Hi all,

I am a first time user of this site. I purchased a 2003 maxima about 4 years ago and can say I am not impressed at all with this car. It has been nothing but continual problems. Check engine light on regularily, rad blew, rear struts went bad, rear window wind leak, rad support rusted out. Basically ever problem I have read about with this model of car I've had. Another iss ue I have had since day 1 of ownership is this virbation in the car. I've changed tires, front end parts, brakes etc and the car still virates. The viration is not to noticeable at 60 mph but at 70 the passenger seat/rear view mirror/sun visor shakes and I can also feel the viration in the steering wheel. Additionally when breaking hard at highway speeds I hear a growling sound (only time you hear it). I read a site and a Nissan Sentra owner had the same issue and was told the virations and growling noise when slowing down is likely a wheel bearing issue. I have no unusal or isolated tire wear issue. Could the problem be a wheel bearing? Thanks.

 

The growling certainly can be the wheel bearing. How many miles on it? around 200K?


Vibration during breaking can be your brake pads. Maybe uneven wear on the pads or they are not seated properly.

 

THe vibration is constant when drivibg, not when braking .. THe gowling noise is only present under deceleratining. THanks

 

Not a salvage title was it? Sounds terrible, glad mine has held up over the past 10 years of ownership and 158k, not a single one of the problems you mentioned.

 

Hi,

How do you know its a salvage title? I am very sure its not as I purchased the car from the original owner who bought it as a lesse return from a Nissn Dealership. I am reading more and more on this and found a site that indicated the virbation could be a a sterring torque sensor issue? I am not very mechanically inclined and have no idea if this is a possibility. The constant vibration ast highway speed is driving me nuts and the car is unpleasant to drive. DESPARATE.

 

Never said I did, just asked if it was. I've never heard of a steering torque sensor?

How is the alignment (I assume it's fine since you had a lot fo suspension work done) and how are the tires? Balanced?

 

HI, I guess the way I worded my last post it did make it seem like I was asking you how you knew if my car had a salvage title. What I meant to ask was how can one tell if a car has a salvage title. Would that be listed in the car proof report?

 

yup

 

Sounds like a wheel bearing to me. Alignment can cause it too, but I doubt it'd be bad enough to shake your seat/mirror from just that.