Im looking at purchasing an 02/03 Maxima. (I sold my 04 when the tranny was starting to slip). I have some questions for u guys

1. Does the 5th gen have an annoying turning radius the size of a football field like the 6th gen?

2. Does the interior rattle and wear out like the 6th gen?

3. Is there tranny issues with the 4spd auto?

4. Is there any other issues i should be worried about?

5. Is it a consensus that the 02/03 years are the best 5th gen years?

6. Will this be too much of a "downgrade" from a fully loaded 04 SE? (if at all)

7. Should I even be thinking about getting a Maxima since they are not very reliable??

 

1. Does the 5th gen have an annoying turning radius the size of a football field like the 6th gen?
Yes.

2. Does the interior rattle and wear out like the 6th gen?
No.

3. Is there tranny issues with the 4spd auto?
I have no idea.

4. Is there any other issues i should be worried about?
Of course. Oil burning, MAFs, etc...

5. Is it a consensus that the 02/03 years are the best 5th gen years?
Yes.

6. Will this be too much of a "downgrade" from a fully loaded 04 SE? (if at all)
Not at all. I consider it an upgrade, and I have driven 6th gens a good amount.

7. Should I even be thinking about getting a Maxima since they are not very reliable??
If you enjoy it, buy it. All cars have quirks and problems. Can't really think about a Toyota right now...

 

Turning radius sucks... at least compared to my old 4th gen.

"Downgrade"? Um, no. Upgrade.

"Not reliable"? Um, no. Reliable.

 

The two things that bothered me most about my 04 was the turning radius and the lack of side bolsters for the seats to hold u during aggresive driving.

I'm 99% sure the seats are exactly the same as my car and it sounds like the turning radius sucks too...

I'm also looking at the 02/03 TL's and the Altima V6...

 

remember 02/03 usually end up burning oil

 

they are reliable other than the mentioned oil, mafs. i did have to rebuild my tranny in my 2k but im pretty sure my lead foot did that one. its an upgrade IMO from the 6th gen, i think u will enjoy it more. i wish i would have shopped around before buying my automagic 2kSE cuz i would have bought an 2k2 or 2k3 6MT

 

Definitely an upgrade going to the 02/03, although the 04 is suppose to have a few more horses, they are also about 600lb heavier and have a chucking looking wide ars ... turning radius sure does suck ... my other thought is the first year of a new gen is the one to stay away from, until they get it right case in point the 03 last year of the production 5th gens and for the most part the best built one.

 

zero2sixtyZ Got it right on point. +1

edit: not burning oil, and maf Okay =]

 

most of us dont,..

 

Hotshot is right... burning oil is the exception, not the norm.

This thread feels upside-down. 5th gen owners defending their car on the 5th gen forum.

 

I don't believe that for a minute. Only a small percentage of the 3.5L motors burn oil? Ahahahaha...

 

I'll throw this out there for comment, there should be some.

After one year of ownership with a pretty well maintained 5.5, I am surprised by the amount I've spent fixing things. Granted, I knew of some issues prior to purchase (dampers, brakes), but there were more unexpected things than I've experienced with other used cars. The list:

-brake master cylinder
-clutch line (although it could still the master/slave)
-rear valve cover
-driver's rear wheel speed sensor
-evap vent control valve
-evap canister
-oil pan & gasket
-lower motor mounts (didn't resolve the issue, could be the pilot bearing (is there one?), clutch shudder, axle issue, other motor mount, etc..)
-heater blower motor
-endlinks (although these are not terribly surprising)
-MAF (old one was marginal)
-and I'm sure there other things broke....

 

Oh, I forgot your answers:

1. Yes
2. Not really
3. Who cares, buy a 6-speed
4. Yes
5. Yes
6. No
7. Possibly, Honda's are reliable

 

i bought my car brand spankin new in july 02, and besides changing my motor mounts have had ZERO problems...

sucks you bought a car that was a beater...and with all those changes was far from a well maintained car..

 

It wasn't a beater, rather it was 'dealer maintained' by a non car guy. The majority of those problems are acute and could not be masked. Also notably, almost all these problems are typical as evident by the supporting threads.

I am glad your car hasn't had issues, but you cannot honestly believe you have performed preventative maintenance to mitigate these typical issues. On a related note, your example has fewer miles than average, which has likely contributed to the lack of problems. My example was purchased with 94k miles and currently has 104.5k miles.

 

What year Altima V6? I like them all though.

And don't the 02/03 TL's have a lot of tranny problems relatively early on?

 

Also, we purchased our 2000 Maxima in August 1999. We have had 0 of these problems. 02 sensors I believe are the only things. We cleaned out the MAF today and no more "slip" so the tranny and engine are still solid.

We have a 3.0 where you have a 3.5, maybe that's why you have more problems? First year of production vs. like 6th year?

 

The Accords also had transmission (automagic) issues. It seems Honda had real issues making robust transmissions for their V6's.

 

So much for Honda reliability, seeing as my VQ30 is still running strong with nearly 170k miles on it

And let's not even bring up Toyota.

 

Watch out for 3rd gear crunch in 02-03 6 speeds.

 

This is why he should just go with a 5th gen, right MoncefA33, rather than a 5.5?

 

The 3rd gear crunch is rare. TLs and Accords hate transmissions.

 

if you can mod a 5th like me then yes

 

Many of my car's issues were powertrain related, so that is a valid reason.

Honda builds some great engines (I would assert better than Nissan's), but their older automagic transmissions were not.

This also seems like quite a common VQ35/6MT issue, although not usually catastrophic. Ask early model year 350Z owners about transmission problems.

 

They seemed to have addressed that issue about halfway through the 2004 model year.

Back on subject:

The 5.5 gen Maximas were the last to have the soft touch interior plastics. One of the real big turnoffs to me of the 6th gens (other than the weight gain) was the harder plastics that seemed to permeate the Nissan line in the mid 2000's.

Many of us have cold weather issues with the 4AT, that being a soft or slightly slipping 2-3 upshift. Mine has had it since I bought the car with 113,897 miles on it and here at 168,500'ish, it hasn't worsened. I just ease up slightly before the 2-3 shift when cold and you can feel it engage. Once the transmission warms up, it shifts fine. Seems to be valve body related. I haven't seen too many threads about replacing the transmission with less than 150,000 on it.

Yes, some 5.5 gens burn oil. Mine uses a quart every 1500-1800 miles depending on driving conditions. However, like the cold weather transmission issue, it hasn't worsened.

Despite the miles on mine, it has been pretty reliable. Radiator, starter, 2 O2 sensors, thermostat, precats (got them used for $85!) and a bearing and hub, which was most likely due to improper reassembly.

 

And aside from the maintenance/repairs for my example, the 5.5 is still a nice car with many features. It is also an excellent value at current used car prices where other comparable vehicles are more expensive, even the V6 Altimas (with less power).

 

Obviously everyone here is biased and will say going from a 6th gen to a 5.5gen is an "upgrade". I dont think so. I also dont think its a downgrade. Its just a different kind of car, focusing more, IMO, on luxury rather than performance. 2003 IMO was the last year the maxima was "sporty".

Usually it takes time for a new shape to grow on me, but its been 6 years and the 6th gen still hasnt done that. But I do like the interior. It's a good car but you cant go wrong with an 02-03 as well.

 

5.5 gen is a great choice. I've driven several 6th gens and didn't like them as much as a 5.5. 04 was the first year in the new American factory as well as a new design. They did have a lot of issues with that year but it doesn't reflect on the older cars from Japan.

I have to say that in 150,000 miles I've replaced a few sensors and regular wear items. The only "major" issue was the 3rd gear crunch in the 6-speed. I would have just lived with it but I had the opportunity to swap it and upgrade but that's another story.

I beat on mine all the time (including well over 100 passes at the drag strip) and have had no real problems. It's never left me stranded and other than the tranny it's never cost me more than a few hundred dollars at any one time. The tranny was under $1,000 and by choice.

My wife also drives a 2000 GLE with almost 150,000 miles. I've only had to replace the ignition coils, speed sensor and regular wear items. Both cars have been incredibly reliable.

 

I think the heated steering wheel option is really neat. Lots of cars don't have it, and it's great for cold weather. HLSD is a big plus.
Also not every 5.5 gen is the same, maintenance/care and the way you drive play a big role since day one. Overall I think it has the best combination of comfort/feature and performance for a sedan.

 

Yeah that happens to me somewhat annoying

 

Good point. My '03 only has 56K miles on it, so my claim of reliability may simply be based on low mileage.

I'm laughing at this because I feel exactly the same way.

 

Yes, I haven't had to pull out into intersections to do a U turn since my old Crew Cab Dually.

Not so much. I have 110K Miles? on mine and besides a little reverb from either tires or bearings in the front it's still pretty quiet. I take that back the rear deck needs to be sound deadened because of the SW. But that is a known issue.

No issues so far. Well besides it's really stupid shifting patterns ie it holds 3rd in a rolling power turn then screams to 1st once you go flat foot.

I haven't seen too many on mine, just the rear deck vibration and whatever is going on in the front end.

I believe so, better looking front clip and the 3.5L.

You may see a few more switches and dials instead of buttons, besides that if you are a lard *** like me the 5.5 will be more comfortable in the seating department.

Define reliable? Toyotas are considered reliable, except for that whole accelerated Toyota firey death thing. Honduhs are considered reliable becides that whole driver door switch firey death thing.

Frankly the 5.5 gen at today's prices is a pretty good value for the price. Can't say too much wrong about luxury car appointments at a Taurus price.

 

Bought my 2003 SE Titanium Edition brand new back in April of 03 for my wife who does not beat on it and the car is very well cared for. It currently has 70,000 miles.
At the time drove the 04, but the wife did not like the dash design and I hated the bland door panels.
Here are my observations:

1. Does the 5th gen have an annoying turning radius the size of a football field like the 6th gen?
- Yessiree Bob
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2. Does the interior rattle and wear out like the 6th gen?
- Not at all, interior has held up very well imo.
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3. Is there tranny issues with the 4spd auto?
- I have had no issues thus far with the tranny in the car.
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4. Is there any other issues i should be worried about?
- Have had the rear brake calipers replaced.
- Have had the alternator/wiring harness replaced.
- Have had the muffler replaced.
- Blower motor makes noise in the winter months
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5. Is it a consensus that the 02/03 years are the best 5th gen years?
- Absolutely,that was the last year they were built in Japan and still had the look & feel of the original 4DSC.
************************************************** *************
6. Will this be too much of a "downgrade" from a fully loaded 04 SE? (if at all).
- Not at all imo. I did not like the 6th gen when it first came out and still don't.
************************************************** *************
7. Should I even be thinking about getting a Maxima since they are not very reliable??
- Yes, they are still reliable. They are just like any other Japanese car nowadays. They just don't make them like they used to. I listed all the things I've replaced on the 03. I had a 1992 SE that I also bought brand new and I did not replace any of those parts on that car and as a matter of fact, I sold the car to a girl down the street in 2003 with 126,000 miles on it and she is still driving it. It's got to have at least 200,000 miles on it now.

 

This kind of trend+questions seem to come up too often.

 

I luv my 5.5 gen cuz these cars r built tough. These cars last long and r reliable, I havent had any issues yet that werent expected.

 

OP: http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...info-here.html

 

I've had my Max for a year and a half and have only done a few repairs but nothing major, The boat-like turning radius does annoy me but thats my only complaint about the car, great interior quality, good gas mileage, great all around car.
I test drove a few 6th gens but they didnt impress me. The interior quality didnt seem up to par with 5th gens. You mentioned buying an Altima, My girlfriend drives a 2002 Altima 3.5 4-speed auto, and my car and her car handle very similar, the Altima has a bit of a smoother ride, but the interior quality sucks compared to the Max. My car averages 25-26mpg city she cant seem to get more than 20 and she drives very slow, her car has less miles, she treats it better and she has done more repairs... so if youre conisidering an Alty or a Max go with the Max.

 

Had mine since brand new back in 03, the only major thing I replaced on it was the Air Condtioner Condensor ( it went out right after the power train warranty expired) and a motor mount. Other than that the normal wear and tear items (tires, oil changes etc) I have not had to do anything to it and it now has 107k. It still looks and drives like new( had a few guys say recently I like that style Max and yours) and still pulls like hell, I have a 370Z now to compliment it but the Max I still love driving! Forgot to mention that I have not had any issues with the 4spd auto at all, and for a for a 4spd auto it shifts smooth and fast. One of the best 4spd auto's I have driven in any car.


Like many of the other guys the 6th gen just never grew on me and the interior I just did not care for at all, it was just not right for a 30K car. The 7th gen interior has it back on track with the 5.5 gen, nice look and good materials used.

 

So how about this "Anniversary Edition"?

It has the 3.0L so is it gonna be noticeably slower?
Do they have less problems?

I always wanted a car that was some sort of "special edition" lol plus I like the tail light covers and square exhaust tips

 

Im looking at 03/04 Altimas and 02/03 TL's for the ppl that asked