I know that people are more likely to post when something is going wrong, rather than whenver eveything is going right, but doesn't there seem to be a lot more minor stuff wrong these cars than the previous? I haven't been on the site in a while, but it seems like there are a lot of unhappy owners. Before it seemed like the only complaint people had was the 04 was not as quick as they expected.

 

i hate my 04..,. i never had so many problems with a car.!!! I only post things that are wrong because i have nothing good to write. Only thing good about my car is alot of ppl love the way it looks( even got a girls number without doin much) My 2000 GLE was the best!!! Wish i could have her back

 

People post a lot of problems because they want help fixing them. I have had no problems and absolutely love my Max. The problems posted are mostly minor and just about every one is covered under warranty. Some say, and may be right, that cars assembled in Japan are better quality. But the reality is that soon almost all will be assembled here or Mexico. They are still engineered and produced in Japan, just put together here. You can stick will older, shipped from Japan, models, but sooner or later you may want a new(er) one.

You'll see some acclaim occasionally about this 04. Also, I'm guessing the complaints about the other gens' first models are long gone, replaced by newer posts.

 

There is no question the '04 has had many annoying nitpicking things (and some not so nitpicking) go wrong. But we have to remember that the Maxima evolved very gradually over almost a quarter century carrying many things forward from year-to-year, always being assembled in the same factory by the same people. My 2000SE is perfect, also. But it was not greatly different from the third and fourth generation Maximas.

The '04, however, not only broke completely from the similarity of the last several generations; it also moved its point of origin halfway around the world. At the same time, it moved to 18"/17" wheels/tires. The larger the wheels and the lower the tire profile, the more sensitive and difficult tire/wheel balancing becomes.

The fact over 131,700 '04 Maximas were built speaks volumes about the acceptance of the '04 styling. Like others, however, I felt Nissan did not move quickly enough to correct some of the nitpicking things.

For example, simply installing a taller nipple on the left top corner of the glove box opening to hold the upper left corner slightly out, hence drawing the offending upper right corner back in line with the dash, should have been an easily incorporated adjustment to the assembly line. But this problem persisted the entire assembly run of the '04s.

In spite of all the '04 problems, however, once the taller glove box nipple has been installed, my SL will be perfect. That was the only thing wrong with my car.

I love driving this car.

 

Amen, and I've been thinking how I want to get rid of my 2000 GLE and get a 6th gen.

My car is an early 5th gen and has never had any issues, nothing to complain about except for the widespread Bose rattle...I do absolutely love the chrome door handles that neither SE, GXE or any 2k2-3 have, love the leather on the doors. This is one thing Nissan should have changed on the 05 Max, I was really disappointed to find the cloth even on '04 SLs. It's not too much to ask for, considering the price tag of the car.

If I would give my phone # to a guy who drives a 6th gen. that I otherwise would not have considered, possibly yes

Lightonthehill, do you have an idea about how many Accords were produced for the same period? I'm wondering what the ratio is between the 6th gen Maxima and the 7th gen. Accord. About the 5th gen, I remember that the total volume of Maximas was only 1/3 of the Accords produced, hence the idea that the Max is not a car for everyone.

 

I can tell ya that the 02/03 were the lowest produced Maximas with 90,000 for 2002 and 83,000 for 2003 (00/01's were about 120k or so a year). This was anticipated as they moved the Max more upscale in 02 with more features and with the new 3.5 Altima taking the slot of the Maxima GXE which was only 5% of 02/03 Sales. Now the Accord still outsold its rival the Altima by alot nealry 500,000 units vs 290,000 or so Altimas.

 

My first Maxima was a 2001 Aniversary Edition. It spent much quality time in the service bay. Nothing too serious; wind leaks, rattles, judder, SRS, coils, O2 sensors, SRS again, 3 window lift mechanisms, drivers seat bottom, shift ****, SRS again, fuel cutoff tsb, SRS again... to name a few. Other than the fact it was always in the shop it was a great car.

 

I signed up here to see what issues I would have BEFORE I bought my '04.

Aside from a few small issues, the car is faster than my previous. Just as comfortable as a VW Passat. Smoother riding than my Toyota T100.

One thing that really annoys me is how there are posts here comparing the Maxima to the Acura TL. This is just silly. The Maxima is to Nissan what the G35 is to Infiniti- they are made by two different divisions of the same parent company. They should be comparing the Max to the Accord. And the G35 to the Acura TL. Besides, I drove my boss's TL and it was less roomier inside, more road noise and he bought same color and features i would have! Do love its gauge colors...






(Small issues: Glove Box TSB, poor throttle response at first 1/2" push of pedal, no vent in sunroof shade, thin sheet metal)

 

Max shouldnt be compared the Accord thats what the mighty Altima is for, to be honest the TL is really the Maxima closest competitor in the market and has been since 1996. Both have similar features (both have things not avail on the other), similar missions,similar power and lots of times similiar prices and both are powerful FWDDrivers.

 

I feel the Accord, Camry and Altima belong in the same category. They are all middle class, middle size, middle price, highly advertised, very large volume vehicles.

As for the Toyota equivalent to the Maxima, I would feel it is the Avalon. Upscale, roomy, a tad pricey, upper middle class, near-luxury, limited volume. The Avalon (as is normal for Toyota) leans toward creature comforts, while the Maxima (as is normal for Nissan) leans toward performance.

Accura, Infinity and Lexus should be compared with each other, as they are the upscale/luxury brands of Honda, Nissan and Toyota.

 

My 6th Gen was built in 10/03, and it is as tight as a drum after 20,000 miles ... not a single rattle or squeak. I've also had no problems with it, unless you could call the slight fogging of the center-stack info screen and the cold-shift things "problems". They are both covered by TSB's and are so not a problem that I'll get them fixed when I get around to it.

6th Gen's well-built? I'd definitely say yes.

Mike

 

I have found very few problems with my 04. Great car for me, yes did have a few problems, the shift **** broke, never really liked it anyway, the rear deck rattles, but with the 12" box in the back, I could expect that. The one quality control thing I have is the glove box allignment. This should have beeb caught early. If the parts come from Japan, and the labor is now done in the US.....you have to wonder, is this a part issue or assembly issue, or quality control issue. Again, I love my 04, great car, decent power, and Nissan is taking care of the items under warranty. What you have to understand is that with any new car redesign, the first year is the worst to buy because of the design issues. Seems like the 05 will work out a few issues with minor changes. Hey, I like the look of the 6th gen, some people hate it, some like it....anytime you change a body that much, you are bound to have people not like a redesign, check out what Bangle is doing to the BMW right now. Personally I like the new BMW designs everyone hates. Fact of the matter is.....the Max has a nice engine, bullet proof, now the SE trans might show some issues, but Nissan is doing OK. I could have gotten a loaded Altima for the price of my Max....yes, Altima sales are part of the reason Max sales are not so good....but personally I like the room and interior of the Max better. Plus, the tail lights on the Altima in my opinion, are a Altezza nightmare that just ruins the car for me. Just my opinion on the matter.

 

um, Altimas are a tad bigger interior wise compared to the Maxima.

 

FWIW........I had a 2003 Maxima SE that shook, rattled and rolled as much as Elvis in his early days at about 5K miles. There were numerous rattles and wind noises even though i babied it over bumps and bad roads.

I traded it in on an 04 after 10 months. My exprienmce with my 04 is similar to Mike TX's. It's tight as a drum and rattle free.

Bob

 

In what area?

 

carcus - you were wise to call MaxMus out. According to Consumer reports, the '04 Maxima equals or exceeds the Altima in EVERY interior measurement.

The most important dimensions for many drivers are front shoulder room and front leg room.

Front shoulder room:

Maxima - 57.0"
Altima - 55.5"

Front leg room:

Maxima - 42.0"
Altima - 40.5"

The Altima has the most interior room for cars in its class, but it does not have quite the room of its superior sibling, the Maxima.

 

im sure the 04 has more problems than the 02-03 because:
1) its the first year for the 6ht gen
2) produce has been moved from Japan to the US
3) US workers have never worked on this car
4) US plant may not be as high on quality as the Japanese plant was after years of manufacturing

Maybe it will get better but im not holding my breath, Infinity here I come!

 

You must have had a BAD 5.5G. My 02 SE is as tight as a drum. It's been trouble free for the last 18,000 miles. The only flaw I experienced was a blown MAF sensor and having to live through Bridgestone Potenza RE92s (which have been replaced by Falkens).

Maximage, Monte is correct. The new "upscale" Maxima is a direct competitor to the TL. And for the same MSRP, it's probably safe to say that the TL is more desireable than the new Max. In my 'hood, there are PLENTY of new TLs rolling around but the new Max is few and far between.

Although most folks compare the G35S with the TL, the G35S/X is more of a 330i/xi competitor.

As for the 04 Maxima's quality, you have to keep in mind that it's a 1st model year car. Even the new TL is having its share of problems (i.e.: rattling, trannys, etc,...) in its first year. So you have to cut Nissan some slack here.

$.02

 

We all have spent our hard earned money into this depriciating asset, we want everything to be perfect. Even a small glitch is not acceptable.

More over it is first yr production and as like any other first yr models irrespective of make and model, you will hear only the problems. Over a period of time, the problems will slowly die out or we all will get used to it (??)

Yes, I do have problems with my car ( occasional Shimmy@55-65 being the major one). but overall, i am a happy with it.

Sometimes I just think, going thro all the problems reported here, are we unconsciously expecting problems out of our cars? are we watching watch too closely for the problems than enjoying the ride? I dont know!!!

 

Agreed - you want everything to be perfect, but nothing in life is ... so drive and quit reading (or complaining) about it - seems to me that we all have great cars, and I personally find more enjoyment out of this car than just about any other that I have owned - roomier, certainly enough horses, great engine, styling that I love, color is perfect, and options up the wazzoo!! What's not to love??

Shimmy, large turning radius, foggy nav screen, and an occasional rattle...geeez - had that in my '83 olds cutlass too but I still had it for almost 10 years...just got used to it and enjoyed driving it ... that's my current attitude about my '04 - just too many really nice things that continue to overshadow the little stuff that crops up and confirm that I bought the right car for me...

Just must be me I guess... now I'll be quiet...

 

I'll just add that I'm seeing FAR MORE complaints on the TL board (re: 04 TL) than I see here about the 04 Max. That's a pretty good commentary on the 04 Max, IMO.

 

Well said !

Bob

 

I was referring to "my" 2003 Max and not 5.5 gens in general. But we're both saying the same thing anyways. You can have good ones and you can have bad ones in whatever years and whatever brand of cars.

BTW- i have no issues with my Max or with Nissan. I love my Max and look for any excuse to take it for a spin.

And no need to cut Nissan any slack from here. I don't have any issue with Nissan. I've recommneded Nissan vehilces to friends, family and associates. As a matter of fact, I should get a commission on the 2 Altimas (2003) and 2 Pathfinders (2004 and 2003) that i helped Nissan sell in the last couple of years.

Bob



Bob