NeverBepeace

Ok first I would like to state that......im back!!!! I had a 01 max about a year ago. Decided to trade it in and get a scion xb. The wife now wants the xb. so now I'm back looking at maximas again. I'm highly interested in the 04 max. Is there anything I should look for when browsing? I just seen a sticky for lemon laws and such. Does the 04 have a lot of issues? Also, I'm sort of on a budget. What are the going prices for the 04 max? I seen them with 50k for about 17gs. I that a good price? I would really want something with a little bit less mileage. Can anybody recommend any good websites or car dealerships in the ny long island area? The last max I got was purchased from legend nissan on long island and it wasn't a good experience. That was the reason for the trade. I look foward to your responses. Thanks

scrui

forget 04, look for 05 and up.

do a search on yahoo autos for cars, give yourself a 100 mile radius.

good luck.

NeverBepeace

if I bypass 04 and get a 05 and up....the price goes up aswell. my budget is around 16-18k.....with 5g down payment. Any body else?

BadBlackMaxSL

iTrader: (1)

04's came in both 4 speed auto trans and 5 speed auto trans (plus the 6 stick) If auto, look for the 5 speed, thats what I have and it is much smoother than my 02 SE 4 speed auto.

NeverBepeace

hmmmm ok. What is considered a good buy? I just checked out a post with a guy saying he bought a 04 with 50k for 17.500. Is that a good buy?

hfj17002

I just purchased on 05 with leather, bose, spoiler, ect for 22497 before TTL. It had 26k on it and was nissan certified. I was also looking at a base 06 SE for 21997 with 19k. I looked at the local nissan dealers used inventory because it already had the price and all the info about the car. I know I saw some 04's for about 17k-19k, but the milage was between 50k-70k. I think you can find something in your range, Good Luck!

AllBlackMax

I would suggest, if you can, find a 6 spd manual, elite package, and navigation. Finding that will be rare but well worth it. I would suggest to go to www.kbb.com, build out the Max and then try to find a price under that.

jsmithsole

iTrader: (5)

Not sure why you would say that, not all 04's had problems. I have had no problems at all with mine. My one mistake was getting the 4AT, as BadBlackMaxSL said get the 5at for sure.

And also make sure you're not buying a rental!!!

Good luck!

Ritz

iTrader: (2)

I bought my 04 for $18,900 with 27k on it about 6 months ago, with 10 months left on the 3yr/36k warranty. so far I haven't had a problem at all.

you probably would be better off looking towards an 05 though, since a lot of 04's will be out of the 3yr/36k warranty very soon, if not already.. but as far as problems and reliability, I'd say there's no sense in overlooking the 04's. of course, don't forget there's a 5yr/60k warranty on the powertrain.

SilverMax_04

I currently have 55 K miles on my 04 that I bought in May of 03. I got new tires at about 33 K miles (and not RSAs). You don't want any Max with Goodyear RSA tires.

There were a number of minor issues with my Max that were all fixed early under warranty. I'm coming up on the end of my drive-train warranty, but no issues there -- at all.

I would not rule out an 04 -- not all of them had problems, and all of the problems by now should have been fixed. The issues you should watch out for are the following:

- Was the Sky-view window replaced -- if recalled.
- What is the status of the front struts -- some (not mine) were replaced early because they failed.
- Does the front end shimmy at speed (usually between 55 and 70 MPH) (other 6th gens also have had this problem, but it was more prevelent in the 04s). I never had this problem, either.

Good luck finding the Max you want. I agree with the poster who said try to find a 6-speed manual. I love mine. There are other posts on this site saying that some are having problems with their auto trannies (both 4-speed and 5-speed). I've had no problems with my 6-speed.

lightonthehill

As info, although the '04s did not reach dealer lots until March 2003, they were built from Jan 2003 until July 2004. That is a full year and a half. the little plate inside the driver's door jamb will tell you when each car was built.

Many of the nagging details found in some of the early '04s were fixed later in the model run. My SL was built in May of 2004, and has been an excellent vehicle. I really love it. I had a few little things fixed under warranty early on, but nothing but oil changes and gas fillups for over two years now.

As to the trannies, the SE came with a choice of 5 speed tiptronic or 6 speed manual the entire model run. No other tranny was ever put in the '04 SE. The SL was made ONLY with a four speed auto from Jan 2003 until Feb 6th, 2004, and ONLY with the same 5 speed tiptronic as the SE from Feb 7th 2004 forward. If you go for the SL, the 5 speed tiptronic is the preferred tranny.

Before buying, drive the car at speeds between 35 MPH and 75 MPH on an open road and pay very close attention to any vibration. Set the car on a straight course, then hold the steering wheel very lightly with your fingertips at the three o'clock and 9 o'clock positions. There will be some vibration in any vehicle, but several here on the ORG have had '04s that had a disconcerting side-to-side vibration in the steering wheel, sometimes at just one small speed range, sometimes at many speed ranges. This can sometimes be difficult to get fixed.

Also avoid a car that has excessive torque steer. My SL has none, but some '04s had a lot.

Make several turns at low speeds through culverts and into driveways at an angle that sort of 'twists' the car. Listen for unusual suspension noises. Several have had trouble with struts, etc.

Fair price is something you will have to determine. The base '04 SE started at $26,900, but options could take it well above $32,000. The SL started at $28,900 and likewise had an upper range in the lower $30,000s. The SL comes with many things standard, such as leather seating, HID headlights, etc.

You need to find out exactly what options the car you are looking at has, then go to one of the many auto sites (Edwards, Bluebook, etc) and plug in the options to see what they give as the price for that car in poor, average or excellent condition.


Edit - SilverMax - Sorry I 'overlaid' some of your same points. Your post was not yet up when I began the slow one-finger typing of my diatribe.

SmokinMaxSE

iTrader: (1)

Purchased my certified used 04 Maxima SE(5speed auto) last April. This car is like new with only a scuff mark on one of the original rim spokes. 23K miles and 10K later the Alternator went and was replaced. All brakes have been done and I need new tires soon. I'll be saving what's left of this tread for next winter and buying some good summer tires.

Thats it. No problems at all. I did the 30K schedule. Premium fuel only and drives smooth as butter. The tires suck like no other though. Traction control would be nice since it likes to eat tires.

Outlawd

iTrader: (2)

I think you can find a nicely loaded 04 (Possibly 05) with pretty low miles (30-40K) for your price range. About 5-6 months ago, I bought my 2004 Onyx on Black, 6spd, 37,500 miles, Elite package, Navi, Hid's w/ new yoko's es100, and remaining 5yr/60k mile warranty for $19,500 drive out. No problems at all - Love it.

chernmax

iTrader: (15)

pnoy77

I bought my 04 from a mazda dealership... SE white, 15000 miles for $19,500... got the extended total care warranty just incase any problems come up... look around local dealership... sometimes they don't post it online so u have to look for it...

scrui

i'm not knocking the 04,

i personally don't buy first year cars, because of the issues it might have.

did not mean to offend 04 owners.

this guy is about to load a bunch of money for a used car, at least he can do is buy a 05 and up and not take a chance on a 04 that might have been someone elses headache. not to say that a 05 or an 06 don't have problems either, but his odds would be better.

thanks,

SilverMax_04

chernmax -- I love your picture of the housewife and the air spray. That's one way to say what you mean without the automatic sensors on this site kicking in *** in place of letters.

I once wanted to write the technical term for lead that was used in leaded gasoline. But the site did not like the start of this term. I will try using that name again -- just to see if it gets changed. Oil companies used to blend ***raethyl lead into gasoline to boost octane.

It is still working the word is t_e_t_r_aethly lead.

scrui: your attitude causes the resale value of 04s to be lower than they should be. Nissan corrected the problems that occurred in early 04 Max's and so they should be as good a value as the other years now that they have been fixed. The value of a new car goes down substantially the minute you drive it away from the dealers showroom. No reason to cut the value of used cars more than time and mileage already do.

scrui

i'm in for more crap from you guys, so let me have it.

Because what ever I say, it's just going to **** you guys more.

so I'll stop here.

Take care.

I love all maximas.

Scrui

M&M

I bought my 04 6spd with 50k for $14.500 a month ago. It is the base model, only option is a regular sunroof. No shimmy and no problems with suspension either.

cobrar97

I just bought an 04 SE with 5-speed auto. It has 50k and I bought it for $14,000. It is in excellent condition with most options. I believe I got a GREAT deal, so I'd say if you find a nice one for 14,000-15,000 you should jump all over it.