bourmb

I just took delivery on a 2014 white Maxima SV Sport tonight. One thing I noticed was the side of hood to fender alignment and gap is really good. However, the front of my hood is lower than the front clip edge, not at the left or right corners by the headlights but everyhere else along the front hood edge. Futhermore, the hood to front clip gasket protrudes excessively out of the gap. I noticed a wide variability of hood lower than front clip or gasket protrsion on the dealer's cars on the lot but mine was the worst. The salesman adjusted the hoodstops out as far as they would go but the hood still sets lower than the front clip edge and the gasket protrudes excessively. Viewing fron the front look great. Viewing from the door to front...not so hot. I'll take pictures in the morning. Is this common? Is there a fix?

jerZmax856

I have a 2013 Maxima SV and found body gap/alignment to be an issue on the rear panels/bumper - as did other Maximas on their lot. The dealer's auto-body shop attempted to correct - and they did a little bit - still not perfect though. Prior escalating the issue to the dealer's general manager, the service department told me it was "normal" - and that water in three of my light fixtures was "normal". This tells me it isn't the first time and isn't going to be the last (time) these issues are seen and it's likely a tactic to avoid paying out for the repair.

So - I think what you're seeing is "normal" - and that is unfortunate. Anyone familiar with manufacturing understands the term "tolerance" when speaking about precision and it seems like some of these cars are thrown together like ham sandwiches and the ham only lands between the bread 50% of the time.

I've also seen issues recently on new Hondas, Fords and Buicks first hand - knowing QC issues are industry-wide lessons my sense of buyers remorse....

lightonthehill

I have seen the gasket between the front of the hood and the front clip bulging out on several 7th gens of various model years.

For those that are willing to pursue this, I expect there may be a means of adjusting this at the hinge edge of the hood, but have not bothered to check and see. With this hood, I would expect the adjustment would need to be done by the service department at your dealer.

It is indeed unusual to find a disrepancy in height between hood and front clip that can't be corrected by adjustment of the screw-type front corner hood adjusters.

Like jerZmax856, I am seeing this sort of thing on more cars these days than as recently as five years ago. I think the return of many folks to the dealer lots following the recession spurred assembly lines to move quantity back ahead of quality. From walking dealer lots and reading Consumer Reports very closely, I personally know this happened at Ford.

bourmb

The dealer fixed the hood by adjusting the latch mechanism. The hood sits at the correct height now. I now am going crazy in the deviation in paint color from the plastic bumper piece above the headlight to the front quarter panel.

All_Maxed_Out

I have noticed this on my new 2013 Sport as well. I thought I was seeing things and passed it on as that.