I have spoken to the service manager at my local Nissan dealer and the regional Nissan rep and they have told me that the seat rocking/slipping is a known problem that Nissan engineers are working on. Replacing the existing seat with new parts will not fix the problem. No time frame was given for the fix. If anyone hears that Nissan has come up with a fix for this, please post it here.

 

I have the same problem and the dealer told me it was a balancing issue. the tires have been balanced 4 times and the problems still there. not much confidence in the dealer to diagnose the problem.

 

I too talked to the service manager in knoxville. he was not aware of any problem with the seats.

on a seperate issue the vibration is thought to be the CVT vs the balance and also was told it may be a computer problem. nobody knows what to do with it.

anyone have thoughts?

 

Any luck solving it?

 

none... any thoughts?

 

I to have a rocking drivers seat but id say it rocks more than 1/2 an inch. I can easily move it back and forth.

 

swapping the seat frame actually made it worse.

I'm leaving well enough alone until Nissan gets a REAL fix instead of the dealership repair depts guessing at a fix. Not that it wasn't a good/logical guess, just didn't fix it.

You do somewhat get used to it, but you always know it's there.

 

not a seventh genner but i have seen 5th gen tsbs for the same issue.....surprised and disappointing to hear the same problem appear in 7th gen maxs...

 

I'm quite worried about picking up my 7th Gen now that I've read all this. Was the rocking seat issue evident from Mile 1? or did it occur over time? I'll be going over and driving the new delivery very well before I take possesion.

 

Cross your fingers and hope. I tried several ways to find any sign of this in my seats, and thankfully everything was tight as a tick, so you may luck out. I am a little surprised there doesn't seem to be a real fix for this yet.

 

I'm sure mine was from mile 1, but didn't notice it until after all the other goodies were explored. Tho it wasn't long after. Dealership noticed the issue after I pointed it out to them, no doubting Thomas folks there. They "confirmed" it's an annoyance, but the seat is well attached and not considered a safety issue. I suspect that may be the key issue.

 

Is it possible to recreate the seat issue by leaning against the seat .. rocking back and forth or does the vehicle have to be in motion with a certain ammount of acceleration?

 

I can do it just sitting there.

 

I'll make sure that I test it well. I'm a big guy and I'm sure I can make the seat move if it's loose :P

 

Is anyone having problems with the side bolsters left side on driver side showing unusual wear.I have what appears to be small blemishes circular in appearance.I'm very careful getting in and out so as not to lean heavily toward that side on entry or exit.This is a 1 driver car and with the upgraded leather.Passenger side is fine.

 

I would say thats common, since the seat belt is pulled and released constantly (especially on the driver side)

 

My drivers seat move a little also. If I sit there and bounce my back onto the back of the seat, you feel a slight movement. Almost as if the mounting bolts are a little loose. Hope they come up with a solution.

 

The only problem I have had is the rear sway bar mounts. It is the only problem I have had with the Max. I got the car 6-30-08, every option, last four numbers in vin number is under 2020. I have over 21,000 miles on the car. I went on a road trip from Chicago to Naples and the Keys. No problems and the car runs great

 

I had the same problem on my 08 Altima SE, but mine rocked from side to side when turning. Had it back to dealership 2x 1st time they put in new seat track, 2nd time they put some sort of shim kit. Worked for about 2 weeks ,then started up again. Well , anyways traded Altima in and got the 09 Maxima SV sport tech. No problems with seat thus far.

 

Looks like a few 370z drivers have this issue as well!

http://www.the370z.com/nissan-370z-g...e-driving.html

 

Anyone a member over there? Post a link to the issues here. Obviously it's related somehow.

Actually, I think I'll join just to add my link. hehehe

 

My first issue is this. It started off making a flapping sound when I first started it at about 20 mph. Then it added the sound of something braking free to engage. I can also feel something flapping from gas pedal. Anyone have this issues at all?

 

Under very light acceleration something similar happens on my car...right after the doors automatically lock. A little more pressure on the gas and it does not occur. I read somewhere it is sometimes the CVT belt..hope not!

 

is about 5000 miles on mine~~~no problem with the driver seat!!

 

i got the rocking issue..5'8" 155lbs so even happens for a smaller guy!

 

This always happens with me every time I pass certain locations, which happens to be when I am in the situation Mick7 mentioned. I know exactly when it is going to happen. But it is barely noticable, except for someone super-**** like me, who would notice if a butterfly landed on the rear bumper. Just by the nature of the sound, I decided it was superficial, and nothing to be concerned about.

 

Yes, I have it also. Not sure if it's a problem, but will have it checked at next oil change.

 

It is a shudder or muted rattle almost...is that what you feel? I always know as it is in concert with the auto door locks..a little more gas and it does not happen. It "feels" like it is from the front driver side fender area.

 

I notice this as well - no idea what it is but the fact that it happens with the door locks leads me to think it is some locking mechanism.

 

Yup; that's it. A little different than anything I have ever experienced. But since it always does it at the same speed, always while in sort of a coasting mode, and when I am at the same locations, and is barely noticable, I decided it was just a characteristic of the '09 Maxima, and it does not worry me very much. Especially now that I'm finding other '09s here do exactly the same thing.

Mine is very slightly different, in that it happens AFTER the doors lock. My doors seem to lock just below 20 mph, and this brief, light pulsing happens at just two or three mph higher. I have wondered if this might be the car trying to decide whether to go into the mode where it uses engine compression to retard the speed on downslopes when the gas pedal is either not being pressed or is being very lightly pressed. Since this happens to me only on downslopes that are almost level, the car may be hesitating, then deciding the slope does not warrant compression braking. But That is just one guess of many. I am going to play around with this thing a little and see if I can narrow it down somewhat.

 

My wifes car does it too , we've had it for about 5 weeks, Love the car otherwise!!

 

Mine does that every cold starts at 20 mph. It always happens no matter how hard or light I press the gas pedal. I also get some rattles from driver side door panel and seat-belt area.

 

You are having the exact problem as I am.

Some sorta rattle thing you get to pedal is not wheel balance issue for sure. If the balance was off, you will not be able to drive the car at all due to all sorta rattles coming from everywhere.

My front passenger seat vibrates like crazy at high way curising speed, too.

I am gonna take her to the dealer.

 

I guess it could be worse... like this owner. Perhaps we should complain as a group to Nissan and try to help this person if the complaint is valid.

There are 3 or so horrible reviews out of 64 on Edmunds and those three pull the car rating down to 9.0. Without them it's about 9.3-4. I'm thinking they should throw out the bottom and top 10% so we get a balanced picture on all cars rated. I'm pretty sure they don't give a rat's rear what I think though.



Well Nissan washed their hands of me and my problem on my 09 maxima.They after thinking my problem was the alternator & replacing it have come to say the noise I hear is the ABS brake cylinders engaging and that there is nothing to do but live with it. Well I argued that it doesn't happen on other 09 max. I have tested they claim it does. Well the noise starts at 20mph a breaking free sound then a flapping or fluddering sound for about a minute. They said it's not happening long enough for me to worry, well I paid 35,000 dollar and I shouldn't have to put up with a sound like something is not working correctly. I will pass the problem on to someone else ASAP by trading in to a lexus which is

 

Is this sound you all are hearing happen only when you first drive the car or everytime you hit the 20 mph mark? I am guessing that its only when you all first start driving since it is mentioned it is in conjunction with the auto door locks. I know when I first got my Altima I noticed a clunking/fluttering noise when I first started driving, usually when I started down the street after backing out of the driveway, but I don't have the auto-lock feature. I asked around on the Altima forum and was told its normal and that it was the ABS doing a self check/test. So since then I really haven't noticed it, I look at it as normal. So I am guessing its the same thing.


And the seat thing........Yea. I think every Nissan/Infiniti with a power drivers seat has this issue. I can't move mine myself, it only does it when I brake hard. I can't tell you if it does it when I accelerate hard, not paying that much attention to it then. I would think they would have some kind of solution. It dates back to the 1st gen Infiniti FX I think. But if there is no safety issue, I am able to live with it since it rarely ever happens.

 

This only happens as the doors are locking when the car reaches around 20 MPH the first time after a restart. And the fluttering is very soft, and ends within two seconds on my car. It could well be something like the ABS system.

I can't prove it, but having driven for sixty years, I seem to have a 'feel' for which sounds indicate something wrong, and which sounds are emitted from something that is operating properly. To me, this sound comes from something operating properly, and has not bothered me in the least. Especially since it seems to be in most, if not all '09 Maximas.

I do think Nissan should have mentioned it in the Owner's Manual, telling us what causes it, and that it is normal.

 

My driver's seat rocks in my car as well. I brought it back 3 times and everything they have replaced has not worked. I keep adjusting the seat hoping to find a position that does not rock as much. It really sucks to be honest.

 

Yup thats the exact same thing I hear on my 07 Altima. But I have to pay attention to it, and it usually does it right when I shift to 2nd gear so that further makes it not that noticable too. I think it is normal.

 

This only happens as the doors are locking when the car reaches around 20 MPH the first time after a restart. And the fluttering is very soft, and ends within two seconds on my car. It could well be something like the ABS system.

That's a more accurate description and is exactly what mine does. After all the feedback here, it sure sounds like it is the ABS self-check.

I am thinking this review on Edmunds involves some buyer remorse as he claims it shakes for a long time. I doubt Nissan would ignore that.

 

My Max is now at the dealer, and I came home with another maxima (odometer reading 7 miles). I still hear the rattle or some kinna break-free noise from this one, too. I guess all the Maximas make this noise. It will make the noise loud and clear even if I lock all the doors before I drive.