Has there been any threads on what to look for when purchasing a 5th gen Maxima? I am a new member and am going to be purchasing a 5th gen soon. For some reason I can post a thread but I can not search, so i'll just ask.

What should I look out for when examining a 5th gen car?

Thanks,
T

 

Get a 2002 or 2003 w/ a 6 speed manual. After that, look at the paint (BIG problem with our cars. Chips very easily), open the oil cap and inspect for deposites, DO NOT get a car with Bridgestone Potenzas unless you want to drop a grand right away on new rubber, overall appearance and cleanliness. Just like any car, you can tell how it was treated by how clean it is. I mean under the hood, in the trunk, and any other nook and cranny.

 

Whether you want manual or auto, 2k2 or 2k3 are good years. Earlier fifth gens will have the 3.0L engine instead of the 3.5.

Try to stay away from like the Bose 6cd sound system. It is a KNOWN weak point. There is a Nissan TSB that addresses the common left speaker failure issue on the Bose system, but a TSB is NOT a recall, so Nissan will not fix the problem for free if you are out of warranty. Save some money by going with a car that doesn't have the Bose 6cd audio system, and if you really want good audio, use the money you saved on the Bose system to help purchase a good aftermarket system.

I have a fully loaded SE, but that's only because I happen to like leather and power accessories. If you don't need a lot of useless luxury items, stay away from the GLE or the fully loaded SE models. If you're looking for a slightly sporty stock suspension, try to get an SE with very few options. If you plan on modding the suspension anyway, save yourself even more money by going with the GXE. Why spend extra money on an SE if you're going to remove and replace the parts that make it more expensive in the first place?

 

Read the ******* stickies/FAQ's

 

yes, please read the FAQ and stickies before posting again. Thanks.