Max2013

I agree with you Abe. To me it is unacceptable. Push Nissan and the dealer hard with the point you just expressed here. Seems it should be difficult for them to defend this type of product quality after two weeks of ownership. Thankfully most have not experienced anything near your level of problems and so soon. And that is the point. If it looks like a lemon, ...

1996blackmax

iTrader: (2)

That is totally unacceptable Abe. Sorry that you're going through that. I would be making a lot of noise both at the dealership, & with Nissan.

honest_abe

I want to make noise everywhere, but I am a salesman at a Motorsports dealership so i understand that making noise at the place of purchase especially when new, can do very little for the customer. The dealership will be less inclined to help out and has no say on the re-purchase agreement that the manufacturer can offer. I have called nissan corp. and they are going to put it to arbitration for repurchase. In situations like this, i would like to believe that you get more bee's with honey than vinegar. The customer service rep on the phone probably gets yelled at by irate customers all day long. I am hoping that my approach of asking for help while maintaining a level head will get me further than the other approach. I can always act angry down the line. I am sure they at minimum will offer some sort of service contract, maybe even some monetary compensation although i would prefer a new vehicle instead. I really like the maxima so i am fine with having another one, just not this one.


Also, it seems to me that the people that feel that a person like me or others in this thread are over reacting are also the people that are not having issues with their cars. I wonder what side of the fence you would be on if it was your car that was not operating correctly or like it should when it is purchased new or used for that matter.
Ill keep everyone posted with my progress with my situation.

-abe

1996blackmax

iTrader: (2)

I agree with you are saying. I also try to deal with situations in a level headed manner.

Max2013

Abe, I like your approach. It sounds like you have made some great progress already if they have at least agreed to arbitration. I have found being firm, but respectful goes a long way when you are in the right. A wise company understands this is an opportunity for them to win a lifelong customer if they respond fairly. It is easy to schmooze customers when there are no problems. It is when there are serious problems that a company can truly differentiate themselves. You have a strong story to tell... Best of luck!

Bificus99

Got my car back, they replaced and removed a ton of crap just for one bearing. Took 2 weeks. Now I monitor it and see where this goes. I missed the car though, driving base Altimas from my Max is quite a change.

1996blackmax

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, I always end up missing driving my car when it's in the shop. True of my previous Maximas as well.

02BBQ

Just to chime in, just found out that my 2014 maxima s has the same issue. Car was bought new in September and has less than 5000 miles. Parts have been ordered and tear down has begun to retrieve bad bearing. I requested a new short block and got an immediate no from the service manager. FYI this is in Oklahoma City, very frustrated so far.

Bificus99

Yup new TSB states no engine replacement. Service director showed it to me.

assiduous

If I have the issue and postpone fixing it... I might be doing other damage to the crankshaft, no? The sooner the fix, the better, no?

Bificus99

Possibly, the biggest issue is it being loud enough to be diagnosed correctly and not file you under crazy customer.

13Maximasv

If you open a case with Nissan consumer you will most likely a new short block ( or long block) on newer cars with low miles. Don't stop at what your local dealer says. IMO replacing that bearing opens the door for so many other issues down the road as they are ripping your engine apart.

You also need to open a case with Nissan to ask for the 7 year bumper to bumper warranty as compensation.

GL

honest_abe

In my experience over the last month and a half or so and 4 customer service reps later, i was able to escalate as far as a person can go in Nissan. As a matter of fact, if you send a letter to the CEO etc they forward them to the department i was able to escalate too in TN. where the Nissan America office are.

1. They would not replace short or long block (I personally do not think they will
do this anymore)

2. I was able to get a 100k mile warranty on engine only, not the entire car.

3. 1 month payment compensation.


Do not take no for an answer from the first few customer service reps, they are just buffers to the people that can make the real decisions.

I felt that it went as far as it was going to go so i accepted the offer. If you decline the offer they literally take it off the table and you can not get it anymore. It does not mean that there wont be a repurchase in the future based on other issues if any arise whether you decline or accept the offer. There may be many offers and you can accept new offers. They do this on a case by case bases. Only if you ask for repurchase do they look at all cases at as a whole I have not had any trouble with the car after the bearing replacement but time will tell. Your mileage may vary (pun intended). Please keep us posted with your dealings with Nissan so others may have a better strategy if problems arise.

-Abe

george__

iTrader: (1)

Cost cutting -_-"

13Maximasv

Nissan tech line actually had the tech who did the work on my car perform some tests and then they recommended replacing the short block. All I had Nissan consumer do was give me the gold warranty and it was done just by asking. I actually haggled about 30 seconds and was placed on hold and given the 8 year warranty with the same mileage as the 7 year( 100K).

Here is the tech report. I find it odd that even though I gave them a copy of the TSB they couldn't figure out it was the same problem but the TSB was released in 2012 so it didn't actually say 2013 or now 2014.

Here is the techs report.

I inspected the vehicle and confirmed the noise. I located the noise coming from the short block. I checked the bulletins and did not find one related to the 2013 Maxima. I performed a cylinder power balance test and found that when I cut out cylinder 1 and 2, one at a time, the noise got louder. For cylinder 3 and 4 there was no noise. For cylinders 5 and 6 the noise was there for a brief second and then went away.

I called Nissan TECHLINE for Assistance and they had me pinch off the PCV valve and the breather Tube to build pressure in the crank case. I did that and the noise did not change. I called back and they suggest replacing the short block.

Bificus99

To all that are following this issue in this thread. My knock issue has returned. WEEKS after the bearing replacement. Keep in mind this is my highway car for work travel, no drag racing no city driving 95% highway. It's rare this thing sees over 4000 rpm.

Richard66

Just wondering if there are any break in procedures done for that new bearing. I would think doing a new engine break in would be appropriate.

Bificus99

I did do the under 4000 rpms and no heavy throttle use for almost 3000 miles.

assiduous

I am confused. I got another loaner from the Subaru dealer. A brand spanking new Subaru Outback 2015 with just 3 miles on the odometer. What a loaner. But listen to the engine. To me sounds exactly like my Maxima. Clock clock clock. But I really doubt this has a bad bearing too.

To top that off, I had my car inspected for the bearing specifically, and the dealer himself told me my engine is good. I did not believe him at the time, but now I am thinking this noise can be something else?

Interested in hearing your opinion on the noise comparison.

assiduous

up with video.

assiduous

can somebody who does NOT have the issue post a quick sound/video clip of his car running like above? I don't know if I should go to another dealer or am I lucky after all.

Dudemaine

iTrader: (1)

Subaru engine sounds fine; I'd post a video of my car right now but haven't been driving it much at all lately.

Go to the 1st page on this thread and there are youtube links on like the 21st post down from 'ricknyce' I believe - both cold and warm starts.

Good luck man, hope your Max is alright.

Dudemaine

iTrader: (1)

There's no mistaking the knock when you listen to the video taken after the car was running for 10 - 15 minutes.

assiduous

man its hard to tell. I would upload a video of my max but I managed to scratch it while fishing the other day and its at the shop now.

I don't really hear a KNOCK, but the engine revolution does not sound continuous. It has some cycles with exactly the same speed as the video of Rick. Its a softer sound but its defintely not a monotonous sound. The subaru has a definite clicking noise too, if you listen to it. Perhaps not bearing know, but something is clicking with same speed. My max sounds very similar. Will post vid friday

Rick's vid is of cold and then warm with the knock. I would like to hear a WARM max, that does NOT have the knock.

KGMtech

What really confuses me is that this problem is so popular here, but it is very rarely discussed in the greater www.

I have a 2013, at warm idle in park or neutral without the a/c on, the idle is a bit noisy but the sound is like a serpentine belt issue. I only have 30,000 km on this car, and it drives just fine. I will get the Blackstone Labs oil analysis done for my own peace of mind, but I think this engine is just a bit noisier than others in its class.

If the others that DO have the noise, I seem to understand it goes away once you are in gear, or add some revs? or have I got this wrong?

Next confusing point: if Nissan is authorizing repairs / replacements is it because the noise is audible evidence that the engine will have a short lifespan? or are they doing this work to pacify customers that have a noisy engine that will otherwise not see any real reliability or longevity issues?

Reading all these pages, searching in other corners of the web, it makes me wonder if the problem is primarily an annoying noise vs a fundamental mistake in engine assembly procedure at Nissan USA.

I do not want to suggest that those owners of these cars with actual problems are not within their rights to seek remedy! I fully support it, but I am seeing that the repairs to these engines are not 100% pleasing the respective owners. In other words, is the cure worse than the symptom?

Bificus99

Correct the knock is at operating temperature and in park/neutral. And if there is a bearing issue it only gets louder and that means more abnormal wear. Mine started out after 4 hours of driving to 3 to 2 then less than an hour. So it was getting worse so I took it in. They identified it and replaced the bearing. I can hear it after driving a long trip again so I will have to revisit this issue.

Bificus99

Replacing one bearing with a larger size is not a proper cure. Turning the crank journals mic'ing then use plastiguage and using the correct bearing size is. And checking/replacing the other main bearings as a while you're in there.

Comp625

So I think I got hit with this bug. It's a light engine "tapping" noise that you can hear at idle (but can't really hear it at highway speeds nor can you hear it with the radio on).

It seemed to occur right after I got my oil changed - is that right?

I will try to do a Cold Start video and then a Warm Idle video tomorrow morning.

13Maximasv

If you search Nissan and Infinti forums with a Nissan sub forum you will find some older threads where people mention a knock but prior to about two years ago when Nissan released the TSB people were being told by Nissan that it was a normal noise so the threads died.

If Nissan wasn't replacing blocks and paying for the bearing to be replaced per the TSB this thread would have died also as most people would have taken Nissan at their word.


Mine went away in gear

I seriously doubt Nissan is replacing $10K plus short and long blocks (plus labor) or paying for thousands of dollars in labor to ( BTW, I would have not let them replace the bearing on my car, read how in depth that job is) fix an annoying noise.

The TSB clearly states replacing the bearing with a larger one then was used during assembly.

Will the noise cause failure I the immediate future, most likely no but would YOU buy and car with an obvious bearing knock ?

For the people searching for videos of a normal sounding MAX vs one with a knock there are quite a few in this thread, towards the beginning I believe.

Comp625

So now what?

- It sounds like Nissan isn't fixing the issue via engine block replacement anymore.
- Even for those who had long block replacements, it sounds like the noise comes back.

Do we just try to ditch/sell our cars?

Comp625

Also, my '10 is at 75k (outside of their 60k warranty). Should I still bother bringing to a dealer given that it sounds like they won't do much now (even if I were still under warranty)?

I'll record videos tomorrow morning (cold and warm). I started noticing my knocking after yesterday's oil change (it may have been knocking before and perhaps I didn't notice since I usually have the radio on).

Dudemaine

iTrader: (1)

Assiduous: here you go. Taken tonight after car was on for about half an hour or so. Currently at 12,500 on ODO now.

http://youtu.be/7T0BSFXKecE

Dudemaine

iTrader: (1)

For this issue, if you have it, you're covered by Nissan up to 120k. I want to say they only offer that on '09 & '10 models and stopped it on '11 and up models, if I recall correctly...

Maximam

Sounds good.

KGMtech

I agree, I would avoid a car with a unusual engine noise, as should others.

What is missing in the net is the example of an engine being destroyed by this bearing problem getting worse and also ignored by owner or any service technician before the destruction event. In general, this example would not be someone who is active in forums, just your 'less- than- aware' owner ~ keep in mind that forum participants are a very small percentage of any car owners, and at that, the largest reason people join forums is to vent their fustrations related to the car / dealer / OEM.

If the bearing is so loose, the system oil pressure will drop & the affected crank journal going to wear much faster due to loss of hydrodynamic oil film. The engine should fail within warranty IMHO if the problem was from original assembly procedure errors.

KGMtech

My 2013 SV with 30,085 km sounds exactly like this engine.

The Max engine is noisier than my wife's 2009 Ford Flex 3.5L V6 with 113,000km, but the Max is still acceptable.

assiduous

getting my car from body shop today and will post vid. Unfortunately my engine does not sound as good. I don't quite hear a real knock, but my cycles, or beats, or hits or whatever you want to call it, are more pronounced than on this video. Thanks for uploading btw, Dudemaine!

13Maximasv

Who besides KAWOWSKI had their block replaced and the bearing noise returned ? I believe the person who just posted the knock returned had the bearing done

Since 2014 cars have the problem it was never 100% corrected so even with a new block you are running the risk of getting another defective engine

For the 2013 and 2014 owners I suggest counting shop days and complain over and over and maybe you get enough days for the Lemon law.




GL

george__

iTrader: (1)

Canadian members are fuked. Our lemon law sucks

13Maximasv

You mean like this guys car ? How many people are getting pics of the motor as for a while the blocks were being replaced and sent back to Nissan

https://maxima.org/forums/7th-genera...ts-w-pics.html

You can also follow his story more in dept on this thread at post #65

https://maxima.org/forums/7th-genera...ml#post8863745


The bearing knock is covered up to 120K ? I never heard that. I thought the older cars had the CVT covered to 100K or something similar.

Luckily the engine most likely won't fail but I know it still sucks