Hello everyone, I was looking into purchasing a 6th Gen maxima.

I figured the cheapest would be the 04, considering it is the oldest, but it will also have the highest mileage.

Are there any big problems that keep people away from say an 05 as opposed to an 08 or something.


My plans are to add that clean GTR body kit, new coat of paint, and leave it.


I love my 4th gen to death, but I also want something new.

 

Look around at the Sticky's and threads. 04-06 have the 5AT which is giving some trouble. 07-08 is CVT.
Suspension is very sensitive to showing a shimmy if wheels or brakes are unbalanced where many cars hide this.
Some have found lower miles on older cars...

 

In terms of looks, I'll take the 6.5gen.

 

cant speak on anything other then an 04 but.... the thought that older will have more miles isnt true.... i bought my car almost a year ago and i got it for 8000 with 87000 miles... most of the newer 6th gens had more miles... i would look more into what tranny headache your going to want to deal with lol... and i know on mine the tensioner guards are a bit annoying when the cars cold but if its nice she purrs... i lucked out (brand new tranny 1 month before purchase too)... good luck though let us know what you get.

 

I drove an early build 2004 with no major mechanical issues for 132,000 miles...it all depends on how it was taken care of, mine was very well taken care of since new.

 

04-06 get a bad rep because of the 5AT giving problems for some people. It's kind of a hit and miss, I drive an 04 5AT and it hasn't had such issues. To be safe just get the 6MT

07-08 win in looks but you only have the CVT option which is a love/hate thing. I do like the sportier-looking bumpers though but if you're planning to bodykit it then it probably won't matter too much. Another plus is no headaches from possible transmission problems in these years (as far as I know but I don't have a 6.5 gen).

 

The 5AT issue is going to be the biggest concern you'll have. I believe the problems were more prevalent in the late 04s, 05s, and 06s - I recall reading somewhere that the early 04s fared better. In any case, as with any vehicle, it's a crapshoot whether or not you happen to buy one with an AT issue, or anything else for that matter.

6.5 gen+ look much better in my opinion. I'm not a fan of the CVT (a buddy of mine has an 09 which I driven) but that's probably because I'm old and used to trans shifts through the band.

 

Research this car carefully before you buy it, its just not the AT tranny that is the issue but a lot of nickel and diming that goes on with the car. I have a 6 speed 2004, worst buy ever...

 

what???? I was actually considering replacing my 5th gen with one of those with a 6 speed? why? whats wrong with the car?

 

06, 07 or 08. Look for something hasn't been modded. Get the tranny (if auto) and catalytic converters check out if it has more than 80k on it.

 

my soltion for the car is ... valvebody upgrade

and if your cats are clogging spray it and it'll clean everything right through !

after that no problems ! ... yay

 

I purchased my 04 6 speed manual in December of 2011. No issues so far and the maintenance records kept by the two previous owners that had the car serviced at the Nissan dealership had minimal repairs.

Best vehicle purchase I have ever made (bought with 98k miles).

The only issue I see myself running into in the future would be the timing chain tensioners. I have the noise on cold days (below 32 degrees) when I start her up only and its very minimal at this time.

Also, no oil consumption in between oil changes. Currently running 5w30 synthetic and changing the oil every 3500 to 4500 miles.