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Nissan Maxima Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    "I was told that the dealer has to turn this information in to get reimbursed by Nissan for parts and labor invested in performing the warranty work."
    They do.

    "I naturally thought that this in essence meant the warranty work was done basically at no cost to the dealer (other than the lost cash flow)."
    Yes, they're reimbursed but at a lower rate than their Retail labour prices/repair times.
  • eblumeblum Member Posts: 52
    Thanks for the tip on the coils! I really appreciate it! My car has been knocking since I bought it...it may help fix it. What do you think?

    Also, I have heard of so many dealers trying to make people pay for parts that are covered by the gov't emissions warranty. Again, dealers are pathetic. If we know its covered, they know and just try to rip us of. Do you hear that abtseller?

    g00ch, let us know what the dealer says when you tell him that it is covered. It would be interesting to find out how many people they charge for things like this then turn around to Nissan and charge them cause it is covered. I smell a scam.....
  • ccermakccermak Member Posts: 260
    If you're using premium gas then it's highly likely the cause of your pinging is the coils. This is such a widely known problem amongst Maxima enthusiasts that I'd say it's 90% that it'll fix yer prob. Check out the .org, you'll be amazed on both the info you can find and the knowledge of the guys on that board. They're a bunch of performance nuts that are diehard Maxima drivers. Much more members than on this site, although I like this one too ;-)
  • ccermakccermak Member Posts: 260
    One more thing, I forgot how many miles are on your Max, but if you're replacing the coils you should replace the spark plugs as well. They're cheap enough and guys on the .org are saying they're seeing much better performance by changing the plugs every 40K miles, even though you're not supposed to have to change them for like 60K or 100K.
  • g00chg00ch Member Posts: 10
    I found this interesting... I called up the service manager this morning and stated the long-term warranty coverage of the CC. First thing he says is that he was unaware of it and that he thought it was only covered by the 3/36 warranty. He put me on hold, then came back saying that he reentered the VIN to double check the information in the computer. I guess their system is setup to state if a work item is covered by warranty or not. So now I have to go to the dealer and show him my warranty booklet. He will make a copy of the findings and let Nissan know so he can get approval for the warranty work.
  • eblumeblum Member Posts: 52
    I get angry when dealers don't know that kind of stuff. It is not a Nissan specific thing. All cars have their emissions components covered by that warranty.

    It blows my mind that not knowing about the product one sells or services happens all of the time....
  • kennyg5kennyg5 Member Posts: 360
    I think you are being a bit generous when you make excuses for the dealers in saying that they don't know what they sell or service. IMO, I believe they know what they sell and what are covered by warranty. Unfortunately, as noted by other members of the Board, some dealers are unscrupulous and try to rip off customers by charging them warranteed services and parts and billing Nissan for the work and parts. This is called "double dipping". It takes all kind . . . and I am sure there has to be a few honest dealers or mechanics out there.
  • slaggy76slaggy76 Member Posts: 3
    My 2002 Grey Max was recently scratched up in a parking lot...I was hoping someone could recommend a quality product that they might have used to make things look good as new...
  • friars88friars88 Member Posts: 1
    Just recently purchased a 2003 SE Maxima and currently have around 13k. Since the purchase of this vehicle at 9k, most of the times when turning at low speeds, there is a cluck / click noise from the front area of the vehicle. Have brought it back to the dealer numerous times and was told everything looks ok. They acknowledge there is a noise but mentioned we cannot just start to change parts without knowing what it is? I was told everything looks ok, but the sound is driving me nuts.
    Could it be anything to do with the CV joint?
    Any help would be appreciated.
  • rljanrljan Member Posts: 2
    I have a '94 Maxima that the hood struts are leaking and basically useless. I purchased after market lifts that I plan to install. Has anyone done this? Do you have any hints,tricks, warnings or suggestions for me?
  • eblumeblum Member Posts: 52
    Trust me...I make no excuses for dealers. I think that they are pretty slimy. I have already been flammed on this subject by abtseller (you should let him know how you feel :0 )

    So far, my experience with Nissan and GM dealers has been poor (no wonder they rank low on the JD Power ratings). I think that you need to buy a Lexus or BMW to start getting close to good service (but I am sure they try to rip people off even more cause they have more $$)

    Just my .02 cents....
  • wainwain Member Posts: 479
    I think the Toy and Honda dealers are fairer in service things than Nissan or GM
  • brevinbrevin Member Posts: 2
    I purchased a 2000 GXE with 60k miles. There is
    a faint sqeaking noise that comes from the engine
    compartment when the car is running. When I turn
    off the ignition the car almost sounds like electronically or electrically something is adjusting itself.
    Also, near the fuel injection system, a bronze colored small rod seems to be adjusting itself.
    It moves one way when the car is started and then
    adjusts back when the ignition is turned off. It
    is audible and I'm wondering if its normal.
  • blh7068blh7068 Member Posts: 375
    I know this is common complaint regarding nissans paint, but having my Max since June I have realized that this paint(clearcoat) is about 0 percent resistant to just about any small object that the car comes into contact with. There are many scratches that have penetrated the clearcoat (not normal for a car less than 1 yr old, imo). Any advice? Otherwise, I like the car...dimly lit SES light still pending however.
  • bgongawarebgongaware Member Posts: 3
    My 2000 GXE had a similar noise which my patient Nissan mechanic finally traced to one of the electronic engine mounts. It was replaced and the noise was gone. He found it with a stethoscope while I reproduced the noise for him by turning the engine on and off repeatedly. He said he'd never heard of a case of bad engine mounts before, but I believe I've seen mention of it on this board a year or two ago.
  • brevinbrevin Member Posts: 2
    Hey bgongaware....thanks for the info.
    What were your costs for the repairs? Is this
    something that has to be fixed or if I'm willing
    to live with the noise would it not affect the car?
  • 03maximan03maximan Member Posts: 13
    My 03 SE also has dimly lit SES light, anyone find any explainations?
  • nissangirlnissangirl Member Posts: 186
    O.K. No Laughing, but what is that?
  • blh7068blh7068 Member Posts: 375
    nissangirl- that would be the service engine soon light. Yes, your car has one too! :)

    03maximan- It's not really visible during daylight/dusk hours....pretty much has to completely dark outside to see but it is noticeable under the right conditions. I talked to the dealer and one possibility was a faulty printed circuit. I cant get the car to the dealer when it's been dark enough to observe the problem(either I'm working, or the shop has closed/not open yet). So I will do the next best thing and hop into my car with the video camera and tape the dumb thing to show these guys that it really is on all the time. Remember, if they cant see/duplicate the problem, you're SOL. Nice to know someone else has this goofy problem.
  • nissangirlnissangirl Member Posts: 186
    Thank you. I only see mine when I start my car. As for now that's the only time I want to see it.......LOL.
  • dirkdaddydirkdaddy Member Posts: 313
    If you are looking for excellent dealer service and not spend Lexus money, get a Saturn. Judging by the great ratings and high marks on their discussion boards saturn dealers are really great. Too bad they don't sell Maximas.....
  • boat28boat28 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks to everyone who replied to my original posting (#1092) on the coil issue. I wrote a letter to Nissan's customer service department in California and rceived a call from them several days later. The service rep stated they would not replace the coils until each one failed. I argued the logic behind their thinking, considering two of the coils had already failed and were replaced. It was just a matter of time before the other four would go. To make a long story short, Nissan agreed to replace the coils and re-flash the ECM for no charge. Not bad, considering the car is out of warranty with 66,000 miles on it. The company renewed my faith in standing behind their product.
  • boat28boat28 Member Posts: 3
    Has anyone experienced a problem with the dash brake light not turning off? I have a 2000 Maxima with an intermittent problem with the light. I dismantled the center console to allow complete access to the hand brake lever. There is a simple micro-switch that engages when the lever is pulled up. I must have run it through 50 engage/disengage cycles without any hint of the switch hanging up. Out of the blue while driving, the light will suddenly turn on. No consistency as to when this happens whatsoever.
    Any recommendations on how to cure this annoying problem?
  • lmp180psulmp180psu Member Posts: 399
    if saturn did sell maximas, then no one here would be getting the great deals on the 03's that they are getting because Saturn has a no-haggle( always MSRP) pricing policy. Of course people would be less stressed out over the car buying experience if you walk in the dealer and purchase a car in a similar manner as going into a supermarket, and buying groceries.( can't haggle over the price of milk, but you can go to another market to get/find lower prices). I can understand why Saturn would have a top rating for customer satisfaction with this policy, but i would trade a couple of hours of stress and arguments to save a couple thousand dollars). Sorry this is sort of off-topic, but I really can't understand sometimes how many publications think the saturn policy is such as great idea (and especially for a car like the Ion which C&D recently concluded negatively by saying " we had to wait 7 years for this!")
  • DirltonDirlton Member Posts: 30
    Does anyone out there have a 2000 Maxima without "Auto On/Off Headlights" (you shouldn't)? Do they work as stated in the owner's manual?
  • bgongawarebgongaware Member Posts: 3
    The engine mount replacement was under warranty so repair was free. I believe I saw the cost of the mount somehow and, if memory serves, it was around $50. Diagnosis would have been costly because the mechanic worked to find the problem for over an hour.

    The noise was only a nuisance. It would not have done any damage to ignore it.
  • stanley13stanley13 Member Posts: 3
    I just purchased an 03 Max SE 3 weeks ago. I've already had it in for service. There was a terrible vibration in the steering wheel. The tires were completely out of balance, especially the left side. One tire was so bad that the dealer is replacing it. They did not have the tire in stock so I have to go back in for service this week. That is not the end of my problems. The CD player (Bose System) stopped working. An error message appeared on the LCD display. The dealer is also replacing my stereo this week. Has anyone else had these problems? I researched this purchase until I couldn't research any more. I thought I made a good decision. Now I'm not so sure. The car rides like a rock and I have been feeding it gas like I drink water. You can feel every road imperfection in the steering wheel. I'm stuck in a bad dream. The only good part to this story is that the dealer has been great. Any feedback to my blues would be appreciated.
  • dirkdaddydirkdaddy Member Posts: 313
    You have normal large purchse "post purchase" 2nd guessing. Too bad you had a few glitches with your new max. As you know with all the research you did, your is not really a normal experience. Must have been a bummer batch of tires.

    The SE is a performance car and has low profile tires, so you are going to feel the road. Any performance tuned car is going to feel that way, although some pricier cars do a better job than the less expensive ones.

    I'm 40 and drive conservatively most of the time, and last I checked I got about 21mpg mix of city hwy driving with AC on (5 speed) SE 2000. Others here have similar or worse MPG, depending on their foot. The car isn't really EPA rated as an economy car.

    Relax, these cars are good, have great resale and last a long time from what I read.

    DD
  • dklaneckydklanecky Member Posts: 559
    Clearly you've got a few issues with your particular copy.

    As long as your dealer is so supportive, I'm sure you'll get things resolved and have an overall positive ownership experience as almost all of us on this board have.

    I've got a 00 SE that over the first 114,000 miles has averaged 23.7 MPG on premium gas 91-93 octane.

    I concur with dirkdaddy, the SE does ride a little sportier (rougher) than most sedans but then you probably noticed than in your test drives or you'd have bought a GLE instead?

    (Watch that tire pressure on those 17" tires! Owners have reported delivery of cars with pressures ranging between 25-40lbs. The difference in ride is dramatic to say the least at 40lbs, feels like your riding on rocks.)

    Keep us updated as to your issues and be thankful you have a good Nissan dealer standing behind you.

    Some owners have not had that level of support with similar issues. (What type of vehicle did you own last, just for comparison?)
  • nissangirlnissangirl Member Posts: 186
    Hang in there. I also have an '03 SE, it now has 1400 miles on it. It is such a joy to drive. The roughness of the ride, or better yet, performance of the SE is something I am very used to. This is my 4th SE Maxima, so that is all I'm use to. The only problem I have had with my new purchase is that when going thru a carwash my sunroof leaked a little, it did not leak at all during rain, just the high pressure car washes, but it was a simple fix. They removed the glass and re-installed it with an adjustment. It's been fine since.

    Sounds like you have a great dealership just as I do. That makes a world of difference in how you feel about your total purchase experience. These are truly great vehicles, and I hope you enjoy your drive! Congratulations!
  • 92drexel92drexel Member Posts: 153
    03maximan: Nissan is aware of the SES light issue with the 03s and issued a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin). A few people on maxima.org posted the TSB. Nissan should cover it under warranty.

    boat28: I had an older max with this problem (flickering brake light). I think I was low on brake fluid (you may want to check the level in the master cylinder if you hadn't already). Goodluck!
  • satysaty Member Posts: 23
    hey guys.

    What are you guys running the tire pressure on 03 max. se to get a little soft ride.

    Thanks in advance
  • 92drexel92drexel Member Posts: 153
    Hang in there. Try running your tires at 30 psi air pressure each. I've been running mine at 30 psi and the car rides great (compared to 32 psi or higher). You'll be surprised. Don't go any lower than 30 however.

    My CD player (BOSE) gives error messages when its very cold (< 25 deg F). It won't eject CDs sometimes when its cold too (don't ask me why). When car interior warms up, those problems disappear.

    Fuel ecomony will improve. Mine was terrible until I hit 7,000 miles.

    Goodluck.
  • pegasus17pegasus17 Member Posts: 536
    Finally getting some miles on my new Max and it remains a blast to drive. Tire pressure is something to watch, though, on the SE. It's been very cold here in Ohio and although my car is garaged, it has started to creak and rattle going over small-to-medium bumps. Seems to be in the dashboard area (both sides) and is really annoying unless i crank the stereo (Nissan fix, I'm sure!). I know my local dealer techs won't be able to duplicate it since they can't hear sh**. Anyone else out there have a creaky dash?
  • pegasus17pegasus17 Member Posts: 536
    There's quite a thread on maxima.org about 2002 Rattles, etc. in the max so I guess I need to keep my stereo cranked! Oh well...
  • aristotlearistotle Member Posts: 123
    Hi boat28, congratulations on getting Nissan to pay for the replacement of coils on the 2000 Maxima. They should really be doing a recall considering the number of people affected by this.

    Who did you speak to at Nissan to get the coils replaced? Is there a contact phone number and extension?

    Thanks.
  • obiwankenobi1obiwankenobi1 Member Posts: 290
    Planet Nissan in San Bernardino is about the best ever!! They treat you like Infiniti (wash and detail your car after every service!!)

    Give em a try if you are in the area!

    Obi
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    or do these 2000+ Maximas have many problems?

    My 01 Protege is running better than new (the engine broke in VERY nicely) and it has over 50.000kms on it.

    I was thinking of buying an old 92/93 Maxima SE (with the sunroof, alloys, spoiler) at the end of this year. I would want to keep it one or two years, but reliability still matters.

    Should I (considering all these things happening on an expensive car)? I would be pretty p!$$ed if my $24.000 CDN Protege had these issues.

    Dinu
  • beanctrbeanctr Member Posts: 99
    I agree with the posts regarding the Max's paint quality. It stinks!! It is probably the worst thing about the car. I was the lucky recipient of two large bird droppings on my hood a few months back and despite my best effort at trying to gently remove the droppings, I have two nice size scratches on the hood. I hope to keep the car for a long time to come, but it may be a great challenge keeping the exterior looking good. The paint is very unforgiving.
  • norcalsurfrnorcalsurfr Member Posts: 14
    This is usually caused by condensation build up on the CD overnight, once the car warms up the condensation evaporates and the CD player acts as normal.

    My suggestion would be (during the winter) remove your CD's when you park the car for the night and put them back in the morning.
  • norcalsurfrnorcalsurfr Member Posts: 14
    I just got a used '02 SE and when I start the car the rpm's immediately jump to about 2500, they come right back down but this seems a little high to me, my Pathfinder and X-terra don't this (only about 1800-2000).

    Anyone notice anything similar?
  • monte4monte4 Member Posts: 101
    Stanley i have the same issues you have, BTW this is my 4th Maxima. The tires that they put on the Max are crappy the Potenza's I have taken mine in twice for them to get them sort of right. You are correct you do feel every imperfection in the road through the wheel , with the 17 in rims an low profile tires that is to be expected although with better tires it is less dramatic( several friends at maxima.org have changed to different tires and they say it dramatic). Compared to my old 2000 the 03 does drink alot of fuel I was just complaining about it, but overall the Max is the best bang for the buck out their, enjoy it!
  • monte4monte4 Member Posts: 101
    Saty mine are set at 32 PSI and when I took it in for the vibrations it was at 40. Coppamc I havea slight rattle as well my car only has 500 miles on it, my wifes 03 350Z with 700 miles has the same issues some rattles and the Potenza's on it are crappy and vibrate a little as well.
  • pbvdqpbvdq Member Posts: 14
    I don't think my odometer is working correctly. It seems to be tracking more miles than I'm actually driving. Has anyone noticed that?
  • njrussnjruss Member Posts: 7
    My 03 SE is in the shop having $3200 of repairs to replace the HID lights that were stolen. Nissan has also come up with an anti-theft kit. At first they wanted $600 the said that the 600 was "retail" and are installing for $249. Of this $119 is the kit itself and the balance labor.

    I think that Nissan has to step up to the plate and assume some responsibility here for the following reasons:
    1. It is their design that has made these things so easy/fast to steal.
    2. They have priced the replacements so high (750 per headlight unit just for the part) that they are attractive to thieves.
    3. I understand that spare parts have high profit built in, BUT for Nissan to make profit on thefts like this is unfair. It's not like they are burning out or replaced as a result of collisions. They have created a fast profit generating machine for themselves and they make more money on the deal than anyone!
    4. Then to come out with a kit and charge 600 or 250 or ANYTHING is crazier - again it's a flaw in their design.

    Possible solutions:
    1. Lower the headlight price to 150 - the black market would disappear.
    2. Mount the electrical ballast elsewhere in the car - that is the key part in the whole thing from what I understand. It is now in the headlight and comes out nicely as part of the package. If it were separate, it would make the theft operation much more time consuming and thereby risky. This should be done as a well publicized recall.
    3. Install the anti-theft kit free to everyone.

    Nissan must accept some burden for this situation. These steps would make the risk to a thief greater and the reward less. We as owners and potential owners must pressure Nissan and threaten them with loss of business to make it happen. This is my 2nd Max and I love the car, but the situation makes the car "unownable" unless you can lock it up or stand guard 24/7.
  • stanley13stanley13 Member Posts: 3
    Thank you to everyone who replied to my posting. It is very much appreciated.

    I took my Max back in for servicing this past Saturday. My Max had approximately 650 miles. I had one of my tires replaced. My Max has BF Goodrich tires. The service manager said that one of the tires wouldn't balance correctly. They spin balanced all 4 tires again to be sure the vibration was nonexistent. Then two techs road tested my Max to make sure that the problem was solved. The both drove it. Problem solved. The SE does ride stiff and I was well aware of this before I purchased the car. However the vibration in the steering "fired me up" and it made every bump a little more magnified.

    Now to the Bose Stereo. A couple of you have stated that because of the cold weather there are some quarks with the system. I understand this and concur. It's been very cold in Pennsylvania.
    However I am a little more unforgiving. When I purchase a new car I expect everything to work. There are several postings from our neighbors to the north. It's cold in Canada. Do they have these problems? My dealership also replaced my stereo this past Saturday. They replaced it with a reconditioned model. I don't have a problem with a reconditioned unit if it works and is in the same condition as the one that they replaced. The unit was sub par at best. It works. That's about all I can say for it. The top housing is banged up around the cd player. You can see where the unit was damaged when they took it out of the original owners car. The plastic where the LCD display is gouged. Why the Nissan dealership even installed this unit is beyond me. I dove back to the dealership after I noticed the problem and had the service manager inspect the unit. He agreed that is was subpar. It is my understanding that the dealerships get the replacement stereos from Bose directly. I will settle for nothting less than a satisfactory unit.

    So here I go again. My car now has approximately 750 miles on it. I have already wasted 2 Saturdays at the dealership and am going to waste a 3rd. I will not stop until I am satisfied.

    I will say this. The dealership has been very accomodiating. They have not fought me on anything. I will give the dealership and the service personel props on this site when everything is fixed to my satisfaction.

    I'll keep everyone posted.
  • 03maximan03maximan Member Posts: 13
    I just had my Bose stereo replaced with a NEW one last month (5000 miles), CD player kept skiping. He just ordered a new one and a week later installed it, no questions, no hassles and no charge, no problems since. Anyone with ANY problem with Bose should tell Nissan dealer you want a new one. I cant believe a Nissan dealer would install a used stereo in a brand new MAX!Thanx 92 drexel on posting of SES light TSB, I'll have to look into that. As for squeky dash, i agree, it almost sounds like base of windshield where dash meets. Pray for no stolen HID. Run the Potenzas at 31 psi, just had rotated and balanced at 6500 miles. Gas mileage around 18 MPG with mixed city/highway on premium. Very fun car to drive, no regrets, lots of compliments.
  • wosieckiwosiecki Member Posts: 1
    Last March I bought a brand new 2002 VW Passat 1.8 turbo and ever since the odometer hit 10,000 miles I have had nothing but problems. I'm in the process of going through the lemon laws and have found out that I will probably be getting my money back. Through this process I have decided that I am going to buy a used car with at least 30,000 miles on it hoping that the kinks will all be worked out. My question, to anyone willing to offer advice, is what your experiences have been with 01 Maxima's? If you've had problems, any suggestions for vehicles I should consider? Thanks for your help!!!

    Wendy
  • ccermakccermak Member Posts: 260
    Wendy, with all the upgrades that went into the 02 Max, I'd get a used 02 Max before an 01. You get a noticeably more powerful motor, auto-dim mirror, steering wheel radio controls, 6-cd changer, memory seats, etc. More options on the 02 for same price as 01. This is true unless you get the base model with minimal features. If you want an automatic, get a used 2002 GLE, if you want a 6sp stick get a used SE. I'd recommend the stick shift if you drive stick, it really is night and day. The Max ain't even the same car auto versus stick, you go from sedan to PERFORMANCE sedan.

    My .02 as usual.
  • monte4monte4 Member Posts: 101
    Nissan really closed the gap between the auto and manual with the 02's. Th autos in these cars are very reponsive whatever Nissan did to beef it up for 02 it worked.
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