As i've seen on cars now-a-days that all of them have side bars to protect the driver and the passenger against fatal side collision and better ways to protect front and rear collision. That is why i'm posting this tread to get a good understanding and facts about our 1st and 2nd Maxima.
I've recently was fixing my door panal and power mirrors as i've notice that my door doesn't have any protection on it; just a thin scrappy layer of metal shielding me from another car. Kind of gave me a chill down my spines not only that i was worried about myself but also for my family that drives my maxima.

 

Current safety equipment in modern cars is WAAAY over rated. It is far more important to avoid the accident in the first place. This may sound like sarcasm but statistics have proven that the more "nanny" equip. modern cars have the more careless people are behind the wheel.

I mean. COME ON!! "Lane departure warning systems"????????? FRONT parking aids??????????


The fact that you ARE concerned shows you are FAR ahead of the "norm". take care of them and enjoy.

 

2nd gens are old as hell....im sure according to lots of people they are not safe because of all the new safety features that are out but in my eyes...it probably just as safe as a 3rd or 4th gen...which deemed to me to be safe many a times from my personal expierences

 

Too many people today are becoming horrible drivers because of "safety" advances. 90% of America's drivers today would be lost without an AT, and anymore some people can't even manage a full, proper turn WITH power steering. As Den mentioned, new aid systems are assisting basic driving...if you need help with them you need to take a driving class and put the phone down. Too many people are being so pampered that they can't even flick their wrist to tell someone what they're about to do at 75 mph on the freeway... I'm part of the new generation of drivers, but I know WAY too many people my age that really need to drive a stick and learn they aren't the best driver in the world.

Sorry for the OT.

 

I second Den's comment. Those bars in the door are only going to do so much and I agree, are very over rated. I don't care what you're driving, if you're hit in the door it's going to hurt. The greater the speed in the collision, the more lethal it may be. And no little bar is going to change that. These cars are strong and designed to protect you with the knowledge they had then. I've owned a 2nd gen and 8 3rd gens.

Some horror stories: My 2nd gen ('87) was totalled by a GMC Jimmy rear ending me at about 40mph, full on since he never tried to stop. I saw him comming and accelerated to about 20-25mph before he hit. It pushed the rear end up to within a few inches of the back glass. Fuel switch kicked off, car shut off, and the car absorbed most the impact. My wife couldn't prepare for it so got whiplash. I braced and got nothing. I warped the steering wheel though, that's how hard this guy hit. I still drove the car for about a week afterward!

Same car before accident, woman run me off the road and I hit a tree stump with front passenger tire about 40-45mph. Slightly bent frame, cost $250 to repair and never had further issues.

I've also totalled one of my 3rd gens. Spun around in road, in front of driver's door hit a 10x10 post concreted into the ground...no frame or glass damage, only the fender and door. Further spun car around and clipped a phone pole with rear, callapsing it and shoving body sideways. I never knew I hit the pole, the car took the impact so smoothly. Long story short, these cars absorb the impact. Not becuase they are cheap and of thin metal, but because they are designed to for protecting the occupants. Yes, the cars are safe. But, you can't go out playing bumper cars with them or failing to be smart.

 

The main saftey feature of 90% of new cars (exculding some large SUV's Turcks, and the Corvette) are the Unibody. The 2nd gen maxima (not sure about 1st) are Unibody. This is a good saftey feature, because instead of taking all the impact to the frame, the car crumples up and absorbs all the impact. Most impacts in framed vehicles are fetal. Althought Im sure more people die in corvettes, than 2nd gen maximas...

 

I can also attest to the strength of the car and the effectiveness of its front crumple zone. I hit a pickup going about 20mph and my car took the brunt of the damage. The hood was the worst looking of all the front parts, though both fenders took some damage as well, and both my headlights broke. From the looks of the car, you would've thought the accident was worse.

 

My fiancee has a 88, and before it went under the knife, she had been tapped twice on the drive side door and then later on the bumper, with nothing but paint being chipped. *thumbs up*

They were in parking lots though, so I don't know how much that helps you.

 

Sorry, have to post ***** so that I can get some advice on my speedometer problem. Just bought a 88 maxima

 

it is amazing how much effort is put into making cars safer and not the drivers. I have been in my fair share of accidents but have avoided many more. The drivers education programs these days are a joke.

 

The biggest problem is that people use cell phones, read the paper, e-mail from laptops and hold their coffee a while cruising to work. This is why cars have to compensate for human stupidity. Too bad the latest generation of soon to be drivers will never have to think at all.

 

They are very well built and are strong cars. Just stop by and ask a body shop who has repaired one!

 

I've never had any safety issues w/ my max...then again I've never been in an accident in mine but have safely made it out of a bunch of near misses!