Nissan Maxima

pathmax00 · July 2002

Congrats on your new Max. I have a y2k Gle with 58000 miles on it and love it.

bartalk2 · July 2002

'97 and '98 Maximas have been recalled because a faulty diode in the alternator can cause a fire.

Has anyone been notified??

jdog368 · July 2002

From what I've heard about the 04 Maxima...I personally don't like it. After I bought my 03 Maxima, I was talking to the dealer's "Boss" and he said that the 04 will be built in the United States and will have around 280 horsepower. Sounds great but it looks similiar to the Altima...but bigger. Currently, the 03's are still being built in Japan (95%). There are rumors going around saying that there will be a V8 option when the 04 comes out, which is due out March of 2004. I think the 02 and 03 will be the best maxima because of the engine and the car size. When they redesigned the 2000 Maxima, with the bigger engine, there wasn't much performance gain, so i'm assuming that with the 2004 models being bigger, the bigger engine will make up for the extra weight so there won't be much performance gain...Well just my 2 cents.

~Jerry

lindsey · July 2002

I just made a deal to purchase a new 02 SE. Sterling mist with black leather, automatic, Bose, sunroof, 4 splash guards, mats, and sunroof wind deflector. The price is $26,416.46, not including rebate, tax, tag and title. The dealer is Bill Ray Nissan in Longwood, FL (East of Orlando). If there are no unpleasant, last-minute surprises, I will sign the papers and take delivery on Saturday. I plan to post a report on the buying experience next week. Anyone else out there have any experiences with this dealership? So far I have been to the dealership; I made the deal by email, fax and phone.

**Lindsey**

lindsey · July 2002

That should say I have NOT been to the dealership.

**Lindsey**

jdog368 · July 2002

My maxima went to the dealer this morning to have a rattling noise from the vents checked out. It turned out that the insualtion inside the air vents were missing, so I had the annoying rattling noise. My problem is, I had my windows tinted a few days ago, and it's still not dried. On the window buttons, there is two big stickers in neon green saying "please do not roll down windows". Yet the dealer rolled down my windows, ignoring the sticker. When I got into my car, I stopped and then got out, asking the person that took my car in "Who serviced my car" and I clearly stated that someone has rolled down the windows, and my tints are all messed up. The problem is that the service guy said "no one opened the window". He would not admit that the window has been opened. I insisted on seeing the manager but he wasn't in, and I left a message on his voice mail, he told me to come in tomorrow morning to have him look at the damage. Well, what should I do if they won't admit fault? It costed me 300 bucks to get the windows tinted and that's a lot of money (18% formula one tints)!!! Anyone with an advice please let me know! thanks.

~Jerry

bodydouble · July 2002

on 2002 Maximas, in case anyone is interested.

jpierce26 · July 2002

Hi all,

I have been in the Passat newsgroup for about 3 months getting ready to purchase a 2002 Passat GLX V6 w/4motion. I was leaving a resturant the other day and saw the Nissan Maxima 2003. I had to check it out.

Now that I have seen 2003 and the Passat 2002, I am soooo stuck. Not sure which to go with.

I currently own a 1998 Maxima. I never really liked it. But, the reason I did not like it was because of the lack of "toys". I purchased it loaded but I always felt it was lacking some real basic toys. Like memory seats, outside temp, etc.

Now, after looking at the 2003, it has everything you can image and more. Heated steering wheel, who would have thought.

My question is, does anyone know about the Navigation system in the 2003?

Jeff

ccermak · July 2002

Can't speak from personal experience, but all I've heard is that the Nav system isn't that great in Nissans. Supposedly pales in comparison to the Lexus, etc. Then again I've never used one and it's all heresay. I'd go to the dealer and check it out. Actually, I'd buy the Max either way. Better reliability, better interior IMO, and stronger engine. Passat is great car too though, and AWD is nice up here in MN. Then again AWD, hmmmm, maybe WRX???

mtkaplan · July 2002

You should check out the Maxima vs Passat thread here but I looked at both and although both are good cars I bought the Max 2003 GLE. It had everything I wanted, for less money. I also have not heard great things about the Volks dealerships here. That does not mean all are bad certainly, but for me it was just one more factor. It was also going to cost me a lot more money for my lease and although the car drives nice, I prefered the Max. Just my opinion.

kyleknicks · July 2002

hi, im going to start putting mobil1 in my 2k maxima at 25k miles.. for all the people that use syn oil..what are your oil change intervals? i was thinking 7k to 7.5k mile intervals.

vocus · July 2002

You should always stick to manufacturer specs for changing the oil. You supposedly can go further without changing the syn oil as much, but the price is almost 2x what dyno goes for. Therefore, you don't really save anything.

mirth · July 2002

You save having to go in for an oil change as often. My time spent bringing the car in is worth more than the oil change.

vocus · July 2002

Never thought about that. I always take my car to the Goodyear right down the street. I leave it the night before (usually Friday nights), and pick it up Saturday morning by the time I roll out of bed.

kyleknicks · July 2002

well..here's my take.. I go and buy 4 qts of mobil1 at about 4.50 each for a total of $18. I pay about $18 each time I get my oil changed at the local oil change place every 3500 miles. if I change every 7k miles having them put in my mobil1. the extra cost of the syn oil is pretty much canceled out.. this means I spend less time at the oil change place AND Im using Mobil1 in my max. that's my logic and im sticking to it! lol... so at what intervals do you change your syn oil?

hammer19 · July 2002

Hey gang, just picked up my '03 SE in Silverstone (same as polished titanium stateside, I think). Black leather, titanium pkg. (standard on ALL Canadian SE's, so the dealer says). Every option except navigation system, which I didn't like anyway. Windows are tinted "darkest-legal" on sides, extra dark on rear, extra cool all over! Memory seats are neat, 6-disc Bose is awesome! Am I drooling? You bet! Can't tell you the price - leasing it (company car) - but have family in the business, so lease payments and buy-out are outstanding. Could have waited for '04's to come out but prefer Japanese quality-control over North American. This baby will get me 10 years minimum, when I'll be ready for my mid-life crisis (ie: 350Z, or maybe Corvette?) Break-in period will be a drag but I'm very patient. See y'all.

logitech1 · July 2002

BTW, thanks to 92drexel for answering me the timing belt question.

This car has another problem. sometimes if I hit the gas pad, the engine speed doesn't go up! it happens about twice a day, mostly in the morning, and just after I start the car (I warm up the car for 30-60 seconds, then drive about 200-300 meters, then it happens). I have changed the fuel filter, the problem still there! I checked 2 of the spark plugs, they look normal! so what's the problem? can someone help me???

Thanks in advance!!!

jpierce26 · July 2002

I was feaverishly looking for information on the web about the Nissan 2002/3 Nav system. I found this link which has a PDF of the entire manual for Nissan.

http://www.nissan-techinfo.com/deptog.asp?dept_id=60

It is about 170 pages and I read it from cover to cover. Stuff like that interested me because I am thinking about buying the 2003 with Nav. There maybe others who like to read that stuff. I found that downloading it was the best way to read it. Otherwise you had to wait for each page to load. I could not read it fast enough.

Jeff

porknbeans · July 2002

You did what?!?

Do you think War and Peace is a "little light reading" or that Websters Dictionary is "a good read"? I don't know wether to be envious or scared.

Man, I just can't picture myself downloading a technical manual and find saying "I can't put this down". So.....what did it say? (He says quietly so nobody will hear)

jpierce26 · July 2002

LOL...

I am fascinated by the idea of purchasing a NAV system. I love technology.

The system is pretty kewl. It has this birds eye view which shows your position up to 16,000 feet from the sky. It will show you major points of interest like ATM, Restaurants, Churches, Rest Rooms.

Just a new toy to engage me while I drive.

Jeff

berbel · July 2002

Repost from several months ago:

"The Auto Doctor," a nationally syndicated column
is authored by a extremely savvy auto repair tech
who is a huge proponent of synthetic oil. He uses
synthetic in practically everything he owns in-
cluding his lawnmower. His general recommendation
is that synthetic oil be changed at no more than
5000 miles between changes. Personally I have used
either Mobil 1 or Valvoline synthetic since day one. In spite of its cost, I am anal about my car
and to me it's worth it!

vocus · July 2002

I don't have synthetic in my car actually. I should, because I have a turbo (Jetta 1.8T), but it didn't show any benefits really in the 2001 Protege I used to have, so I don't use it anymore.

kyleknicks · July 2002

for my 2000 maxima, i bought 4 quarts of Mobil 1 today for 4.79 each... total cost 19.20 for oil.. .the guy at the oil change place charged me 10 bucks.. total cost of oil change with Mobil 1 was about $30 bucks.. definitely worth it!

kyleknicks · July 2002

can anyone tell me what is so great about these tires?? i'll be getting new tires soon and i hear tons of good recommendations for these tires on their maxima's

vocus · July 2002

I don't personally have them, but a couple people in the Mazda Protege forum have them and like them alot. They say both wet and dry traction is great.

I have Michelin Pilot Sports on my 2002 Jetta 1.8T (from the factory) and love them. They are REAL expensive though (cheapest was $201 from Sam's Club for a replacement when I slit it on a curb).

mdaffron · July 2002

I'm the one who got it all started over on the Protege discussion, and now there are three of us who have purchased -- and love -- these tires. I replaced the stock Bridgestone Potenza RE92s on my 2000 Protege ES 5-speed with Dunlop SP Sport A2s (205/50-15s) about 6,000 miles ago. Even though the switch changed me from V-rated to H-rated tires, they're still very performance-oriented tires. The car still feels very stable in tight turns, and one run at 105 mph was very confidence-inspiring. The BIG benefits, though, are the reduced road noise and extremely good traction in dry and -- especially -- in the rain. Wet traction was very important to me because the Potenzas are known for being slippery in the wet -- in fact I hydroplaned and totaled a car back in 1992 that was shod with Potenza RE92s with only 28,000 miles on them. The Dunlops are fantastic in the rain -- I drove back to Richmond from D.C. a couple of months ago in a driving rain and the tires were very confidence-inspiring at 70 mph. I NEVER would've gone that speed with the Potenzas in that downpour.

I suggest you visit tirerack.com (where I purchased mine) and read the tests and customer reviews, and good luck with your decision!

Meade

vanbo57 · July 2002

Hello all. Just a report on a trip I just took in my '01 SE automatic. I took a roadtrip from southern Connecticut to Indianapolis, Indiana area and back over a 5 day period,(1 day each back & fourth). This was around 760 miles one way. It was horribly hot & humid all the way there and back and I ran the AC the entire trip. I was cruising between 70 & 85 MPH the majority of the ride with occasional bursts of up to 105 MPH. There was little real traffic throughout this trip. I really would have liked to have "opened it up" however was not willing to gamble on a serious traffic offense. I can tell you that this car is fast - maybe not a real rocket from 0 to 60 but from 30, 40 or 50 to 80, 90 or 100 is most satisfying to me. Anyway, the car was very stable and confident on the interstates.I started the trip with around 11,600 on the odometer and finished with around 13,500 miles. I had no steering wheel shake when applying the brakes so the rotors seem to be holding up to this point. I have read on this board of poorly wearing rotors. So far, so good. I noticed a slight hood vibe near drivers side towards the windshield at higher speeds but nothing to warrant bringing it in for the fix, (I had the tranverse links replaced on recall). This trip was 13 and 1/2 hours each way and my average speed was a little over 56 MPH including a lunch stop and several off ramp pee & go stops and gas ups, going and return trip. Milage over the entire 1900 mile trip, including a small amount of traffic / city driving was right around 26 MPG. Not bad considering generaly cruising at the aforementioned speeds with the AC on. OK, I'm going on here. In a nutshell, I felt no fatige the entire trip. was almost always comfortable and was not sore the next day. At one point I drove over 4 hours without a break but felt no worse for wear. I'm 44 and I think that's pretty good. I did not get bored driving this distance thanks to the "connectedness" I felt to the road through the steering wheel and the good stereo (not the Bose). Maybe I lucked out with this car as I've had not one problem and no complaints for rattles, squeaks - no problems. (just the links recall) If there was anything that I have any negative feelings about, its the easy chipping paint and the occasional motor mount "thump". I would buy this car again without a doubt. If you own a Max, enjoy it. If you are thinking about buying one, here is one guys opinion.

ccermak · July 2002

I've got a 00 SE loaded up to the Max (nice pun). Anyway, I just wanted to second the post above. It's no holeshot car by any means (I think the new ones are though with the bigger motor), but out on the highway is where mine excels. I take it up to the cabin, 210 miles one way, all the time. I can fit 2 suitcases, dirt bike gear, a cat carrier in the back seat, tools, etc etc. It's a perfect sized car with good mpg and a little sport factor thrown in, plus there's lots of import tuning capabilities if you're in to that sort of thing. I've got 36K on mine with only a couple minor complaints. The paint chips of course, which I'm starting to think has more to do with the angle of the front end than the paint itself, some squeaks and rattles which were fixed 85-90% by several trips to the dealer (all under warranty costing $0.00) and a slight vibration in the steering wheel at stops once in a while (not rotors cuz does with foot off brake). Besides that, the car is great. I get compliments all the time, the BOSE is good not mint but good, and what really sold me on the Max was the interior. Take a look at a Camaro, Mustang, Grand Prix, etc and compare the interiors, even a Vette for that matter. They just don't stack up in my mind, too plasticky and cheap looking with grey knobs everywhere. Anyway, I'm rambling, the point is, of course there's better cars out there, but bang for the buck, buy a Max. Peace

lindsey · July 2002

Picked up my Sterling Mist/black leather SE on Saturday. I have to give credit to the dealership and salesman who handled the transaction. Purchased from Bill Ray Nissan in Longwood, Florida. The salesman was Brian Silverstein. Car had MSRP of $29,753.00. Purchased for $26,416.46, excluding tax, tag and title. No games were played. The salesman was very knowledgeable about the car. Quickly made the deal by email, fax and phone. Came to the dealership, test-drove the car, signed the papers, out in one hour.

I am seriously contemplating getting the windows tinted. Florida sun is a killer. I have done this on other cars and know it can impair the radio reception with the antenna located in the rear window. Can someone who has had the windows tinted on a recently purchased Maxima comment on the effect on reception?

***Lindsey***

ccermak · July 2002

I have 00 SE with 35% tint on rear window with zero reception problems. I don't believe there's a difference with the newer Max's so I suspect you'll be fine.

Seeya

hammer19 · July 2002

Have my '03 SE tinted real dark on the rear and have encountered no problems so far with radio reception (BOSE 6-disc system). My car is the silverstone colour (polished titanium in the US) and the dark tints look awesome, especially since the dark chrome wheels that come with the "titanium pkg." match the paint colour to a "T". Someone commented that the tinted windows added to the "mean" look of the car, and I have to agree. The tint is also good for slowing down interior fading as well as helping with cooling, especially with a black leather interior! So I'd say go for it.

jdog368 · July 2002

If you want to get your car tinted, don't go to a cheap place in Florida. Some places do it for VERY cheap, but the quality isn't as great. I am from Atlanta, GA and they use Formula one tints at the place I go to. I think in Florida, the legal limit is 35% on all 4 windows and the back windshield. If the place you go doesn't have any metallic type of film, don't go there because after 2 years in the Florida sun, the tint will start to fade and it will bubble up. I have a few friends that are from Florida, and they had their cars tinted with the cheap tint (costs 100 bucks to do all of the windows) after a year, it went from black to purple. Kinda ugly in my opinion.
I have a 03 Sheer Silver maxima se with 15% tints all around. The company of the film is formula one (www.formulaone.com) and it really is top notch quality. I've had over 8 people to go have formula one tints done and none of them have a problem. They offer a lifetime guarentee from bubbling up or fade if you get the metallic type film.

just my 2 cents...

~Jerry

lindsey · July 2002

Thanks for the feedback on my question. I have a good tint place in mind; have used them before. They use a good quality metallic film - a Solar Guard product that withstands Florida Sun and heat. Full warranty. When I had my Olds Intrigue tinted, it did adversely affect reception. I'm glad to hear that the reception should be okay.

***Lindsey***

gkatz1 · July 2002

I had tint put on my 02 SE with great results. The tint I went with is called "Platinum Plus" (not sure of the manufacturer). It has a metallic look to it. Looks awesome with the sterling mist. FYI, you need to use "tint safe" cleaners when doing the glass. Certain cleaners (ammonia) will discolor some film. That is most likely the purple windows you're seeing.

vocus · July 2002

Cheap tint also turns purple from ultraviolet rays. But you do have to clean the windows with cleaner without ammonia in it.

tims_honda · July 2002

First, thanks for all the prtior input. This board really helped in prepping for my purchase.

Just picked up my '03 GLE Grey Lustre Metallic
with Frost int. Meridian Pkg; Floor Mats; Splash Guards; Sunroof; Traction Ctrl; Trunk Mat. MSRP
was $29,950 (including above options and destination charge). Edmunds' TMV was 27,954. I got it for $26,944 + $50 doc fee = $26,954.
This was at Rockingham Nissan in Salem, NH. They gave me $4000 in trade for my 1994 Honda Accord LX 4 door manual - which was slightly under the $4666 dealer's blue book value. FYI, this was 2 days before end of month.

I had gotten a quote from Team Nissan in Manchester, NH for $26,777 for the base '03 GLE + Sunroof and $4000 trade. I called Rockingham next morning, said I had a quote and asked if they could beat it. Sales Mgr said he would, even with the Meridian + Traction Ctr - he orders his cars with options. Team Nissan had a good choice of base models which is all I needed. So I took my old Honda up to Rockingham for a trade appraisal and they tried to come in low to offset their low quote and I had to push back to the point of bidding them adieu when they finally agreed to give me $4000 in trade.

I'd rate Team Nissan as being very friendly and laid back. I was going to try to get them to throw on a spoiler on the GLE but I couldn't walk away from Rockingham's counter-offer for the same money but with the added Meridian (heated seats, wheel, mirrors), Traction Ctrl, etc. Plus, Team Nissan charges over $100 for doc fee where Rock charges only $50.

So I came in well under TMV.

Have had it for one day. Impressions: Bose is great, love the wheel mounted volume/track/mode controls! It's been 90 degrees F and the a/c works very well. Geez, the ride is not good on highways with bumps - like roads with seams every few yards. Back wheels really want to let you know about it. Other than that, it's nice - the bells and whistles are new to me having come from a barebones Accord. And the acceleration is a real kick. But I must not stomp on gas or brake for next 1000 miles and must vary my speed. I was surprised those are the only break in restrictions, there's no set speed limit.

Looking forward to a long relationship with this vehicle. Was looking at an '02 Accord EX coupe with V6 - felt "couped" up inside. Was going to wait for the new Honda redesign but got impatient - I hope I don't regret it when the Honda debuts. But I made my choice and will stick by it, and I think I got a decent deal on a very nice car.

sgrd0q · August 2002

tims_honda - re rough ride - you may want to check your tire pressure. They always seem to overinflate the tires from the factory, and if the dealer didn't adjust them, you'll have to.

Good luck with the new car!

vocus · August 2002

They actually overinflate the tires from the factory on purpose. It's so the tires don't get flat spots in them from sitting so long.

sgrd0q · August 2002

Yes - it makes sense.

ramax · August 2002

Hi!
I consider buy a 97 maxima se with 72k miles. Car looks and runs great. The sticker price is 12 995 but the salesman told me that he can sell it for 11 150 (plus tax and fees). I love the car but don't you think 12 000 is a lot of money for almost 6 years old car.
Any advise

bartalk2 · August 2002

That figure is a little high, but not much. Check the blue book. Check the ads in the Sunday paper. What kind of warranty is he offering you? I have a '97 Max SE with 57,000 miles that I will probably try to sell on my own for about that or a little less. It's mint. These cars run forever. I have had not one problem in 57,000 miles, and at 50,000 miles my mechanic said the front brakes are only about 55% worn, rear brakes even less. Original brakes.

henrid · August 2002

(I also posted this on the Maxima Problems forum)

I'm shopping for a used car and $7000 is the absolute limit. I am finding Maximas, 96 or 97, in that price range but they are pretty high mileage-70,000-125,000 is what I've seen. Even the highest mileage cars drove well with no apparent problems and all the electric windows and locks, etc, still working.

I'd like to hear from long time Maxima drivers. Would I be courting problems to buy such a high mileage car? What should I look out for?

I am trying to read this forum from the beginning message, to get a feel for typical problems, but I need to act soon so I ask for a little help here.

In reply to Ramax above, I've seen cars like that in the $7500 range in Dade & Broward counties, S Florida.

afty · August 2002

My parents have a '95 Maxima GLE with around 160k miles. They are having a few minor electrical problems: the radio display doesn't work and the clock doesn't work. They also recently had to replace the oxygen sensor. Other than those issues, the car has run well with only normal maintenance (oil & filter, tires, brake pads, etc.).

vocus · August 2002

That is a very good showing for a car with that much mileage on it. A couple people that I work with have Maximas. One had 120k on it when it was traded, the other one had 150K on it when the guy left the company. Both were still running like new.

habitat1 · August 2002

I have a 1995 Maxima SE 5 speed with 128,900 miles that I purchased new in September 1994. Here is a summary of my experiences from my milage log:

Original front brakes lasted 93,500 miles.
Original rear brakes lasted 123,700 miles.
Original clutch is fine, with no indication of wear.
Original tires lasted 59,600 miles; second set 52,200 miles (15" HR 60 215)
Original battery lasted 7.5 years/125,000 miles.

Repairs other than routine maintenance / oil changes:
first 110,000 miles: nothing other than an occasional headlight/for light bulb for under $10 a pop.
111,300 miles: airbag warning light reset - $75.00
123,500 miles: replace engine coolant temp gauge - $192.46
125,200 miles: replace cruise control dash switch - $48.50

Gas milage since new: 24.04 mpg.
Total maitenance/repair costs (including all the above) since new: $5,288.14 (4.1 cents/mile)
Maintenance/repair costs since 75,000 miles: $2,190.36 (4.1 cents per mile)

That's it. There have been no other non-routine maintenance or repairs required. The car runs excellent and has not lost a tick as far as engine performance or acceleration. The suspension system shows no sign of wear - the car steers and handles as well as new. I have changed the oil and filter every 4,000 +/- miles and taken it to the dealer for service every 7,500 miles for the first 5 years, every 15,000 miles for the last 3. This is the most trouble free, "solid" car I have owned, including several Toyota's, Acuras and Hondas.

Note: the 90,000 and 120,000 mile services were more expensive than the 30,000 and 60,000, due to additional requirements such as front end allignment at 120k, etc. However, because I eliminated the 7,500 mile sevices after 82,500, the cost per mile has remained constant. I eliminated the 7,500 miles services when I was putting 20k highway miles per year on the car, but I continued to change the oil/filter every 4k miles.

My experience may be better than average. I would estimate that 80% of the milage is "highway". And I have been pretty meticulous in maintenance and care.

I suggest you buy from an individual or dealer that can document their maintenance history. It's a good car, if it has been properly cared for.

pathtomax · August 2002

Hello there...I have a 2000 GXE with 65,000 miles. There are more than the normal amount of road chips and rock dings in my hood at this point. Granted, I do a lot of highway miles, but it is at the point where everyone comments on the bad paint job of my car. The local dealership tells me it is normal wear and tear but I looked at a few used models on their lot with about 15,000 miles and they look pretty bad too.

Anyone out there had any luck with Nissan directly? Anyone else have this problem?

pbhatti · August 2002

A lot of people have complained about the paint on Nissan cars being too thin. My advice is get a bra to protect the front. You can also checkout http://www.nissanpaint.com/

bodydouble · August 2002

I hear Nissan is now selling a "sports bra" for the SE

tr3 · August 2002

I own a 2002 GLE and have found several paint chips on the hood of my car. These chips are not from rocks but it appears the paint bubbles up and then flakes off. Is anyone else having this problem? I called the dealer and of course they know of no problems. However the service guy ask me to come in and let them see it. They would then contact someone from Nissan to come and look at it also. I have had the car since April and put 5,000 miles on it. This has been the only problem so far. Thanks for any replys.

Boomer · August 2002

I am considering a 2000 Maxima GLE. While driving it I heard a loud banging noise from under the front passenger side. It also occurred right after turning the car off. I've had the car for 3 days and it hasn't happened again. Any thoughts? Also, the drivers door has more resistance when opening than the other 3 doors. It seems like the space between the door/body and the hood/side of body isn't even. Does this usually mean the car has been in an accident?

Nissan Maxima

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