Scott LaRock

iTrader: (5)

Seems like this car will need alot of parts replaced soon, I bought the car at 119k and I'm at 136 and I've changed the power steering pressure hose, now I need a radiator and thermostat.

It's not like me to spend a big deal of money on cars, my old Integra had 150k and never once gave me a need to replace anything except brakes and oil.

I also had a 95 Max and I had major leakage with that car as well, it's seems that Nissan's aren't built as well as Honda and Acura or at least by my experience with a couple honda vs. Nissan, I've spent a bit more money on Nissans as of late.

I know I can't really compare a 4 to a 6 or a compact to a sport sedan but so far, I'm not a fan of changing parts that never went south on any Honda that I owned.

I've had the car less than 6 months and I'm close to $1000.00 spent on it for work, this is 2 strikes, next time it's the Autotrader for the Max.

I see why that guy wanted to get rid of the Max, he knew problems were coming and just decided to dump it on the next guy, I was a fool, should have knew better.

Engine wise the Max is solid but too much damn leaks and too many things need to be changed on the car, if I have to buy used and high mileage ever again, it's Honda all the way to the bank, that's the only car I've had so far that I never had to change alot of parts on.

Forgive my rant. I'm unemployed and the Max needs a radiator, tires and a tune up, the old owner didn't do **** but drive the car, never took care of it.

ChrisMan287

iTrader: (34)

Should of inspected it better before you bought it.

nismology

iTrader: (8)

Any car will have issues if it's neglected for long enough.

ChrisMan287

iTrader: (34)

True that its sad.

Metal Maxima

iTrader: (30)

Dude, my car needs new tires, the y-pipe and mid-pipe are rusted through, rear ABS is shot, e-brake cable freezes and needs to be replaced due to a breached cover sleeve, AND the clutch will need replacing by the fall.

I'm at 112k. But the thing is, it's a machine, and like any machine, parts wear and need replacing. I'm NOT one to skimp on maintenance, either, but parts go, that's the name of the game.

Caveat emptor, my friend. I'll be perfectly honest with you - you got hosed, no doubt. BUT, rest assured that once you get the proper maintenance done, you will have a ride that'll last you another 70k or more.

Scott LaRock

iTrader: (5)

Yep, I think I did, now I need to spend money on repairs and the thing is from reading these threads it seems like the Maximas have issues with leakage.

Radiators seems to go bad on 5th generation max\
Power Steering pressure hose
Can't change spark plugs without changing gasket
O2 sensors go bad often
Water/Fuel pumps go bad often.

If I didn't get a link to that thread for the radiators I'd be sol right now since nissan wants 600 for a radiator from them.

If another costly maintenance job comes up, this car is as good as gone.

Bigjoe sold me to the car, I didn't expect the guy not to do **** to the car, he never even changed the spark plugs.

Metal Maxima

iTrader: (30)

DUDE. that should have been a LOUD sign to

Scott LaRock ---> <---Big Joe

tbergma1

I saw a 97 in the autotrader and all the owner did was breaks, oil changes, and put gas in it. Right there is a sign to stay away from it. No Maintenance with 120k = More $$$ down the road.

I would take an oil leak over mechanical issues. Once you have it fixed, it should last as long as honda or toyota. Right now, at least you know what you have. If you buy honda or toyota, make sure you buy one that has not been neglected.

Tri-C

Why wait? It sounds as though you're displeased with it. Get rid of it and go buy another Honda. Life's too short not to be happy.

Little's07

Thats what happens when you buy a car that half wore out and has never been maintained. No disrespect intended, but its a learning experience.

VQP0WER

None of the things you listed comes to mind as a frequent problem. I've never actually heard anyone's fuel pump go out either.

kukx30de

iTrader: (4)

To the OP:
You bought a car with over 110K miles.
Did you adjust the price for a full tune up?
Did you get the car completely checked out before you bought it? I'm sure the radiator was leaking at the top plastic and metal joint.
The Water pump and fuel pump are NOT issues on this car. I have 169K miles and none of them have had issues. IF I had a honda I would be preparing for my third waterpump and timing belt by now which is almost a $450 service... no thanks, I like my timing chain and water pump that last over 150K miles.
I have changed the plugs on my 5th gen 2 times now... When I bought the car at 132K miles and then again 45 K miles later coz its an easy DIY job for one who is even a little mechanically inclined, can follow directions and has the required tools.
I am still running my original O2 sensors and no issues there either!

I feel for you since I know what you are trying to say. However, cars are cars... there is no warranty how it will be the very next day you buy it... especially if you buy a car that has no documented maintenance history. I felt confident buying my 01 GLE even though it was auto and had 132K miles. The reason: The original owner had 3 binders full of records... I kept the records for 2 days before telling him yay/nay and noticed there had been no issues with the car.. only the regular maintenance. The only warranty work on the car was the alternator replaced at about 43K miles.

Cars being machines will serve you like you serve them, unfortunately it appears the previous owner of the car you bought may have misused it and not taken care of it the way it should have been taken care off.

Bashing Nissan is not the way out... being an Educated Car Buyer is the stepping stone to a road of happiness and joyfull drives.

Hope you find something that suits your needs. From your post it doesnt seem like you are happy with the Nissan!

p.s. If you are in the Jacksonville area... buy your plugs... i'll do them for you at no cost Happy Holidays!

dineth00i30

i guess you nare like me and was soo excited to get a new car you didnt really check evdrything. my 2k i30 just hit 111k and starting to make some noises and vibrations. and in need of a tune up. i will do it. i have been doing the oil changes and stuff on time or earlier than im suppose to, changed the air filter, brakes, lights with hids, a new alternator.

but i think i will say good bye to her after upcoming july. and get my self a manual transmission 4-cylinder or 4-cylinder turbo car. but i will not jump on it, i will get it inspected, checked for codes and ask for maintenance records. good luck with the maxima and if your buying a new honda/acura good luck finding one too.

atxking27

iTrader: (8)

youhthink thats alot of maintenance? then stay away from the eagle talon. try buying a car that after you pay for it a little while later after some driving the timing goes out and bends all the rods. fun fun fun.

pmohr

iTrader: (26)

A grand for radiator, thermostat, and power steering hose? Buy a cheap set of tools, do some of the work yourself; thermostat and radiator will take what, 30 minutes to get it all done, then some time to bleed the system. Will save you a lot of money.

Without changing what gasket? The UIM gasket? It doesn't necessarily need to be changed every time, if it's not damaged then just throw the UIM back on.

The life of a water pump partly depends on maintenance of the cooling system, most people rarely if ever change out the coolant.
Fuel pumps could be a number of things, including constantly riding around with virtually no gas in the tank.

Scott LaRock

iTrader: (5)

The dude I bought the car from is on here but I won't call him out, when I seen him in person I knew he wasn't a real car type of guy, he just wanted something cheaper on gas.

However, I won't bash the car so far the car runs great but I don't like buying parts for it. I will take my medicine as a man should, next time I will be more prepared and do better research on the car before I buy.

Of course without a job I'm sweating bullets daily, insurance alone is 150 full coverage and I'm over 30 and a safe driver, throwing in a possible several hundred dollars is tough, luckily you guys get good deals and the total cost is much less than that.

Forgive my rant.

Scott LaRock

iTrader: (5)

I will never buy a eagle talon, I heard horror stories about that car.

MoncefA33

iTrader: (6)

Dodge Neon motor FTL.

One guy I knew had gone through the first motor at 120k and then blew the head gasket on the second one.

Scott LaRock

iTrader: (5)

I need to learn how to do it myself then, save some money.... starting with a tune-up

02_Maxima_6sd

I had a 1986 maxima which had the rack n pinion replaced due to heavy leaks but no Power Steering pressure hose. My 1989 nissan 5 speed however did have the Power Steering pressure hose replaced. I now have an 02 max that I bought this year and I had to get the Power Steering pressure hose replaced for a few hundred bucks. I do think the PSPH is a known issue.

Little's07

I wouldnt buy a car from anyone on here, knowing how everyone drives them! haha
I'm sure everyone on the forum is a "mechanic", but that doesnt really mean anything...

Metal Maxima

iTrader: (30)

I would sooner buy from someone here than anywhere else as they have at least shown due initiative in learning more about the car.

JOC, how does "everyone" drive them? I granny shift like a *****.

Bjs470

iTrader: (13)

When buying a car from an .org member, most people on here baby their cars, some drive like they stole it, but not everyone.

kukx30de

iTrader: (4)

Hey ... its all ok here on the .org

We all slowly learn with experience...

I learnt my lesson with a 1997 Honda Accord that I bought in 04... the car was a genuine low mileage car... 4cyl 5spd.. with 64K on it when i bought it for about 6300. I had expected no issues whatsoever since I had owned a 96 civic before that which I ran upto 214K miles.. but... In about a year that I owned it... I had to the timing belt/water pump which is maintenance at 7yr 70k miles.. all drive belts.. cooling system and brake fluids.. the front brakes.. I was not much into cars 4yrs ago myself.. and only had worked out the deal based on the timing belt and water pump. Then on a trip from Jax to Tampa, I found the radiator was leaking.. luckily i got to Tampa without an issue but had to spend $$$ at a honda dealer to get it fixed.
All in all I spent about 1800 in one yr... where I had hoped I would not be spending a dollar on it... I finally started working on it myself with a friend who really knew what and how to do it!
I sold that accord with 85K on it for about 7.2K in 06 when I bought the maxima. Made some of the lost money back... but swore that I would do my homework before I make my next buy

My maxima that way was the best deal i got.. I paid about 5600 for her with 132K miles. Mechanically there was nothing wrong. She did need tires which I managed to squeeze another 6 months on. A good detail job and now even with 169K on it... I have a guy at work who would probably buy it for 5500 if I was to sell it.

If you want... you have an oppurtunity here.. use your maxima as the stepping stool to automotive freedom from freaking dealerships! not to mention... that you can complete some of remaining maintenance yourself and get the car in top shape by spending the bare minimum to keep her running until you sort your main priorities of employment out.

Good Luck with it sir.

lainy

Sucks to hear...just buy another Honda

hi-tek22

iTrader: (4)

LMAO!, im do go for some spirited driving from time to time, but i dont BEAT THE sh*t out of my car though

Scottwax

iTrader: (8)

If you take away the wheel bearing which was an installation error by whoever did work previously and the wheel I had to replace due to a driveshaft laying across the freeway, I've spent very little on my car (compared to what I spent the last 4 months I had my 626) the past year...and I've put 27,500 miles on it since I bought it in mid-November last year.

The 626 was family owned and very well maintained (all servicing done when it was supposed to be, stuff fixed right away) and had 30k less miles than my Maxima did when I bought it and the car was nothing but a money pit. Sometimes it just works out like that.

My younger son bought a new '07 Corolla last year and 40 miles outside of Dallas on his way to visit me this past week, his CEL came on. The code was for the transmission but it was because of a bad ECU...apparently enough of a problem lately the dealer had several in stock! Even new cars, properly maintained with only 43,000 miles can have problems. Good thing it was covered under the 8/80,000 emissions warranty.

1 minor repair, 2 mid-level repairs and a tune-up really isn't a bad track record for the miles on your car. I understand your situation isn't helped by not working so maybe the best thing would be to trade down to a Civic or Corolla for the time being. Both are about as reliable as you can get (my son's ECU problem notwithstanding) and it might put a grand or so in your pocket at the same time.

lainy

same here loll

Shady33e

iTrader: (2)

damn i gotta change my power steering pressure hose too...

now my AC smells like some kind of burnt oily plastic for the 1st 10 secs....then to normal...


was drunk the other day made me throw up..little f*ker

2K2Beast

I was going to say the same thing..

My 02 needs a new battery, replaced the radiator 3 months ago, did a power steering flush, had a minor alignment problem and had to get that fixed....ultimately, its a car and needs maintenance

RPMiracle

How can you say Hondas are better when you are comparing them to a car you say the owner never took care of?

rab5649

What a nice guy!

Torgus

iTrader: (10)

so you're *****ing because the old owner did no maintenance you now you're finding it all out. sounds like you're angry with yourself...

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

I've owed several different Japanese cars...I HAVE 3 NISSANS as we speak, I've had 1 Mits,1 Toyota, worked on everything from Maserati, Mazda, Acura, Honda, Dodge, Chrysler, Lexus, Toyota, Mitsubishi, and the list goes on... These Nissans have been awesome to me!!! Maxima leaking all over? Sounds like it just didn't start all this stuff after you bought it! Is there a possibility you just didn't do you homework when you picked up that ride? How much do you want for it? They're great rides that are designed for 300,000 miles service without a lot of trouble unless you're beating on it like a dog or even worst beating on it and not performing maintenance like every car I've ever owned...I'll never buy another Mitsubishi cause they eat computers, and always seem to have electrical issues and leaks...anyway. Next time you buy a car take it to a auto repair shop and have them pull a 150 point inspection it'll save you some grief and time .....

highmileage

iTrader: (1)

Everyones experiences are different and I can understand where Scott is coming from.
I've had similar experiences with my Honda and Nissan. I've been heard to say this would be my first, and last Nissan.

My 01 AE was purchased as a replacement to my Prelude when it died (if ever) The Maxima is my baby and I've done the scheduled maint. at 60k and whatnot but I've had the 02 sensors replaced twice, the front tube assembly once, the alternator, the low-side A/C line, and the heating elements in both front seats all under warranty. All in all its about $2,000+ in repair work for a car I've only driven 35,000 miles in 5 years. I use the car for occasional business trips, trips to the beach and trips to Church on Sunday. It was aggravating to have so much done on such a nice car in so little time. I do wonder if I did my Max more harm than good letting it sit so much. It sits between 1 week to a month without being touched. The longest I've let it go I think is 2 months. Since I had all these problems and now that the extended warranty is up I don't let it go longer than 2 weeks without at least a few miles put on it. I've read previously the 02 sensors and the alternators were weak spots with these cars. But haven't seen many complaints about the heated seats, a/c line, etc.

As for the Honda, the 02 sensors are original, the 2nd alternator was replaced after 200,000 miles just because I knew it was on borrowed time and considering the 393,000 miles I have on it, I've put far less money into it than I theoretically would have put into the Nissan had it not been for the warranty.

Again, it begs the question, did I harm the Max by letting it sit in a warm garage to waste away. Once my Prelude hits 400,000 miles I'm letting it go, and the Maxima I have worked very hard to pay off without wearing out will be promoted to full-time duty. The AE is a special car that I hope to keep as long as I did the Prelude and I intend to get my moneys worth out of it. I will eventually become more involved on this site, even if its just lurking the 5th gen forum. I don't think I'm doing any real mods to the Max. She's a beauty all in her own.

Torgus

iTrader: (10)

my turg gen has almost 250k on her. still runs great. very few problems. just do the maintenance it needs and keep it.

gold4dsc

i have had 3 maxima and if you keep they all lasted long had my 92 for 2 years and put over 100 thousand miles on it back in 2001 got up to 250k miles engine still ran good and then i move into the 98 had it for 5 years from 2003 and it got up to 260k engine still ran good no major problems now have a 00 with 213k on it. my point maximas last. and even when they are high miles they still can run like new just keep matenince up. all my friends that had honda back when i had the 92 aren't in them any more and at least 4 of them have a nissan now

Scott LaRock

iTrader: (5)

As I stated before, I just didn't expect to be replacing parts so soon on the car, as for the car, it's a nice car and the engine runs good but times are hard and parts cost money, I have to stay on top of the car due to the higher mileage and forgive my rant.

BTW, I will pay someone to change the spark plugs and I live in South Florida.

Just pm me.

McSteve

iTrader: (3)

What year is your's?
If it is a 00-01 replacing the spark plugs is absolutely no problem and can be done in half an hour. All you need is a ratchet with sockets and maybe an extension with joint.

But to your first statement, you did buy a car that has 120k miles on it. You are almost guaranteed to invest money to fix it up. With the max you are still decently off, try buying a 3Series BMW. As soon 60-70k rolls around you need to replace the waterpump and all kind of other things which is way over a grand.
Since I had mine (except all the excessive amount of money I CHOSE to dump into it) I only had to replace the alternator (which go bad all the time here in AZ) and had one major repair. My IACV went bad and fried my ECU. I went to the mechanic that Brian Catts recommends and got a junkyard ECU. He also replaced my powersteering hose and installed the rear sway bar for all under 1k.

nsnrider

iTrader: (59)

thats your first problem, you go to the dealership for your basic maintanances. You can get a new radiator and thermostat for about $130 from a radiator shop. You can spend on hour and do it yourself, its not rocket science, ask a friend for help if you're worried you can't do it alone.

Every used car will have problems, the things you listed are not MAJOR problems, just a few bumps in the road.

Lesson here is very simple as allready stated above, buy your self a tool set and stay on top of the basic maintanance, you will save $$$$ especially compared to the dealership.

I wish you luck with your Maxima, if you're still unhappy, buy a Kia.