But a reminder: only information submitted through TrueDelta's survey process can be used in the analysis. I don't yet have enough Maxima and I-Series owners participating to provide solid results.

Auto reliability research -- need more Maximas!

Ok where to start. I bought the car about a month ago (taxes) as is. I knew it had a few issues like needs new tires, oil check stuff like that BUT when I start the car in the cold i have to give it a llittle gas to get the the engine running. (*cold starts are hard without giving at least 5% gas) then once the idle levels off at .5 we are good to go.
After driving for apx 20 minutes when the temperature gage is at 50% (i guess normal all day running temp) it starts

the car will stall when i slow down or attempt to go at red light , giving it a lot of gas or just a little it would stall... I would have to put it in neutral just to keep the idle at 1 or 1.5 for a minute then let go of the gas. When the idle is steady at .5 and I put it in drive (with brakes still engaged) the car would die. I start up again (like a cold start) and get the idle to .5 then put it in reverse it would stall.. Finally after trying several times (being in the middle of an intersection!) she would move but struggle until we are over 30mph then we are good to go... that is... until the next red light.

This behavior would only happen once the engine is warmed up. The CEL stays on. the 1st mechanic's diagnostic test yielded the KS (ghost), and the O2 sensor. He was perplexed about the issue and finally ruled that its the ECM $400 and that I would need a new one.
Yarning for a second opinion I just put a H on my chest and handeled it by going to a local Nissan dealership (always expensive). They told me I need a new MAF and that's what's causing the engine to stall and hesitate during acceleration and deceleration. Now I trust their assessment being that its the dealership but I have done some research and a lot of people told me they've replaced the MAF and it did not correct the issue.
The dealership told me if the issue comes up I can just take it back (hopefully)

Other than that I have not had any issues with the vehicle. It rides smooth, accelerates (when she behaves) very fast and can corner better than my old Beretta. The rear defroster works better than my wifes 07 Cobalt SS. The heater/air blower is messed up a bit and I think its from the previous owner or something but it will not work on 1,2, or 3 speed only 4. The heat/air works fine, but sometimes it gets hot on max and I have to turn down the heat dial to make it conferable rather than just turning down the speed (missing that).

The horn is weak (not dominate)

the trunk and gas release latch works like a charm. All the windows roll up and down just fine accept sometimes when its cold the driver window will take a bit longer to completely come down. The power seat is still working.

I would still recommend Maxima's to friends but only if they have had their proper maintenance especially if its 200000+ miles.

Knowledge is Power! ... don't have it used against you...
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...Don't Have It Used Against You!

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I got my car back from the dealership repair shop and it works out just fine (for now) I thought about replacing the injectors but was deterred when I saw the price. I didn’t even think about getting them off eBay so I am going to try that. I know the fuel filter most likely needs to be replaced and I just got off the phone with AutoZone about to get the new one installed right after I finish typing this.

Now the injectors... would that be the true reason why the car would struggle below 3000 rpm or less than 25mph when I apply 100% gas? I am gonna play it safe and look into replacing the injectors... Just gotta save up for a hott minute... gas is expensive as it is already and that's eating away @ my budget.

04 sentra baseS "Gas sippin DD"
Modified Fujita CAI

Had a 95 SE that only needed one O2 sensor and And Alt(reman that was on it took a dump after 54k) Car had 95xxx miles on it when it was totaled.

02 hasn't had any problems yet.

I have a 1987 Maxima that I bought in 1997 in Florida with only 59,000 miles on it. It was a Florida car and in a garage up till then, almost mint condition, with dark window tint that's prevented any sun damage to the interior all the way up till now still.

I love the car, it still runs great with a little under 200K on it. I've never been stranded by it, except once when I ran it out of gas -my fault.

The engine burns no oil, the tranny has never given me any hassle.
Never had to do any major work to the engine other than keep the timing belt changed every 60Kmiles. The car has never overheated.

During the 10 years I've had it, I've replaced the suspension alll the way around. I just real recently replaced the front wheel bearings after hitting a pothole.
I also just dropped the gas tank to replace the fuel hoses and found zero rust on the tank.
The undercoating that the car came with back then was absolutely AWESOME! With keeping it washed regularly underneath during the winters here in New York, it's only just now developed some significant structural rust around the right rear suspension. Other than that, the undercoating from back then has really kept rust away. The only other spots are on the bottoms of the passenger doors.

The only maintenance items I've never done yet on the car are replacing the radiator, the steering rack, which is leaking on one side, and the power steering pump, which does not leak, but is loud. All three of these are the original parts and have still never failed.

The interior is in excellent shape, only my glove box is missing now that it got broken. Ieven have the original stereo in the car, which works great too.

I LOVE the ride of my car, even though it's starting to not look so good anymore. I've been in progress with prepping the body to repaint, and it's practically ready to be sprayed, but I've just run out of time and am going to have to move on to another ride. I hate the thought of this, because I can't imagine that another car could be any more reliable than this one has been.

Hope this helps your survey!

So yeah, I enrolled.

PLEASE HELP ME FIND A 4AT FOR MY '00 GXE!! PM ME IF YOU HAVE INFO!!

- REMISSION '09 -

Currently ODO reads 93,640.7 mi.

Brake pads @ ~ 48,000 mi.

Coil packs (6) @ 60,000 mi. (as part of 60K service)

EGR system cleaning @ 60,000 mi. (as part of 60K service)

E-fan assembly @ ~ 77,000 mi.

Starter @ ~ 85,000 mi.

Rear Main Seal (RMS) @ 93, 640.7 mi.

Cam position sensor 'O' ring @ 93,520 mi.

A/C currently non-operational. Diagnosis is pending.

Bose CD player currently non-operational.

Valve cover gaskets are currently seeping.

If anybody is looking for new tires, I bought a set of Yokohama S-Drives from Tire Rack about 12,000 miles ago and they are the best tires I have owned (better that Michelin, Kuhmo, and Goodyear to name a few). Thanks for looking and I'll post more later.

There's a reason "powertrain sensors" are a whole separate category on the survey...

With suspensions, wear is somewhat subjective. And shops looking to earn a buck will err on the side of caution.

Great car.
would buy again, as long as it's stick

i just bought it... clutch is dead...
all the rest is brand new.
thank you.

if you can't apreciate 90 hp
you wont apreciate 900 hp.

My first was a 1982 Diesel. I bought the car with approximately 80 K. At about 170K, it was so rusty that it was no longer worth repairing. I never had any major problems with the car other than the rust. I think that was common on cars of that era. The car was extremely reliable, except that it was hard to start in cold weather (not unusual for older diesels). As I recall, it only stranded me once when the clutch failed. The biggest repair that I can recall was that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. This was a result of not replacing torn boots.

My second was a 1987 wagon. I bought the car with approximately 85K. I kept that car until around 175K, at which point I sold it. It was still running strong, but it needed too many little things. The only problem with that car was that it had a very clunky transmission. I had the fluid changed regularly, and just learned to live with the clunks. It only left me stranded once, when the alternator failed.

My third was a 1997 GLE. I bought the car off lease with around 30K. I kept that car until around 137K, at which point it was totaled. I was rear- ended while waiting at a light, and the car sustained a bent frame. The crumple zone worked as it should, and everyone walked away with only whiplash (which was to be expected). The car was drivable after the accident, but my insurance co declared it a total loss the day after the accident. This car also had a clunky transmission. The only significant work was to replace the starter and a rear caliper.

My current car is a 2004 SE. I bought it with only 12K, and it currently has 38K. This car is a delight to drive, and I hope to have it for many years. So far, the car has had a couple of recalls -- one for the lower frame, which rusted prematurely, and the other for tires made in China.

My overall experience is that I have never had any major system failure and never had any fluid leaks. I never replaced any part of the drive train on any car. I service my cars regularly, and don't drive them too hard. As a result, they have been extremely reliable and safe.

No resonator, flowmaster 40 thats it until i can afford a cattman y-pipe
18" Mazda RX-8 Wheels(surprisingly they look really good)

Speed kills, drive a Honda live forever!

Quote, originally posted by sliveslar »

I am currently on my fourth Maxima. Obviously, I have gotten excellent service from the first three. In total, I have owned Maximas for 20 consecutive years. My first was a 1982 Diesel.

Very cool. I'd love to have one of those today!

4.08 VLSD, NICO 8-way ECU, full exhaust with custom headers,
Tokico Blues with Eibach springs, Stillen FSTB, 20mm RSB

Just got a 2000 Maxima, 75250 miles. Car is in great shape...doesn't shake, smooth ride...hoping it last me a while. BTW, it's my first car.

Peace
Soto

It does appear that once these cars get over 100,000 miles they start to require "more attention." But that's likely true with many cars.

With more participants, we can cover more model years and provide more precise results.

Vehicle reliability research

In fact, I was just involved in a major rear end collision (mostly becasue the exhaust got crumpled, puncturing the floorboard) the insurance company wanted to total it -- I negotiated for more $$ based on blue book value and had it repaired because I know there's still alot of life left in it.

P.S. The Lexus ES 350 that hit me suffered 4 times as much damage!