I'm a recent owner of a 2k2 maxima for about 6 months now and it seems to i'm fixing to much. I Changed control arm, 2 sensors, fan and radiator. My wife is starting to get mad @ me. Is this common problems? Am i going to see more trouble anytime soon?

I Bought it with 100600 it has about 105000 now

 

MAF/OTR's/, soon to change ITR's & LCA's. I guess I've been lucky, since both my 4th and 5.5 gens have given me minimal problems.


Understand, it's a 9 year old car.

 

You bought your MAXIMA at the point where these kinds of things are going to happen.

Repairs on mine:

- 49,230 miles: replaced blower motor
- 74,900 miles: replaced CV Axle
- 101,150 miles: replaced pre-catalytic converter
- 101,300 miles: replaced all 4 brake rotors + pads
- 102,000 miles: replaced rear valve cover + replaced spark plugs
- 102,325 miles: replaced IAT sensor ($5 component part of the MAF sensor) instead of replacing the entire MAF which is $90, or $300+ for 2002/2003 models
- 116,500 miles: replaced struts/springs.
- 118,650 miles: replaced radiator

It can be expensive if you get all this done at a stealership, but I did it all myself (except for the rear pre-cat). All together it cost me about $1600, which isn't too bad IMO, and lots of the repairs above are regular maintenance (brakes/springs/struts). If I add up repairs alone, without maintenance, the total cost is only about $700...

 

My car has 165,000 miles on it now, and when I bought it last year all i've had to fix/repair/replace on it has been a leaky clutch line, the starter, one coil pack, spark plugs, battery, and just recently the alternator. The previous owner left all of his maintenance receipts in the car and had replaced all the belts/hoses, new tie rod ends, c.v. boots and struts, brake fluid flush, and a/c compressor within a 12 month period prior to me buying the car.

Considering the age and mileage of the car, it hasn't been anything out of the ordinary. It still runs, drives and rides like a new car. Everything in the car works like it should with the exception of the passenger side front window switch acts up. I like the car, and plan on keeping it for a long time.

 

This should be expected when buying cars with higher miles. Especially if you have no records of previous maintenance on the vehicle. Bought mine with 59k I'm at 166k and have replaced several parts twice or even three times now.

But it's d@mn nice not having a car payment since April of 2008.

Your wife might not understand, but that's how it work's. Good luck with that.

 

Yeah, tell your wife to go cook something or do laundry while you take care of the car and stop getting mad at you for something normal.

 

 

Thanks for all the info guys.

I tried to explain to her in the long run i'm saving alot and less worries about payments every month. She just thinks i like the car too much... Which I do

 

Exactly. If you don't want to replace worn parts, buy a new car.

• All front end parts (LCA's, Ball-joints, outer tie-rods ends, FSB End-links, wheel bearings)
• Suspension (struts, engine mounts)
• Exhaust (engine-back)
• Brakes (probably on your third set by now)
• EVAP System
• MAF

 

Tie rods (inner/outer)
Axles - didn't need em till I was on coils, sitting a few inches off the ground.
Alternator
Tires
Alignments
Rotors/pads

Everything else I've done has been unnecessary.

 

All four pads/rotors.
Camshaft position sensor.

That's it.

 

No, they were very necessary !

 

Even if you get a new car you can't avoid buying parts for it. Sometimes a new car it's more a PITA than a used car. Specially if your talking about get parts and the price of them... YIKES!

My dad's cars for example:

Pontiac Torrent 2006 (Bought in 2007)
- Crankshaft position sensor failed and the f***ing dealer doesn't want to replace it. A part that it's expensive and hard to find. It cost almost $160 dollars and 2 damn weeks for delivery buying it with the dealer because only them got it... F*CK!

Dodge Avenger 2008 (Bought in 2008)
- The infamous stupid pink plastic part in the shifter, dealer repaired and 5 months later it broke again. Now the dealer wanted $300 for fix it.


My previous car
Nissan Sentra 2001 (in the last 3 years before I sold it) with 84k miles
- Gas filter
- Bushings
- Struts
- and 1 alternator

My "new" car
Nissan Maxima 2001 (owned by almost 5 months) with 73k miles when I bought her
- Gas filter
- MAF adapter
- This weekend will buy a IACV step motor from the Junkyard.


And yes, it's an old car and wait for more "surprises" that will bring joy and happiness to your life...

 

well I almost had my Maxima 2 years now (Jan 2012 will be 2 year) have no had ANY issues....YET. I bought it when it had 86k on it and now it had 102k miles. Even if I did.....it's PAID OFF...NO $400-$600 mth CAR PAYMENTS!!! Brakes and crap like that I can do myself. you can buy a NEW car and have a fat monthly payment.....and don't have to worry about fixing anything. Perhaps the previous owner DOGGED the car.....I see you are in NY are you in the city?? If so I would NEVER buy a car from there.....too much shadyness go on there.....roads terrible...driving conditions stop and go all the time.....not to mention probably was a previous Maxima freak like us...TRASHED the engine speeding around everywhere, etc....who knows. Did they show you the CAR FAX??? LOL!

 

I purchased a 1996 maxima around 2001, recently warped head at 295,000+ miles (RIP). Only routine maintenance, clutch replacements, CV's, water pump. Very reliable, solid car.

We got my wife a 2000 maxima when her Accord got totaled. This thing just SUX. It is falling apart with a little over 100,000 miles on it. We have had a ridiculous amount of repairs, and replaced countless parts and it continues to fall apart. Now the second cooling fan rattles and screams, runs like crap when it's cool outside, automatic transmission will freak out and not work but will again after turning it off and on, some serious wheel or structural issue resulting in the car shaking like crazy upon braking hard, and upon acceleration.

Also from a design standpoint the huge turning radius is just stupid on this generation of maxima's. On a good note, the engine is super strong as always - only problem you can't punch it 'cause it shudders and shakes like mad. We are disgusted with this car - will probably never buy another Nissan - hope it's just a lemon and not indicative of all newer Nissans.

 

94xxx when I bought it. 135K now. Tranny was replaced for bad syncros when I bought it, under the dealers warranty. I had a bad Evap valve. Replaced the flange on the b pipe with tubing and clamps... Thats really been it...




...Other than the oil it drinks

 

Well lets see:
-muffer
- Rear struts
-Oxygen sensor
-TPS
- serpentine belt
-Alternator
car has about 130k on it

 

213K

Bought @88K
Rear rotors pads @116
Exhaust@120K
Ignition Coil@123K
Clutch@154K
Front Brakes/rotors, AC Compressor and Y-pipe@163K
2 o2 Sensors @176K
Axles/transmission/rear calipers all around brakes @182K (it had sat for 6 months)
Crank Pulley/Balancer (actually slid off the hub!)/PS/serpentine belt@ 187K
Passenger Front Wheel Bearing @192K
Struts/springs/mounts/boots, tie-rods inner and outer, endlinks, control arms, sway bar bushings, ABS sensor, Speed Sensor @196K
Rear caliper @206K
Headers/motor mounts/intake manifold spacers/rear VC gasket/02 sensor@210K

95% of the work was done by me and some of it didnt "need" to be done, but if I was in the area I did whatever I could. One thing, this car does seem to rip through autozone/advance rotors...so my next mod is a Z32 BBK

 

In my 2K Maxima bought it new in April 2000
Replace Spark plugs and clean throttle body @ 60K miles
Replace both front outer tie rod & CV boot @ 103K miles not it has 107K miles

 

ZERO RePairs....... wait ... wait i changed the engine due to da NOS

 

For me on the 3rd Max but usually Starters, Altenators, and Suspension...and precats and a MAF on one....normal no car payment cant complain, and when I need something I look to upgrade....

 

I've had my car for about 25k miles now. I have only changed my radiator (cracked) and my ignition cylinder because it seized on me. I could not get it to unlock. Right now, I'm in the process of changing my expansion valve for my AC system because I get no cold AC whatsoever (yes, it's winter now so what! Perfect time to fix m AC ). Other than that, I got no CEL, Vibrations, etc. Not bad for 213k miles. Pretty satisfied with it.

 

Bought it at 70k miles, up to nearly 80k now. Had to get a new starter unit, tires (the factory ones were still on), and new brake pads. I also had to get a new map lamp (well a junkyard one, anyways) because the previous owner jammed it up so bad it wouldn't work.