Hi Guys,

Maxima forums has been really helpful for me. I'm NOT a car expert, and what I've done is replace the water pump, alternator & belts, and hood struts. Had to get the shop to replace the wheel struts & suspension, and some other stuff I can't remember off the top of my head. Work has been getting extra busy for me so I don't have time to work on the car myself these days.

Just brought it in because of a fuel leak caused by icy weather and found that the power steering gave out while in the shops possession. I'm being told that all the fixes they propose for my 95 Nissan Maxima is going to come out to about $1200 to fix the fuel leak and to replace the power steering rack & pinion. If I do the math the amount I've spent on repairs will come to about 4 grand this year if I let them do these repairs.

This car has been a work horse for me, and has always pulled through. But now I'm just wondering if it's time to retire the old gal and get a new car.... The car is currently paid off, so it's all just insurance, fuel, and maintenance. But if the maintenance is going to cost me about $4k each year, I'm wondering if I'm better off just getting a new car that gets better mileage for work because I do drive a lot.

Feeling a little lost as to what to do at this point. Any advice would help!

 

Fix it.

$1,200 is very high though.

What exactly is wrong with your fuel system?
If it's just the top cracked under the seat, it's not hard or expensive to fix.

Very odd that your rack gave out in the shop.

How many miles?
Automatic?<~just curious.

 

4k is an awful lot to spend on a 18 year old vehicle within a 1 year time frame, with the obvious exception of show, race and collector cars. But I've got a feeling the majority of the cost is labor. I've replaced everything you've mentioned and more and the cost of parts plus the rare trip to the mechanic and regular maintenance I'm still under the 4k mark after about 4 years of ownership. Fact of the matter is parts are going to wear out at some point but everything you're replacing shouldn't have to be replaced again, not within a years time anyway. You can also cut corners by buying the parts yourself and having the mechanic put them on as well as doing some serious searching for a reliable reasonably priced mechanic. Most chains, like Pepboys for example, tend to really gouge customers on parts and labor.

 

Fakie J: About 284k miles. Yes, it is an automatic. I was told a fuel line on the fuel rail was leaking. Sounded like they were just going to replace a hose or something. $195

jfactor: They quoted me about $960 for parts and labor on the power steering. I found the cost of the part at the local Autozone to be less than $300. Asked if they could just install one I bring in, and they said yeah. The price of labor would be about $650. So regardless if I brought my own aftermarket part, the cost would be about the same due to the cost of labor.

I'm pretty much replacing everything in this car. Everytime I think I've replaced as much as I need to, something else comes up.

 

i don't know if i would trust that garage, sounds like they're ripping you off to me. i would want to see every part they replaced put in a box and have them explain what they did in detail. i trust know one but what my eyes and ears can see and hear.

 

It's the repair shop at a Nissan dealership near my house.

 

o man, now i know they're raking you over the coals. all dealers do that $hit, it's how they make their money. not to say they're not doing the repairs, just not sure if you should spend full boat price and have to do all those unnecessary repairs they're saying you need. i would ask for a discount on a bill that big of like $100 or more, especially if your a repeat customer.

 

I was in the same position as you were the maintenance became so overwhelming I couldn't mod anymore and had to start selling parts then eventually I started feeling like i was fighting a loosing battle ,4k a year on maintenance which is almost double the value of the car and considering the age and mileage I would suggest a lower mileage 4th gen if that is possible for you to do . I would rather take the repair money if I have it and add it to the sale of the current vehicle .Good luck my friend !!

 

i myself have been looking around at lower mileage maxes and other cars. kinda pricey and stupid to keep dumping hard earned mula into a car that's worth 3,500.00 or less. even though i know she's worth at least 10,000

 

Seems like you're getting gouged on the labor.

 

Here is the write up for replacing the steering rack:

http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...ring-rack.html

Maybe one of the other members here can tell you what the actual book time for this job is to see if it lies up with the dealerships pricing.

 

BEFORE I WAS AN ORG MEMBER, I paid to have mine done. Cost $700 with the part in Kansas City, Kansas.

 

mann 289k miles, thats the reason why, its time to replace stuff.. but also another tip is ur doing it at a nissan dealership, they charge 3-4X the price than normal mechanics, its how they get their money

also nice old cars get more attention since not everyone see's them everyday and then you will feel the unique person on the road thats the fun part... so if ur exterior is nice, it may be better off keeping

 

psshh, i see more maximas on the road than any other car. more 4th gens than any other gens other then new ones.

 

lol over here i hardly see any 4th gen maximas... if i ever see one here though they're beaten up. so its rare over here

allthough ive seen some taken-care 4th gen maximas, but thats maybe once every 1-3 months

 

Just thought I'd update everyone with my experience. You'll like this one:

So the lady handling me at the Nissan repair shop told me my car was NOT DRIVABLE. That the power steering was shot and it needed replacement. I asked if they could just refill the power steering fluid and see how that goes. She said they did that and it just completely drained out, and I would not be able to drive the car anywhere.

At this point, I start to think... hmmm, I'll be spending nearly $4k this year on this car, maybe it's time to get a new car. So I rent a Sentra to see how I like it. A week later the lady calls me up and tells me they need their rental back. I say ok, and ask if it's possible to drive my Maxima anywhere if I just filled up the power steering, but was told it was completely undrivable. Well, I'm feeling a little screwed since I'm not gonna have a car now. Feeling a little suspicious, I go and buy a bottle of power steering fluid to top off the levels in my car just in case it works.

I return the rental, get my keys, and go check my car. The power steering fluid did look low, but only in the reservoir. I fill it to the top, start the car, and try driving it a few dozen feet. To my utter amazement, the steering felt FINE! Initially there was a strange gurgling sound, but it still drove smoothly. Tonight I just drove my car back home. I made one stop at my office before heading home, and noticed the power steering fluid was halfway down in the reservoir, so I filled it up before driving the rest of the way home. Made it home, and just checked on the fluid levels which look to still be full.

This leads me to believe the repair shop at the Nissan dealership either doesn't know what's really going on, or they're lying. Either way, they've lost my loyalty and trust. I really wish I knew a good, reliable, and trustworthy mechanic over here in Portland. I'm going to need a second opinion on the car.

 

i replaced the upper high pressure line on my 95's power steering 6 years ago and wasn't having a leak issue like that. it might be leaking from that and spraying in the back . see if you can trace the leak while car is running. have someone turn the steering wheel while you look at the line and see if you can trace the leak. there is a dye you can buy and put in the reservoir to find it. it might be the pump or leaking from the reservoir itself. gl

 

The only leaks I have seen in the PS system from both my 95's have been from the copper washers on both high pressure and return hoses where they meet the pump. The return hose clamp on the pump also weakens the hose and I replaced the return hose with OEM. Since replacing those washers, return hose and tightening it well, its been bone dry for 2 years and counting.

 

Same thing here in Texas, can't turn around without seeing one. It really sucks cause it makes finding good parts at the junkyards more difficult. You gotta get to em almost soon as they're pulled on the yard.