04+ maxima - hows the reliability

[greenwar]

Guys, I am thinking about a 6spd 04+ maxima. I drove a 5spd auto SL last fall and loved how much power it had.

Online reviews at carsurvey.org shows lots of bad reviews stating that the car is unreliable. I don't get it though. All complaints are regarding the engine. isn't the same engine used in Altima 3.5SE and even same block in 350z and G35? It is the VQ35DE right?

Did you guys encounter any reliability issues with your maxima? Please chime in.

Thanks in advance.

[jsmithsole]

Guys, I am thinking about a 6spd 04+ maxima. I drove a 5spd auto SL last fall and loved how much power it had.

Online reviews at carsurvey.org shows lots of bad reviews stating that the car is unreliable. I don't get it though. All complaints are regarding the engine. isn't the same engine used in Altima 3.5SE and even same block in 350z and G35? It is the VQ35DE right?

Did you guys encounter any reliability issues with your maxima? Please chime in.

Thanks in advance.

I have an 04 that I bought new in November of 03. I currently have 66,000 miles and have only had a few issues. More electrical/appearance issues, no mechanical problems whatsoever. Some of the early build 04's had issues with:Front strut issues/shimmyOEM Good year RSA's splitting (you should be fine now with an 04)Personal issues:I had 2 doorlocks go out (warranty)Grill replaced due to peeling (warranty)A/C pump went out (warranty)Skyview replaced (recall)

I've heard of a few trannys being replaced and one guy blew his motor in an 07 but no other motor issues.

I've been lucky becuase the shimmy issue seemed to happen quite often. I'd look into an 05 if feasible for you. They worked out those bugs and upgrade the interior a bit as well.

[greenwar]

Hey Jsmithsole,

Thanks for your response. I will keep an eye on the 05s.

So no issues with the coil packs? Lot of people complained about that. I know that my I30 had all 6 coil packs replaced at some point.

[NissanDriver84]

'04 had strut problems, sagging headliners, cheap leather, alot of rattles, interior pieces fallin off, jus alot of build quality issues...I would opt 4 an '06 cause all the new car gremlins were weeded out by mid-late 05. mechanical wise there are great it's just the build wasnt up 2 previous gen maxima standards for '04 model year. a friend of mine has a 04 max and it has almost 100k miles on it & it runs great...he needed a new headliner and his car has alot of rattles but the rattles don't bother him he loves it. but i would say look for an '06 6-speed

[MinisterofDOOM]

Our early '04 has had very few issues. Aside from a busted door on the center console (which was as much the fault of the driver as it was the car...women need to find better places for their purses than on the shifter gate), a minimal case of the steering vibration issue (only presents itself with certain tires and is very subtle even then), and bad paint on the rear window buttress trim (plastic inserts) it has been absolutely perfect. No squeaks, no rattles, headliner is fine. The leather isn't cheap, either. It looks and feels great and has held up very well.

[jsmithsole]

'04 had strut problems, sagging headliners, cheap leather, alot of rattles, interior pieces fallin off, jus alot of build quality issues...I would opt 4 an '06 cause all the new car gremlins were weeded out by mid-late 05. mechanical wise there are great it's just the build wasnt up 2 previous gen maxima standards for '04 model year. a friend of mine has a 04 max and it has almost 100k miles on it & it runs great...he needed a new headliner and his car has alot of rattles but the rattles don't bother him he loves it. but i would say look for an '06 6-speed

Strut problems, yes. Never heard of anyone with a headliner problem. Rattles, rear deck from subs but otherwise again haven't heard of many issues from owners. Also the only interior problem I've heard of is the AT shift knob breaking and the glove box being misaligned (TSB)...\And I agree with MinisterofDOOM, my leather has held up great, almost 4/12 yrs. with no problems!

[gkodish]

i have an 04 with about 70,000 miles on it. Bought it new back in 04. Had to have the transmission replaced about a month ago, it was covered under warranty. Other than that nothing major at all