which is pretty good for a V6.
I have read few adverse comments here for Nissan but haven't top companies like Toyota GM and VW had heaps of major embarassments and recallas recently? I do not remember such naming and shaming incidents for Nissan ever. I would have to go for a SUV next year and that will be a Nissan for sure.
btw, we use miles, but I assume you are referring to 234,000 kilometers? Er, I mean kilometres, right?
Sure you could no doubt find "better" cars, but at much higher prices. If it runs, if its safe, and if it doesn't look all beat up, you did fine.
I was reading through the messages on this thread and couldn't find any reports of Nissans going as far as mine has, so I needed to put in my two cents.
300,000 miles is awfully darn good @singsreallylow. Congrats!