4 Months, so far no issue with the dual-panel. Sorry mates

 

My car has now been in the shop for over a week. The first time I complained about my sunroof, they oiled it. That was useful.
This time they ordered new parts for it and got them last Friday, tried them out and something went horribly wrong according to the service guy. Not sure what that means exactly. So they were getting more parts in and it should be fixed by Monday. Now Monday is gone and they are trying a 3rd repair. Might be done tonight. We shall see.
My issues stemmed from a front strut issue and a rear tire that was not centered on the wheel pulling in different directions. I'm quite sure mine will never be right again.
It sucks that they will probably not document each thing they've tried to fix my sun roof so I won't be able to use it as the next 3 steps in the lemon law process. I may have to try it anyways.

 

Front struts can be replaced under warranty. Your strut problem may have even been part of that strut insulator recall. The rear tire and/or wheel can be replaced. Both the strut and tire problem should be fairly easily fixed under warranty.

If your sunroof problem is indeed a sunroof, and not the double panel roof, I have confidence that your dealer will eventually get it right. Sunroofs have been around for many decades, and there are folks who are experts at fixing them.

If, however, you have the double panel roof, most dealers are not authorized to work on them, and replacement roofs must be shipped from Japan. I have a feeling folks who have problems with these double panel roofs are going to have difficulty getting the thing fixed properly. Just my feeling.

In any event, I am sorry you have had THREE significant problems with your new Maxima. That is definitely more than your share. Even though these problems are under warranty, it is bothersome to have to take time from your schedule to have them fixed.

It is tough to have a beautiful new Maxima, but have it sitting in the dealer's service department day after day. It particularly hurts when there are indications of ineptness by your dealer's service folks.

Just make sure the sunroof gets fixed correctly, and write everything you can remember your service rep saying down on paper. Also make sure there are no scratches or damage anywhere around the sunroof, both inside and outside the car. Also check the seats for damage or grease. Mechanics can sometimes be rather careless.

You have my sympathy.

 

Mine too marmstro and others enduring pain with this. We were driving along about a week ago when my wife noticed that same sound on a relatively flat road.
We didn't open or close the roof then, or since, and so far it has not come back. It was a bit disconcerting though.

 

I apologize for not being completely clear. I do have the dual panel sun roof. Today we heard from the service guy and my car is at a body shop where they had to cut the entire panel out of the top of my car. Apparently most of the welds were broken. Still waiting to see what this will bring.....
Really sucks!!

 

OK, so after 2 weeks in the shop I picked up my '09 today from the shop. They did the typical frame replacement TSB for the seat and addressed the noises I was hearing from my dual panel moonroof by doing work from the TSB released in November. First impression is both are fixed although I've only logged 5 miles on the car (previous that'd have been enough to have both issues surface). For the moonroof, the TSB basically says to tighten to a specific measurement all of the screws that hold the roof frame and brace together. I left the TSB in my car but will post the number later tonite. I'm very hopeful that these issues are fixed so I can go back to enjoying the car!

FYI, my sales manager was awesome and gave me a 2010 max fully loaded to drive during the time the shop had my car. Made the wait much less painful.

 

Reminds me of that famous literary treatise; 'It was the best of times (traderumors) and the worst of times (marmstro),' clearly described in back-to-back posts.

I am very happy that traderumors seems to have his problems resolved, and especially impressed he is happy with his dealer.

But my heart aches for marmstro, and his news is a little scary. I'm sure there are facets to his situation with which I am not familiar, but my gut reaction is that I would be very upset if I were in his shoes. I feel he should be thinking in terms of saving every scrap of paper and writing down every word, as this may be a situation where he would feel a LOT more comfortable with a replacement car. No owner of a new 7th gen Maxima should have to suffer like he has. I hope someone from Nissan reads these boards.

 

OK, here is the basics for what was done on my roof.

Classification: BT09-035
Reference: NTB09-132
Date: November 19, 2009
Title: 2009 Maxima; Creaking/popping noise from dual panel sunroof

Hopefully that is enough for others to find the bulletin and take it to their dealers. If not let me know and I can scan in the document and post it.

FYI, the bulletin specifically states NOT to replace the sunroof.

Also, a day later and all seems to still be well. Guess I'll have to just wait this out and see if things slowly regress or not, because as I recall, I didn't have any of these issues when I took possession of the car originally.

 

My car is still at the body shop as it apparently requires over 24 hours of curing after the new sunroof is installed. At least I was able to trade in the lovely minivan that they rented me for in Impala. It really gets me that traderumors was able to drive a 2010 Maxima and I got stuck in a Dodge Caravan. Had I realized that Nissan doesn't provide a vehicle for you to drive even when they are doing warranty work I never would have purchased one. And at this point I will never purchase another. I will be proceeding with the lemon law as soon as I get my car back. I already contacted an attorney. This is just not acceptable in my brand new car that has 7000 miles on it. In all honesty, the Impala drives smoother than my Maxima ever has. Very very sad. I'm extremely soured by this experience.

 

Can't say as I blame you. I have owned nothing but Maximas for over 25 years, and drove a Datsun (Nissan product) for 6 years before that, and never during those 31 years did I have any experience even remotely close to your heartache. Maximas have been BY FAR the best vehicles I have owned in sixty years of driving. I could sit here and tell you that Maximas are traditionally a solid vehicle, and most have very few problems, but that doesn't mean much if you were the unlucky soul who got both the lemon and the 'iffy' dealer. I am really sorry you are having such a bad experience.

 

Well my car has now been living at Nissan since December 9th. They got the new dual panel sunroof in but now they can't get it to program correctly and it won't shut Which is awesome in Indiana in the winter. We had to take the lovely impala to Wisconsin for the holiday. I love driving a $20K car while paying for a $40K car.

 

I'm sure they disconnected the battery before attaching the motor wires of the new roof. Maybe they don't know the procedure for resetting the roof (roof, radio settings, and sometimes other things have to be reset after a battery disconnect). The prodedure is in the Owner's Manual somewhere, but I'm sure they probably already tried that.

Try to look at this from a positive viewpoint (which is admittedly difficult after your horrible experiences); the Impala probably fits in better in the Midwest, where the sales slump of American-brand vehicles is destroying the financial well-being of our nation's industrial heartland.

But then that viewpoint wouldn't console me either.

 

Sorry that you are having such a bad experience. Like "Light", I have been a loyal Maxima owner for over23 years (some say I'm boring) and I have had nothing but positive experiences.

 

Thats sucks!

 

ouchh

 

I really hope I never have this problem.

 

I have been noticing mine creeking like what has been described. I supposed I will need to take it to the dealer to have them perform the TSB. Thanks for the info.

 

***UPDATE***
I took the above service bulletin in to my dealer (who I generally avoid like the plague). Without jinxing it, they fixed it!!!! No popping or creaking at all, and mine was happening constantly previously. It's been 3 days so far-so if you have this issue print out the TSB referenced above and bring it into the dealer. I swear it's like a new car. I haven't been this happy since I got the 2004's infamous shimmy fixed!
****
I've got the exact same issue. Unfortunately I don't see how it's just ONE thing. The noises seem to come from the middle divider and the rear and mainly when I hit an "unbalanced" bump (like just one side hits a pothole or during a turn). I wish I had thought this thru more, but in retrospect two huge panes of glass may not be a great idea. Glass has no "give" and the roof of a car has to give somewhere and have some flex. Ah well, 4 more years of payments then I'll probably just buy the 8th generation.
Anyway, I'll print out the TSB (awesome info, thanks) and take it to the dealer...

 

What I don't get is why everytime I mention a TSB or recall to the dealer they act like it's news to them. Isn't there some sort of Nissan database where they can punch in your model and pull up the relevant data? This is just like the 04' Max's shimmy in that I had to peruse the boards to find data from a fellow owner.

 

The problem is that Nissan has how many? 15? 16? I don't know how many different vehicles, so there are lots of things going on. Add to that each of these vehicles gets a complete makeover every so often. Add to that the fact there is sometimes a turnover of personnel taking place at many dealers.

Yes, the needed info is available online for problems Nissan has found a fix for. But service departments don't make as much money on warranty work as in the old days, so sometimes aren't excited about taking it on. Also, these technicians are usually very busy, and will try to avoid having to drop everything and read some technical document about a problem that maybe none (or one) of their customers may ever bring in.

Such is life in the automotive service world.

 

Ya I just got the sun roof fixed on my max there is a TBS for it thay had to drop the head liner and re torque the fastener and now its nice and tight

 

How long did it take for them to do this?

 

it took 2-3 days and 45min after i picked it up to clean the headliner up

 

from the rear roof panel, very rare and therefore not too concerned. However, I've had a few other problems: Driver's seat side panel with seat controls completely broke off seat structure. I thought that this was unbelieveable to happen on a car after only seven months! it was repaired under warrenty, but I was still disappointed with the build quality. Next, I was driving this past week and the "VDC off" came on along with the "slippery" condition image. It was clear and dry and I was cruising at a normal speed. This happened 3 more times over 2 days. Then, the brake light was coming on too! what the #@% is going on? Brought it to the dealer two days ago and left it for repair. The computer had to be reprogrammed for the VDC and Slippery issue. No biggy and now works right. But get this; the brake light is coming on because a sensor in the master cylinder is not working correctly, and is showing that I have a Master cylinder fluid leak. They ordered a new master cylinder and it should be here by Thursday -Then they have to change it out. I'll drop it off friday and hope everything is done right! In the meantime they said the car was safe to drive.
Needless to say, I'm very disapponted in the drop in build quality. If another thing happens in the near future I'll probably trade for a another vehicule. By the the way my current mileage is 21,600. (My old 04 max went 120K before any repair was required). All I can say is it's a good thing I took the extended 100K warranty on the new 09 model.

 

Migoldstein - Congratulations! You are definitely in the running for owning the most troublesome 7th generation Maxima. Of course there are always a few drivers who fail to feel honored by having the most troublesome car, but we are sure you will be very proud to wear the crown as owner of the most troublesome 7th gen Maxima.

I notice you live in Florida. Isn't that where all lemons are grown? That gives you an unfair advantage, but we will ignore that.

Turning more serious, I hate it that you are having so much trouble with a car that should not be giving much trouble. Most 7th gens are like mine, and have had absolutely zero problems so far. Your car must have been built on a holiday eve, or some other time when the workers were not paying attention to their work. I hope the new master cylinder cures the erroneous brake light warning.

 

Are these dual Moon roof problems only affecting 09's models? I have 2K miles on my 010 with no issues to report... knock on wood!

 

Nissan made no mention of the roof in their (fairly short) list of changes and improvements for the '10. I don't know for sure, but would strongly suspect the '09 and '10 roofs have the same parts number, and come out of the same parts bin.

 

What happens to the roof in a wreck? I am considering a 7th gen, but I want the regular roof AND memory seats with the slightly softer ride (like my SL). For memory seats in a 2010, it looks like I can only get them in the Sport or Premium which forces the double roof. Maybe 2011 will be better...

 

No double roof with the Sport. Sadly

 

Well, on a slightly different note (but still sunroof-related), my 2010 Max SV w/Prem+Tech is at the dealer. I dropped it off yesterday, since it wouldn't shut properly (an issue I had about 3 days after buying it, which was only 2.5 weeks ago). When I dropped it off, the service writer came out and it worked for her, haha! I emailed her a video of the noise it was making that I took on my phone, and they actually got it to act up for them!

They overnighted a new sunroof motor and said I should have my car back tomorrow. I'm hoping it's clean, because the car only has 445 miles on it, and was just about spotless (minus some cigar ash).

You better believe I'll raise hell if there are scratches, stains or ANYTHING wrong with my car when I get it back.

I spent 7 months dealing with a 2009 Lincoln MKS, and am quite disheartened to have problems with the Maxima so soon.

 

Sorry you have been bitten by this problem. I have read about creaks and rattles, but this is the first sunroof motor failure I have seen here on the 7th gen forum. If it gives you any consolation, I have opened and closed my double-panel sunroof hundreds of times over the past 14 1/2 months, and never had a whisper of a problem. If they fix your car right, you may never have a problem with your sunroof again. I will cross my fingers for you.

 

Thanks, I appreciate that. Hopefully I'll hear from the dealership in a few hours letting me know that my car is ready to be picked up I'd really like to give them back the Versa that I'm in.

Side note - a Tahoe cut me off in traffic this morning, and then the driver flipped ME off for being in his way, and screamed out of his window, "With that car, doesn't look like you're getting laid any time soon!" I was like WTF??? What is wrong with people these days? He then proceeded to tailgate and cut other people off, so I know it wasn't just me, lol.

 

I have found Tahoe/Blazer drivers to generally (but not always) be unskilled, aggressive and arrogant drivers. They seem to feel a big black vehicle gives them the macho image they otherwise sadly lack. Insurance companies say those particular vehicles have the greatest liklehood of being in an accident.

Be glad you aren't in Atlanta. The reaction you got was a phase Atlanta went through back in the 1980s and 1990s. These days in Atlanta, drivers can't be bothered with raising their fingers or arms or voices; they simply whip out their AK47 and eliminate the gnat that they imagined pestered them.

Let us know how the roof motor replacement goes.

 

Yeah, I'll keep you all informed ... I spoke to the dealer a couple of hours ago, and they said they'd call me around 5 or so, if the car is ready, otherwise they'd call to tell me to keep their rental vehicle over the weekend, and they'd have it done for me Monday. I told them I'd rather it be done right than quick, so take the time they need. Sucks to spend a week without the car after only having it for 2 weeks, but I'd like to not have to go back there for a while!

 

There is a service bulletin for the creaking panoramic roof on this car. The headliner has to first be lowered, then I believe 12 nuts need to be torqued to the proper spec. I had this done to my car about a month ago...haven't heard the noise since.

see sig

 

Well, I finally got my car back from the dealership after taking it back 4 times for the sunroof issue. It's funny, I read on this blog that a bulletin was put out that specifically said NOT to replace the sunroof.

Anyway my sunroof was replaced, with scratches to the paint on the roof of the car where the sunroof meets. Of course they had to re-paint it. A specialist from Tennessee was brought in to do the sunroof fix during my 3rd repair attempt and he said a little silicone and sealer near the tracks should do it.

Wrong.

Still more noises over bumps even after the so-called specialist handled it.

I kept all the service records so after 5 repairs attemps I should be okay. Not to mention I have already been without my car for over 8 weeks repair time. Imagine 2 months without your new car.

The cutoff point for a lawsuit is 18,000 miles in New York or 2 years after delivery and I just hit 10,000 miles so I will see what will become of this.

http://www.ag.ny.gov/bureaus/consume...factsheet.html

 

Whatever became of your sunroof issues?

 

Since getting my car back the sunroof has been great! No noises or anything else strange.
My driver seat does now rock when my boyfriend drives. My air bag sensor still comes on when I sit in the passenger seat. But I am currently happy with my car.

 

Wanted to give everyone the heads up on the noise coming from the dual-panel roof. I too experienced this for many, many months. The dealer finally found (acknowledged) the problem which I had fixed today. It was the headliner and they'd seen/heard it before on other Maximas.

The invoice reads "Replace R/R headliner; repair the headliner for noise"

Noise has ceased.

Hopefully this helps out others who are experiencing this annoying problem!

Rob

 

Have the exact same problem with my 1 week old 2010. Loud "crack" when my back tires roll off my drive way onto the street in the morning, right above my left ear. Only time all day I have heard it so far.