Jazzcat

Hello All!

I just inherited an '09 with a bit over 100k miles on the clock. Being a car guy, I've been doing lots of research on the Maxima to see what areas might need some attention soon. I am also considering trading this in on a Hemi Charger, since I've always owned Mopars. Though I probably won't, since my Maxima has the premium package, and to get those creature comforts even in a used Charger would be more than I'm willing to spend. And the Maxima feels just fast enough to satisfy my lead foot.

So what does everyone think about...

CVT reliability? My mother in law was the second owner of this car. She changed the oil regularly, but I have no idea if she ever changed the trans fluid. I'm guessing she probably didn't. That will be the first order of business when I actually get the car. Also, I tend to have a binary right foot- it's either "on" or "off". And, I've never owned a car that I can't shift manually... so I'm guessing the manual mode will get a lot of use in this car. I maintain my cars religiously but drive them hard. How can I make the CVT last another 100k miles at least?

Engine reliability? I've seen threads on here about the dreaded bearing clearance issue. This car has a slight rattle before the oil pressure builds up; I haven't listened closely to see if that rattle continues at idle or if it goes away. I've had other cars that start to have that cold-start rattle at 100k and they go another 100k without any issue. I am not shy about digging in to a motor, but at the same time I don't want another "project" in my garage lol.

Panoramic moonroof? I've heard that these have a tendency to shatter because they are thin and they have a large surface area. Is there any truth to that?

Thanks in advance everybody!
-JC

glockedc

the 09 maxima has a tranny warranty for 10 years 120k miles so depending when it was built should be good for at least another year. Drain and fill the cvt and some people have gotten 300k on the trannys in this car it is how you care for it or if you're ragging the crap out of it. The CVT takes a while to get used to, I still throw it in fake shift mode to feel like I am doing something.

As far as the engine, I have not heard anything about them being unreliable. The VQ engine is a tried and true engine. Check the oil regularly and change it regularly and will last you a long while.

I don't know about the roof shattering and don't own one with that style so I can't speak to it.

Richard66

I own an 09 SV Sport with 80,000 on it and have not had one problem. Just make sure the last recall of this vehicle is done, replacing the steering wheel lock mechanism with a different type. For me there was no learning curve on driving the CVT, just push down on the gas and go. I could care less if there is no shift points to feel like in a standard auto setup, it just feels so much better to drive.

Les7311

10 years or 120K miles warante on the tranny? Didn't know

Richard66

Only for the 2009/10 model years.

Les7311

Ok. Thanks. Back to first question.

I love the CC inmy maxi. Fully loaded.

Engine maintenance is easier than previous gen I did everything on the previous gen, from replacing: mounts, shocks, struts, sparknplugs, VC gaskets, O2 sensors, brakes, rotors, and more. So far had to repl spark plugs at 110k this year

Tranny has a bit of shudder on take off and once in a blue moon. Don't know where it's coming from.

Panasonic had a clank noise and had to place foam padding around door. Don't hear as much now.

Bought at 36k from Florida dealer and shipped to Md. car was leased and in totaled from a hail storm on the NE cost. So far she runs like a charm.

NCSUpilot

I have an 09 with 153k on it and have had no major issues. I had some minor noise issues in the suspension early on, but that was fixed under warranty.

I didn't change my CVT until about 97k. The change interval is long on the CVT fluid. Now that it's only a drain and refill, I'm doing it every 50k. No other issues/concerns with the CVT.

I changed the spark plugs a little while ago. When I took them out, the old ones looked basically new and I didn't notice any difference in performance or mileage.

I have always used premium fuel and have used Mobil 1 and now Royal Purple for my changes. I don't drive nearly as much as I used to, so it's nice to have a once a year oil change.

The only other thing I did was replace head light bulbs when one died and done the brakes all around.

The sunroof (on the premium package) does tend to creak over bumps. I had it fixed once early on under a service bulletin, but it has since returned. I don't feel like dropping the ceiling liner just to tighten some bolts. It's only noticeable some of the time, and it's not that loud anyways.

Most of all, enjoy your new ride!

Maxima.12

Have had my 12 for about 5 months now. Still getting used to the cvt. Have the premium package so I like the sport shift option but still not like the typical trans. I also have a small rattle sometimes but cant find it. Will look at the panoramic roof. Read some where people are using low octane with no problems but when I did noticed lower performance so always use premium fuel now and notice the change. Upgraded from a minivan so loving the performance and power. So far no major issues. Anyone have issues with replacing maf sensor?

TableRocker

One of the reasons I bought my car was the good reviews in various magazines, forums, etc, regarding reliability. Let's face, most Japanese cars these days are pretty much bullet-proof for well over 150K - 200K miles.
Seems that a lot of the early "worry" over the CVT transmission was nothing more than 'fear of the unknown'.

Les7311

[QUOTE=Maxima.12;9156649 Will look at the panoramic roof. Read some where people are using low octane with no problems but when I did noticed lower performance so always use premium fuel now and notice the change. Upgraded from a minivan so loving the performance and power. So far no major issues. Anyone have issues with replacing maf sensor?[/QUOTE]

The MAF has a TSB up to 100k