Questions for J-30 owners

[jmurph31]

Hey, I'm new around here, I like what I see so far in the J30 and might be buying one in the near future. Anyway my questions include are they reliable, I see that they tend to be priced lower than a maxima and I really can't understand that seeing as nissan is known for quality and I seriously doubt nissan would go the cheap route on parts for their high end cars. Also how does the rear wheel drive hold up in rain, snow etc.... the only rear wheel drive auto I've had before was a 93 ranger and I don't think I don't think it would be a fair comparison to compare a pick up with RWD to a car with RWD. And lastly maintanance costs, I understand its a higher end car and with higher end cars come higher maint. costs. Any feedback would be appreciated.

[jmurph31]

Anyone?

[diamondj30]

mine has treated me awsome.ive had 2.used its a lot of car for the money,way.be patient more peeps will roll in on this.rear ends light.wider tires help alot..theres alot more to say but i will hand off now,diamond

[NY94J30]

Yup wider tires make a world of difference, and maybe dedicated snow tires if you are in the snow belt. Maintenance, not too bad, so long as its been maintained and you keep up with all fluids once you get it. Many would suggest changing over to synthetics - I have on both the Js Ive owned, and both have been trouble free. Expensive maintence could be rehab if it wasnt taken care of (transmission is especially susceptible - check the fluid for color/smell before you buy) and the timing belt when you get there (60k on pre-'94s and 105k on post).

I don't know anyone on here that doesn't love their J - it's a great machine. I know I've missed some points, I'm sure you'll get some more responses.

You woulda also done better had you not put your post about the J30 in the Maxima/I30/I35 section. Try the Infiniti General section next time.

[jmurph31]

Thanks for the feedback guys, maybe someone will know why theres such poor resale value on these cars. Like for example i found a 96 J30 with 70k for 5000 and a 94 J30 with 82k for 3500, but why is it that im hardpressed to find a 95 or newer maxima with under 100k miles thats no more than $5000 when the J30 appears to be a nicer car?

[NY94J30]

It's all market perception (look at the JD Power Ratings) - as a potential buyer though, its to your advantage. I would take a J over a Max any day of the week, so would any Max driver if they only knew how much better it could be.

[jmurph31]

Thanks for the reply NY94J30, no one that I talked to lately knew anything about the J30 and I was thrilled when I found this place. I love the J30, the rear end could be a little more square but thats cool. Any quirks with this car that I should know about? As long as its minor stuff I don't care I just don't want to hear two weeks after I buy the car hey you need a new transmission lol, but then again theres risks in buying any used car.

[IvoryJ30t]

i can vouch for that as well. ive driven many maximas after servicing them [im a mechanic] and they dont have the quality or the "feel" that the J does. i also despise FWD.

[IvoryJ30t]

most quirks are minor. the vinyl on the door panel does not hold up to wear very well, the abs may fail [just a relay, cheap fix], the dash lights may fail [simple fix- a bad connection in the dimmer switch], and the trannys dont like to be neglected [if yours has been maintained, its nothing to worry about]

[jmurph31]

The two things I always check the most when buying a car a used car are the egine and the transmission with the exception of massive body damge which I'd notice easily anything else is cheap to replace. These cars don't get slammed to much by their owners do they, I'm pretty certain that my current car was owned by a kid before me and it was raced to no end and I'm starting to experience some problems because of it, I'm figuring a J30 is a lot less likely to have been owned by a kid.

[NY94J30]

Infiniti keeps corporate service records, so if the car was dealer serviced, you can get all the records with the VIN. I wouldn't say that the J transmission is prone to failure, but as I said before it is susceptible. It would be great to have records showing regular flushes. Check the fluid, feel for roughness in shifts or slippage when driving. There aren't any other major failures that I would worry about - nor would i worry too much about the transmission. $80-100 at the dealership for an inspection is money well spent before a $5000+ investment. A carfax can be invaluble as well - saved me a couple times.

This site and the search function will be your biggest asset in ownership (beleive me).

And her round *** is just plain sexy, part of the distinctive and classy styling that sets the J apart.

What year are you looking at, and what kind of milage, and for what price?

[VimyJ]

Can't go wrong with a well maintained J30. Look for a J30t if you want a little tighter ride. The 93 & 94 models had HICAS four wheel steering and there are very few reports of that system ever being a problem.

The J30 is the best bang for your buck in the entire automotive world. Beautiful driving car.

I believe they are so cheap because they just aren't that well known. Maxima is a good car but its so much more well known so it is more in demand. The J is in another league compared to the Max.

[jmurph31]

Thank you everyone for the feedback this site rocks :ylsuper I use carfax everytime, no offense to anyone that hasn't used it or something like it but you would have to be crazy not to run the VIN. I still can't figure out why this car never caught on, maybe because a maxima gle was cheaper then the J30 when they were both new I'm guessing.

[cweberj30t]

The dark interiors seem to hold up better than the light. Engine is solid, timing belts have to be replaced at 60k on 93+94. New ones are kevlar reinforced and last 100k. Other than that, there are a few quarky things about em, nothing too serious. transmission's have been somewhat an issue, but proper maintenance you should get 150k+ out of em. Maintenance isn't too bad. It has the same engine as the non turbo 300 Z so parts can be found pretty reasonably. The back seat isn't huge (I don't care, I don't sit back there) and the trunk isn't huge (as long as I can fit a set of golf clubs in there). I live in Chicago and snow tires are a must. It's extremely well built. Get one and I guarantee you won't be sorry. Just make sure it was maintained regularly.

[jmurph31]

150+ on a transmission sounds good to me, I mean what more can you expect out of a car? By the time its nearing that mark, seeing as I'm prolly going to buy one thats in the 70-85k miles range, I'll prolly being trading it in towards a 99-2000 I-30 by then so no worries. I also agree with the back seat space being just ok cweber. I read a review on this car and it said it would be a struggle to fit 3 adults in the back seat.... I would never have more then 2, putting 3 back there would be asking for trouble lol.

[WAMP]

205K on what I assume is the original transmission. Previous owner used it for business travel as the front paint is all chipped up. Need to flush tho.

[driverdriver]

As with any vehicle (if yours is 9-10 years old) expect to have some components/parts fail simply due to age and or metal fatigue(if the cars been sitting around for awhile). this goes for even well maintained J's.

Enjoy your J!