I have no doubt this is a real issue, I have empathy to the owners with this real problem...but I think you have to admit that the stats (not at enthusiast sites) show the problem to be quite limited in scope.

I agree that bashing the thread is not in the interest of the Forum.

 

Are those stats lower because prior to 9/2012 Nissan was telling people ( search this forum and NICO) that the noise was normal ?

Maybe Rick and DC8 can let us know if the blocks are still on back order which in itself shows it's a pretty widespread issue as I doubt many people are paying out of pocket $8K ( plus labor) for a short block to be installed.

Oh wait, I am Rick and DC8.......................I'll answer shortly, lol

 

Blocks are on back order cause it more important to put them in new cars

 

Funny, in October my block was delivered in 24 hours. I guess they just happened to have one laying around .

I'm sure Nissan has an amount set aside for repairs above and beyond what is needed to build new cars.

 

This is the troll or am I the clone of the troll?? - I get so confused trying to keep my identity straight.

My 6 month old, 2103 Slate Gray Maxima SV with 4000 miles has been confirmed today by Nissan of Vacaville, California to have the dreaded bearing knock as listed in the TSB. They will be contacting their powertrain center for further guidance and on Monday let me know the prognosis. I advised them I would be calling Nissan consumer and starting a case as well. They though that was an excellent thing to do also, just for my own legal Lemon Law protection since at the moment there is no time estimate. California is 30 days.

The dealership thus far has been totally helpful - and I didn't even buy the car there.

This bearing knock issue is a very valid concern for those of us who have the problem - I'd rather be golfing than worrying about this.

 

BTW, thank you ricknyce for posting the recording of the knocking sound. The dealership was easily convinced that my car has the problem.

 

Well I stopped by the dealership today to get the wheel & tire replaced on the loaner that my wife hit a pot hole with costing me about $419.22 (yeah I know I should have took care of it myself for half the cost)

Well anyway, while i was there I asked about the status of my car and was told that after dropping it off on Jan 6th, the service manager claims that they will finally get started on it today...

Does anyone know how backed up there are with these blocks??? I'm pushing for one... Also who are you guys speaking to at Consumer Affairs?? I would like to be in touch with someone who knows about the issue

 

Just call Nissan Consumer and open a case, give them all the details.

Nissan and my dealer were awesome, I had my car back ~ 5 working days after I dropped it off.

I forgot, what year is your car and how many miles ?

In October there was no wait.............some members here reported a 30 day wait for a new block around Nov/Dec I believe.

 

2010 56k

 

You just squeaked in in time to have it done under warranty.

This person didn't have any luck getting compensation on his 2010

http://forums.maxima.org/8886155-post271.html

 

I actually knew of the problem about 10K miles, I just chose not to bring it in until now... I have extended warranty thru Carmax up to 100K... Its worth the shot trying to squeeze a lil something extra outta Nissan extended warranty wise

 

Does the Carmax cover the car like the Nissan Gold which is more/less a zero deductible extension of the factory 3/36 ?

If you have the warranty as for pre paid Maint

Good Luck

 

After dropping my car off 3 1/2 weeks ago I finally got a call from the dealership today... Nissan has authorized them to go ahead with a long block replacement. Service manager said they ordered it and "Should" see it in 3-4 days..

My question is, what does Nissan consider a Long Block?

 

A long block is a complete engine, usually needing the exterior parts, valve covers, flywheel, intake manifold, ect... Short block is just the block, basically just a bottom end!

 

Hey, Im new here. I have a '13 Maxima. I bought it used (non dealer) almost a month ago here in California. It just turned 28,000 miles. Has clean car fax and no known problems I know of.Would it be wise to take it to Nissan service center to have it gone through for any problems? Thinking about the 30 day lemon law thing and all.

 

Just got a email from the Dealer.... My Long Block arrived today. I'll be back in my Maxima soon and out of the loaner Sentra. Its Been 5 Long weeks so far

 

Got ours back last Friday - took 16 days to do the bearing replacement per the TSB which does't even officially apply to 2013. Still negotiating for the extended warranty.
The western area rep told me about the excellent engine mechanic that the local dealer has - maybe he should go work in the factory.

 

Hmm, Your better than me... I really didnt want someone tearing apart my engine for a bearing replacement. Im happy they went with the full replacement. I have a 25 year tech working on my car so im pretty comfortable for now.

 

They only had 30 CALENDAR days to fix it before the California Lemon Law applied - couldn't drag it out for 5 weeks.

We'll see how long it lasts - I have no confidence.

 

They did the bearing and not a block ?

I believe you are the first person here to have the TSB done on a car less than a year old

Personally I would have lived with the knock if you are planning on keeping the car and brought it back for the bearing around the 3 year mark.

Read that TSB...........so much can go wrong replacing that bearing

Make sure you get that extended warranty. They gave it to me no problem and 3 minutes of negotiating got me the 8 year TRANSFERABLE version.

BTW the problem is not due to the factory assembly, if you read the TSB it's pretty easy to figure out the wrong size bearing was used. Chances are the bearing manufacturer was making bearings out of spec

Good Luck

 

Maybe we'll get a G37.

 

There's a lot of great deals on end of model run G37x's out there.

 

Hello Good Morning!!! Its been 7 full weeks and I just picked my car up this morning... They found scores on the cams and cylinder walls... They replaced the entire long block changed out fluids (Except CVT).. SO far so good, If anything happens I'll update here, if not then you wont hear from me again on this thread unless someone has a question

 

Quick Question.

So I took my car to the dealership service when I thought I had the knocking issue. They said they couldn't find anything and that it was fine.

After I got my oil changed done, now I can hear it quite often and it can be heard from the cabin as well. But the noise only comes on (or rather noticeable) when I shift in drive).

How can I tell the dealer that this isn't normal?

Mileage right now: 31,000

 

Get your engine oil analyzed. Then take the results to your dealer.

 

Does the knocking noise also relate to oil leaking? I'm finding oil under the car and my oil change was 2 months ago. It's been fine since the oil change but I'll go to the dealer to double check I guess

 

No, thats a unrelated issue!

 

Wow this thread is scary I just purchased a 2014 maxima does this affect the 14 also?

 

I recently purchased a 2014 also. I purchased it knowing about this problem and expecting that the number of vehicles having this issue is very limited. We will probably find out soon enough. Unfortunately Nissan does not appear to take the time to resolve any problems in manufacturing. Such as the seats rocking or condensation in the tail lights for the 2009 thru 2013 models so I expect any issues those model years had the 2014's will have also.

Yes it is scary, especially when the dealer and/or Nissan rep tells you that the engine knocking sounds are normal and there is nothing wrong. Or even if the problem is acknowledged Nissan does not have long block in stock to fix the problem. Does not makes me feel real confident about my Maxima.

 

If I felt like I didn’t have confidence in my Maxima I would have sold it years ago. The problems stated in this thread and others, like engine knock, rocking seats, and condensation buildup in the light fixtures, just to name a few, are the exception and not the rule. That exception being a very small percent of the overall numbers of Maxima cars produced. Every manufacturing process is going to have some assemblies pass quality assurance inspection even though they are not up to Nissan’s specifications. There is a human element involved that lets non perfect parts get through. These parts are eventully installed during the build process.

I have owned a lot of cars in my lifetime and I feel that Nissan engineering and quality is by far the best I have owned so far. Granted there is better made cars out there, but the last three vehicles have been Nissans and only one defect was replaced in the 13 years I have owned them.

Enjoy your new rides and don’t worry about the few who have developed problems. Chances are yours will not. My 09 SV Sport has not and I don’t expect it to.

 

I certainly hope that you are right.

I traded in my 98SE, that I bought new, for the 2014. The 98 basically had zero issues and was a great car in so many ways. I bought the 14 based on how pleased I was with the 98. I really like the way the 14 looks inside and out and the way it rides. Not much else in the price range really compared to the Maxima.

My 2014 has a few relatively minor issues that the dealers and Nissan corporate were totally disappointing about fixing. They have managed to take much of the joy out of my purchase. So I really hope I do not have a major issue.

I hope the problems listed are the exception and the car gives me many years of service. Just seems that there are many people posting in this forum who are disappointed in their 7th gens and the way that their dealer and Nissan have treated them.

I feel I got a really great deal on the car. Regardless if I sold it now I would still be taking a big hit, so at this point it is not worth selling.

 

Always remember that forums are super vocal and you're more likely to hear about problems rather than people being happy, so try to stay optimistic. Hopefully you and the rest of us who haven't had any major problems yet don't have any in the future!

 

I get what you are saying, many people come here to complain but it is an enthusiast’s website so most of the people really want to love the car.

I spent a lot of time on the 4th Gen forums over the years and the tone of the discussions was so much different and few were complaining about the car in the manner that is occurring with the 7th Gens. Granted I am sure the 7th Gens are not built as well.

 

I hear ya. Part of it I think is the quality, and part is the fact that there's a lot less we can do to customize (both performance and aesthetics) vs previous generations. Ah well, I still love my maxima. Sure as hell beats the civics and Acura CL I've owned! I'm just going to cross my fingers that nothing goes wrong as I slowly do my build!

 

This is exactly why after owning two 5th gens and a decent 6th gen, I bought a 7th gen. Unfortunately I have seen build quality deteriorate over the years and do not plan to buy another Nissan.

 

Well this has made my decision very clear.

I was a member of this site, waaay back in 2001-2006 when I had a 1997 4th gen GXE. It was a great car - sold it at 200k miles, after needing only a radiator replacement and a new starter. To replace it I bought an 03 E39 BMW 5 series, which has also been a great car. Somewhat more expensive to maintain, but not much.

The past week, I've been driving a 2013 Maxima as a rental car, and I really like it. After 8 years, I have been thinking about retiring the BMW, so I popped in here to see what there is to learn about these 7th gen Maximas.

After reading this thread, no thanks. If you're monitoring this, Nissan, you just lost a sale. Scored bearings and cylinder walls? Dealerships telling people that bearing knock is "normal"? Reprehensible.

 

My faith in Nissan plummeted when a dealer told me that the left pull in my wife's Versa was normal. A different dealer fixed it under warranty.

 

My 3rd, 4th, & 5th generation Maximas were solid cars. With my 7th gen, Nissan has repaired a leaking head gasket, & replaced the transmission. I understand that things happen, but I'm hoping this is it for my car.

 

Nissans goal appears to be to sell cars and make profits. These are the only numbers that matter. Building a quality vehicle and providing satisfactory customer service has clearly taken a back seat.

This game plan may work in the short term but it will catch up to them in time.

 

After have a Long Block replacement and wheel hub replaced under warranty I can honestly say that Im still happy with the car.. **** happens, Things break, mistakes are made.... We correct them and move on