Aside from the dual sunroof issues in the premium maxima, can anyone point out any other issues that are worth noting before purchase?

It's a 2009 Maxima Sport package with 40K Miles, no accidents or damage. I'm concerned about engine issues (ie oil consumption) with this particular engine, has anyone had problems? Suspension components also come to mind and being the Sport package has upgraded suspension does it have a longer or shorter lifespan in your experience?

While I realize there is a lot of good info to sift through here, I'm running on a deadline and any quick advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

 

Get the vin, call locale dealer to run for warranties. What's the asking price?

 

Steering wheel motor and locking mechanism fuse... Look for a recent thread on a maxima with 119 k

 

Make sure the intelligent key works in every way. Be aware the key can be set to handle different situations in different ways.

Make sure all windows roll up and down smoothly and completely, both when operated from the driver's position and from each individual seat.

Make sure both the driver's seat and right passenger seat are fully functional, including the heating and power movements.

Make sure all seat belts allow free body movement after being latched (my left rear one had to be replaced twice).

Check all tires for even wear.

Make sure the brakes stop smoothly, not with a rapid intermittent 'catch-and-release' feeling indicating warped rotors.

Make sure the moonroof and its inside screen open and close smoothly, with no unusual or loud nioses.

If possible, remove the door sill molding and raise the carpet and pad along the left edge of the driver's foot well. If this car has ever been flooded, a peek under the carpet padding there will show rust. We can also sometimes spot indications of flooding by removing the spare tire and looking in the bottom of the spare tire well in the trunk. Many thousands of cars were flooded this past year, and most will somehow miss the require 'salvage' designation, and be sold to someone.

Drive the car on a quiet street with no traffic around, listening for any unusual noises. On that same quiet street, roll down the windows and listen again.

Make sure the engine is not 'tapping', and runs smoothly.

Make sure the guages all operate correctly.

Watch the dash warning indicator lights carefully. They should all come on briefly, then gradually go out. If one never lights up, or if one lights and never goes out, find out why.

When driving the car on a flat road, the steering wheel should not pull in either direction. After completing a turn, if we release the steering wheel, it should have a definite tendency to move back to the 'straight ahead' position.

But the list is endless, and sometimes it is very difficult to check everything in a short period. It would be wonderful if you could have some kind of aggreement that undisclosed problems of a significant nature found within so-so days would nullify the deal (or require the seller to bay for the fix). But more often, folks like to dump cars 'as-is.'

Let us know what happens.

 

Being that I have a 2009..Let me share with you some things to look for:

- If you have a premium, you should have the splash guards that come with the car..mine didn't.
- The rear suspension makes this creaking noise (Small bumps, pot holes, etc). I thought I fixed it by swapping the suspension for eibachs..and it did go away but now its back
- The Sunroof works alright for me..but it seems to get caught every now and then..Hopefully this won't be a problem in the future
- The Motor for the Steering Wheel finally is shot. I was at 45k Miles..and now it gets jammed or barely moves.
- If you have wheel locks, make sure they actually give the lock key & Jack Stand too. (My dealership "forgot" to put these in..yeah right..)
- Make sure the battery on the Intelligent Key has full battery and is replaced - you will know if it says no key or takes a while for the indicator to go away on the dash.
- Open the trunk and look for painting mistakes and the front bumper and look for imperfections. My dealership claimed that it was never in an accident..and when I did some snooping around - I noticed dried up splash marks after opening the trunk..
- The Nissan signature on the Headlights, Tailights, etc. Another thing that I caught them after buying the car is they replaced the tail lights to aftermarket..

Those are my main concerns..obviously check over the tires, rims, interior, exterior for imperfections, etc. etc.

Hope this helps!

 

main thing id look for is the steering column lockout module; you can pull a fuse to disable that while it's on to avoid huge headaches down the road if it fails and leaves you stranded.

the auto-tilt motors on the steering column arent the best; just turn off the auto up/down when you enter and they'll live much longer.

other than that issues seem to be random occasional stuff. the 2 things i listed above are the only really bad issues ive seen hit the 09s that cost a lot of money out of pocket later if they happen

 

Thank you to everyone who has posted!!!!!!

 

I tracked down another 09 and pulled the trigger, it's s an SV Premium with 25K Miles. The car ran incredibly on the test drive, I checked the steering wheel adjustment motor (which had recently been replaced) and all was good. The dual sunroof was solid on the test drive with no rattling or breaking noises but I have noticed if I go over a large bump it will make a little noise, taking it really slow in reverse prevents this. All background checks, fluids and brakes were good and I had the car in my possession within 3 hours of seeing it (the price was right). The body needs a little work but I no longer want the hassle of having to park a new car miles away from every restaurant or grocery store to prevent scratches and dings, plus the winter roads are so tough on a vehicle. Come spring I'll wax her down it will improve the condition greatly. Regardless this car still turned a lot of heads yesterday (even though this kind of bothers me).

The car is so comfortable, I own a 370Z as well and this Maxima truly gives me the same the sensation driving it but without feeling so crammed in there. Last night when I was driving home, a feeling of relaxation came over me. The heated steering wheel and seat combined with design of the seat put me in a state of bliss(keep in mind it was -25C/-13F out last night).

Now, I plan on selling my 370Z because this Maxima gives me everything it doesn't have. The auto dimming side mirror believe it or not is the one things that really sticks out, I'm constantly getting blinded by trucks with bright lights from that side view mirror. Putting my hand up to block it has been the only solution up to this point. The Maxima has ample power and the steering is sporty enough to give me a fix on days where I'll miss the Z.

I feel honored and grateful to drive a Maxima, it has certainly been something that I have been missing in life. However, buying this car new with a huge price tag wouldn't give me the same sense of satisfaction.

 

Congrats on the purchase, it's an awesome feeling. I've never driven a Z, and I'm sure it'd be fun, but I definitely can get my fix with the maxima. It's a quick ride, looks great, and is super comfortable in the cockpit. Good purchase man, happy for you.

 

Good post.

Seems like you made out, an 09 with super low miles. Don't see too many of those hanging around. Definitely can relate to some of the sentiments you stated (ie. heated seats, dimming mirror, etc).

Good luck with the car.