Ok, I'm looking into buying a 4th Generation and below I have listed some general info about the few that I'm interested in. But My Question is are there any problems or quirks that are specific to these cars that I should definitely look out for? I've read some reliability reviews and nothing seems to be glaring out. Any Help would be appreciated.

1997 Maxima - 81K Miles, $7950
1998 Special Edition Maxima - 100K Miles, $6,999
1997 Maxima SE - 101k - $7,000

 

1. There was no "special edition" Maxima....ever. There was the SE-Limited available in 1999 but thats it.

2. All of those cars are wayy overpriced. If youre looking at dealer inventrory, then those are the correct prices but no one buys them at those prices. I bought my 99 SE fully loaded for $1500-$2500 less than what you have shown with 107K miles.

3. Maximas are very reliable cars and without a doubt, you should be happy with whatever one you end up getting. Read the stickies for in depth detail of each model year, but the only real known problem with 4th gens (esp 99's) were the bad coilpacks.

 

Made it its own thread.

 

I agree with 99Max, those cars are overpriced. From personal experience with the 97 SE, I think it is the best yr in the 4th Gens, due to there not being any coilpack problems. If you can find an SE with leather heated seats you're golden. But still I would offer no more than $6k to $6.5 for it. The problems I had in 9 yrs with mine were, KS, alternator, starter, evaporator cannister, cv joint boots, idler pulley going out, a bad motor mount, leaking oil pressure switch, sticking rear brake caliper, two O2 sensors, radio ***** breaking off and lastly the clock illumination died. Mind you I never lost oil and only changed my sparks plugs once (at 100k miles). Great car.

 

I agree all of the cars are over priced.. I paid $4500 for my 96 two years ago with 60k miles. I think the factory starter failing is another common problem after 100k although mine went at 70k :P... Over all they are good cars, just finding the right one is difficult.

 

the radiator (front) support rusts out.. my buddies had to replace his (welding new one in) and mine is about to go... kinda expensive.... starters are in bad shape as well as alternators (however some of these are on recall so dealer changed mine for free).. thats about all i can think off right now... allmost forgot KS!!

 

my biggest gripe about the 4th gen is its tendency for underbody rust -- esp. crossmembers, rear beam, the exhaust system, & rad support (as Lito said). my 99 has rotting exhaust, and had a rotting susp crossmember before I fixed it. inexcusable in a late 90s car, even in the midwest winter salt-belt. carefully inspect the underbody before you buy.

I'd also pull out the spark plugs and inspect them, and point a flashlight down the plug hole to check for carbon build up on the piston tops.

point a flashlight in the oil filler cap to look for varnish/sludge. and check the PCV for blockage. these two will indicate how often the oil was changed.

check the transmission fluid (if AT). should be pink/red. if dirty brown the trans has been neglected -- don't buy it. 4th gen AT has a reputation for being the weak link in the drivetrain, and it must be maintained properly.

EDIT:
a general note -- the vehicle's mileage, by itself, is irrelevant. a well cared for and well maintained '96 w/ 120k is worth far more than a neglected & beat on '99 w/ 60k. the trick is to determine how well the car has been cared for. a well documented maintenance history, physical inspection of the vehicle, one-owner status, and general observation of how well the person cares for his stuff (is his house a dump, or is it neat and clean?) are the things I look for. you will get none of these clues when buying from a dealer, aside from the physical inspection of course.

 

'99 max - 120K miles, here's my list...

- KS
- starter
- alternator
- frozen rear caliper
- frozen e-brake (extrememly cold weather only for me)

note that the list is largely the same as some of the others... hopefully seeing the continued trend is helpful to readers and prospective buyers.

 

If you / anyone is interested in driving to Virginia Beach/Norfolk VA, I'm currently selling my 97 SE 5sp w/ 133k for $4500. Owned since 2000 and very well cared for. Lots of new parts over the last few years:
 Jun 04 - Exhaust replaced from the cat back;
 Jun 04 - Rear rotors, pads and pass rear caliper;
 Oct 04 - O2 Sensors (3);Drive belts;
 Dec 04 - 70K mile tires w/ only 20K;
 Jul 05 - CV joints & boots;
 Aug 06 - Ball joints;
 Nov 06 - Blower motor resistor;
 Dec 06 - Stabilizer bushings and end-links;Fresh oil change;
 Dec 06 - Fresh Transmission fluid change;
 Dec 06 – Transmission sensor; Wipers
 Mar 07 - Steering system flushed;Radiator support; windshield
 Apr 07 – Battery

Have all the receipts.
Hit me up at sagres74@yahoo.com

 

Agreed, mine went at 103k and I think it was a junk yard starter from previous owner. I put in a new OE starter and all is grand. Very easy to replace, was delighted to not have to crawl under the car!

96 GXE $3500 97k miles Leather auto Katrina Mod.

 

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Im gonna have to step in and say, dont buy any car in Pittsburgh. B4 I bought my Max I used to live in Cleveland but worked in Pittsburgh. While I was doing my shopping between here(Cleveland) and there, I noticed cars there are way over priced, and emissions inspections there are b!tches. In general it was at least $2500 in difference.

 

Can you give us some more information on the 3 cars? Like transmission, condition, color, options, etc.

And as everyone else said try and talk down those prices or look elsewhere outside of pittsburgh, they seem overpriced.

 

Car was underwater for a few weeks due to Katrina. "Mild" flood damage...

 

those 3 cars are way overpriced. personally i wouldnt buy another maxima. im getting so sick of the FWD. being from new england i would love to have AWD car. maximas just dont cut it in the snow. plus my max has been a royal pain in the *** for the 2 & 1/2 years ive had it. baught the car for $6700 and put just over $5000 into it repairing it (would have been more if i didnt do most of the work myself). what i have replaced includes (but is not limited to): starter, coils, struts, transmission, tires (yea they wear, but ive baught 6 new tires in 2 1/2years. and i need 2 more. due to getting stuck in the snow and trying to get out.), strut mounts, cv axels....the list goes on....

 

Lol....you had scratching my head for what the hell a Katrina Mod could be....good stuff.

 

What's the problem with '99s and coilpacks? Does it affect almost all of them and how much are they to replace? Is it really a big problem? What are some other things to look for when inspecting a car?

 

Everyone seems to agree that mileage is somewhat irrelevant if the car was well maintained... However, I'm currently looking at a 97 se 5spd with $230K. The asking price is $2900. It appears to be in immaculate condition - one owner, paint and leather are in perfect condition, no dings, rust, or body damage whatsoever. Only problem is the right cv joint is going out (which I can fix myself). It has new tires and brakes. Alternator is new as well as the left cv joint.

Would I be crazy to buy a car with that many miles???

 

I don't know... No matter how well a car was maintained, I'd never buy anything with over like 130k miles. Especially 230k.