Now I'm being told we don't need Ester oil? What if we used it for 12k miles, if it ok to switch to the cheap stuff? Anyone else get any word on this? I went with Ester oil a month ago, but now I'm hearing from fellow owners that we no longer need it...any info on this?

By the way, just hit 12k miles in just over 2 years of ownership...looks like this car is gonna last me a longgggg time!

 

Ester oil is recommended, but not required. The three nearest dealers to me all just put Shell 5W30 dino oil in during oil changes without asking. This meets all warranty requirements. There will be those that stick with ester. There will be those who stick with dino. There will be those who go with a synthetic blend. there will be those who go with a full synthetic. All of these will work, and all meet warranty requirements. There will be no problem in switching to whatever kind of oil you want, but make this change at oil change time, because different types of oil should not be mixed.

I would recommend you read the lubrication section of maxima.org and decide which way you wish to go, and find out what folks feel are the best brands of whatever kind of oil you choose. The warranty does specify that the oil must be SAE approved, and oils meeting SAE requirements will all have the SAE info on every container.