Nissan Maxima reliability (Please sign up if you're new)

The club for Nissan Maxima and Infiniti I30 / I35 owners, and the official home of Maxima Club of America!
sunseeker888
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 6:52 am
Car: 02 Maxima SE, 64 Impala

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2002 Max SE with 49,000 miles, This car has been a real good ride, no issues, and still runs/drives excellent. I just signed up, and look forward to joining in these discussions, nice forum, BTW. Anyway Someone mentioned that these maximas are usually solid for 300k miles... Thats amazing to me, many cars cannot even make 100k. My buddy owned a caddie from around 1997 that died with just under 75k miles. PATHETIC!!! Nissans are beast.


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Gimli G35
Posts: 548
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2007 9:03 am
Car: 1996 Lexus ES300

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152k miles had since 1996 and it IS a 1995 , not many problems. minor engine maintenence

Only bad thing is that my dad got t-boned in it and it is totaled.

etag
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2007 5:49 am
Car: maxima

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I had the same problems with my 2000 maximawith auto. 6 cyc. I began reading the boards, it all looked to be the MAF fix.I took the MAF off and cleaned it with the cleaner I think its called crc cleaner.let it dry for 15 min. and wow my car runs like new.a $3.00 dollar can of spray. Just spray it down real good. it looks like a brasspin inside the maf. The maf fix will take care of all the issues. im so happy now.I went one step futher with all this. I cut off the end of the Maf. with my saw the side with the 4 holes where it bolts up to the air box and sliped on a high flow air filter. It will slip right over onto the maf tube. Its a perfect fit..So now I gained more HP. took me a 30 min. for all the work.Now it runs great I think I might change the muffler to a high flow.You can really hear the air being sucked when you get down on it.later I hope this helps all of you people.Dont get tricked into repairs you dont need. Its the MAF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!later Ernie

maximaman
Posts: 75
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2007 12:46 pm
Car: 96 maxima

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you cut off the pin in the maf? what does that do? from what im told the pin gets hot and messures how much air passes thru by how cool the pin gets and compensates it with the equivelant fuel. or am i trippin?

maximaman
Posts: 75
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2007 12:46 pm
Car: 96 maxima

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disregard the last post. i read it wrong. you cut off the tube to the air filter.

dante79
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:41 pm
Car: 95 nissan maxima, bodykit, cold air intake, 17inch rims

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whats up i got a 95 maxima, just bought it thought and love it already.its got 149k miles on it....no major repairs on it.im looking to meet some people to talk about cars and possibly get some ideas on fixing the sunroof and a couple other minor things..thanks for the help

maxima93
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 3:19 pm
Car: nissan maxima 1993

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my 93 maxima works fine with only 50k miles on it

wrdominicas
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 12:43 pm
Car: nissan maxima 1999 gle

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hi i got a 99 and i can tell you this cars are the best. no problems yet had it for a year now, synthetic oil changes and new drive belts gold package maxima love it.. i hope you take care of yours because it will take care of you..

philosofik
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2007 6:58 am
Car: 2000 White Nissan Maxima GLE

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2000 Nissan Maxima - 113k Miles

Changed battery once, Service Engine Light was a problem but was resolved, made a humming noise when the wheel was straight and veered a bit off except on turns there was no noise - could have been the break pad

otherwise it always has been a reliable car. we have two (a 2007 also)

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HogMaxFan
Posts: 24
Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2007 10:58 am
Car: 2003 GLE Maxima KV3 W

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We have 2, and they both run great. Other than regular maintenance, 1 battery, 1 o2 sensor, and a wheel bearing, the wifes has been great!!! We've only had mine for about 2 months now, but so far it's been awesome.

Wife has a 2k SE with 127k on it,I have a 2k3 GLE with 63k on it.

Maximas

mkaresh
Posts: 1038
Joined: Fri Dec 01, 2006 3:45 am
Car: 2003 Mazda Protege5
Contact:

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Thanks for the info.

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!

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Gman8990
Posts: 168
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 2:25 pm
Car: Pearl 1999 Nissan Maxima GXE

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i have a pretty Pearl Maxima 1999... No Problems WHATSOEVER!!!! well... the brakes squeak but they work as well as ever... 109K miles...

lucasjsr
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 5:06 pm
Car: 1995 Nissan Maxima

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I bought my 95 Maxima used. I bought a the Maxima because I had such great service from my 98 Altima I feel once I get this Max fixed up it will be as good or better a car. I totaled my Altima in December and am still working out a few final bugs on my Max but I'll let you know if I run into any repeated issues.

lucasjsr
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 5:06 pm
Car: 1995 Nissan Maxima

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If the breaks are squealing did you check the pads? It sounds to me like you have a wear indicator telling you change pads or buy new rotors and pads. Please do not wait until they start grinding, it will be too late for just pads then. Brakes are great on cars. In fact almost too good they will work as long as nothing major breaks. I have seen cars where they were stopping on the metal backings. If you have good pads have you tried put the blue stuff on the back of the pads? Brakes squeak for three reasons I know of, 1 wear indicators or 2 resonance/vibrasion, 3 would be the wrong material pads which you either replace or live with. Listen to your car it is talking to you

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Gman8990
Posts: 168
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 2:25 pm
Car: Pearl 1999 Nissan Maxima GXE

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i know to listen... this is my 3rd maxima ('89 '95) and all of their brakes squeaked a little... it just happens... i tried changing pads and pretty much everything else... it just happens...

lucasjsr
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 5:06 pm
Car: 1995 Nissan Maxima

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Great, I just wanted to be sure you were being safe. I changed the rotors and pads on my Maxima recently and have not noticed any noise, but I will keep that in mind. Thanks and Have a Great Day. I will spend some more of my day chasing a low speed misfire in my Maxima.

UzbMax97
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:10 pm
Car: 1997 Maxima GXE

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Hi, just bought 97 Maxima gxe, a week ago, with 86000, so far I like it a lot,solid, great engine, I moved from 4cyll.(one thing is gas ). have some strange noise coming from cassete deck,and display showing cass. error,and alarm signal looks like 2 sensitive, couple times went screaming like crazy... I'll try too keep posting any changes, hope won't be any

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Ops
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 3:54 pm
Car: 95 Nissan Maxima SE
Contact:

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1995 Maxima SE (222890 + miles)

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...http://opsec.spaces.live.com

lucasjsr
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 5:06 pm
Car: 1995 Nissan Maxima

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i bought a Maxima that had set for a few years and ran horrible under 3000 rpm and idled very rough. I spent the LARGE $'s at the dealer and it helped for a minute. I ended up replacing the front O2 sensor and it fixed the Ck Eng lite bit not the drivability and rough idle. There is/or was a guy on Ebay sealing a complete set of injectors for $129 or best offer. I replaced the # 1,3,5 injectors (dealer claimes they replaced #4, #2 looked "newer" so I did not replace 2,4, or 6. It now runs starts idles and performs great. At the mileage you are tlaking I would recommend replacing the fuel filter, cleaning the Idle Air Control Valve, and replacing the injectors. With the injectors, plenum gasket and new fuel filter you should be around $150 (probably far less than just the cost to have the dealer techs lead you around to nowhere). If you decide to replace the injectors it is a lot easier than i thought. You have to get the 4 bolts off the back is the hardest part (I bought the factory manual on CD for $6 on Ebay. The 3 injectors under the plenum look like more work than is really is. Once you get the 4 back bolts off then the rest is easy to get to and is just a atter of unbolting and unplugging everything in the way. If you do get the injectors from the guy on Ebay be aware he ships slow (about 10 days) I hope this helps good luck.

c5estrada
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 5:18 pm
Car: 2002 Nissan Maxima GLE

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I am new to this forum I currently own a 2002 Nissan Maxima GLE with 39000 miles The only problem I've had so far is Ox sensor when car had 1000 miles on it warped front rotors and replaced exhaust muffler and battery other then that car has been very good.

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Ops
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 3:54 pm
Car: 95 Nissan Maxima SE
Contact:

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Yes it does help Lucasjsr!

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.

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BDuck
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:09 pm
Car: 1999 Nissan Maxima SE-L

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I am a second Maxima owner, this time a 1999 Crimson Blaze Maxima SE-L that I purchased used back in September 2004. It had 67,000 miles then, now has 125k miles. I have had problems with the Oxygen Sensor and EGR Valve, along with Carbon buildup, causing the check engine light to come on and running rough. I have been told that I need to replace both front axles because of the boot deteriorating. After hundreds of dollars to repair, replace and clean, I am very pleased with my Maxima, and would consider buying another one. Love the Bose Stereo and Moon Roof.

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spddemon
Posts: 216
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2007 7:56 am
Car: 2004 Nissan Sentra BaseS

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91, 185,230 miles only replaced alternator and essentals. Rear ended sept 20,2006 by some jacka$$ not paying attention TOTALED .
Modified by spddemon at 6:27 AM 3/4/2008

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champride1
Posts: 23
Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2008 7:58 am
Car: 2001 Nissan Maxima SE Anniversary Edition

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just enrolled

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.:Kevin:.
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 6:25 pm
Car: KT3 A33B

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Enrolled...Figured I'd make my first post something worthwhile.

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.

shannonk
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2007 5:47 pm
Car: 1987 Nissan Maxima

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I'll try to enroll and provide my info:

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!

pahaf
Posts: 58
Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 12:41 pm
Car: 91 Z32 TT

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i got a 1995 Nissan Maxima with 96k when i bought it and all i did/ am doing is changing the clutch and valve cover gasket

hobbes24
Posts: 29
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:33 am
Car: 03 max

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03 Max SE198,000 milesslight noise when going from reverse to driveno problems besides CD player skipping

BlakMax99
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2008 1:37 pm
Car: 1999 Nissan Maxima

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99 max, 141233 mi, got it with 125874, since ownership had to replace a\c compressor, and regulator, and currently needs springs and shock ( i know why the springs, because the car shouldnt be so low w/o an actual lowering KIT ), axles (both), clutch (yes thank God, a 5-speed), flywheel. thats all for now will update later. almost forgot the driver window is moody sometimes it wont go down all the way and you have to curse at it for a while before it might listen and go down all the way
Modified by BlakMax99 at 5:34 PM 3/26/2008

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sixteenXnine
Posts: 160
Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2008 5:19 am
Car: 2000 GLE and 2000 GXE
Contact:

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I recently joined this forum, and my girlfriend and I both have '00 Maximas with 80k.

So yeah, I enrolled.



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