ancrking

I was wondering if the quality of the Maxima's that are being assembled and produced in Tennessee are an issue, versus being produced in Japan. It seems that some new owners of the Maxima's are finding minor problems according to what I am reading on the postings here on this website.

Could the quality of the Nissan product compromised by producing it in the US? I hope that the same quality control measures are being followed here in the US.

Any thoughts?

Steve

geo1317

iTrader: (17)

only time will tell

gmc74

It is really a bad idea to make an assumtion based on a handful of issues on a new model. New models are notorious for minor problems. If you really want to see if there is a problem, wait for next years models.

BTW, moving the assembly from Japan to the US probably has nothing to do with the quality. It isn't like the Jetta's that are made in Mexico...

coffeeshark

Quality is all about the quality control of the manufacturing plant and the management's willingness to turn a car back because of small issues.

The stitching on my front passenger seat is a little loose, no big deal, but should've been caught. I tested an SL where the shifting bezel was Very loose and actually rattled around when you hit a bump - very bad.
It was the first thing I checked when I drove the SE I finally bought.

Of course, all new models have their problems, but quality control shouldn't be one of them. I don't think next year's models will improve in that regard.

That said, have you ever bought a car that was flawless, really? I haven't.

annimax

Very well said

gmc74

My wife (at the time she was my girlfriend) bought a Neon back in 96 and we never had an issue with it... no problems at all.

Other than that, I have never had a car with no issues.

Dany

iTrader: (1)

Yeah I agree that any car will have issues.
My 2000 SE and this 2002 SE had problems. Funny thing that 2002 Max had the some same exact problems as 2000 SE.
I don't think moving assembly plant here to US will reduce quality of the Maxima. I think it is pretty low as it is and the Maxes I owned were assembled in Japan.

MONTE 01&97 SE

iTrader: (1)

Agreed some problems run the length of production of a some models without them fixing issue.

Memphoman

My 04 Max is 2500 miles old, my only issue is the parking brake is set very light, must pull all the way up for good setting, other than that I have NO issues thus far.

old guy

Any insight on paint and interior quality on the 2004s would also be appreciated. Though I love the drivetrain of my '01, I would have to rate the paint and interior, generously, as "abysmal". I am getting ready to replace the '01. If neither have improved, I need to cross-shop.

lightonthehill

Most SLs arrive at Atlanta dealers with black upholstery (which is impractical in this heat), so I had to order.

While lolling around the dealer lots (I make the rounds), I have noticed many 04 Maxs with the four tailpipes not aligned. Some are higher one one side, others are higher on the other. Sometimes the two pipes on one side are at a strange angle. Seldom are all four exactly aligned on a car.

I have also found two cars whose trunk will not latch.

I'm sure the dealer can make these adjustments, but . . .

Wish the center console compartment was easily accessible to right front passenger (my wife complained about this).

I have driven nothing but Maximas for twenty years, and probably will never drive anything else. My 2000 SE has had ZERO problems in four years/50K miles.

gmc74

That is odd about the tail pipes, mine seem pretty well lined up.

Tail pipes

hanzar

I noticed that too on one of the cars on the dealer's lot. I'd hate to think they would sell them without first adjusting them. Fortunately mine were properly aligned. However I did have a problem with the hood. It was a little higher wrt the fender on the driver's side than on that passenger's side and I think it made it more difficult to shut the hood. I had them correct it but it is still a little off although the hood is now easier to shut. I find I need to use a little force when dropping it from about 10 inches higher than shut. Does anyone else see this as a problem? Are you able to shut the hood easily? How much force do you put into it?

nick778

IMO, the quality factor with Nissan these days is not an issue with manufacturing or where it is manufactured but the trend Nissan embarked on a few years ago to use cheap components and systems(and the inherent problems that arise when integrating these components from various low cost suppliers that may or may not even meet a lowered spec) to save money. While that might have been necessary to save the company then, I believe it has gone too far and there is no indication is will not get worse. One has only to listen to Carlos Ghosn and his desire to cheapen parts even more to get an idea of where the increase in problems comes from and will continue to come from. Except for the core VQ engine and trans, I do not think there is anything in Nissan vehicles anymore that is above average quality.

gmc74

You need to listen to my Bose stereo then, it sounds great! I have to say that I don't see this at all. Do you have any specifics to present, or are you just giving us generalities? My car seems well put together, and the leather is nice and soft (which is where a lot of companies cut corners).

Dany

iTrader: (1)

I really think this will be my last Nissan. I bougth my first Max it was 95 SE which I thought was good car. It was used though with high milage so I did really cared that much if some things broke.
After that I got 2000 SE brand new and that when I started to really dislike Nissan. The car stickered around 30K and it was so poorly put together. Stuff didn't align here and there. Horrible paint. Rattles .
I was so sure I wouldn't get another Nissan again, but I got really good deal on 2002 SE and decided to give it a try.
I must say that 2002 SE is a little better put together, but still the same exact rattles, paint, problems that were on 2000 SE are present on 2002 SE. It just drives you nuts. And service, forget about it, you have to spend days for them to fix things.

2004 Max might be better built, but who knows. At least it doesn't have stupid rear beam, so that is a good start already.

The only thing I ever liked about all the Maximas I had was it's engine. Tranny is not bad either. This 6-speed was giving me some problems but all better know.
Everything else (fit and finish) is pretty low qaulity, especially on the car that stickers around 30K or more. It's just really sad.

nick778

I wan't specifically referring to the 2k4 Max as i have no experience with this car. But I have owned over 13 Nissans in the last 10 years and during the last 3-4 (or since Renault bought into Nissan) have seen way too many TSBs on items that were component related. For example...Paint, MAFs, Rotors, Ignition Coils, Transverse links, 4 page long TSB related to rattles due to parts not fitting or being desgined properly in the first place, substantial wind noise due to pooply designed and fitted rear windows and sunroofs, blower motors that fail and/or make noise, rear struts that are defective, realtively low quality windshield glass that pitts and cracks way too easily, failing tansmission control modules, etc, etc etc.
If I didn't like Nissan, I wouldn't even mention this. And maybe they are no worse than most other OEMs these days. But I have always bought Nissan because they were not like other OEMs. You always got a high value and quality product in return for your cash along with a great motor and drivetrain. All I see now, whether it be Nissan or Infiniti, is the great drivetrain, more progressive styling and the ability to push out new models faster with many shared parts that have been subject to the cost cutting axe. And all this has cost cutting has not resulted in better prices to the consumer. Quite the opposite as prices have gone up substantially.
It is no wonder Nissan is making more money...at least for now.

gmc74

that explains it, thanks

I think it is the way of the world right now, but I don't know if others have had as many TSBs, but I think they have. I will have to check it out.

4000 miles on the 04 and it is running strong. I am guessing that I may put more miles on this thing than anyone else.

e_marston

5100 I just don't get it. I drive way too much.... BTW it does great on the highway(actually got 30 mpg on a 460 mile trip), but man does fuel efficiency drop in the city driving.
As for problems, there was a 1/4 long cut in the vinyl on the corner of the right rear door. The dealer has ordered the part, but it broke in shipping so they have to reorder. It's not noticeable and it's easy to fix so no big deal. Beyond that no problems so far... (knock on wood)

-Ed

Jules Maximus

Toyota isn't any better in reliability and their cars are much less inspiring. Still, far better than any GM or Chrysler crap.

MPG has been pretty bad on mine. I'm lucky if I get 20.

gmc74

ouch! I am getting about 26, and that is 75% or more highway miles.

Maxmann

Can any of you feel something like vibration or shudder in the steering wheel around 78-80 mph? It is not real bad, and the wheel itself doesn't vibrate as it does when they are out of balance, but it's just a report of sorts and I guess it's normal. Vibration and shudder may not be the best words to describe, but it is definitely transmitting something. We have an SL with auto, of course. I've been up to 100 and slightly past for sustained periods and car is very smooth. It's just most noticeable at and around 80 mph, which is usually where I drive. My 02, a manual, doesn't actually feel that way. Maybe there is a slight balance issue?

gmc74

I haven't noticed anything, and I spend a lot of time in that range.

sibin

Hanzar, The hood on my '04 SE is very hard to close. The hood alignment and latch are fine; I think the springs are too strong. I'm thinking of replacing them with weaker springs since I know the dealer won't.

marmadogg

I had several problems with my 2001 BMW 330i:
-The belts had to be replaced twice
-A rattle in the dash board had to repaired...it took them 3 times to get it right
-The stereo buttons on the steering wheel were inoperable in cold weather. This was very annoying as I live in Joisey (NJ) and I could not use the steering wheel controls during the winter months. The service tech blamed that on me. He said I spilled coffee on the steering wheel. (I don't drink coffee...I am a health nut and I only drink water)
-The knock sensor backed off the timing (once) to the extent that I had to pull off the highway and turn off the engine to let it cool down. This was very odd as I always use 93 octane fuels from Exxon or Sunoco.

This occurred on a vehicle that had a MSRP of $43K+. (I swapped out of the lease yesterday as my 04 Max will be at the dealership by Wednesday). It does not matter what you pay for a car.

The moral of the story is 'you will have problems'.

Expectation leads to disappointment!

gmc74

What exit?

marmadogg

I know the jokes...I was born and raise in the San Francisco bay area and went to college in southern California. I was living in Newport Beach, CA before I moved here for the dream job. I met and married my wife here. Everything has worked out better than expected but I do miss CA and weekend trips to the river. I love waterskiing!

1SICKLEX

Toyota is the industry standard, what are you talking about? They have the smallest tolerances for error, no matter made in Japan or America. Infiniti has had great success, almost on par with Lexus but Nissan is at or below the industry average. As for as inspiring cars, I agree, not much in that department.

Deven2kStickMax

I'm very pleased with the new design. So far it seems very stronger than the previous ones. The Bose radio sounds way better than someone on the street with subs in their trunks. Let's see...so far only problem i have, my trunk switch opener on the door stopped working and the only way i can open the trunk is by the remote. My car is going in for the second oil change soon, i will have that checked out. I don't know about anyone else, but i think Nissan did a very nice job putting this car together, even though it's an American built.

gmc74

man, I don't get it... someone please show me proof that cars built in america are worse than those built in japan. This stigma that you have placed on this seems totally unfounded to me.

My issues list stands at:
1) the gas gauge doesn't always work, but I need to prove this to them because it works when it is in the shop...
2) the cover for my fuse panel won't stay on, a new one will be in next week.

Maximum Velocity

iTrader: (3)

One of our members stated that he had a leaky Skyview and a defective cd player on his 04. He got a new 04 as a replacement...of course after sending some letters.

Deven2kStickMax

well you got some issues. oh yeah i did remembered one time my gas gauge did not work well, because i was parked on a incline, but once i fueled up again it went back to normal position. looks like the float in the tank sticks sometimes...

gmc74

it is definately the gauge and not the float on mine (and the other person that had it replaced in here). A couple things lead me to believe this. 1) When the gauge isn't working, the DTE on the computer still works. 2) When the gauge isn't working and is pinned on E the light doesn't come on.

If the float was hung up it would be giving false data to the computer and the light would come on when it thinks it is almost empty.

04EliteSE

Careful with pushing down the hood to close it... the hood is aluminum and you could make a nice dent in it if you forced it down with the heel of your hands... just slam it down...

As for the alignment of the hood, all you have to do is twist to two rubber grommets underneath the hood, near the front, to align it properly... not a big issue at all.

As for quality control, well I had 2 issues with my car when I first brought it home. The front drivers side wheel was off balance (only noticed this at 55MPH or above... unfortunately I didn't go that fast on the test drive), and a wire housing behind the dashboard was loose, and it vibrated when in reverse (unfortunately, again, I never went in reverse for the test drive), but both issues were fixed rather promptly, and I have been enjoying the heck out of my '04 Max SE for more than 2000 miles already... This is my 4th Maxima, and by far it's my fave... the others I had were a '90SE, '95SE, and a '99SE.

1SICKLEX

Acura TL/CL. Made in Japan 95-98 no problems and more expensive, moved production to Ohio for the 99-current model and problems galore. This is a near luxury car so owners are gonna b!tch more.

marmadogg

Gee I am convinced! I don't know what I was thinking?

Do TL/CLs have the same quality problems today?

gmc74

LOL

no kidding.

That doesn't prove anything, in fact all you said was problems galore. Show me the ratings, where the same car was rated high then when made in the US was rated low. "problems galore" is a bit unreliable...

Jules Maximus

I bought a '00 Toyota Tundra (first year model-big mistake) and had quite a few problems with it. It had brake vibrations repeatedly, Toyota did $2000 worth of upgrades to the brakes on my truck and it still had the problem when I traded it on my '03 Max. Also had the check engine light come on twice (once it left me coasting through the middle of an intersection), Toyota replaced the throttle body and then both O2 sensors. I had the driver’s side exhaust manifold replaced due to cracks and leaking. They replaced the antennae mast because that broke. There were other small issues that never bothered me enough to complain about also.

These problems are not isolated to the truck I bought either. These are well documented on another site I used to post on quite a bit when I owned that truck (www.tundrasolutions.com). Toyota did a brake upgrade campaign for owners of problem trucks in which they replaced the calipers, rotors, pads, wheel bearings, rear drums and shoes along with some other associated hardware. This did not fix the problem either.

I know I can't compare this to one made in Japan because the Tundra is only made in the USA but Toyota has a reputation for building quality vehicles which is one of the reasons I bought that truck to begin with. I don't know what else to attribute it to.

All I can say is that I will never buy a first year model vehicle again and I for one am glad my car was made in Japan, not in the US in a new facility (like the Tundra was) and I'm glad it's not a first year model.

YMMV...

marmadogg

I would never buy a Japanese truck in the first place. Those problems you experienced were not factory build problems but OEM part issues. Toyota picked the wrong part manufacturers.

I am not trivializing your problems but I am still not conviced this has anything to do with American built vehicles. The Tundra was never made in Japan so your arguement does not apply in any way shape or form to this thread.

motectransam

The trend that's been very gradual over the past few decades is to move product development and manufacturing tasks outside to suppliers. It isn't unusual for car makers to get fully assembled front end modules with radiators, condensors, and other stuff already on it or full rolling chassis (example from Dana Corp) with rear end diff'l assemblies on them already. Today Tier 1 suppliers often take care of the bulk of vehicle development and the vehicle manufacturer takes care of the rest like validation, calibration, engine development, and final assembly of components.

Among the incentives for foreign companies is to build locally is to increase domestic content and to ensure "Just-in-time" or JIT supply chain management that is critical to efficient manufacturing where parts are ordered on the go so that minimal inventory of assembly parts builds up. There are also other reasons for building locally including political, financial incentives, etc.

Hence the last two paragraphs indicate that a Made in the USA Tundra is truly Made in the USA. Although I believe American assembly workers offer the best VALUE in skilled labor [Germany and Japan have exorbitant labor rates, East Europe and Mexico have low labor rates but have steep learning curves yet to go], when you cross cultures you run into possible problems. In the April 2003 issues of Automotive Engineering International, a Daimler-Chrysler executive expressed his dismay at the US-made Mercedes ML-series due to local US supplier miscues. For foreign cars manufactured here for a while (like the Honda Accord) I believe the differences are minimal with quality from a Japanese assembly line.

As for not buying 1st year, that still is a great rule to follow and is very applicable for this 6th gen. Maxima forum for the immediate term. You would think not by now but even the Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry got only "average" ratings in Consumer's Reports reliability surveys for their 1st year of production due to mostly minor perceived quality issues like rattles, air leaks, etc.

Cheers!!!
~motectransam