Nissan Maxima Maintenance and Repair

dklanecky

I have >105k on my 2000 SE and have never seen the SES light on except at start-up. I believe that it will reset itself after some 30 or so restarts IF THE CONDITION that caused the light in the first place has been eliminated.

Aren't you interested in why it came on?

warrenul

I had a 1985 Nissan that had a Service Engine light. I recall that the manual said it was just a reminder indicator. A Nissan dealer mechanic told me that when it is brought in for the routine 50,000 (?) maintenence, the light is diconnnected, never to illuminate again. Now that you told me that yours did not light up in 105 k, I know that it was not the same type of indicator.

I think that the SES light went on because I was in heavy traffic this morning. I was hoping that the constant stop and go may have caused the computer to register an rich/lean fuel condition. I want to reset the computer so that if it lights up again and I am not in traffic, than it might be caused by something else, like possibly the O2 sensor. Other posts said to check air filter and gas cap (I just filled up the day before). Any additional info would be much appreciated.Thx.

I'm not sure what the recommeded way to reset computer. Can I just pull out the computer fuse. If so, which fuse is it, the fuse block has (2) 15 Amp circuits that are marked "Eng Cont". Can anyone inform me how to do this?

stickguy

has become more sophisticated since 1985. Now, it is basically an indicator of a (perceived) problem that will effect emissions. I believe you need a scan tool to reset it. I had mine reset not to long ago (on a '99) by my local mechanic.

In my case, it was reading as an O2 sensor issue. It stayed off for a while, came back on for a week or so, went off by itself for a few weeks, and recently came back on.

Sometimes the condition isn't caused by a failed part, but the software is too sensitive, or gets one stray reading outside of tolerence. Thats why it will reset eventually if it doesn't happen again.

Checking the gas cap is improtant, becasue if it isn't tightened all the way, the computer reads it as a leak in the fuel delivery system. Twist it on good, and the light will go off eventually.

Of course, it could be hundreds of other conditions, some serious (like a bad knock sensor). Only way to tell is to have the codes read, by a dealer or a good private mechanic.

ramos01

I have the '95 GLE that had trouble starting like it was flooded. And here's my self-help solution:

I bought a Haynes guide ($15) and I got a list of check engine codes. (Autozone did it for free! The dealer charged me $75 last time.) The 2 codes were Coolant Temperature Sensor (CTS) and Knock Sensor (KS). The CTS cost me $25 and took all of 15 minutes to replace. It's practically staring you in the face after you take off the plastic air intake pieces. The dealer wanted $120 to do it.

The KS itself would have cost me $250, but I could clearly see that the WIRE CONNECTION was chewed through, by a mouse I think...causing the fault. Some electric tape fixed it ($2). The dealer wanted $500 to replace it. (Do you think the dealer would have told me the sensor didn't need to be replaced once they saw the faulty wire?)

So far so good...No problems starting and no check engine light after 300 miles.

By the way...The port to check the codes is under the dash on the PASSENGER side, behind a piece of plastic near the passenger's left foot. It took us a while to find it.

ccermak

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!

Gotta love those cheap fixes. What did they use at Autozone to check the code? Was it a hand held type device? How much for that thing?

Just wonderin'.

js508

My 95 Maxima also necessitated repeated starts. Rockingham Nissan in Salem, NH had heard of only one other 95 with the same problem and they had a solution--change the ground wires throughout the vehicle. Sometimes the bolts to which the ground wires are attached get corroded or the tip of the wire does. Loosening the bolts and changing the wires did the trick. No more repeated nor hard starts.

ramos01

The guy at Autozone used a yellow hand held device. It looked like a thick calculator with a 2 foot cable. He said it cost around $150.

I heard an Autozone commercial on the radio advertising this free service...so it sounds like it's a store-wide service, not just my store.

calboy1

Own 96 Maxima w/125M miles. Have had virtually no problems. Now about 10% of the time (entirely random--no pattern), we get a low, loud grinding sound/hum (UUURRRGH) when braking. Have taken to the mechanic twice, but unable to make sound happen. He's inspected both front & rear brakes & they're ok--actually, they'be both been replaced within the past year. No deterioration in braking performance, just the noise. Any idea what this might be?

weltonw

I have a 2k2 6-spd Max with just over 5k miles, and since about July I've noticed that the engine pings/knocks lightly under certain conditions. The problem only occurs if the RPMs are in the range 2400-2800 and the engine is under moderate load. Under light or heavy load, or at different RPMs, I've not noticed it.

The problem is really getting to me. For one, the 3.5VQ engine is supposed to be one of the best, yet here I am at 5k miles with pinging/knocking. Second, it really takes away from the driving experience. I'm starting to get paranoid about possible long-term damage I could be doing to the engine since a large portion of my driving is under these conditions. For example, when cruising at 75mph on a long trip a lot of time is spent with the engine under moderate load and with the RPMs in that range. Because of the speed I can no longer hear the problem, but it might very well be happening for long periods of time.

As for gas I *only* use premium (93 and higher) from well-known vendors. I've also tried different stations to rule out the possibility of bad gas. Made no difference.

I took it to my local dealer about a month ago, and a mechanic rode with me on a test drive and heard the problem. But because there were no engine service codes in the computer they said they couldn't do anything about it.

I plan on taking it in again soon to the dealer I purchased it from (a different one). This time I'm going to push them harder.

Bottom line, this is not normal for a car/engine this new. And just because there's no code for it doesn't mean there's not a problem. The computer can detect many problems but not all.

My questions to people in the forum are:
1) Has anyone else ever experienced this? If so, were you able to track down the problem?

2) Anyone have any suggestions on what could be causing this? Water in the gas? Bad knock sensor (although wouldn't that generate a service code?) Bad ignition coil(s)? Bad spark plug(s)? When I bring it in I'd like to have a list of valid things they can check.

3) If you had this problem in your car, how concerned would you be? Am I justified in thinking this could cause long-term damage? Or should I think of it more as just an annoyance?

Thanks in advance for any help. I'll also be sure to post an update after I visit the dealer.

wain

I have a Maxima clone - Infiniti I 30 that has a button on the dash to open the fuel filter door.

What happens on the day it will not work??

Can you jimmy it open or can you get to it through the trunk?

Anyone done this?

ccermak

I had that happen! I have a 00 SE and that happened to me, I couldn't open the stinking fuel door, the button just clicked and the door wouldn't open, it was stuck somehow. I had to drive home and get a screw driver to pry it open. I now keep a screw driver in my trunk in case it happens again, it has not happened again, yet. I was at a station only 3 miles from home, luckily I wasn't out in the boonies!

jbrother

HI, I have a 2000 maxima gxe auto, with 37k miles on it. Only problems have been warped rotors at 20,000 miles, replaced under warranty due to a tsb. Was curious if the tsb that some people mention in relation to the computer programming of the engine or tranny, should this be done on all maximas; how do you know if you need it done? I have noticed a slight hesitation from a stop, and also a little reluctance to turn over at startup. Also, once when starting up the motor smoke blew out of the tailpipe for a couple seconds. that was unusual especially for an almost new car. By the way, I have k/n filter and noticed no improvement in power or mileage (it is probably too small to notice). One other oddity about our maxima is under ONLY the drivers side floor mat, there are a bunch of little clear plastic tabs all over the carpet. Any one else have this oddity?? Thanks!

georged98

jbrother:
the little plastic tabs could be coming from under the floor mat. Mine has the same thing. The tabs are for keeping the mat from slipping on the carpet but normal movement makes the tabs to break off.

dklanecky

I think those tabs "a bunch of them" are the remenants of a car that was poorly prepared for delivery by your dealer. They're called securatach fasteners (or something like that) and are used to attach the sheets of plastic that protect the intertior of your car from the factory.

I found a couple of them that were missed on my Maxima. You can easily snip them off and you'll never know the difference

wain

My Maxima does not stop smoothly. But it's not the side to side shake you get with warped rotors which you can feel uin the wheel.

Rather it is a non smooth deceleration, as if the brakes were not stopping smoothly. Hard to describe - its not abrupt, (like the ABS actuating) and is felt more on light pedal application and noticed below 20 MPH as the car stops.
Any ideas?????

warrenul

Could you be experiencing Maxima's new Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD)and Brake Assist systems?

I never test drove the new Max however, what you describe sounds like what you would experience when the system is functioning.

clyde999

Quite often when beginning to accelerate, the engine bogs down and will not speed up. Other times it runs o.k.

2kmaxse

I love reading this board and hope someone can provide some insight.

I've been a long-time Maxima fan and owner. The family has owned '85, '89, '94, and currently '98 and '00 models. All have had 100K+ trouble-free miles following the scheduled maintenance schedules and 3K oil changes, with very minor exceptions.

Luckily my '00 SE stick didn't necessitate the TCM change (although I did experience some cut-off issues) b/c I regularly drive with the a/c on and therefore didn't experience the severe problems others have had.

Both the '98 and '00 have ~33K miles. The problem is with the '98. The 'service engine soon' light came on right before the 30K service. I was told the Oxygen Sensor needed replacement, and I had it replaced for $170 (it was out of warranty.) Now at 33K the light came on again.

Thinking the replacement part had failed, I took it back to the dealer (Rockingham Nissan) who told me it was ANOTHER oxygen sensor that had failed. The service manager explained that there were *3* oxygen sensors and that this was not the same one that was changed earlier.

Are there actually 3 oxygen sensors and is there a way for a non-mechanic to tell which sensor fails? Should I expect the 3rd to fail soon as well?

Any input is appreciated.

Thanks.
SFK

dklanecky

Couple of ideas:

My service guy explained to me that there are 3 related sensors. Oxygen, Crank shaft position, and Cam shaft position.

I had the check engine light on my 95GLE come on a few years ago and by the time I got it to the dealer (It seemed to be running fine other than the light so I kept driving it for a while)that was all they replaced.

Shortly after that, check engine light came on again and they replaced either the Cam or Crank sensor, then a few weeks later the last one of the 3.

No problems since then but I suspect since I drove for a couple of hundred highway miles with the check engine light on, the other sensors performance or capability might have diminished to the point where they failed shortly thereafter.

Doesn't your dealer warranty the original oxygen sensor replacement they did at 30K out to 33k?

Seems to me most dealer repairs were warranted for 12 months/12k miles?

2kmaxse

Thanks dklanecky,

You're right...the dealer did warranty the first oxygen sensor for 12mos/12K miles. But they told me that it was a different O2 sensor that needed replacement.

My question was about the multiple Oxygen Sensors, and if they tend to go rapidly, and/or together?

Thanks again for your help.
S.

jg28

are you guys sure that there isn't a manual release in the trunk for this? My Oldsmobile Intrigue had a button on the dash too but also has a manual lever in the trunk in case the electronic door doesn't work. Just a thought.

alcan

There's an O2 sensor for each bank of cylinders to monitor air/fuel ratio, and another after the catalytic converter to monitor converter efficiency. All '96 and newer OBD-II vehicles have the post cat sensor.

max_man

This post is a reply for Weltonw Message #910. I do have similar problems that you describe in your message. I also have a 2002 Maxima 6spd. You don't mention if you have limited slip but I do.

My problem started like you about two months ago. I have 3900 miles on mine. I purchased it at the end of March. I don't have a pinging sound like you describe but I have what you would call a shudder on deceleration. At around 3500 to 4000 rpm in just about any gear. Once the sound starts I can usually keep it going by holding the accelerator at a constant position. This was helpful when describing my problem to the Nissan Mechanic. They had the car for 3 days. They put some sort of microphone/sound meter on the car trying to isolate the source. They couldn't find it. They told me that it might be normal. I couldn't believe they tried to put that one past me. They told me that they drove a 2003 and thought they heard a noise similar to mine but it was very faint. I said show me and they let me drive it. I heard nothing and told them so. I made several suggestions as to what I thought the problem may me but it went it one ear and out the other. They told me that they called their Nissan Tech Line for assistance with the problem. I don't think they ever got through. It seems that they are in California so when they open it's virtually impossible for dealers in the east to get through because of the logjam. I was told that until the problem gets worse they would not be able to figure out the cause.

They told me to pick up the car. I had to rent a car for the three days while mine was in the shop. Because they couldn't make a warranty claim on the car they would not pay for the rental. Can you believe that, they acknowledge the problem but because they can't find it I have to pay for the rental. Now that is great customer service. I'm out of luck and turning to this forum for some answers.

Welton I need to know if this is what you have experienced. You mention pinging/knocking like its bad gas. You say you changed the fuel to no avail. Is your problem more in line to what I've stated above. If so, maybe you and I can call Nissan Customer Affairs to try to get some more help on our common problem. Doing this together may carry some weight. Let me know if you are interested.

weltonw

I'm not experiencing the problem you describe. My problem is definitely just some light pinging/knocking in the 2400-2800 range. I've never noticed anything unusual in the 3500-4000 range you mention, and also never any shuddering or vibration.

How bad is this vibration? From reading your post it sounded serious. Also I was a bit confused because you mentioned both deceleration and keeping the accelerator at a constant position. My understanding is that the problem initially happens when you let off the gas at 3500-4000 and decelerate (so now the wheels are driving the engine), but then you can keep it going by giving some gas again. Is that correct? Doesn't seem like a u-joint or limited-slip problem, because you said it happens in any gear. Could it possibly be something with the clutch?

That's pretty bad that they didn't pay for your rental, although it serves as a good warning to others. I will be taking mine in soon to have them look at the pinging, and if they say they need to keep it more than a day then I will make sure I understand their policy on rentals.

I'm also concerned they're going to give me the same BS answer they did you - that the problem is normal. I plan on making it clear to them in advance that if they don't make a good effort at finding the problem then I will go straight to Nissan Consumer Affairs. My belief (hope?) is that if you demonstrate to them you're really serious (both with words and actions) then you'll eventually get the service you deserve.

I would call them right away if I were you. And please share any follow-up experiences.

max_man

The Vibration is a light to moderate annoyance and happens on deceleration. Once you pass through the resonant point of 4000 down through 3000 RPM the noise usually goes away. At times, once the noise begins and you stop your deceleration and hold the throttle in position the noise will be constant.

It could be a clutch problem but that is what the dealer says is the issue. No one knows for sure and they won't rip it apart to find the root cause of the problem. Great troubleshooting technique huh? All theory no action. They point at a particular part of the car and say,"it couldn't be that". It's really a joke. How do you find the problem without some exploratory surgery? Then they try the "it's probably normal" technique to get your reaction. Hoping you will go on your merry way and ignore the problem.

I intend to call Nissan tomorrow and will follow up with what they say. I'm sure it will be interesting.

I hope you have better luck then I have had so far. Let us all know how you do.

pradip1

i have a 2001 Maxima GLE with about 32K miles on it. From about two weeks back I am hearing the engine making a very coarse and heavy noise around 1200-1500 RPM range. The moment I am past the 1500 RPM mark the engine whine becomes normal.If I drive at a speed where the RPM is in the range of 1200-1500 RPM the engine whine is heavy and coarse and marginally louder.Otherwise the car runs all fine.

I took it to the dealer and they said every thing is normal.

Have any of you folks encountered the problem. Any info will be greatly appreciated.

sivi1

95 gle with 40k miles excellent condition. at 29k back brake caliper pin hung up, resurfice back rotors and new pads, flush fluid, $180. 38k had front rotors warped, new rotors, pads(ceramic),flush fluid, $400,independent garage. at 40k miles nissan offered free 100 point check, only thing wrong back calipers (not pins) hanging up. after getting price went to independent and confirmed. decided to replace rotors,pads(ceramic), and rebuilt calipers, $400. car is not driven hard, but beleive nissan has most piss poor brake systems. otherwise car has been flawless.

wain

what brand rotors - do you know?

bluegill

i have a 2K SE with 70k on it...I've had a ton of issues with this car...nothing so bad that its left me high and dery but pains in the [non-permissible content removed] nonetheless....

My major bugaboo with this car is the brakes...the OEM rotors started to warp around 18k....at 26k they were cut and new pads put on. They started to warp around 34k and they were cut a 2nd time at 35k....started to warp again around 42k and I rode with them as long as I could possibly stand it up to just about 60k when the whole front end felt like it was gonna shake off if you hit the brakes above 60mph

Since I was rather P'OD at Nissans quality I decided to have a local mechanic replace my front brakes...he put Bendix rotors and pads up front and just pads on the back...cool...car is running and braking great for 3k....pulse, pulse,pulse...I was livid...brought it back told him the deal, he says no prob, boom I have another set of brand new Bendix rotors on.....
4K later....vibe, vibe, vibe...now I'm really ripping...and am at a loss to explain....

WHY DO MY ROTORS KEEP WARPING? I've been told on Maxima.org that it is because I used crap rotors,(I thought Bendix made decent rotors?)the same thing that Midas,Meinke etc use so that is why they are warping in about 4k...

If I go back to OEM do you think it will soleve the problem? Problem is that the dealers are rapists when it comes to brake jobs...something like 550 I was quoted just for the fronts!!

If it would solve the warping problem I'd do it in a heartbeat...but I don't want to fork over the coin just to have the same probs continue?

Any ideas what can cause rotors to keep warping? I'm not driving thru puddles when they are toasty, not slamming em on, hell in fact i'm being very gentle one em

Just really frustrated..

lonesomeduv

I noticed in messages 260, 261, 262 that others are having the exact same problem as me. 1996 Maxima, 98K miles, speedometer intermittently sticks at zero and then flips up to the correct speed while driving. There is no particular rhyme or reason to this, it just happens sometimes.

This also seems to be causing the "check engine" light to come on. I've had the speed sensor replaced twice, but the problem persists. Today the mechanic suggested replacing the speedometer, which would seem logical, but to the tune of $475.

Anybody have any idea how difficult it is to replace a speedometer on a Maxima, and/or whether this might solve the problem? Basically, this appears to be a problem I can live with if I ignore the CEL and an occasional non-functioning speedo as it doesn't appear to be affecting any other aspect of the car.

sivi1

Don't know what brand rotors were used. i cannot beleive they could be any worse than nissan. time will tell. do know i have 94 s-class mbenz (5000 lbs) and rotors are great. maybe you get what you pay for!

wain

I have never had rotor probs with Toy or Honda.
My MAx at 32k miles has a slight shake very slight.
Thats why I was asking whats the best rotor brand.
Thing that keeps me away from MB and BMW is the dealer repair costs, scaled way up above "common" cars like Toyota. High for oil changes and also for "15k etc inspections.

Would appreciate other feedback on rotors.

massmax

Make sure you are not overtighting the lug nuts.
I have been told this can ruin the rotors. The ft lbs you s/be using are in the users manual.
You have to use a torque wrench to get the proper torque.

ccermak

I have a 00 SE Auto with rotors that are starting to shimmy slightly at 39K, more noticeable at high speed braking. I am babying them now and planning on getting a brake kit from a place called eatrice.com (need to search .org to find exact URL). The kit includes Stillen rotors, pads, stainless steal brake lines, good fluid, etc. Basically a kit to do your entire brakes all the way around for like $600. Then I'm paying a local garage to install them, paying them just labor. That is my plan of attack. I can't afford a different car at this time so I figure just get real good aftermarket performance brakes instead of Nissan or Midas. On a side note, I'm now getting the slip from 2nd to 3rd gear that there's a TSB for. Basically, Nissan's brakes and auto tranny's suck on these 5th gen cars. This is well known and documented by the .org members. Hopefully they'll correct this prob for the 04's. I probably won't buy another Nissan because of all the problems I've had, may buy an Infiniti though. I want a G35 coupe real bad. I bought this Maxima (coming from a 1990 Regal that was a nightmare) because I thought they were rock solid reliable and zero probs. If I had to do again I'd probably buy a used Lex or BMW for price of new Max. The $ I've spent on maintaining this Max I could be maintaining a BMW and have more fun driving it and more prestige.

Once again, just my .02

Seeya

obiwankenobi1

Is there a difference between the 00-01 model and the 02-03 model Maxima's???

I have driven my 02 Maxima to 21,000 miles with not one problem. Brakes are fine, no rattles, no tranny problems, nothing (save for vibrations in the interior panels with the stereo on loud).

It has a very, VERY slight ping in the engine under hard acceleration in hot weather, but that is it. I also just got the thing aligned, so it is handling like a dream as well.

I just feel bad for some of you guys. It doesn't seem like these problems are very characteristic of the car.

Obi

jims55

Have any of you ever removed the sunroof wind deflector and found marks in the paint shaped like the rubber seal on the deflector. Mine is a Nissan deflector that has only been on since June 02. The paint must be extremely soft. If any of you are planning to install one or have recently done so, you may want to reconsider purchasing one or remove the one you installed.

sivi1

I had 96 toy 4runner and rotors warped at 25k miles,traded for 02 pathfinder, probaly same junk rotors. had a 65 corvette first year discs. drove like a maniac then, and never had rotors till i sold it at 65k miles. thats why i say most new cars use junk when they can!

dklanecky

My 2000 SE came with the sunroof wind deflector. In my first wash/wax cycle (first week of ownership) I took the deflector off and discovered exactly what you describe. It appeared to me that the deflector was a port installed option and that they simply slapped it on on top of the crud that had accumulated from the ocean voyage. I was pretty disgusted when I found it.

ccermak

Maybe they figured out what was wrong with the 00-01 and corrected some of the probs for 02-03? Remember, 00 was the first year of the new 5th gen and they changed like 207 things, albeit most of them quite minor. They did change the dash, shift lever, body panels, etc. Not sure about tranny change for 00, but many of the 00-01 are having slippage between 1-2 and 2-3rd gears. Mine is only bad at > 1/2 throttle, don't notice when babying her around town. There is a well known TSB for this problem, tranny solenoid I believe. I'm at 39K so I'm waiting until around 50K to take in before warranty runs out. That way I'm sort of hoping it'll go for quite a while past warranty versus fixing now and then having it crap out at 65K. Many (.org)ers are having trannys poop out and/or slip before 5yr/60K. Some even getting total replacements. Gotta realize though, the guys on .org are usually performance freaks who drive their Maxes like they're sports cars versus sedans. They usually mod em too with intakes, exhaust, etc. Overall a good car, just poopy paint, bunk brakes, and toilet trannies, hmmmm wait, is it a good overall car then???

smankow

I've said it before and I'll say it again. With the '00 minima that I purchased, Nissan is definitely trying to become the Yugo of the new millenium.

Bad brakes & rotors, poor paint, fuel cutoff, gear slippage, bad coils, inability to maintain value, etc. Now, couple this with the Nissan standard response - "unable to replicate problem".

I'd have dumped mine a while ago except for not wanting to take a $4K hit on the car since the value has dropped almost 50% in 2 years.

I've taken the car to 3 different dealers. The 4th wouldn't do anything even though I left it with them for 4 days - including looking at a tire that keeps losing air. Now I have to fight with Cust Serv. to attempt a full refund of my extended warranty.

sivi1

I worked for an integrated steel company as an engineer for 20 years. this means steel was made from scratch to a specefic formula. today almost all steel is made from scrap steel in electric furnaces to poorer quality steel. bottom line is to cut costs. if you don't beleive me just watch the stock market. if profits are down, they don,t improve quality, they cut costs !

bluegill

Talk about depreciation! I was looking at getting into another car until I found out how little my Maxima is worth....basically been offered 9500 for a 2 year old car that lists for well over 21K. Granted it has 70k on it but still....this is a Maxima, not a Buick Century...I've seen used Maximas with the same exact options as me and 10k more miles on the lot for 16-17k.

I'm probably going to go the route that CC went and order some decent brakes....maybe not.....my opinion on whether to keep this thing or get something else changes by the day

gringoloco

at the following website:

http://nhtsa.com/cars/problems/tsb/central2.cfm

ccermak

Saw my first one in a parking lot yesterday. I like it!! Everybody's been bashing it, but I LIKE it! Only posting this because people are bashing their Maxis and talking about trading to something else. I'm going to continue to roll the dice with my 00 SE. As things go to pot, like the brakes are starting to do, I'm upgrading to aftermarket good quality stuff that will last. Did that with tires already, gonna do it with brakes, and I'm gonna get the tranny checked/fixed just before warranty and if it goes after warranty where I'll need it rebuilt I'll pay more to get it beefed up and bulletproofed by an aftermarket performance shop. It will cost more to maintain that way, but it's not a ton more and it makes it more fun to drive and I fully expect to get 200K out of this thing. After that, it's hello used high-end car like BMW, Lex, Infinity where dealer service is a treat.

Once again, just my .02

q45man

"....basically been offered 9500 for a 2 year old car that lists for well over 21K. Granted it has 70k on it but still"

12,000 miles per year is the NORM, if you had leased it you would owe 70-24=46,000 x 0.15 cents or $6900 in overmileage charges instead of just getting $7,000 knock off the trade in offer.

obiwankenobi1

....if you like Saturns! :-P

I can't stand the thing. Almost as ugly as the new Camry. Maybe since the Camry is their major competitor, they took a look at it, and realized they didn't have to try that hard.

They aced it!

Obi
P.S. Give me my Maxima anyday over an Accord or Camry!!

ccermak

Styling is always in the eye of the beholder. Once again, I LIKED it. Many people think the 5th Gen Max is UGLY, especially the tail lights. I don't, I bought one. We'll just have to see how many they sell. Regardless, I want to go test drive one just for sh*ts and see what 240hp and Honda's manual transmission feel like because everybody raves about them. I'd probably still rather have an 03 6-sp Max ;-) As for the Camry, my GF's parents have a brand new 4cyl one and I drove it a couple times. I like driving it, it's really comfortable and easy going for normal around town errands and cruises good on the highway. Probably why they sell a zillion of them. I'm rambling again so I'm Audi-here.

Seeya

painteddesert2

As an owner of a 2000 max gle, I must say, it has been the best most trouble free car I have ever owned. To be fair it only has 15k miles now but I have not had and trouble with the brakes, Bose, squeaks, rattles, pinging or knocking (use only 87 octane), or transmission slipping. With the exception of a few paint chips on the hood (grey luster), it looks like new inside and out and I still get comments on it. While no car is perfect, a Yugo or a Pontiac its not.

maximafastness

Have had my 2003 GLE for over a month now. I have noticed that the alignment is kind of off, anyone else having this problem?

obiwankenobi1

Good luck finding that manual transmission Accord! It is only going to be in the coupes, and from what I hear (in the Honda forums), dealers are only going to get 1-4 a month for the first year depending on what kind of volume they sell.

If you find it, let me know. I wouldn't mind putting the coupe through a few turns.

Obi