Nissan Maxima

jay102

My wife and I are considering Carry, Accord and Maxima. She will be the primary driver (about 75%) of the car. I would like any valid input on which to buy. I am posting this on the other boards also, and am interested in the responses.

Oh, does 3% over invoice seem fair for the Maxima?
Thanks for any information...

vetmed3

Thanks for your quick response about my question on why my wife's 2000 Nissan gave up the ghost so quickly. No response from the dealer today so I will make a personal visit tomorrow about the bad EMU. By the way, what is a EMU and what does it do?
Is this common among 2000 axes? Once again, thanks...

vetmed3

Thanks for your quick response about my question on why my wife's 2000 Nissan gave up the ghost so quickly. No response from the dealer today so I will make a personal visit tomorrow about the bad ECU. By the way, what is a ECU and what does it do?
Is this common among 2000 Maxes? Once again, thanks...

joenissan

The ECU is the engine computer. There have been some problems with a handful of maxes needeing new ECU's. There have been a few TSB's on them...you're dealer will know if your car is one of them.

Joe

pateros67

I have never had a Camry or Accord, but I am on my second Max. They are Great! My first was a GXE, but I upgraded to a GLE this time and love it. As far as price is concerned, I paid invoice, plus $300 to cover "advertising fees", in Greensboro, NC. Don't know where you are but I think you should start negotiation UNDER invoice.

flarearrow

I'm sorry if I'm posting this here on the Maxima discussion,
but I'm really looking for some help from fellow Nissan owners
with my bout with Nissan.

Hello all,
I am a first time Nissan owner. I recently purchase a
"new" 2001 Altima SE. Why do I have the word "new" in
quotes? Allow me to continue with my story.

I took delivery of my "new" car in mid November 2000 from
a Nissan dealership in New Jersey. (I live in New York.)
For the first 2 weeks I've had the car in my possession
I've been taking it easy on the gas pedal (no hard
acceleration, keeping it under 55 mph) during the break
in period. I wanted to break in the engine ASAP, so I
can get to really feel the performance of the SE Altima.
I was able to hit 1000 miles in 2 weeks by taking the
car out everyday. Except for the fact that the wheel
alignment was slightly off and a coolant leak (more
about the infamous coolant leak later), the car seemed
to run fine during the break in period. I figured
to bring the car in after I fully broke in the engine
so I can get the 1000 mile oil change and have the wheel
alignment and coolant leak looked at the same time.

I brought my car in for service on Monday,
December 4, 2000. I didn't get my car back until Monday,
December 18, 2000!!! Eleven (11) business days!!!

WTF?!!!
Ok, here comes the big question.... WHY?!!!

Later on the same day I brought the car in, I received a
phone call from the Nissan service shop. It was the
shop manager.... "Uh, I have some good news for you...
You're going to need a new engine..."

WTF?!!! A new engine?!!!

Turns out the coolant leak was not coming from something
simple like a loose hose clamp or leaky hose, but
leaking from a crack in the engine block. (They like to
call the engine block "pourous" rather than "cracked".)
That's what I thought... a loose hose clamp. I saw the
green stuff streaking on the engine block, but would
have never imagined that it was coming from a cracked
block.

Now you think something like this would get me a new
replacement car, right? WRONG!!!

Oringinally they wanted to do something called a "welsh
plug", basically making the crack bigger and drilling
in a screw. Then they decided to give me a new iron
block. Everything under the hood had to be gutted!

Then while disassembling the engine block, they also
discovered that the aluminum head was defective when the
mechanic pulled this bolt from the aluminum head that
holds the sprocket for the timing chain, and the bolt
came out striped, also stripping the inside treads in
the head!!!

So now the iron block and the aluminum head has to be
replaced.

Now tell me.... Would you want to own a new car with a
defective engine that has to be completely replaced???
And not only that, but have everything under the hood
gutted (cooling system, ABS system, A/C system, tranny,
suspension) and put back together by hand???

I've been calling the Nissan (does not) Care number...
the 1-800-NISSAN-1
I've called this number numerous times requesting I want
the car replaced for another one. But they keep brushing
me off by saying that they are doing everything according
to law and honoring the warranty and saying that I'm not
paying for these repairs.

BUT THIS IS NUTS!!! I am paying for it. I paid 20 1/2 K
for this car after taxes. I paid to have the RIGHT to
enjoy the new car experience. The main reason we buy
new cars to begin with is to get away from the
unreliabilty of our old one. I have a 1988 Camry V6 with
almost 155K miles. Everytime I get into it, I always
the nagging feeling in the back of my mind....
"Will I be able to get there without being stranded on
the NJ Turnpike?" or "Oh great. What's the next thing
that's going to break on me?"

I've been robbed of the new car experience. I'm not
driving a new car... it's a reburbished car with 1200
miles on it. I still haven't really "driven" the car
because I was breaking in the old engine, and now I'm
still breaking in the "new" engine. I keep asking myself
"Is this how my car is suppose to drive?" I don't know
because I didn't even have the car long enough to find
out.

I've called into the 1-800-NISSAN-1 since mid December
2000 asking for some sort of compensation. (I'm still
asking for a replacement.) Finally, my case went under
review beginning Jan 2, 2001, and it was suppose to
take 5 business days and someone was suppose to call me
back. I didn't get any answer until the 7th business day,
and I had to call them myself to find out!

This really IS the Nissan (does not) Care line. So many
times they keep reiterating to me that I have the basic
warranty... I'm not paying for the repairs... It's not
in Nissan's policy to replace cars... My car does not
qualify to be a lemon under the NY state Lemon Law.

But the point is I have a new car that had a defective
engine in the very beginning. It's not something as
simply like a headlamp burning out, or the wipers don't
work. No repair shop does whole engine swaps everyday.
Nissan tells me that they have master mechanics. If you
boast that your mechanics are the best and brightest,
then why after the repair was done I have an engine
that's idling rough, my "idiot" lights on my dash
lighting up as bright as the Rockefeller Christmas
tree, some sort of oil leak streaking down the engine
block, and everytime I hit a bump, it sounds like there
is something that's not bolted down properly and I feel
the front end is going to fall apart.

I brought the car back to the shop for some "fine
tuning". Turns out the rough engine idle is due to
the valves not opening and closing properly. And that
they need to use shims(!!!) to adjust the valve
positioning. Shims, pieces of metal that are several
hundredths of an inch in thickness, being placed in
an environment with high operating temperatures and
vibration. Yeah, let's see how long these things will
last.

My car has about 2000 miles in it. It's in the shop for
the 3rd time right now because the shims were on order
since the 2nd time. And even now the shop didn't order
enough shims.

I've only owned the car for about 2 months, and half that
time it's been sitting in the shop!!!

Now Nissan wants to shut me up by offering me a 7 year/
100,000 mile, $50 deductible extended service contract
at no charge. But that still doesn't change the fact that
I paid $20,500 for the privelege to drive around a "new"
car with a refurbed engine. And still it hasn't been put
back together properly.

Please tell me what you think. I would really appreciate
any responses to my situation. Not only would you be
helping me out, but you would also be helping out other
fellow Nissan owners and yourself if you have been
mistreated by Nissan.

sgrd0q

I made an appointment for my first oil replacement and I had been hoping to switch to Mobil 1. The dealer, however, does not carry Mobil 1, but instead they said they have Castrol Synthetic. Does anyone know if the two are similar? Any comments will be appreciated.

norbert444

You can get laboratory oil evaluation at:

http://www.engineoilinfo.com/voxtop.htm

I have not used it but saw it posted on the oil forum - so I offer it for what it's worth.

2001maxgle

I just got a 2001 Maxima GLE and got it for almost $400 UNDER invoice. My Maxima is a gle with the sunroof, sunroof wind deflector, floor mats, splash guard, in-cabin air filter, wheel locks, and cargo net. The MSRP. was just over $29,000 and invoice was just under $25,400. I offered $25,000 +tax,tag,title and they took it.
My main weapon was greenlight.com. They have dirt cheap prices on cars. I told them what I could buy it for on green light's site and that is when they brought out the invoice. Nissan dealers get a 3% hold back from Nissan so if they sell the car at invoice they still get 3%. I did start my price at $24,000. You will not get their best rate on loans but I have a credit union I am going though at 7% APR. A great car at a great price I am very happy!!!

CARTEL

I would seriously consider seeing a lawyer to see if there is anything that can be done legally to alleviate your problem. If I were you I would look over the lemon law qualifications in your state. You can check out http://www.defect.com/. It has alot of information that can help you understand what legal procedures you can pursue. Hope this site can help you out.

davedzny

Check out this link.. they are in NY.
http://www.lemonlawfirm.com/

Good luck.

Dave Z

wg45678

Mobil 1 vs Castrol Synthetic: Check various web postings (in the Mobil 1 forum among others). You will find there are two way oil qualifying as 'synthetic' can be manufactured. One is analagous to super-refining and results in an engine oil whose manufacturer recommends change intervals of 3000 miles (Castrol Syntec and others). The other is an oil that is chemically constructed from a base whose manufacturers used to rate them for 1 year or more before changes. (Mobil 1 and some others).Answer -- they are not the same. If you're going to change the oil every 3k miles, use a good quality non-synthetic product and save the money Castrol Syntec and others of its ilk cost you (don't waste your money on semi-synthetics). If you want extended oil changes go with Mobil 1.

In either case, get a good filter (see oil filter discussions) and change it with every change if not more often (if you go with extended changes).

My humble opinion -- others may differ.

joenissan

You're correct that the car does not fit into the "Lemon" catagory for NYS but...If I were you, I'd first talk to the manager of the dealership (if you've not doneso already) and explain to him/her that you bought a new car, and it basically fell apart, and you want them to REPLACE THE CAR..Not the engine. If that doesn't work...I would get a lawyer...regardless of what the lemonlaw says.
If you buy a new car, then have a new engine put in it....it's just not the same...ever. What you want is a new car, from the factory...period. Your car has to have had MAJOR problems from the factory to be as bad as you say. I've never put, nor have I ever heard of putting, a new engine in an Altima with 1k on it's ODO.
FIGHT IT !!!

Joe

arminlegg

I had a problem with a 99 Ford Contour.My problem wasn't nearly as serious as yours.It was a no-start problem.It was in for service six times for the same problem with no resolution.I filed for arbitration pursuant to Wisconsin's Lemon Law provisions.It states that any car either in for the same problem on four or more occasions,or out of service for thirty days or longer can qualify.I took my case to the arbitration panel and was victorious.I had the option of receiving a new vehicle or a refund.I chose a new vehicle as Ford was entitled to deduct for rebate,mileage.and actual cash value of my trade.Since the Contour is no longer being produced,Ford gave me a new Mustang.I promptly traded it in for a 2001 Maxima GXE.I got more for my trade in actual cash value than I would have if I took the refund minus deductions.Being unfamiliar with your states statutes,I dont know if your rules are the same,but it would serve you well to check into them.It seems like your case should be a no-brainer for arbitration or a worse case scenario a full Lemon Law case.Good Luck.

eblum

I had a very good experience with Kimmel & Silverman in Pennsylvania. They are one of the largest lemon law specialist in the country. Check them out at www.lemonlaw.com
They helped me get rid of a POS 1998 Grand Prix...

Even as an owner of a 2000 Maxima, I can say that Nissan service and customer care sucks...they are rated in the lower tier of customer service ratings....

What dealership did you get your car from?

vetmed3

Wife's 2000 Maxima GLE is now waiting to hear from Nissan-Calif about what to do with it. The mechanic said that the cog sensor broke off and he doesn't know what is wrong with it until he gets approval from Nissan to do a post mortem. He said that the timing chain could have gone or a gear could have broke off. I trust this mechanic's opinion as I have seen him work for many years. The dealer said that my problem has never happened before in all of his years. I keep you up dated.

talkuintoit

I just bought a 2001 Maxima GXE auto with 16" alloy wheels. I was pretty dismayed to notice that there was a loud thud or jar everytime the tires hit the smallest bump, pothole or concrete crack on the road. The tire pressures on the 16" Toyo's are 30psi, which is on the lowere side, so if anything, should provide a mushy ride, rather than the rough ride I'm getting right now. Anybody have a similar experience? Also, could anyone give me a few tips on how to handle this with the dealer? Will they just brush me off? I hate to argue with mechanics, and the one who handles my car at the dealership isn't very good at all when it comes to customer service.

I've also been reading pretty scary posts about bad dealerships by a number of people, so I'd appreciate any and all words of advice.

T.

joenissan

The GXE has a smooth, quiet ride...especially when compared to the SE with the 17" tires.
Did you drive the GXE before you bought it ? Are you maybe comparing it to something much smoother ?
If no...I'd say take out another GXE from the dealers lot and see if there's any difference.
Other than the tire pressure being WAY too high, there is nothing else that would make it drive hard or rough.

Joe

gerapau

You stated "I chose a new vehicle as Ford was entitled to deduct for rebate,mileage.and actual cash value of my trade". Are you sure that they could have deducted for the cash value of your trade-in? I doubt very much that they could have done that without actually returning your trade-in to you. Think about it. Let's say that you paid $15,000 (after rebates) for the Contour and they gave you $10,000 for your trade-in. You are trying to tell me that all Ford had to return to you was $5,000 minus milage. Is this possible? No wonder you chose the new car.

kincaid410

Just bought a 2000 Max Se w/8k miles on it Great car, but one question. This car has two power outlets, but when the car is turned off, both outlets are dead. Very inconvenient for charging cell phones. Does anybody know if this is something that can be changed, or is this just how it is?
Hoping for great service and reliability from this car. Just came out of Jeep Grand Cherokee which I loved, but repair cost out of hand.
Any thoughts appreciated!

widog

Our family has a 1998 Maxima SE with black paint. I have noticed that even the slighted door ding results in the black paint coming off and the white primer being exposed. We have another black car, a 1994 Isuzu Rodeo. Door ding never reveal primer. Anyone else have problems with the paint job on their Maxima or other Nissan vehicle? I'm think of getting a new Pathfinder to replace the Rodeo.

speedracer3

I am with you here!.. this has been my ONLY complaint about a car that otherwise I love. I've owned black cars before and the paint job on the black Maxima is just terrible. My car is full of dings and scratches, that seem to appear from nothing. BTW...I am going to my dealer to get a touch up paint stick before my car gets really ugly.

Good luck

Speed

wittb

Hi again,
My Mom is now looking at a 92 Maxima GXE, it is the stripped model, just standard equipment, with 159k on the clock. Everything works fine and it is a strong runner. The one thing that hasn't been changed is the timing belt. The guy that is selling it wants $3900 for it, I think it is only worth about $3200. Can anybody please send me some feedback on what you think this car is worth. -Witt

norbert444

I am not sure why you wonder about Maxima paint if you are looking at Pathfinder, but since you wanted to know: I have a black y2k Max and the paint on it is NOT the best. It scratches easily.

BTW, did you run your message thru a spell-checker? It was designed with Whacko's help...

speed - I have the stick but have not found a good (read: quick) method of applying it without the repair looking uneven.

widog

Norbert444,
I have good reason for questioning the paint quality of the Maxima. If I am considering buying another Nissan car/truck, I would like to know if this is a known problem. So far it sounds like it might be.

berbel

Joe:

You have been sorely missed. Pls. try to ignore the
"clowns" who occasionally try to totally disrupt
this board with their inane postings. The majority
of us appreciate your sage advice and wise counsel.

L8Apex: Your more closely monitoring this board
to maintain "order" is appreciated. Some valuable
"posters" have been driven away because of those
who have nothing better to do act as "troublmakers"
Thanx for your help!!!

norbert444

My point is that Maxima and Pathfinder are different cars, built in different places (Oppama and Kyushu, respectively). Therefore, they are using different paint shops. Obviously, it is your decision, but I would go to the Pathfinder forum and ask about the Pathfinder paint there...

vetmed3

Went to dealership to see status of wife's deceased maxima. Lat night they found a broken cog sensor. Nissan says go further and mechanic found front crank shaft broken off at the end!
The mechanic feels that the moving crank did a lot of distruction in there and he is hoping for a new engine for me.
I may request that they remove the radiator cap from the 2000 Max anfd put it on a 2001 Max.
My wife won't feel safe in the old 2000 and since she has chronic arthritis and a fused C4/C5 neck fussion,her arms are weak and she wouldn't be able to steer the car if the problem happened again. Also the brakes are very diffcult to apply when the power is out. I don't know if they have a back up system. Has this happened to anybody else? You can Email me at Vetmed3@hotmail.com.. Stay tuned same Bat Channel.

joenissan

Although the Maxima and Pathfinder are from two different plants, they both share the exact same paint process, and paint. I think the finish is excellent, just that the paint tends to be very thin and chips easily on the front bumper. Also remember....number one- there's not much painted frontal surface on the Pathfinder so, you'll probably never have that problem. And...number two- The paint, and painting process are different on the front plastic bumper (as well as the rear bumper) on the Maximas. There is a flex agent involved that allows the paint to flex with the plastic...for that reason, you'll also notice that the colors don't always match 100%, and for some odd reason...it tends to pit and chip easily.
The Quest, on the other hand, being painted by Ford, has a finish that is not as crisp and reflective as that of the Maximas but.....you can pretty much hit golf balls without chiping the front end and hood.
Your only defense against these chips are one of 2 things...either use the Nose mask, and/or keep off peoples butts while driving. You'll also find that highway driving will cause more chips because of the higher speeds.

Thanks Berbel

Joe

flarearrow

Thanks for all your help guys and gals. I really
appreciate it. I'm trying to stir something up and get
noticed by Nissan.

Some of you want to know of the details. I figured writing this
would also benefit me to help me remember dates and events
that I would need to know to bring it up in arbitration or court.
I'll apologize beforehand for the length of this posting.

November 18, 2000 Saturday
My 2001 Altima SE in Titanium Frost/Dusk was home delivered
to me in the morning. I bought the car from Carsdirect and
the car came from Freehold Nissan on Rt. 9 in Freehold
NJ. (I have another thing with Carsdirect, but I'll save
that story for another time.) The car was driven over.
(I was hoping for flatbed service, but again that goes back
to my whole Carsdirect experience which I'll save for
later.) I made sure I tested everything, ie lights,
switches, radio, A/C, windows, sunroof, and everything
was working before the delivery left. Besides from having
79 miles on it already from the trip over, the wheel
alignment being slightly off and the tire pressure
in all 4 wheels being over 40 psi(!!!), everything was
fine.

Nov 18, 2000 - Dec 3, 2000
I was really excited about my new car. I couldn't wait to
really feel how the car performs after the break in period.
Going easy on the gas and keeping the spedometer under 55,
I was able to log 1000 miles in 2 weeks (making trips out
to LI, NJ, and Conn for Powerball tickets). I would take
my Altima out when ever I got the chance to get miles on
it to finish breaking the engine in.

During this time, I noticed a coolant leak. The green stuff
left a streaking mark on the front of the iron block next
to the tranny. I thought nothing of it. I thought it was
something as silly as a loose hose clamp. I mean, it's a
"brand new" car, and what could possibly go wrong.

December 4, 2000 Monday
I bring my Altima in for service to have the wheel alignment
adjusted and have the coolant leak looked into. I took it
to Star Nissan in Flushing, Queens.

Later that day I get the phone from the assistant service
manager saying that I'm going to need a new engine....
that the coolant leak is coming from the block. I'm not
sure what it's suppose to be called, but it seems like at
the shop "cracked" and "pourous" are used synonymously.

So then, the assistant service manager and service manager
were explaining to me that they can't procede with any
repairs until a Nissan technical advisor(?) can inspect
my vehicle and advise on the proper remedy. They were
explaining that Nissan has some sort of technical advisor/
engineer/auditor going around from dealership shop to
dealership shop to investigate new cars with oddball
defects, and is the one who has the final say on the
remedy for the problem. The assistant service manager said
this person was coming from New Jersey, the service
manager said this person was coming from California, and
the people at 1-800-NISSAN-1 Nissan (does not) Care line
said something on the lines of, "What engineer? If a
dealership shop says the engine is cracked and it needs a
new engine, we believe them and give approve to replace the
engine, no questions asked."

December 5, 2000 Tuesday
The supposed technical advisor from Nissan pays a visit to
Star Nissan service, inspects my car, and gives the go-
ahead to replace the defective iron block of the engine
(just the iron block). The work is begun to remove
everything from under the hood of the car. A new iron block
is ordered from Tennessee.

December 11, 2000 Monday
The whole engine compartment is gutted. The new iron block
arrives. Service begins to disassemble old engine and
prepares to replace the iron block.

December 12 or 13, 2000
Service discovers a problem with the aluminum head
assembly while disassembling it from old engine and
putting on the new iron block. As stated on my service
receipt:
"...while removing cylinder head found camshaft sprocket
bolt striped..."
New aluminum head assembly is ordered from California.

December 15, 2000 Friday
Aluminum head assembly arrives. Work is complete on
rebuilding the engine. Car is kept for the weekend
because "fine" tuning needed to be done on Monday.

December 18, 2000 Monday
Finally after 2 weeks I get the car back.

Dec 19, 2000 - Dec 27, 2000
During this time I'm breaking the engine all over again.
I was able to get in about 500 miles before some of the
problems got serious enough that it had to be brought
back to service.

Some of the things that happened were:
1) An oil leak this time is making a streaking mark on the
same spot as the infamous coolant leak.
2) The engine is very rough at a stop. Feels like the
engine is going to stall because it's like struggling
to maintain a minimum idling RPM.
3) The idiot lights on my dash were coming on and off. And
the interior and exterior were dimming.
4) When the car hits a sharp bump, like a expansion joint
on the highway, it sounds like something is not bolted
down tightly, and there's this rattle in front of the
driver position.

On Dec 27, I called the 1-800-NISSAN-1 number to voice
my complaint to the company about my Altima. And I demanded
a replacement. The rep was no help saying that my car does
not fit the definition of a lemon... that the car is cover
under the warranty... that I'm not paying for the repairs...
it's not Nissan's policy to replace or buy back cars...

The rep did take note of my request for a replacement
vehicle and forwarded my case for review by their review
board.

December 28, 2000 Thurs
I bring my Altima back to the shop for the problems above.

December 29, 2000 Friday
Star Nissan service gives the car back to me. The
electrical problems (idiot lights and lighting) was
because of a loose wire to the aternator. The oil leak
was from a loose tranny hose clamp. They couldn't
duplicate the rattling when the car hits a hard enough
bump. And the engine idle problem is because of the
valves not opening and closing properly, and their
positioning needs to be adjusted using shims. The shims
are ordered, and service tells me to bring the car back
when the shims come in.

Jan 2, 2001 Tues
I call the 1-800-NISSAN-1 Nissan (does not) Care line again
to voice my complaint, reiterate my request for a replacement,
and try to find the status of my case. The rep told me that
the review process takes 5 business days.

Jan 4, 2001 Thurs
I call the Nissan (does not) Care line again just to annoy
them and find status of my case. No status.

Jan 5, 2001 Fri
I received a message on my home answering machine from Star
Nissan service that the shims arrived.

Jan 8, 2001 Mon
The 5th business day and Nissan (does not) Care does not
call. What a surprise. (sarcasm)

flarearrow

Jan 9, 2001 Tues
The 6th business day. I call the 800 number to find out myself
what the hell is going on. The rep tells me that there is a
regional rep (Tiaesha? pronounced as ti-e-sha) handling my
case and that I'll get a phone call from her later in the day.
Guess what? No one calls me back. What a surprise.
(sarcasm)

Jan 10, 2001 Wed
I bring my Altima in for service to get the shims installed
for the valves.

The 7th business day. No one from Nissan (does not) Care
call me back. What a surprise. (sarcasm)

Jan 11, 2001 Thurs
I had to call Nissan myself, again, to find out what the hell
is going on. I finally get in touch with this mysterious
Tiaehsa person. Tiaesha also re-iterated that my Altima does
not fall under the definition of a lemon, that they are
honoring their warranty, I'm not paying for the repairs, and
is offering to me the 7 year/100k mile $50 deductible
extended service contract free of charge to satisfy my need
for compensation.

Yeah, sure.... not a lemon?.... you got to be kidding me!
Today is Jan 17, 2001. I got the car Nov 18, 2000. My car
is still in the shop since Jan 10, 2001 because service
didn't order enough shims and their still waiting for more
to arrive. My car has been in the shop for a cummalitive
total of 25 calendar days in the last 2 months!!! WTF?!!!

Tiaesha called left me a messege on my voice mail at work
on Jan 16, 2001 about some of the details to the amount of
coverage I would be getting from the Security+ Silver plan.
I'm going to call back today demending for a replacement car.

25 days in the shop for the last 2 months... A new engine
block and aluminum heads needed at 1000 miles.... everything
under the hood had to be disassembled, and the engine
rebuilt, which will kill the resale value of the car and make
it hard to sell. Try telling to potential buyers that the
engine had to be replaced at 1000 miles and watch them walk
away. Or try trading it in at a dealer and get a lousy trade
in amount. I think I have a strong enough case here for
a replacement.

I'm also filing with the BBB's Autoline and Consumer Affairs
in NY.

norbert444

Thanks for your expert explanation above. I just have one question (in two parts): Wouldn't a nose mask cause some rubbing of the front area with extended use? And what is your experience or advice on using car covers for a Max? (I have stayed away from them for fear of damaging the paint.)
Thanks ... Norbert

lsf

I haven't found a car cover yet that works very well. For starters, it's very hard to get into the car. Once you're in it's very hard to see out! I cut small holes in the front and rear, but then the whole thing started flappin' around when I got up to around 25 or so. I dunno, maybe if they made 'em out of clear plastic.

Oh, nevermind.

(I couldn't resist, I hope someone got a luagh out of this)

norbert444

If we do not have whacko (he wrote something on car covers while he was still around), at least we have Gilda Radner... :-)

BTW, what's the rest of your Max windshield story?

dben33

I am in the process of trying to lease a 2001 SE with comfort and convienience package, no leather. I got an offer around $340 with $3000 down including all fees and first mo. payment. Does anyone know if that is a respectable price or a target price I should be looking for. Thanks.
Dan

arminlegg

The deduction was for the difference between what they allowed me in trade ($9800),and what the car brought at auction ($7800).It was a $2000 deduction.Sorry if my post was unclear.The refund on a msrp of 16,990 on the contour was to be $12,810 and I received $12,800 as an actual trade value,plus bought the new max at 200 over invoice.With trading the vehicle in I saved almost $700 in state sales tax on new vehicle so I was nearly $700 ahead.Mike

stevek180

Well, I finally got my car into the dealer today--the brand-spanking-new Nissan dealer which is within walking distance of my house (Brown's Nissan in Sterling, VA). I mentioned the warped rotors, ticking/squeaking of the blower motor at low speed, and asked them to check to see if my transmission slipped (I wasn't sure if it slipped, or just shifted "softly"). All three needed fixin', and, of course, all three items (rotors, TCM, and blower motors) were back-ordered. I guess there's no surprise there, since these seem to be very common problems.

Let me say that it's great going to a new dealership--they know that first impressions are important, and I'm glad to know I'm not getting the run-around with especially the TCM and the rotors (they said they needed replacement, not machining).

One question to the moderator--I haven't read or posted to this board in a long time (before the format changed)...is there any way to download the entire Part 11 thread at once?

speedracer3

Joe,

I think the paint in my black Maxima is way too thin, the smallest scratch goes down to the metal. My 90's black Toyota Camry sure fared a lot better than my Maxima, and a simple black paint stick made the scratches dissapear. With the max, the scratches are very difficult to cover up. The car looks worse after a touch up than it did before. It is a lease so I hope Nissan doesn't make me pay for every single scratch at lease end.

habitat1

I just turned 100,000 miles on my 1995 Maxima SE (5speed) and thought I'd share a few stats for those interested:

Average MPG = 24.13 (mostly hwy miles)
Total regular service costs = $3,091 (taken to dealer every 7,500 miles through 75k; ever 15,000 miles since; oil changed by me every 4,000 miles)
Original front brakes lasted 92,000 miles.
Major repairs = NONE - headlignt bulbs and windshild wipers about it.

Every indication is that this car is running stronger and looking better at 100k miles than my previous Toyotas and Acuras did at 40k.

By the way, for those with paint problems on newer cars, I have the "ruby pearl" color and am still asked if it's a "new" car. I do wash regularly and wax 4x a year, but also park outside.

I don't know if current Maximas are made in the US or Japan, but my Japanese built one seems to have been a far better choice than the cheaper US built Camry or Accord I was considering 6 years ago. Not only has the car held up extraordinarily well, it's still fun to drive and as quick as it was brand new.

shermax

Glad to read a nice Max story after 100K miles. Most people here are also happy with their cars, but the longest discussions concern problems. The Maxes are all built in Japan.

A friend of mine has a '97 GLE with nearly 110k (it's his 2nd) and he has never had a problem. He's also 6'4" with sunroof. His experience convinced me.

joenissan

If the Nose mask is used properly....then no...you'll have no problems with it hurting the pain. You have to be sure not to let it dry on the car if it gets wet, and you have to always keep the underside of the mask clean, and keep a coat of wax on the front end of the car. I always use mine. I have one for the summer months, and one for the winter.

Speed...Go out and pick-up a tube of GS27 scratch remover...this is the stuff I use, and have also used it in the shop. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised of the outcome.
Your car has a 4 coat finish, I doubt you're actually seeing metal if they're as light a scratches as you say. You'd have to go through the clearcoat, color base, primer, and electro-base to get to bare metal but.....try the GS27. The GS27 is about $15 for a smallish tube but it does work very well. Black is the hardest car to keep clean and looking new...it shows damn near everything...which is why I got the islandic Pearl. let me know how you make out on those scratches.

Joe

joenissan

LOL...Sorry...forgot about the car cover..

Car covers are another pain in the [non-permissible content removed]...simply because any little bit of dirt under it can cause scratches. They tend to get frozen to the car in winter, and tend to do nothing except for keeping the sun off the car. That can be done by parking in a garage ( if you have 1) or in the shade (NO PINE TREES).
If you HAVE to use one, and there may even be a newer material but, the Evolution 4 fabric covers seem to work very well. Don't bother with Nissan covers...a sheet will do the same thing !

Joe

canadiancl

Must have been quite a tricky surgery! Sorry guys, don't mind me. It's 2:30 in the morning. I should be in bed.

lsf

One-half hour after leaving the guy (remember he'd been smoking a j bar in his truck), I wnet back down to the garage and he was done. Looked great. The markings looked the same as the original. He also cleaned up well. When I first drove it, I could swear my eyes were seeing things differently (thanks to the earlier post on distortion). Now, several days later, I don't notice any difference and I'm not getting any headaches (so my mind was definitely playing tricks on me). The only beef....the rearview mirror is a few mms off center (LOL). : ) BTW, insurance paid 100% and the invoice he left behind...$895, ouch! I bet my rates go up next year.

kyleknicks

hey, can anyone recommend something to remove minor scratches on my Max's windshield?

speedracer3

Funny you mention that product because that is what I use. It has worked great on my Toyotas but for some reason, when I apply the black touch up stick to scratches on my Maxima it doesn't seem to make it better. Somebody keyed my car on the right rear passanger door. I've touched up that scratch twice already and although it is not as pronounced as it once was, the scratch is still clearly visible. I thought the touch up stick from Nissan might do a better job because it would match the tone of black better, should I bother??. By the way, I only use the touch up sticks I find the GS27 "cream" to be useless.

Thanks for the help

Speed

speedracer3

What a stupid thing to do!...I think if I see somebody keying a car I would tell them off even if it wasn't my car. Talk about a faceless crime, I guess there isn't a lack of hateful and idiotic people in this world.

(getting off the soap box)

norbert444

Joe, thanks again. I am really glad to "see" you back and active in this forum! You definitely convinced me to stay away from covers for my black Max. I have used one on my other car with mixed results, confirming what you said.

I will also stay away from the nose mask, since I do virtually no driving on dusty (and none on salty) roads.

Joe and Speed - I might get GS27 (I suppose that would be available at automotive store) and try it. Why is the "cream" useless?

Just a note of explanation: When I use the regular paint stick, I try not to do anything after touch-up. If that doesn't look acceptable, I use an extra-fine (I think 1200) sand paper, followed by a rubbing compound and finally buffing compound (only 1 grade each). Sometime I have to repeat the whole procedure which takes forever, since I do not use a heat gun. And I am afraid of "enlarging" my problem in the process... Perhaps I should use an eraser shield (the office-type) when rubbing?

romeo35

I have had 4 Maximas in the last 18 years and each one runs into the same problem within a 2-3 year span.

The radio antenna will not either fully extend, or withdraw. I have used WD 40 on it, siliconized them, clean them ,etc. This seems to be a fundamental design flaw, since the antennas are not bent etc.

Any suggestions?

sgrd0q

Wheel Alignment:

joenissan - I had a wheel alignment done on my ’01 Maxima some time ago, and even though it feels better now I still notice that it pulls a little to the right. I checked the printout that they gave me after the alignment was done and it shows that all is well within specs for the front wheels, however I have a toe in of 0.21 degrees on the rear right wheel (almost out of spec) and toe out of -0.11 degrees on the left rear wheel. (So, in other words, both rear wheels point left a little.) So as a result I have a negative thrust angle of -0.16 degrees and the car pulls to the right when accelerating. Nissan told me that the rear toe is not adjustable on the Maxima. I know that some cars do indeed have a non-adjustable rear toe. Do you know if that is the case with the Maxima?

Also, I am pretty sure this can be compensated by adjusting the toe and camber on the front wheels - I would rather have the front wheels out of spec as long as the thrust angle is 0. Can anyone suggest a good wheel alignment shop in the New York metro area? Thanks.

Blower Motor:

After reading some posts I did notice that I have a strange/different noise when the fan is blowing at low speed. The noise is not loud, though, and I don’t mind it. I would rather leave it alone as long as the problem is the noise alone. Do I actually need to fix the problem?

norbert444:

norbert444, thanks for your response regarding synthetic oils.