Ok, obviously I don't own a Maxima because I have no idea what to look for when shopping for one, esp. a 3rd gen, which is what is in my price range. I'm considering getting a SE 5-speed and I'd like to know some of the stuff I should look for specifically when looking at Maximas(i.e. electrical, mechanical...) I was figuring that you guys (and girls!) would know what I should look for/watch out for. I don't want to get burned like I've been before when shopping for a used car. I'd like to consider myself fairly knowledgeable in terms of knowing what to look for, but, like I said before, I have never owned/worked on a Max, so I don't have any ideas on specific details. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

It depends on what years you are looking at. The 89-91 SE's had the VG30E motor in them that made 160hp and like 180tq. Things to look out for with these years is broken exhaust studs, it sounds like a clicking sound coming from the engine. It will increase with the RPM's and may go away as the car heats up. It's not really a dangerous problem, but it is very labor intensive, read very expensive, to have fixed. Other things is the window regulators have a tendancy to break, no way to really tell when, but they are fairly cheap to replace, about $50 if you do it yourself. I can't think if there is anything else to look out for, it's early

I'll let someone else tell you about the 92-94 SE's.

 

92-94 SE's have 190hp, 190 ft. lbs of torque. They have the VE30DE engine which have VTC's. The VTC's may go bad after a while and will make a ticking sound when the engine is cold. So, listen for a ticking sound if your looking at a 92-94 SE. The only real problem with the ticking VTC's is that it's embarrassing and annoying. It doesnt hurt the engine, but it's very costly if you want to get it fixed. Other common problems are window regulators (cheap and easy fix), and the auto trannies are prone to failure. Overall it's a VERY good car. If want serious performance, go for a 92-94 SE 5spd. Then go kill some Honda's.