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Nissan Maxima

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Comments

  • ludacrisludacris Member Posts: 185
    recently my dads 2k GLE started making a grinding sound whenever he hits the brakes, im not sure if its similar to yaox's problem but its pretty annoying. even when not breaking and just cruising on the freeway a grinding sound can still be heard? is it the same problem as yaox?
  • frankmax1frankmax1 Member Posts: 4
    i recently purchased a new 2001 maxima se 5-spd with a small scratch on the left, rear quarter panel. my sales person and sales manager both said the scratch would easily be removed with a minor buffing. after bringing my car to the body shop, the area where the scratch was now had a white smudge. i spoke with the shop manager and he said he could get rid of that spot by wet-waxing the area. when the shop manager returned he said that he made the spot worse. now there was a large white spot where the paint had been removed and there were some smaller scratches. the shop manager said he would have to repaint the quarter panel. my concern is that if the paint even initially matches how long until it fades? he says it is a state of the art paint facility. does anyone have experience with this? should i have them give me a new car? should i just cancel the whole deal? help!!!
  • habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    My 2 cents -- Cancel the deal / Get a new car.

    I feel very fortunate in that I have logged 109,000 miles on my Maxima and not so much as a bumper bender. I was not so lucky with a previous Toyota Supra and Acura Legend. No matter how good their "state of the art" paint facility is, there is no way they can paint a panel and duplicate the factory finishing process. A buddy in my office who has restored a couple of Porsches and Mercedes agrees, you're likely to notice a difference within a year or two.

    This is no way to start off with a new car. If you can, get out of the deal. Good luck.
  • norbert444norbert444 Member Posts: 195
    thanks, guys. I will check the seat belt anchor. Maybe a little silicon spray would fix it where it rubs. I want to get rid of that old-chair sound soon.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Did the car have the scratch before you bought it, or was it there when you picked it up?
  • amazing2uamazing2u Member Posts: 67
    Just out: small article 'bout the 2002 Max.


    http://auto123.sympatico.ca/roadtest/20010628.shtml

  • ludacrisludacris Member Posts: 185
    The Nissan Maxima made it onto Autoweeks "Americas Best Asian Cars" list. It was a survey from subscribers and it was at number 4. Beating the 02 Q45 and LS430...but behind the Accord, S2000 and CAMRY?!? lol...Out of all the family sedans the surveyed called the Taurus the best family sedan -_- ...maybe the best if you want to take ur Ford to the service dept. every other week.
  • marsha7marsha7 Member Posts: 3,703
    front end parts rubbing, you have your work cut out for you...I neglected to mention possible front end rub, thanks to the poster who mentioned the obvious that I should have mentioned
  • frankmax1frankmax1 Member Posts: 4
    the car had some hideous dealer installed pin stripes which they agreed to remove. apparently a razor blade scratched the car when they removed the pin stripes. the scratch was so small it was hardly noticeable but my sales person and the sales manager said a slight buffing would take the scratch out with no ill affects. so to answer your question, the scratch was not there when i bought the car but showed up when i took delivery.
  • berbelberbel Member Posts: 167
    Thanx for posting the article on the 2002 Max. What
    I did find to be a little curious, though, was the
    fact that the article was characterized as a "road
    test" but all they did was describe the car and the
    new features it has. Did I miss something?

    Thanx/Berbel
  • amazing2uamazing2u Member Posts: 67
    Yes, sorry about that. I did not read the whole article before posting a message. I hope they will change it today since the Driving Impressions that was Embargoed will be lifted.

    Amazing2u
  • leonivleoniv Member Posts: 120
    Can anyone tell me if $178 after tax is a good price for an 01 maxima nose mask and black rubber splash guards (are the painted guards better)? I purchased a black 01 max about a month ago, but forgot to buy the nose mask and splash guards to protect the "flakey" black paint. The above quote was "wholesale" according to the parts guy at the dealership. I got info for a LeBra here, but the price for that was >$80 after shipping. I'd rather spend a few dollars more and have it in hand when I put my money down.

    On a different subject, 2 weeks after purchasing my 01 max, some idiot rolled into my rear at a red light. The damage was minimal, but I took it into the shop anyway (especially since it only had 500 mi. on it!) . The guy at the body shop was so surprised at how the paint was chipping off, he was unable to repaint the bumper cover and had to buy a new one. What was Nissan thinking with this sorry black paint? I've seen other posts here about this black paint. Other than the poor quality of the black paint, (I don't want to even think about the long term durability of this paint) the car's great =)

    Leon
    black 01 max GXE w/conv pack.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Major headache. I would have refused delivery, but then again when you are just about to take delivery you are probably a bit weak (ie. ya want the car). Keep fighting until you are satisfied! Let us know what happens.
  • yaoxyaox Member Posts: 14
    Last weekend I have a long trip, which is about 1400 miles. My 01 Maxima GXE Automatic has about 27.3 MPG (91 gas) with A/C on at average speed of 70 MPH.

    By the way, thanks for the suggestions of brake noise. Next monday I will bring car to dealership. I will report the result at that time.
  • yaoxyaox Member Posts: 14
    Do you guys notice there is a little noise when open and close the door? I find the noise is caused by friction of door seal rubber and steel surface. Any suggestion to solve this problem? Thanks.
  • robertrrobertr Member Posts: 125
    Mine makes a squeaking, squishing sound when I open and close the door in certain temperature and moisture conditions. I really like my 2000 SE, but one of the few annoyances I have is that Nissan cheapened the door seals compared to the 1997 SE I had which I think had triple seals. Also, the way the 2000 seals are designed, they accumulate crud in them which is a nuisance to clean out. I hope the 2003 Maxima improves on this.
  • carpevinocarpevino Member Posts: 24
    I just found this board and was wondering if there has been any comments regarding black cars spotting and flaking. I brought it to the attention of my dealer twice and they have yet to call in a factory rep. I also noticed it on cars in the dealer's lot.
    I'm thinking of trading it in and when the used car rep went to examine the car the first thing he did was was look at the hood. Seemed funny to me.

    This has been noticeable since the first month I owned the car.

    Thanks for any input.
  • jimxojimxo Member Posts: 423
    Purchased in Aug 99 a 2000, no problems yet. My A/C has been a "C" so far, otherwise I love this car.

    Keep up the pressure on the Nissan Rep.
  • ludacrisludacris Member Posts: 185
    im still wondering why the paint problem is only affecting the super black maxes. my pearl white's paint has been flawless for nearly a year now (purchased in august). and yes im knocking on wood rite now...
  • gnlgnl Member Posts: 94
    Seems to be the dark colors in general. Someone was complaining about paint on a Sherwood Green. Mine is Satin Blue Pearl, and still looks fine after a year, with the exception of one scratch that someone deliberately did to it.
  • pjonkheerpjonkheer Member Posts: 22
    When is the 2002 Maxima going to be available??

    Thank You.
  • djp2cdjp2c Member Posts: 39
    Go to nissannews.com and look at the 2002 Maxiama.

    In the story you will see that they intend to have it available August lst.
  • jimxojimxo Member Posts: 423
    Sorry I forgot to mentioned my color is Gray Luster (very dark).
  • blaquemanblaqueman Member Posts: 2
    Hello all,

    I've been following this board for a long time but am just now in a position to own a Maxima. I'm considering buying a '97 burgandy SE w/ 65k miles, cloth seats, moon roof, stick, and after market CD. The dealer (Langhorne, PA) is asking $14295. This looks about right from the Edmund's TMV. My question is are there any glaring flaws or minor problems I should look for when test driving and inspecting the car? Thanks in advance for your opinions.
  • berbelberbel Member Posts: 167
    DOOR SEAL NOISE:

    Get yourself a piece of cardboard about two feet
    long and a foot wide. Open the car door and hold it
    under the edge of the roofline to catch the overspray. Then apply a coating of 100% silicone
    spray to the seal. You might consider lifting the
    seal a bit and spraying some underneath as well
    where the seal rests against the jam. I have found
    silicone spray a godsend for eliminating all kinds
    of squeaks on my SE. Hope this works for you!

    berbel
  • rbrosserrbrosser Member Posts: 1
    Chipping paint is not reserved to dark colors as we are fighting the same problem on our 2001 Icelandic Pearl. I hope everyone with this problem is giving Nissan an earful.
  • ludacrisludacris Member Posts: 185
    sorry..dont know much about the 4th gen maxes. try this link and post a thread there, the guys are really helpful and they should be able to recommend what to look for. good luck


    http://forums.maxima.org/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=9

  • jimmie8jimmie8 Member Posts: 31
    Yeah, Maxima.org is a great site. There are also a lot of pages on the web dedicated to buying a used car (I'd be surprised if Edmunds doesn't have one). Assuming that you can't really take the car apart, I'd atleast check the following:

    1) Check that all of the colors on the individual body panels match. Look for bolts holding the panels to the body that look too new. Check for spot welds. These things can help ensure that the vehicle hasn't been in an accident. (Note I said "can help ensure", not "will ensure")

    2) Look under the car for rust or grease marks.

    3) Check the thickness of the brake pads. If they are less than, oh, an 1/8th of an inch, I would get them to replace them. Run your finger along the rotor and feel for grooves. If there are any big ones, tell them to regrind the suckers.

    4) Look at the condition of the tires. Once again, if your gut tells you they are too worn (should be atleast 50% tread left), tell them you won't buy without a new set of tires. Also, look at how the tires are worn...if they are uneven (more worn towards the inside of the car than the outside), this may be an indication of misalignment.

    That's the great benefit you have when buying a used car. Anything you see that doesn't sit well with you can be a potential bargaining point. Tell them, "well, looking at the condition of these tires, I'd say I'm going to have to replace them within 6 months. If you won't replace them for me, I'm going to have to take that expected cost into consideration. Will you atleast knock $400 off the price if you won't replace them?" You don't have to say that exactly, but you get the point. They may laugh at you when you tell them to buy you new tires, but atleast you get the point across that you're serious and you know what you're talking about.

    When driving the car, pay close attention to alignment (let go of the wheel and see what happens), suspension (try and find some good speed bumps to go over fast), overall smoothness of ride (Maximas are very smooth cars, and that's the first thing you should notice. If not, something may be wrong).

    Also, take as long as you want during the test drive. Get the car up to 70 mph. Get the tach up past 5k. Slam on the brakes. Swerve to the right and left.

    Good luck with your purchase!
  • ludacrisludacris Member Posts: 185
    "...overall smoothness of ride (Maximas are very smooth cars, and that's the first thing you should notice. If not, something may be wrong)."

    actually the Maxes that ive sat in have all had sorta stiff rides (in exchange for the better handling tho).
  • one_loveone_love Member Posts: 28
    How much do you guys think Nissan will discount the 2001 Maximas by?

    Will they all be gone by August?

    I planning on buying a 2001 SE Satin Blue with Auto for about $24,000 Invoice how much does the dealer usually take off a price like this? Can anyone tell me if I am off, any better deals?

    I would like help from you guys fast! Please!
  • ludacrisludacris Member Posts: 185
    our dealer (Glendale Nissan) was charging 33k for our GLE (more than an I30!!!)...but that number was real easy to bring down to the msrp of about 28k. we then brought it down to 24 (including cd changer, spoiler, sunroof, etc.). with the 02s coming out im sure Maxes will be discounted a lot...you'll almost definetly get below invoice...everyone right now seems to get them below invoice anyway. good luck!
  • one_loveone_love Member Posts: 28
    Cool name!

    How did you get it below invoice! What did you tell the dealer and how much of a down payment did you put down?
  • jimmie8jimmie8 Member Posts: 31
    I would wait to buy a 2001 Max until the 2002 Max starts arriving at dealerships. You may be able to get a better price when you can compare it to the 2002 Max sitting next to it with a bigger engine, more options, etc. The only problem with doing this is you won't be able to order a 2001, and you may not be able to find one on the lot that suits your taste.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    The 2001s are already being discounted but you may want to wait it out a little longer. That being said, your selection may not be great. I read a great article about the 2002 in the Toronto Star this weekend. The enhancements sounds very appealing and the power boost is all good.
  • jscatenajscatena Member Posts: 61
    2001 GLE, every available option package, (Z, Meridian, etc. ALL) plus mats, microfilter and sun roof wind deflector. Zero down, zero at delivery, 24 months, 15,000 per year, $548 per month
  • koski1koski1 Member Posts: 4
    30 days , 800 miles , I so don't miss honda!
  • txcarbuyertxcarbuyer Member Posts: 19
    You folks are correct about the shrinking selections of 2001 Maximas. When I purchased my new 2001 GLE Maxima (Icelandic Pearl) from Mossy Nissan (Houston, TX) during the Memorial Day weekend, there were 55 Maximas on the lot (based on the dealer's internet site inventory). Today there are only 22 Maximas on the inventory. In fact, all of their GLEs are either black or green (green is discontinued for 2002).


    http://houston.mossy.com/

  • ludacrisludacris Member Posts: 185
    thanks! lol

    well we went to the dealer at the end of the month at around 9 pm. the dealer seemed real desperate to make the sale...he said he just needed our sale to make the quota. we were actually at the dealer till 4 am negotiating the price down...eventually we got below invoice, but the time we left the dealer says it all...there was A LOT of negotiating..
  • one_loveone_love Member Posts: 28
    I don't care how long it takes I just hope I can get a great deal. So do you remember how much of a down payment you put down? and what were the options on ur car?

    Thanks again
  • bigbadboss101bigbadboss101 Member Posts: 54
    Someone in the Acura forum said $32G for the new Max. Could that be close? I am hoping it will stay near the $26-28 range. Altima V6 hopefully near $24 - $26k.
  • ludacrisludacris Member Posts: 185
    i think it was 5000 down and rite now the payments are between 400-500 (not sure what the exact number is, sorry) a month. your deal should be better though, our interest rate is 6.9 but you should be getting 3.9 (at least thats the rate in LA).

    the car came with everything the GLE comes with (leather, auto a/c, moonroof, bose audio, etc.) plus cd changer (which we never use) and spoiler. we were actually going for a base SE at first, but it seemed like it was only $30 more per month for the GLE and everything that came with it so we just took it.

    good luck
  • one_loveone_love Member Posts: 28
    Thanks a lot!
  • ludacrisludacris Member Posts: 185
    so are u gonna wait and check out the 2002s or just go for the 01 max?
  • corkfishcorkfish Member Posts: 537
    I kind of doubt it. Nissan has vowed to keep the cost of the new Z under $30,000. It might be difficult to price the Max over the Z. Also, the Infinity G35 coming out next year ( with the year wheel drive platform from the Skyline and as much as 280 horsepower) is also said to be around $30,000. Hopefully, you can buy a stripped one for $25,000 or $26,000 and build it the way you want from there.
  • har1bushhar1bush Member Posts: 207
    I agree with corkfish... $32K for the Maxima is down right ridiculous! For that we can easily get an Acura TL Type S -- a much more credible car. I believe Nissan is not that stupid. Plus, they have the I35 for the Infiniti that has to be priced in the mid-30's to compete. Unless Nissan IS really that stupid, I would predict the new models to have similar prices on the new Maximas.
  • s852s852 Member Posts: 1,051
    He is not talking about 32,000 dollars. He meant Canadian dollars.
  • one_loveone_love Member Posts: 28
    Unless I can get a really good price on a 2002 Maxima I will go for the 2001 instead. I also seem to like the looks of the 2001 more.

    Also I've heard bad things about NMAC (Nissan Motor Acceptance Corp) people say there service is horrible and financing through them is a pain. What other company can I finance through and is NMAC the one and only one who offers the 3.9 APR
  • habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    I also suspect that the Maxima will likely stay under $30k in spite of a lot of improvements and added features. Competition is great for the consumer.

    However, I must respectfully disagree that the Acura TL-S is such competition - at least not for a Maxima SE 6-speed. With Euro-Delivery as an option, I could get a fully loaded 330i for under $35k and a similarly loaded 530i sport for about $41k. I suspect when I hit the car market later this year, the Acura TL-S will hold no more interest compared to a 2002 Maxima SE than the Accord or Camry did to my old Maxima. Not a bad car, just a different category. As a previous Acura, Honda and Toyota owner, I would personally be willing to pay MORE for a Maxima SE than a Acura TL-S, if those were my only choices. But if the Maxima comes within $10k of a 530i, I'll probably go for the BMW.
  • jimmie8jimmie8 Member Posts: 31
    Although you may not agree that the Acura TL-S is competition for the Maxima (I myself would also rather get a 6-speed Maxima), I think a lot of people consider the TL-S along with the Maxima. They are both 260 hp 4-door family cars, with similar options (although the Acura offers a couple more than the Maxima). There's even rumor that the TL-S might get a 6-speed in 2003.

    Anyway, the MSRP for a fully loaded TL-S is over $35k! Considering the MSRP for the 2001 GLE was close to $29k fully loaded ($28.6??) I wouldn't be surprised if the 2002 Maxima MSRP was a little above $30k (for a fully loaded GLE). It would still be $4000 less than its nearest competitor. I would guess that you could easily negotiate for well below $30k though.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    What is everyone's thoughts on how the 2002 Altima will compare with the 2002 Maxima? Not compare, but I wonder how many people will choose the 3.5SE Altima over the Maxima?
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