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Nissan Maxima

18384868889174

Comments

  • canadianclcanadiancl Member Posts: 1,078
    I agree with you regarding bad-mouthing. That's why I try to be as reasonable and courteous as possible with my service dept, and with restaurant staff -- two groups of people that can do God-knows-what "behind the scene".
  • anthonycanthonyc Member Posts: 21
    Can you tell me specifically what caused the alignment problem and how they fixed the problem?
  • montmaxmontmax Member Posts: 32
    Well Albatros the 00-01 donot have the low end grunt of the 95-99 or the 02's. they are not quite as fast as those year because of increased weight and because the auto donot redline. The 95-99 engine made its powere more across the torque band than the 00-01's. The 02 seem to have brought this back at least my 02 does.
  • argieargie Member Posts: 22
    To my suprise there was another factor that contributed to the alignment problem that my car had. The other problem was the TOE FRONT adjustment.

    When a vehicle comes out of a manufacture plant or assembly, they must adjust the TOE FRONT. This is the adjustment of the front wheels angle of direction. The front wheels are either pointed more towards the outside or inside of the vehicle.

    Either the factory did not do a very good job of adjusting the TOE FRONT, or the dealer did an incomplete job of adjusting the same thing when placing the 17" wheels on my GLE.

    It took several trial and errors to find the problems that contributed to my alignment dilemma. I requested the dealer to switch the tires to each side to make sure that they were not the problem. Tires were OK.

    They checked and adjusted the slight alignment offset and found the TOE FRONT problem. My TOE FRONT was slightly angled outwards. A slight change in the angle of the wheels came become a big factor.
  • argieargie Member Posts: 22
    That's very true about the restaurant thing. I heard many behind the doors stories about those situations.

    The service dept. at the dealership from which my vehicle was purchased had some good mechanics. However, the supervisor totally suprised me with his dishonesty. He probably thought that I didn't know a thing about cars.

    What ticks me off the most is the 3K miles that I had to put on those high performance tires before getting it fixed.
  • 95maxse95maxse Member Posts: 1
    When my 95 was younger I regularly cruised comfortably at 90+, I pushed it to 110+ one night and it still felt stable and had plenty of power left to give. I would guess the top end would be 120-125; maybe more but I'll never find out.
    BTW: Fantastic car all around, 135k miles and it's never needed anything but brakes, tires, and one oxygen sensor replaced (knock on wood)... Looking forward to my next one.
  • habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    Glad to hear someone else with similar good fortune to mine. I also have a 1995 SE 5-speed. At 123k miles I have only replaced front brakes once (still on original rears), tires twice (at 52k and 105k), and oil/filter 31 times. I do a fair amount of highway driving and our Isuzu Trooper has been taking the "short hop w/kids" abuse. I haven't needed the Oxygen sensor replaced yet - how much was that??
  • sysadmin1sysadmin1 Member Posts: 122
    I traded my 00 GLE for a 02 GLE about a month and a half ago with the factory spoiler installed and the cover over the old 3rd light. At delivery, the first time I got in, when I stepped on the brake, the light in the dash came on regarding the rear light. THIS WAS AT DELIVERY!!, Great job of them pre-inspecting the car for me huh? As well as the tires still at 44psi. But dont get me started....

    Anyway, I had to make an appt. they looked at it, and diagnosed as a bad brake light sensor. Repaired a week later under warranty. Problem fixed.

    Regarding customer satisfaction and how dealers respond to the surveys Nissan Corp sends out, I hope they do make a difference. Both my 01 Pathy and both of my GLE's from same dealer had the 44 psi tire pressure. They just dont get it.
    Anyway, get the dealer to fix that light.

    Love the 02 GLE, wish they put a better tranhy in, as this is the cars real achilles heel, but didnt want to wait or spend the extra $$ for the G35 coming out. Besides the Grand Prix GTP, this is the best bang for the buck.
  • georged98georged98 Member Posts: 34
    Just wanted to post that I am a new owner of a 2002 Maxima GLE. MSRP was $29,752. Invoice was $27,183. Purchased it for $100 above invoice then got the $1,000 off for the rebate. Final price was $26,283.00 plus tax and plates. Purchased the Nissan Gold Extended warranty 60 month/100,000 mile with no deductible for $699.00.
  • ttupikettupike Member Posts: 6
    did the dealer put on a cover for you? i asked mine if they could remove the third light and they mumbled something about warranty issues and leaving a hole in the rear deck. said they couldn't do
  • weltonwweltonw Member Posts: 21
    95maxse, habitat1 - It's encouraging to hear you both have had so many trouble-free years/miles. I hope one day to be able to say the same. What are your recommendations regarding service? Do you basically follow what the driver's manual recommends? Also, do either of you live in heavily salted areas? Have you had any trouble with rust?

    georged98 - congrats on your purchase! What color did you choose? Also (out of curiosity), what prompted you to go with the extended warranty?
  • tboomtboom Member Posts: 8
    Has anyone heard what incentive and/or rebate Nissan is currently offering? I've had my eye on a gray lustre GLE at my local dealer, but he tells me that there isn't any current offer.

    Edmunds says that there is 3.9% financing for 60 months until April 1.

    Carsdirect says that there is a $1000 rebate until April 1.

    So I called another nearby dealer last week and he didn't have any GLE's I wanted. He did tell me that the current offer is 0.9% financing for 60 months OR $1000 rebate.

    I don't know who to believe.
  • georged98georged98 Member Posts: 34
    weltonw - The color is Merlot. I purchased the extended warranty just as added insurance. Considering the fact that I paid almost $29,000 for the car, adding another $699 to the cost to cover items that could go wrong was worth to me. Most of the time extended warranties good unused just like house insurance, life insurance and car insurance. When problems come up, it's good to have them. Sometimes they pay back several times over. It's a judgement call, that's all.
  • georged98georged98 Member Posts: 34
    Has anyone had experience with Traction Control in snow and/or rain? Does it really help or would good tires be just as good? Thanks in advance.
  • sysadmin1sysadmin1 Member Posts: 122
    No, the spoiler and everything was already on when I got it and the dealer got it that way off the boat I guess. But if you buy a factory spolier from Nissan, it comes with the black cover to go in place of the rear light, flat on the decklid.
  • al57al57 Member Posts: 67
    Finally we have reached an issue i have been trying to get a response on.Wife cracked lens on car,besides new lite costing $120 did anyone ever try to replace one? Dealer and some body shops had no clue..there are 3 phillips screws which without an offset screwdriver are impossible to get to..Been told spoiler must be removed..great engineering ,and has 2 sided tape where spoiler meets trunk lid,must be heated and must be lifted freeing it from other plastic anchors gently enough without cracking paint or breaking spoiler,by the way 2 screws were torqued as tight as a lug nut but the middle screw is buried in the middle of the block of the trunk and not visible,if replacement lite didnt have 3 screw holes wouldnt even know it was still fastened Help
  • anthonycanthonyc Member Posts: 21
    I would recommend you also re-torque the lugnuts. Mine was pretty loose and not close to the 80 lbs/ft recommended in the owner's manual. I have re-torqued them when I got home that night and they might be bwtween 50/60 lbs/ft at best. The tire pressure on mine were at 42 psi. I think the owners manual also recommend the lugnuts to be re-torqued again at 600 miles.
  • pbhattipbhatti Member Posts: 87
    I saw an ad on TV that said you have the choice of either: $1000 rebate OR 3.9% for 60 months. Both of these are good until April 1.
  • djp2cdjp2c Member Posts: 39
    I have an 02 GLE and didn't take any long trips until now.

    If you are over 5'10" I would suggest you adjust you seat to were you want it and you will find you can't see the speedometer as the steering wheel will not go up as far as it should. It does not telescope and it is dangerous because you cannot sit the way you want to.
    (Even the Ford Focus has a telescoping steering wheel and a crank to lift the seat straight up or down)
    The turning radius is not practicable for making u.-turns-- again dangerous.

    These might seem like minor problems but wait until you drive it over 100 miles on a trip or wait until you try to get in and out with the seat up and the steering wheel up as far as it will go.

    Try before you Buy. I will get rid of this car as soon as practicable.
  • 90max90max Member Posts: 15
    djp2c: Your comments regarding the Max are right on target. I own an 02SE and have been fed up with the seat and seating position as well. What a mess Nissan made of an otherwise fine car. The driver's seat feels like a child's booster seat, and the position of the steering wheel, arm rests and pedals are just bizarre. Unfortunately, a test drive doesn't reveal these problems. As you (and I) learned, it takes some extended driving before you realize the inherent problems. Nissan loyalists beware.
  • pathmax00pathmax00 Member Posts: 22
    I have driven 400 non-stop miles in total comfort in my y2kgle. I have leather and power seats so I always find a perfect position. I don't have any comfort problems at all.
  • 5greyhounds5greyhounds Member Posts: 338
    In December my Mother passed away and I now have a 1990 Maxima. It is what I would call a base model: no sunroof, no SE designation, etc. It is the V6 with the normal power equipment. It only has 82K on it and for the last several years only averaged about 2,500 miles. It was literally driven by the little old grey haired lady. Mom took good care of it. I expect to get it off the transport today or Wednesday. I had it shipped, to far to drive from Tucson to Virginia.
    Anyway, it is going to be given a going over by my local dealer for any obvious problems. There should be none. I had the struts replaced along with a CV boot when I thought I was going to drive it and not ship it.
    Anyone have any specific things to look for that have caused problems in this particular car? I am going to go to NTSB and look up recalls and TSBs but they do not have everything.
    The mileage has never been what I thought was really great, about 23 to 25 MPG. Is this normal for this car?
    Any comments would be appreciated.
  • mirthmirth Member Posts: 1,212
    23-25 MPG sounds good for a V6. Current Maximas get about the same on average (20-26).
  • habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    I have a friend with a 1991 Maxima (5-speed) and he had some recurring transmission problems. He ultimately replaced it completely and it's run well since. I recall when shopping for my 1995 Maxima, that was the only "black mark" on consumer guides review of the earlier models. Also, I have averaged 24 mpg on my 95 5-speed, so 23-25 seems about right.
  • dmgstewartdmgstewart Member Posts: 20
    In reply to post 4266, I've had the Traction Control come on any number of times in winter, on snow and ice (we get lots up here in Ottawa, Ont.). The traction control is good, and has saved me from fender benders. That said, if your tires are no good, then there's only so much the Traction Control can do. If you have the SE's performance tires, I would strongly recommend getting snow tires for winter.

    Regarding the posts about not being able to find a comfortable/safe seating position, I just thought I'd throw my 2 cents in. I have a 2000 Maxima SE, and actually *crave* long trips. With the electronic seats, my wife and I always find a very comfortable position, with no visibility problems. I actually find that the Max shines in long highway trips, IMHO. I'm 6', and my wife is 5'8. In fact, one of the reasons we bought the Max was the seats. I just wish they had memory settings.

    The turning radius is wide, but once you're aware of it, it shouldn't be a safety issue, since you won't try to make U-turns (or the like) that you can't make.

    Mike
  • wilvoltwilvolt Member Posts: 6
    Not to restart the "hood flap" flap but...


    Here is a TSB I found at maxima.org


    http://12.233.210.59/tsb/hood_rattle.pdf

  • 90max90max Member Posts: 15
    My comments were directed to the 02SE seats, which are distinctly different than those in the 00SE. I agree that the 00 seats are not a problem, as I've driven that model extensively and also had no problems with it. In the 02, Nissan tried to make a "sportier" seat by using firmer foam, steeper side bolsters and adding more lumbar support. (I have the fabric seats; I don't know whether the same changes were made to the leather.)While the overall dimensions weren't changed, the net effect is a much smaller useable seating area: The steeper, firmer "curb" on the left side seat bottom effectively eliminates 3" of seat width, and the seatback is overbolstered and improperly contoured, so that it pushes the driver out of the seat (instead of into the seat), thus effectively eliminating 2" of seat length/depth. This leaves me feeling like I'm always falling out of the seat, and also requires all but the smallest of drivers to excessively recline the seatback, resulting in the problem noted by djp2c: the steering wheel is too far away and needs a telescoping device. I've actually corrected some of the problems by taking the seatback apart (I can explain how to do that if anyone is interested) and removing the lumbar tensioner bar, a spring, and a plastic tensioner plate. I'm also looking into whether the telescoping device from the new Altima can be fitted on the Max. What a mess. On the bright side(?), my wife, who is 5'2", says the Maxima is actually the first car she's ever driven that really "fits" her. Her suggested solution for the problem -- that I swap the Max for her minivan -- doesn't quite work for me.
  • alcardsalcards Member Posts: 10
    Adding to earlier posts by Weltow, Habitat1 &
    95maxse. My 95 SE required tires and battery (at 45000, 5 years). But then an injector went bad and I had all 6 replaced, quite expensive. The car got passed on to my son and I now drive a BMW 530i. Nimbler, more maneuverable and more powerful but expensive. When I bought it, I drove the 2002 Max SE for comparison and found it heavy and prone to oversteer but equally powerful. So I went Bimmer. Happy so far.
  • habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    Sounds like we are living in almost parallel universes. I very nearly upgraded my 95 SE for a 530i this past year. But, since the Maxima is still in near perfect shape, I decided to keep it and get a Honda S2000 as a "fun" car. I hope BMW doesn't fix what isn't broken with the new 5-series, since that will be the direction I go for my next sedan.

    I had priced out a 530i 5-speed with SP, PP, Xenon, and Premium Sound for just under $42k through ED (price was $1,400 over ED invoice). In my opinion, although more expensive than a Maxima, that's the best "value" out there.

    Enjoy your 530i.
  • eksterekster Member Posts: 22
    I could start many paragraphs about cars with 'my wife broke the....' but let's not go there. I miss the old days of $3.00 lenses that came off from the outside with a screwdriver, in seconds. I had to replace a rear light bulb, and could not undo the screws in the trunk, holding the 'carpet' in place. I had to pry them out, and will let the dealer put in new ones.
  • gkatz1gkatz1 Member Posts: 296
    I have a 02 SE with leather. I am 5'10" and my wife is 5'8". Boht of us find the car comfortable. However, the seats being shallow is not specific to the Maxima. Our 01 Pathfinder is the same as was our G20. I think that the base of the seat should be lenthened a couple of inches. While the steering wheel fits me perfectly a telescoping feature would help fit more drivers. There is always room for improvement but I would, by no means, call the car uncomfortable.
  • rswaglerswagle Member Posts: 27
  • dannyledannyle Member Posts: 43
    hi

    do you guys know what's a good price for a 2000 maxima se with 30k automatic ??

    thanks
  • sdawson713sdawson713 Member Posts: 34
    I have 2001's on my lot in the neighborhood of 21,900. I would say somewhere between 18-20.5 depending on what equipment it has. Does it have leather? a sunroof? 5 speed or auto? The more options, the more $$$$$

    Sid
  • dannyledannyle Member Posts: 43
    hi SID
    i don't want to spend more than 15K, I like the maxima cuz it's handle better than the accord and it's v6 is well known.

    I am interested in any maxima with low mileage that have the following ..

    AUTO, LEATHER, SUNROOF ...

    with that price what year and mileage i should be looking anyway .. i located in Boston.

    thanks
  • 90max90max Member Posts: 15
    Sounds like the car's in good shape. The timing belt is supposed to be replaced at 60k, so if that wasn't done you definitely want that taken care of now. I'd have the fluid changed in the tranny as well. Other than that, change the oil regularly and you should have a very reliable car.
  • sdawson713sdawson713 Member Posts: 34
    With 15, you would probably be looking at a 95-97 GLE. Of course everything can vary with mileage and condition. You might find more in your range if you look in the classifieds instead of at dealers.

    Sid
  • 5greyhounds5greyhounds Member Posts: 338
    I am following your advice. I took it to my dealer yesterday and am having the antifreeze and transmission fluids changed along with a flush of both systems. They use a semi-force system where the fluids are circulated throughout the entire system and pushed out under low pressure. . they no longer use a high pressure system. It was causing damage to the internals. Then a cleaning solution is put through it for about 30 minutes, that is then flushed out until all the solvent is out then new fluid is put in, Same with the cooling system along with a new radiator cap. I am having the fuel injection systems cleaned along with the throttle body. This is simply because of the low miles and mostly short drives she did. I feel sure there is a lot of carbon and varnish build up.
    On the 60K I made sure it was done on time on one of my trips to Tucson. I figure that was about 10 years ago so my Mother was only averaging 2200 to 2500 a year and about 500 of that was when I came to visit two or three times a year.
    You are right, it is a nice car and the next things is a sunroof. Thanks for the note.
  • nedlyjnedlyj Member Posts: 89
    90max - your description of the 02SE cloth seats is very accurate. While I love this car, it has taken me over a month to find a truly comfortable position (and I won't let my wife drive it for fear of losing this position). And yes, that requires the seatback to be reclined more than I'd like, which puts the top of the steering wheel just at the limits of my reach. A telescopic wheel would be a godsend. My other gripe with the seating position is that when adjusted forward to back so that the clutch (and left foot rest) is at the correct position, it feels like the accelerator pedal is positioned about 2-3 inches too close to the driver - making the right leg never totally relaxed. Since this car is primarily for driving to and from work, I can live with these inconveniences. But as you point out, I don't know if I'd want to travel hundreds of miles a day in it.
  • nedlyjnedlyj Member Posts: 89
    I have a 2002 Maxima SE with the 6cd (in-dash) Bose system that has speed controlled volume (SCV). I have an issue, that I don't know if it is inherent in the system, or if it's unique to mine (i.e. do I need to get it serviced?).

    Here's what happens. First, note that this is ONLY with CDs playing - not the radio or tapes. With SCV set to HIGH, the volume goes up noticably while driving at speeds of 65 MPH, as it's supposed to. But, if I change tracks on the CD (repeat current track, or go to next track) using the up or down steering wheel control. The volume playing drops down to the 0 MPH level (much softer). If I press the volume up or down buttons, the volume jumps immediately back up to the 65 MPH level. Note that even if I press the volume DOWN button, the volume jumps back up - so I definitely know it has gone down to the 0 MPH level. Does anyone else have this problem?
  • pathtomaxpathtomax Member Posts: 215
    Thank you to Robertr!

    The trouble that I was having with my engine knocking and pinging has gone away! I immediately switched to Sunoco 94 and the engine performance was very noticeable. My gas mileage has increased per tankful and the engine is running as quiet as it has ever been.

    Thanks again..and I would recommend this excellent (albeit expensive) gasoline to anyone with a 2000/2001 Maxima.
  • godeacsgodeacs Member Posts: 481
    just curious, are the SE seats that much different from the GLE, outside of the leather? I owned Volvos for 19 yrs and find the seats on my 2002 Max GLE to be as comfortable as Volvo's. FWIW, I'm "only" 5'9.......
  • kavanmkavanm Member Posts: 3
    Hello all. I've been looking around a bit and I've pretty much narrowed my search to a '95 Infiniti J30 or a '95 Maxima GLE. Now I know I'm on the Maxima board, but which car do you guys think is better all around? I have about $10k to spend. Either one is going to have between 80-90k miles on it. I know a bit about the Infiniti and how reliable it is. How reliable is the Maxima, especially the '94-'96's? How many miles can I expect to get out of one if I keep up with the routine maintenance? Any help and insight would be greatly appreciated.
  • habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    First, on reliability, I have a 95 Maxima SE w/ 123k miles that has had virtually no repairs. The airbag light had to be reset, but the airbag sensor was fine. I have enough confidence that my Maxima is good for another 40k+ miles that I elected not to replace it in the fall and got a Honda S2000 as a supplement instead. I have been religious about maintaining it and changing the oil/filter every 4k miles.

    Note that the 95 was a redesign year. The 94 was a previous generation that I believe was very reliable, also, but I believe there were some transmission problems with early years (90-92??).

    Now, with respect to the J30, it has to rank as one of the best but least respected cars out there. A buddy of mine had one for 150k miles, loved it more than his current Lexus, but it depreciated like crazy (which is why he didn't trade or sell it sooner). That may be good for you, since it may not be any more than a similar vintage Maxima.

    A big difference is that the J is RWD, the Maxima is FWD, if that matters. Shop hard, check into the vehicle history and good luck. I think either car would be an excellent choice.
  • camorosocamoroso Member Posts: 1
    I HAVE A SHOT AT A 1998 MAXIMA SE 40K FOR $13,000. IT SEEMS A GOOD PRICE. THE ONLY PROBLEM BEING IT'S AN EX-FLEET CAR. SHOULD I BE CONCERNED? ANY FEEDBACK WOULD HELP
  • roar1roar1 Member Posts: 193
    Are the Cruise/Audio controls on the ' 02 Max. steering wheel lit at night ????
  • aftyafty Member Posts: 499
    My parents have a '95 Maxima GLE that they bought new in September '94. It currently has 150k miles and is still going strong with no mechanical problems. It does have a couple of electrical problems however (clock and radio displays do not work). It has been a very reliable car for them.
  • danny25danny25 Member Posts: 119
    roar1,
    No, the steering wheel controls are not back lit.
  • anthonycanthonyc Member Posts: 21
    Can some of the Canadian folks in this forums be kind enough to find out the price of the 17" x7" six spokes wheels for 2002 SE in Canada? I wonder if I can get a better price by ordering the wheel from a canadian dealer because of the exchange rate as well as the actual prices of the cars are quite a bit lower in Canada. Also, does anyone know of a Canadian dealer parts department offer discount on parts and also are willing to ship to Seattle, Washington? So far I don't have any luck finding a used wheel. Otherwise, I guess I will need to wait for a few months to check for used ones again. I just want to get a matching one to use as a full-size spare but $577 plus tax plus tire is a little too steep for me.

    I have tried Courtesy Nissan as suggested by some folks in this forum and mentioned the SE-R club discount but they said the discount only apply to SE-R's parts.

    Thanks,

    Anthony
  • porknbeansporknbeans Member Posts: 465
    I know that it's not a Max but, I bought a fleet '95 Altima in '96 and haven't had any problems with it. Currently pushing 130k and looking to replace within the year. Only because it's starting to show wear of haveing two young kids.
    Porknbeans

    Grand High Poobah
    The Fraternal Order of Procrastinators
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