oldngivout

iTrader: (8)

I have seen several 2000 Maximas with more than a few problems.

If you count all the things that can go wrong under the hood, such as:

Ignition Coils
Mass Airflow Sensor w/wo ECM upgrade
Idle Air Control Valve
O2 sensors
Front or Rear Catalysts
Upper intake warpage/airleak

This is disregarding the other things like steering racks, brake rotors, tire balance and Bose system failure that many of you have experienced.

Those are the issues I have seen personally and I am certain others have as well. I am really into Nissans so I have very little comparison experience such as Toyota or Honda.

But the question is, should this be considered acceptable from a flagship car? I ask you, if your car had every problem on this list during your ownership, and you were paying dealer repair prices like the general public, wouldn't you be a little exhausted mentally and financially?

I love Nissans and want to recommend them to others, but my experience with this model in particular is not good.

What do you guys think? Am I off base, or does this model seem to have more than its share of issues?

We are not talking hoopties here. The oldest one would be 6 years old, and many of these problems have surfaced long ago when the cars were much newer. Comments?

Love_00_Max

I hear you my friend loud and clear, can we do something about it, surely not and this is why....

1) To prove a part is defective is close to impossible unless it has caused death.
2) With the rat race we live in to make ends meet and hold onto our jobs, we just don't have the time to resolve such issues in courts.

Now, even big daddy's with deep pockets like Toyota build faulty 3.0L engines and are getting away with it... I have 3 friends with RX300's, perfectly running giving 13MPG, they are grounded in their garages and drive Civic/Corolla to work. What an embarassment to have a Lexus sit in the garage and catch dust?

Now, we should be happy that we have most of our cars built in Japan and not in America/China. Look at the big three, they are getting hammered all over the place and not cannot compete with the Koreans/Japanese manufactures... Quality is a real isssue with products sold in America, thanks to having everything build in China.

I was the other day looking for a brand name vacumm cleaner and the Sears rep tells me that I should be happy if it lasts a year (something that costs $150 dollars). I was like WTF are you talking about, we middle class people struggle to make ends meet and now this person has the audacity to tell that on my face.. My parents had cleaners for decades without problems, not even having to replace the belts. Nowdays, belts get fried up in 6 months.

BTW, did you see the lawsuit Sears/Craftsman are facing regarding their tools -- I was looking for a Made in America jack for a year, finally settling for a one that was Made in China, can someone point me to a jack that is Made in America. Everytime I get under the car, my blood pressure sky rockets with the fear it will fall on my face, sucks I cannot find a Made in America jack, what a world we live in.

Anyway, there is no end to what you and I face in this "industrialized" world -- quality is close to a developing nation!!! Man I should stop this cribbing ......

djbonsu

^^^.... ...

i agree with everything you say and i think we SHOULD be(all max owners up to 5/5.5 gen) grateful that our cars were built in japan...IIRC....the 6th gen are built here...BIG PROBLEM IN MY EYES!!!...thats why i bought a 5.5 gen honestly b/c give it a lil while and the 6th gen folks are going to be giving nissan the To each their own, every car will have some kind of problem but id be more proud of a car made OUTSIDE of AMERICA b/c of quality...

BTW:

Love_00_Max, do you have jackstands??

super6

iTrader: (5)

ye, im damn pissed about all these issues as well, changed maf, coils, rotors, o2 sensor, rear calipers, hopefully nothing else will fail. but when u think about it most of these are minor problems. if ud have a ford or something ud be paying for major repairs quet often. besides how many fords or chevys are there with over 150k comapred to our cars? one reason its the 2000 maximas is that it was the first model year, 01 and 5.5 gens dont have as many problems.

trigger005

iTrader: (8)

whatever... its not THAT bad. Every car has its problems. It's not like the majority of 2000 maxs have ALL those things happen consistently.

When I look at a car's reliability, I mainly look at 2 things. ENGINE and TRANSMISSION. The max is rock solid in both.

You've "seen several" cases? Give me a break. If you're talking about people posting on this forum:
1.) ppl only post about problems when they have PROBLEMS.
2.) 2000 max isn't exactly a car that was produced in any low quantity. So it doesn't matter if you've read about 100 different cases of MAF or coil failure... thats still 100 out of 5000

allow me to crap on this thread:
this thread is , having some guy named Love_00_Max agreeing with this and about some bs philosophy is and posting this thread on the org is even more

gtfo and have a nice day.

Gennady7

Guys, did you wonder why a used 1999 maxima would cost more than a 2000 maxima?

We bought a maxima in 2000/2001 that was a new series, a new body. What did you expect? My friend has an Acura TL, i can't recall the year, i think 2004. He has had non stop problems with everything, including his tranny going 3 times!

If you want a great deal, wait for the last of the generation and then you would be set. Everyones prevous problems would allow the manufacturer to correct the mistakes by the time it comes to you

I totally agree

Cdoc

iTrader: (2)

I bought my 2000 Max new. At the time, consumer reports rated it as the higest predicted reliablity of any sedan.

I just checked their web site www.consumerreports.org and the Maxima is listed as a recomended used car. If anyone is familiar w/ there rating system they break down 15 of the systems in a car and rate each system as either excellent, very good, good, fair or poor. The only items to get rated below very good were the brakes (which were fair) and the fuel, exhaust and ignition which were rated poor.

I had to laugh when I saw Paint rated as very good.

I don't think my Maxima is that bad. It has had its problems but (coils, 0420 code, O2 sensors, paint) but nothing has been that bad. The biggest problem I have w/ Nissan is that I can't find a good dealer to work with. Every time I talk to them they try to avoid answering any questions and just say that I will have to "bring it in and they will look at it". I recently bought a new minivan and I didn't even consider the Quest due to my experience w/ Nissan dealers.

naxray

I have a 2000 with about 85K on it, bought it used in late '02 with 32k miles. In the almost 4 years and over 50,000 miles I've had it, I've found it to be quite reliable and cost effective to own. I did buy an extended warranty, but I didn't use it enough to justify its purchase. The only real issue I had were the ignition coils, and I was able to convince the service writer at the local dealer to replace all of them under the warranty. Everything else has been what I would consider standard maintanence/wear items (struts, brakes, etc).

That being said, I do wish the car had less interior squeaks and rattles but I understand I didn't pay a Lexus/Infiniti/BMW price for the performance, room and luxury I get with the Maxima.

FWIW - Consumer Reports continues to list the 5th gens as good bets with the '98-'03 models making their "most reliable used car" list at different price points. Unfortunately however, as previously allude to, the 6th gen's only get an average rating.

My .02 cents.

Whtmax'01

Everyone of us at some point convinces ourselves that we won't buy another Nissan, but yet many come back to the Nissan family even after their share of problems. Perhaps it's that our cars provide enjoyment that other cars in the price range fail to do.

Of course it is a big mistake on Nissans part for not addressing the issues with their cars and not educating their Dealerships to be more professional and customer friendly. Many cars break, Nissan cars are much more realiable than the BMW and Mercedes line of cars, but the difference is in how the customers get treated by the dealerships. It's one thing to have a part break, but its completly another when the dealer denies there is any problem and will not warranty the work.

I spent roughly 1500, on parts that broke prematurely, the good side of this is the parts were fairly simple to replace by a novice so I am not complaining.

oldngivout

iTrader: (8)

Trigger005, I don't need your kind of input on this issue. To come here and belittle my opinion and discount the enourmous amount of labor, money and inconvenience that 2000 Max owners have experienced is gay in my opinion. So the thread is gay, huh? Well next I suppose I will be gay also. I am not ranting about things I have "heard" about, I work on them every day for a living. Perhaps the entire discussion here will only make a few individuals feel better, but to attack the discussion process is not necessary.

So if you have nothing constructive to offer, start your own thread. Sure, I have not seen every 2000 Max made by far, but I have seen a disproportionate amount with two or more of the issues. If it were your car and you were broken down or inconvenienced, I'm certain it would be a lot different.

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

For what it's worth...my 00 Max will turn 100K miles this week. Only problem I've had is a leaky clutch master cylinder and a blown OEM strut (pre-lowering), both of which were covered under warranty. Also one wheel bearing, also covered under warranty.

there are some squeaks and rattles, but no more than my Honda or Acura had at this mileage - and I drive ALOT on crappy roads AND autocross.

At the same mileage (100k) my Honda and Acura had:
- both had to have timing belts replaced at that mileage...$500 right there. Maxima has a chain that will last "forever"
- both had clutches replaced within 100k miles...Maxima still going strong
- both had had CV joints go bad

To get a car that has the performance, accessories, and comfort of the maxima WITHOUT the squeaks and rattles, drop $40K on a BMW. But it will have engine problems, like all Eurocars (my wife's 2000 Jetta was in the shop 6 times in the first year!!)

All cars have their problems, and the maxima's "typical" problems that you list:

Ignition Coils
Mass Airflow Sensor w/wo ECM upgrade
Idle Air Control Valve
O2 sensors
Front or Rear Catalysts
Upper intake warpage/airleak

are all minor problems, except
- cats: if they fail before 100K miles, Nissan is REQUIRED BY LAW to replace them
- intake warpage: I've only heard of this happening on a couple people here...I don't think this is a "typical" problem
- MAF: hardly an expensive or difficult fix, if it does happen (I've never blown one)
- Coils: usually only one or two will go bad. Easy to diagnose (thanks OBD) and easy to replace for under $100 each. In 100K miles, only one of mine has gone bad.
- 02 sensors: cheap, easy replacement, most people don't have this problem.
- IACV: I haven't seen this being a widespread problem.

all in all, you see these problems alot more on the ORG anyways, because people's "mods" affect stock components....MAFs blow more often with aftermarket intakes/filters, etc...

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

by the way...none of the issues listed would result in a "breakdown" where the car could not be driven and the driver would be stranded. With any of those problems, the car can limp home at diminished speed/power.

Kevon1

iTrader: (12)

Well I am on my third Maxima. I have had my 2000 Maxima for 5 Years. It has been a rock. Had my coils replaced under warrenty in 02 & have had brembo vented rotors for 3 years no problems. Still on original maf with Stillen intake. I have nothing but praise for the Maxima especially this one. My 96 was great as well but had ignition chip replaced 3 times. The Maximas main strength is its motor, its why we all bought one. I have never had a issue with my tranny although I have been running syn fluid since day one in engine & tranny I also have the VB mod & a cooler but its all about taking care of the car. All & all it is a great car with very minamal issues. You must also take into consideration that the 2000 was a new design & they all have there problems when a new style comes out. I also purchased a 2002 Honda CRV which was also a new redesign & it has had its small issues several recalls & trips to the dealer but it is still one of the best mini SUVs on the road, so take it for what it is , its a car & they all have there share of issues. Hell you could be like alot of the 02 Max owners burning oil & have real problems.

boondoxmax

iTrader: (1)

All cars have problems. I don't care what you get it will give you a problem. My 02 was rock solid and now my 03 is rock solid. Sometimes you have to ask yourself, how do you treat your car. Do you beat the **** out of it and expect it to last. I ve had a few cars in my time. Honda accord with front axle problems and an exhaust that always buzzed, VW jetta which was a total junk, a mazda protege which was pretty solid except when i ran the a/c the car wanted to shut off sometimes, ford escort gt which wasn't to bad except i to replace front axles and bearings like every 4 months...The maxima is the best/reliable car i have ever owned.

spdfreak

I agree with what everyone is saying, but I have to say one thing: I've got a 2000 Maxima and don't have too many regrets.

carsarecool

iTrader: (1)

Ive been pretty lucky, ive got an 01 and had the MAF done at 60k under warranty, the dealer who i bought the car from not the powertrain- other than that ive only done front and back pads and welded the muffler where it broke during wheel hop. I went to the dealer one day and asked if he could tell what work my car had done already, he checked the vin and said ive already had two o2 sensors done, the whole y-pipe and precat assembly done under warranty, which is cool i guess.

Teufelhunden

iTrader: (8)

get a 03... like the other guy said, rock solid....the only reason why i bought a nissan is because i had an older nissan before and it was rock solid. i sold the old 240 when it had 195k but it was still strong when i sold it, i floored it, beat the tranny, but that didnt faze the old monster, it still kpet going strong. from that point i always thought nissans were tough cars. I dont know if im going to buy another nissan but theyre good cars for the money.

oldngivout

iTrader: (8)

Irish, I do respect your opinion and agree with you to a point. Most of the component failures I listed will not strand you, but are at worst terribly inconvenient. Some of the issues can be fixed for cheap, however only by doing the work yourself with the knowledge gained by frequenting these forums.

But I must add that the cars that I work on are daily drivers mostly, usually not modified at all and represent daily reliable transportation for hard working people. Additionally, the owners are like most people and are NOT mechanics by any stretch, and are usually at the mercy of the dealership, or when past warranty a good shop or garage. For instance, just picture one of your most incompetent non-car friends. Now imagine him replacing his ignition coils to cure the dreaded misfire condition. Could he even find the front 3 under the engine trim cover?

Some of us are entirely capable of replacing a transmission or engine, or modifying our cars with a new or modified part. Imagine the apprehension present in the everyday person when something drastic and expensive goes wrong with their car. It is not something they take lightly. Our hobby is nothing more than a means to an end for them. I talk to guys my age all the time who worked on their own cars 30 years ago, but are terrified of today's technology. FWD, EFI, these are old hat to us but not the general public.

My summary is that the 2000 Max is in my opinion overrated in reliability and underrated in cost and frequency of repair.

XyNoix-HIC

I'm glad i bought my car =)


00 max had it for 1 year, No problems....yet? EEKkkkk

Biggs_02

iTrader: (4)

i just gotta say that i have 3 4th gen, and one 5.5. I got a 95, 96, 99, and 02. Had the 99 for a long time now...i would say at least 4 years. During that period i have not gone through any trouble at all. No coils breaking down nothing. the only thing replaced on that car are the tires and air filter. 96 just got one failed 02 sensor, 95 nothing cuz i'm doing 3.5 with that one, got it for 900 bucks. The 02 zero problems so far. Granted it not an 02 but i think, there are other people that have 02 that have no problems with their car. Just be happy that you don't got a honda with a tranny that goes 4-5 times in it's life.

naxray

I think sometimes our opinions get skewed by our own experiences. Years back I bought an '89 Accord purely based on it's reliabilty ratings and it was the most trouble-ridden car I'd ever owned...by 60K miles and I had replaced both CV joints, new AC evap core, clutch, and on and on - every quarter it seemed it was in the shop for another $500+ repair. (I traded that car in on a new '94 Altima which now has 165K and is still going strong...hell it even has the original clutch!)

So from those experiences, I would be extremely hesitant to buy another Honda, even though they rank among the best in terms of reliabilty and cost of ownership, while my Nissans have been relatively trouble free. So i can understand your opinion of the 2k Max based on your experience.

Since JD Power and Consumer Reports are able to sample much larger groups than we as individuals can, I have to feel their reliabilty rankings and cost of ownership evaluations are, in fact, accurate. I hope so, because I'm currently using them as a references to replace the 12 year old Altima!

Digital

iTrader: (1)

I love my Nissans.

igzy

iTrader: (18)

I owned 8 different car makes/models over past 12 years, including BMW and some North Americans, of my driving experience and have to say that Maxima rates #1 or #2 on my list where the runner-up would be '94 Buick Regal GS... Only thing that annoys me with Maxima is the paint quality cause paint jobs involving pearl are quite pricey and it is not one of your DIY things...

Otherwise I fixed the following in its 100K life to date that were not usual regular maintenance repairs:
Two O2 sensors
A/T TCM (it was OK but I upgraded to 2K1 as preventative measure)
VIA needed the JB Weld

Considering this very short list, I'd say it is pretty good reliability and quality wise... Well worth the money I spent... Oh, and I agree with comments about Nissan dealerships and their crap service...

doc2278

iTrader: (3)

thats whay car manfacturers update the line every two years and total revamp the design by every four, noting the problems from years previous, and fixing them the best way they know how.

igzy

iTrader: (18)

Let me share a story... In early 80's Benz made their cars so good and reliable, quality was unprecendented, that owners drove them forever (you can still see those on the road). That created a problem for Benz as they were not selling any more cars and company almost went bankrupt back then...

Most manufacturers are aware of the problems but decide not to fix them based on different things like overall Warranty cost vs. cost of fixing the problem, cost of quality of parts as impact to bottom line, impact to price of the car, work at dealerships that will decrease if quality goes up, etc... If you had a "perfect" car, you would drive it forever, not fix it as often and as result car mfg would go under... This way they stimulate spending (the North American way) and boost the economy

super6

iTrader: (5)

very very true

5thgenmaxima

iTrader: (1)

I didn't read all the posts, but...................
opinoins are like as*holes. Biased opinions are even worse. That last sentence is just ridiculous. There are lots of Ford and Chevy's on the road w/ over 150K. A matter of a fact I just sold my 99 Denali with 180K. The three problems it had are
1.)Intake manifold Gasket @ 140K
2.)A $5 Quick disconnect hose @ 165K
3.)A $350 rear-end @ 180K. Which is about the same price as our coils.
Don't forget that Chrysler has lead the way in technology for years. (even though I've never been a fan of Chrysler until recently, it's still the fact)

There are plenty of other things I won't get into here, but biased opinions are ridiculous.

igzy

iTrader: (18)

I worked in a privately ran car repair center and more than half the cars that came in were Ford... All mechanics were thankful to Ford for keeping us employed... My 2 cents...

DonGfun

iTrader: (19)

Best car I've ever Takes a lickin and keeps on tickin.
Only problems were coils and a wheel bearing (all covered under warranty).

bigEL

You have every right to your opinion, but it sounds to me like your opinion is based on flawed stats. Obviously, if you are working on these cars every day, it would seem to you that there are a lot of problems. In fact, you'll be batting 100%. That's like a barber saying everyone he meets has long hair. For the sake of argument, let's just say that every day, you work on 5 Maximas. Even if you worked every day of the year, including weekends and holidays, that's only 1825 cars per year. But suppose there are 25,000 registered Maximas in your area. That works out to less than 8% failure rate. I don't know what the real numbers are, but do you get my point?

I also have issues with you saying that the Maxima is not worthy of flagship status because of it's reliability. Most flagships do have more problems than "lesser" models. The Camry and Accord have more problems than their Corolla/Civic siblings. Likewise with all other car lines. Fact is that flagship cars have more to do wrong with them. You won't have HIDs or navigation units going bad on a Sentra.

Plus I do think first years of every major redesign are bound to have bugs. So I would cut the 2000 Maxima some slack. Every lemon I've owned (even Toyotas and Hondas) has always been the first year runs for that generation. That's why now I avoid them like the plague even though I'm so tempted by new models.

carsarecool

iTrader: (1)

Alright, i work at autozone and a lot of the guys that know some of their **** DO say that ford and chevy can be junk, and theirs guys that say "you might as well buy domestic, the repair costs for that nissan are gonna be rediculous" which we always get into fights about cause i like GM cars(dont care about their reliability, i like the way they design engines and make them with gas mileage and low end torque in mind) but one of the better engines made was definetly the ford 300 straight six, with gears for timing, there are a ton of these on the road and they made as much torque as the 305. I hardly ever get calls and sell parts for nissans, toyotas and hondas. Actually i get more calls for honda than any of the other two, mostly early civic and accord timing belts and water pumps, and some suspension parts for older nissan pickups, but thats about it. Somebody came in today actually, with an S2000 with a cracked head. Another girl yesterday with an 01 jetta, MAF and one O2 sensor, ran about $270 for just those two. Anyway, sorry about the cars rant, but it just made me realize it is true about the first year of cars, problems seem to be a little more common between owners. BTW maximas rarely come in, they have been starting to lately just for oil/filter and air filter, an 00 and a 99- both SE's, they both said they love the car, 00 had o2 and coils go and 99 had no major problems as of yet, both around 115k miles. Just something i thought i'd post.

AceofSpds

iTrader: (4)

Only problem with mine so far is the fan motors crapped out on me and my car used to be a rental/company car.... crazy huh?

SilverGLE

iTrader: (21)

This has been a very interesting discussion... For my $0.02, I've owned my 00' GLE for about 3.5 months, and have run into a few of the major problems. First off, the acceleration "pull" would drop off at 3500 rpm's... $900 for the transmission valve body. Then, I had the cold start stutter... The dealer replaced the MAF and all 6 coils for free. So, that's about $1200 worth of repairs that I've had to make in the first month of ownership. Do I regret the Nissan? No. Do I have second thoughts.... Sometimes. But I'm overall satisfied with the quailty of my Max.

On the other hand, my father has a 00 Frontier that he's had for a year or so with no problems. But my parents also have a 98 Quest that has the most f-ed up door locks known to man... It seems as though the solenoids "catch" or fail to completely engage. Even better, the doors have been known to lock completely on their own. I experienced this as I shut the door after checking the mail. Closed it, and about 2 seconds later... *click*

Everyone's going to have their own opinions about which cars are more reliable. And of course, everyone has different experiences with different makes/models. I traded in a 94 Camry for the Max... The only things I had go wrong with the Cam in 3.5 years were the hood struts wore out and my radiator sprung a leak. Granted, I had several seals leaking under the engine (bottom line: $1500 for complete repais) and the rack & pinion leak got bad, which is why it's gone. My dad traded in a 91 Accord for his Frontier... only problems there was a CV joint. Had nearly 200k and still had the original clutch...

Personally, I base my experiences with cars on what I've experienced first hand and heard from people I know. It will always be different for different people. But keep up the discussion... :-)

sascuderi

One quick note:

Although the 2000 was the first year of a "new generation", the 3.0L engine was not. As most are aware, it was the same generation 3.0L used since 1995, but "tweaked" and improved for 2000.

Therefore, although there may be some problems with some of the peripherals (MAF, coils etc) the 3L VQ itself should be rock solid for many miles.

(unlike Lexus/Toyota's 3.0L from the same time period which have been know to self destruct beause of oil sludge at 30-60k miles)

spdfreak

One thing I got to add about the Maxima's motors: I know some-one with a 4th gen. with 190,000 miles and is still running strong!

FanaticMadMax

Sorry to hear that, Mine is 01' I had it since I acquired it brand new, now it has 46k miles and I have only one problem was the power steering hose had to be replace cuz it cracked. that was it, since then no issues ever since.

frankd121

iTrader: (1)

i got the maxima because of the vq.

and you're never going to have 100% reliability in any car...a lot of times the parts that go bad are often manufactured by companies other than nissan.

oldngivout

iTrader: (8)

Hey bigEL, thanks for your contribution to this thread. Lively discussion with varied opinons makes for interesting reading.

Yes I will admit my perspective is jaded. Like a ER doctor exclaiming that all the patients he sees are really sick or hurt badly. LOL

But I stand behind my opinion. Yes, the core drivetrain of the 2000 Max is nearly bulletproof, but what about the peripherals? Every single electronic device on this car seems very fragile and subject to failure. It is a very good car as long as everything is well, but when this car is out of the warranty period the owner can expect to spend some real money to keep it running properly.

And regarding the other company's parts on the Nissans, well that is part of business. It is Nissan's responsibility to insure supplier quality on their vehicles. Vehicle manufacturers actually supply very few parts to their cars.

Maxima570

iTrader: (1)

good maintenance is probably your best defense even though if you have a lemon theres not much you can do. I had a 95 se with 192,000 when I sold it and it ran perfect

igzy

iTrader: (18)

Lets be fair here, what electrical part has failed on your 2K other than the common problem with coils and may be A/T TCM; and perhaps O2s which are common with other cars?

IMO and experience, everything else is quite robust...