alexkoss

I am going to buy a new 2004 maxima se, but my question for you guyes is:
Inspite all the problems with your max would you still buy it if you had the option?
Are there any more serious problems except the shimmy?
Does shimmy still presist on late 2004?
Anything esle i have to know before i buy it?

I actually called my dealer and told him that i know about the shimmy problem he said that they know about it and there is an easy fix to it, he mentioned something about machining the rotors. Can this be the problem?

Thanks
Alex

joemax1

I believe IT IS STILL worth it to get a Maxima. If you are afraid of the shimmies, then do a lot of test drives on both SE/SL and buy the one that you like most (or has the LEAST of the shimmy...) because aside from the shimmies, this car is FAST! and (for me...) is really beautiful!

I once a read a post here that says: "you will always find what you are looking for..." (or something to that effect...). If you go out there looking for shimmies, you'll find them. But if you go out there lookin for a great car, you'll find a MAXIMA!!!

Good luck!

VQMAX05

iTrader: (2)

I never thought I could get used to owning a car again. I have had 3 trucks before the Maxima. It is by far the best car I have ever owned. I have had Honda, Ford (3) Chevy and now Nissan. DONT THINK TWICE, the hell with the shimmy you will love it!! I have an 2005 NO SHIMMY!!!
Enjoy it!

msoemax

What type of "deal" can you get on an 04 and then on a 05? If the difference is $3k+ then save your money and get the 04. If it comes down to ~$1k then go with a 05. The fewer warranty hassles are worth the extra $ to me.

When looking at 04's look at the VIN #'s. Mine was 898078-1,922 cars away from the 100k mark as far as output. After almost 100k cars tt still exhibited many of the fit/finish issues/rattles not to mention bad tires. I am one repair away from a lemon-struts and steering rack (no shimmy though). Other cars in between have had fewer/more problems. The consistency for more reliable Max's was not reached by my car. What does this say about the Max's built after mine? I don't know, but for piece of mind I would get the 05.

First year releases are usually ridden with many minor nit picky problems. You have the option to get the second year release which ought to have fewer problems run with it. It's a matter of doing the math for your time and sanity. As I said before several thousand dollars is not worth it. If you do run into problems with the 04 most have been ironed out by TSB's, but some are still present like the shimmy, struts, and bad tires and rotors. I don't mean to scare you away from buying the max. It will be the best money spent on a car in the price range. You cannot find anything better unless you are willing to shell out $5k more.

Rathmax

I love my '04 SL and would buy it again in an instant. I look at other cars I pass on the highway and consistently think to myself, "glad I got my smoke SL max instead of that car."

wrj

I have a late 04 and no shimmy. Its almost at 9000 miles and only problem is glove box alignment which I haven't even bothered to fix.

I'm actually happier now than when I first got the Max. I looked hard at the TL and G35 and kept wondering if I made the right move. Now I know I did. I took it on a long distance trip and it was the best car I ever driven at high speed. It was stable, responsive (at any speed), and comfortable. Great car and a lot of fun to drive.

alexkoss

What is your serial number?
The one i am looking at is 925378.

fredk

The car is nice to drive, the engine is sweet BUT, here are my recommendations:

- test drive the actual car you want to buy, not a "same year/model"
- look for shimmy. Altough it can be fixed (mine had nothing to do with brake rotors, it was a balancing issue), it's still a pain in the a**
- look for trim alignment and fit. My glove box has been replaced 3 times, my dash was scratched and the trim is now being replaced, the b-pilar cover snaped off as well (still being repaired). To be honest, I have never owned a car that was so badly put together (interior trim) or so prone to scratches.

These are the issues I've had so far. Everything is being dealt with under warranty but I don't like to be a permanent fixture at the dealership...

Be aggressive in your negotiation. I suspect your dealer will want to get rid of his 04s.


Fred.

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

seeing that I have had 0 problems and everyone that sees my car , and the lucky ones that ride in her can't stop talking about her and really want one.....

yes i would say the Max is worth it IMHO.

VQMAX05

iTrader: (2)

Guys,
I am a car salesman.

Here is the thing. Unless you plan on keeping your "new" 04 Maxima for mre than 5 years buy an 04, but if your like me that changes his car every 2-3 years get the 05. Your new car that your buying is already 1 year old. It already sat depreciating. Yeah the car is still new, but you can buy a slighty used one for around 24,000. Do your research before you buy. KBB.com and Edmunds.com will give you invoices and incentives on both 04 and 05 models.

05 models have better fit and finish on the interior. I noticed that between an 04 a friend has and my 05. Now it has REAL brushed aluminum rather than painted silver.

HANDS down the Max is one hell of a car!

Food for thought.
I paid 29200 for my 05.
Sticker was $33,580.
DO YOUR HW before YOU buy!!go to 3-4 different dealers and shop them.

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

couldn't you get a better deal as a salesman? That's what I paid for my 04 brand new. I guess that's good since it just came out.

I bought my Max new b/c I plan on keeping it until it won't go. Therefore I am the only driver ever and I broke it in. Otherwise, I would of bought used if only keeping for a few years. Both will lose value right away.

ScottMax

The fit & finish on this car's interior will drive you crazy (maybe it's just my car). I've got a misaligned glove box, a misaligned sunglasses holder, front door armrests with uneven gaps against the door, a gap between the moonroof and the interior ceiling, and ill fitting plastic inserts on the front dash along the windshield. I've gotten the shimmy fixed and am now dealing with steering rack issues, but I'm worried that my dealer will run me off when I start pushing for fixes on the fit & finish. All this on a car that was built in April of this year. This is my third Max and is by far the best overall driving experience, but I might spend the money on the M35 next time. The hassle is just too much to deal with.

VQMAX05

iTrader: (2)

Let me explain something,
I bought my car 3 week of November and,
Yes I am a car salesman. You also need to understand a few things.
I paid 29,200 because I did not take the 1000 rebate I picked 2% for 60 months instead, its either or. I will save more money on the long run rather than take 1000 rebate up front. And if you do your HW it is an 05 in 04, when the dealers dont have an incetive to sell the 05 that fast. They have all year to sell them. Go to edmunds.com and look stuff up before you knock on someone!
So before you say they didnt get a good deal have something to back it up with. Plus I didnt pay fees of any sort and they gave 2grand over clean book on my trade. So before you talk sh*t and knock someone, ask!
Edmunds.com site:

National Base Price
A note about advertising fees
$27,200 Base MSRP
$24,871 Base Invoice
$25,798 What others are paying

Regional Adjustment
for Zip Code Change


Optional Equipment
$5,820 MSRP
$5,018 Invioce
$5,337 What others are paying

S03 Driver Preferred Package
$3,650 "
$3,166 "
$3,358 "

P01 Premium Audio Package
$1,000
$867
$920

J01 Power Glass Sunroof
$900
$780
$828

L92 Front, Rear and Trunk Mats
$150
$113
$128

N10 Colored Splash Guards
$120 MSRP
$92 Invoice
$103 what others are paying

Color Adjustment
$0
*

Destination Charge
$560
$560
$560

Total with Options
$33,580 msrp
$30,449 invoice
$31,699 what others are paying

Incentives & Rebates
-$1,000 only on 2005 or 2% financing 24-60

Customer Cash Adjusted True Market Value
$30,699 Price most people are paying


So paying 29,200 for an 05 Maxima is good deal!

Tek-Niq

iTrader: (3)

I tought it was it for me when I had my 5th gen, but this car is all good. I feel that I'm going to have some goo memories with this one also. the prob are just included in the package I guess you know. I don't regret it at all.

**** go for it ****

joemax1

I agree! I also opted for the 2% instead of the cashback. You didn't just get a good deal there man, you got a GREAT deal!!!

VQMAX05

iTrader: (2)

joemax1:

Thanks,

People sometimes dont have the faitest clue as to what they are talking about.

thats all they say

joemax1

[QUOTE=VQMAX05]joemax1:

Thanks,

People sometimes dont have the faitest clue as to what they are talking about.


yup! so how's your Max?

VQMAX05

iTrader: (2)

I LOVE IT!! I MEAN ITS THE BEST CAR I HAVE EVER HAD!
I traded in my pride: 2004 Dodge Ram HEMI quad cab for it.
I had it lowered,chipped,flowmaster,intake,throttle body spacer,HID's,NOS,TV/DVD,2 10" subs and the list goes on and on.....

until some a*s *Ramed into me*.
BUT I could not be happier.
610miles later im still excited about driving it. And now that its lowered oh wOw! even better!
Thanks for askin.

U LOVING IT?

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

calm down sparky

guess you didn't read that part. just thought you would of saved even more. Man are you detoxing off of crack or something? why all the hostility. Is it raining there like it is here? I know it sucks when I can't drive my Max...

I paid $200 over invoice price in May and received 1.9% w/o any trade and before the rebates started. That's for every option but SAT, NAVI and VDC.

sorry if I caused any harm to you. you took it way too serious and in the wrong way. hope it's sunny tomorrow so you can be happy again

VQMAX05

iTrader: (2)

Who said anything about being mad? Im good, I didnt get upset, I just dont like being knocked, thats it.

no hard feelings
were all a big happy MAXI family!! :-)

tubells

This is really one of the most beautiful cars for the money.... I've had mine for 16 months now .. no shimmy, no major or even minor problems (the glove box I dont care!..I dont look at it)
This car also grabs a lot of attn., even the odd person coming over and talking abt it while filing gas etc. (not sure if that is good or bad tho)
Bottom line .. unless you get a lemon.. you will not regret buying the MAX!

jsmithsole

iTrader: (5)

Same here....

lightonthehill

alexkoss - bet you never expected this much response. There is some very good info in the posts here (at least until now).

I don't think your salesman is totally correct on the shimmy fix. This may be a simple misunderstanding. If you are talking about shimmy while braking, then he is right-on; the first thing to look at is turning or replacing the rotors.

But I would be more concerned with a different shimmy; the one at speed (no braking involved). On most affected Maximas, it is somewhere between 45 mph and 60 mph. But it can be at other speeds.

Drive the car on a good road, gradually increasing speed until you reach the point you are incurring the wrath of either the salesman or the local county mountie. All the while, hold the steering wheel loosely at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions with your fingertips. If you car has the 'shimmies', you will suddenly realize the steering wheel is vibrating from side-to-side.

The shimmies can usually be either fixed or made very negligible, but this sometimes requires several tries, and success is not always forthcoming.

My advice is to simply pass on any car with the shimmies.

Many here (thankfully not I) have strut problems. Test-drive the car at an angle thru low spots such as going thru the gutter into a parking lot, listening carefully for strange sounds such as a clunking.

My glove box misalignment was easily and quickly fixed by replacing the tiny rubber nipple inside the upper left corner of the opening with a longer one. In most misalignment cases, replacing the door itself would change nothing.

I love my 5th gen (2000 SE), but was already searching the net for spy pics of the 6th gen by May of 2002. Found them in October of 2002, and knew immediately I would be buying one.

I would not exchange my '04 SL for anything costing under $50K. In fact, I wouldn't swap it for many vehicles in any price range. I love it.


edit - My vin is 920120, assembled in late May of 2004, and does not shimmy (at least at speeds up to 100 mph). So far, the struts and rotors are OK. But one never knows what the future holds . . .

alexkoss

Thanks a lot for the input guyes.
I will be picking up the 2004 se 5seat sometimes early next week, i will throuly inspect it before i leave.

jackconly

Well....I am almost embarrassed to report that we've got an early '04 and have had only very minor problems -- glove box alignment, CD player broke -- which were fixed by the dealer. We've owned everything from a vintage Continental to Hondas, GTOs, Cadillacs, and never ever had a car where so many complete strangers approach to remark what a beautifual automobile this is.

It's fast, handles well (no shimmy), very quiet at highway speeds. The only complaint is that I wish the turning radius was better. It's wide and takes some manuvering in tight spots. But, in all, I' recommend you go for it! Great car!

vopal

I think I don't understand something. Correct me if I am wrong.

Your price is $29,200
Invoice is $30,449

Dealer Actual Cost = Invoice - Dealer Holdback(3% Total Invoice Price, excluding the Destination) - Incentives

Dealer Actual Cost = $30,449 - $896.67 - $0(you did not take the $1000 rebate) = $29,552.33

Did Nissan dealer pay you $352.33 to take Maxima out of his dealership?

Thank You,

install30

Hummmm.......why argue....we all agree with one thing....the Maxima is the best bang for the buck.

VQMAX05

iTrader: (2)

See this is how it works,
When your freinds with the salesman and the sales manager of the dealer you can get deals like that. yeah they do take a loss on the car but make it back up in Nissan dealer incentives ( money the NISSAN give the dealer) and in the trade. they gave me clean book and then some but they sold it auction for more, so it works out for me....