csw3n

I have the option to purchase a Maxima from a family friend for about $1,500. It has always been garaged. For half of its life it was in Colorado and the other in central Texas.

I am trying to figure out what questions to ask or information on what pitfalls I might encounter with a 2000 Maxima.

These are the details I know:

2000 Nissan Maxima SE, 3.0 liter, 24 valve, 5 speed manual
112,000 miles
No transmission issues
No check engine light
I do know that all 6 coils are new, one for each cylinder
New battery 8/20/2017

I am currently driving a 2000 Camry with 205,000 miles and know the car that I have. I am just tempted by a low cost, lower mileage vehicle.

Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

C.

SubwayVQ

There are a few things I would check out before buying:
1. Check the radiator support right behind the front bumper and see if it's rotted out. If you do a quick Google search, you'll see what I mean
2. When going to check out the car, be sure to inspect the car before it has been started and warmed up. Check all the fluids, and most importantly listen for weird noises when first starting it up
3. If possible, ask what brand of coil was used, because you may have to replace all 6 further down the road

That's about all, it sounds like a killer deal for lower miles and $1500!

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

One thing with Nissan is that the high pressure power steering hose will leak. The oil will drip on the passenger side control arm bushings and rot them out, which messes up the front end alignment. Check that out.

At 112K miles, some normal maintenance items need to be done. Find out when/if they were done recently.

Spark plugs.
Brakes.
Struts.

maxiiiboy

If properly maintained, the 5-th Gen Maximas (2000-2001) are excellent cars. In particular, the engine is bulletproof. I own a 2000 SE/AT, and the list below is based on my own experience:

• IACV. Find out whether the IACV on this car has been replaced, and if so, when. If not replaced, replace it. In either case, read the document about ECU failures (link in my signature) and act accordingly.
• Radiator Support. Rusting of the radiator support is a serious issue for all Maximas that spent a significant part of their lifetime in the rust belt. Note that the term "radiator support" is a bit of a misnomer - this part does not only supports the radiator, but it is essential for the structural integrity of the front end. Bottom line: find out what shape is the radiator support in.
• Front End - Axles/Struts. At this age (~120K miles), the front end - struts, LCAs, CV axles - usually need some serious maintenance. I have had all of them replaced at ~125K miles, at the cost of about $2k.
• Power Steering Hose. The PS hose on these cars often leaks at around 100-120k miles or sooner, leading to suspension damage (LCA bushings), as Dennis pointed out earlier. However, not all cars experience this; with almost 150k miles on the odometer, my car has neither PS hose leakage nor any other PS issues.
• Coils. The originals coils on these cars were bad by design. Hitachi corrected the problem in a subsequent generation. The 2nd generation coils are physically marked/recognized by a grey dot on each coil. Like here: http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo....359222&jsn=402 . You may want to find out what type/generation of coils this car has.
• Radiator and Starter. These parts often fail at/after ~80k miles. Luckily, neither is expensive to fix.
• Fluids. How frequently were the engine oil, AT fluid, and coolant changed?? What is the color of the coolant?? (Hint: avoid car overheating due to rusty water pump, etc.)

Good luck with the car, and welcome to maxima.org !