Everytime I look at Maximas online, alot of them say that the tranny's gone. Are they defective? Alot of you guys have this happen to you? I want one with a broken trans so I can get it cheap and do it myself, but what are the chances that I'll ever find a good used one?

You were prolly looking at the racer's cars. Their tranny may really be gone after a relatively low mileage. For the rest of us, slow drivers , Max's tranny lasts not less than 10 years. Specially if you change the transmission fluid every year (as I do).

Just another reason why you should get the superior five speed tranny.

yeah just get the 5-speed and you'll save a lot of trouble

I guess my luck just sucks. I'm about to put the third 5spd tranny into my '89. Bought the car for cheap because it needed one, put one in to get it driving, and now my trans bearings make it sound as if I'm driving a dog-mesh tranny (lots and lots of gear whine). The second one I put in was a used one though so this time I'll just either rebuild mine or buy a rebuilt.
I'm not too fond of the gear ratios either but third makes up for the rest of them...

Well, I already have a 5 speed 3000GT and was looking at an auto because it's going to be the family car(2 babies). Auto is a must even though it's slower. Plus I want to take it easy sometimes. It just seems like a common problem, I just need to know what I'd be looking at.

my car has 160k on it with the origional tranny mostly becuase of my dad and how he drives very easy on it. It is just now shifting hard 1-2 so it is all a matter of how hard they are driven.

My max has 208,000 miles on the tranny but the engine doesnt have that many because the timing belt broke but if get the VE engine on 92& newer models then that is no worry because they have timing chains. Maxima have good trannys but I have not rebuilt mine and it is 13 years old. My mechanic drives it frequently for me because I am also making him check everything because he knows what he is doing. He said the thing shifts as if it were brand new. Checking the fiuld frequently aslo helps.

I put over 300k on my 89 GXE transmission. Course I changed the fluid every couple years. My theory is that the trannies are the weak-link in a Maxima. The rest of the car is soooooo dam good that it out-lasts the transmission. Something's got to go first. At 300k I still never had to add oil to my 3.0 between changes. No telling how long it would have gone. But, I decided not to opt for the new tranny and sold the 89.

There is a company in Pheonix that rebuilds Maxima trannies for around $800, which is alot cheaper than the $2400 a local shop quoted me. This guy has created a business because Maximas out-last their trannies.

My .02 cents

I'm not exactly sure what is the case with other maximas, but my 91' maxima has 177,000 miles. It's an automatic, and I've never had to replace the trans, although sometimes it does stick when shifting from drive to reverse.