o/t decision
o/t decision
Hi, as much as I love my V i want to buy something with a little more power. So i set my eye on a NIssan Maxima. I was thinking of buying a used one for around $5000 tops. I found couple ranging from 1995 to 2004. Most of them are 80k to 190k mileged. My question is, are these cars reliable past 120k? Had a Ford Windstar 1995 with 120k miles on it, everything flew off the car, the belt the fuel pumps, breaks. The gas tank fell off while refueling.
Re: o/t decision (Vahagn23)
Why not buy a sentra se-r or a 240?
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BBISHOPPCM
- Posts: 1074
- Joined: Thu Jan 11, 2007 1:38 pm
- Car: '06 Nissan Murano S AWD w/ Convenience Pkg
Re: o/t decision (Vahagn23)
The Maxima is a good choice, and is one of the most reliable vehicles ever built by Nissan. The V6 3.0l engine has changed little since 1987, and is known to exceed 300,000 miles without any problems. I would of course check the car from stem to stern for mechanical defects (wear and tear items) like brakes, CV boots, suspension problems (sagging, bouncy, etc), and check for signs of head gasket failure (cloudy, milky oil; sludge in the coolant; smoking). Check inside the oil filler cap for any black sludge or "peanut butter" looking stuff. Check the trans fluid, and power steering fluid. These are all mostly wear-and-tear items, and may make or break a sale (head gaskets on V6 motors are very costly).
Also find out if the timing belt had ever been replaced. They're good for around 110,000 miles if I recall. Double check that. The timing belt is an easy $600 job.
The Maximas are not immune to rust; I see you are also from New England. I see mid-90s Maximas and even some later ones beginning to rust from the inside out. Whatever you buy, check the trunk area, strut towers, undercarriage, front fenders, and rocker panels for any signs of rust. If there is even a hint of rust, be careful. Once rust begins, it is nearly unstoppable. Even after you "fix" the rust. Prevention is key.
I had a 1989 Maxima SE, fully loaded, with 230k. Ran like a swiss watch, and drove like a BMW. Very stylish, too. However, the rear half was nearly rotted off (the rocker panels and wheelwells were a distant memory).
The Maxima is one of those cars that will seemingly go on forever with little maintenance. They generally wind up in the junkyards only after major rust or a collision makes them un-driveable.
I find older Maximas (and any four-door sedan) generally wind up with owners who are very neglectful, and uncaring. They treat them like old beaters; never wash them, scratch the hell out of them, let their kids spill crap in the seats... it seems that once they leave their original owners and wind up on "Big Happy Bob's" used car lot, it's all downhill from there. Avoid these cars at all costs. Try to find a one-owner, someone who actually cares about the car, and documents his/her maintenance.
I found a very rare (one of 5,000 built) early 90's Infiniti convertible on eBay that met the description above. The car was owned by some teenage girl who beat the snot out of it, covered it in Hello Kitty stickers, and broke everything she possibly could simply out of negligence. The sad part is, the car had very low miles, and would've been a collectors item. The car sold for under $100.
Good luck!
My dream is to find a low-mile, clean, rust-free 1989-1994 maxima. I love that body style.
Also find out if the timing belt had ever been replaced. They're good for around 110,000 miles if I recall. Double check that. The timing belt is an easy $600 job.
The Maximas are not immune to rust; I see you are also from New England. I see mid-90s Maximas and even some later ones beginning to rust from the inside out. Whatever you buy, check the trunk area, strut towers, undercarriage, front fenders, and rocker panels for any signs of rust. If there is even a hint of rust, be careful. Once rust begins, it is nearly unstoppable. Even after you "fix" the rust. Prevention is key.
I had a 1989 Maxima SE, fully loaded, with 230k. Ran like a swiss watch, and drove like a BMW. Very stylish, too. However, the rear half was nearly rotted off (the rocker panels and wheelwells were a distant memory).
The Maxima is one of those cars that will seemingly go on forever with little maintenance. They generally wind up in the junkyards only after major rust or a collision makes them un-driveable.
I find older Maximas (and any four-door sedan) generally wind up with owners who are very neglectful, and uncaring. They treat them like old beaters; never wash them, scratch the hell out of them, let their kids spill crap in the seats... it seems that once they leave their original owners and wind up on "Big Happy Bob's" used car lot, it's all downhill from there. Avoid these cars at all costs. Try to find a one-owner, someone who actually cares about the car, and documents his/her maintenance.
I found a very rare (one of 5,000 built) early 90's Infiniti convertible on eBay that met the description above. The car was owned by some teenage girl who beat the snot out of it, covered it in Hello Kitty stickers, and broke everything she possibly could simply out of negligence. The sad part is, the car had very low miles, and would've been a collectors item. The car sold for under $100.
Good luck!
My dream is to find a low-mile, clean, rust-free 1989-1994 maxima. I love that body style.
Re: o/t decision (BBISHOPPCM)
I dont abuse my car, wash it and clean it and its all good. I just have a very heavy foot, I like to take off fast, and I dont want to kill the V doing that.