Hi there,
I'm seriously thinking about buying a 2012 model that's become available in my area. The car is in immaculate condition and has very low miles on it. What I'm worried about is the transmission and the fact I'm buying into a vehicle that doesn't have a warranty anymore. I had thought that the fact Nissan had extended the CVT warranty out to 120,000 miles and 10 years would cover the car's known problem area, but on closer inspection I discovered it only applies to cars built up to 2010 with the transmission. Why the later cars aren't covered with the same extended warranty I'm not sure, but I have read that they came up with a better steel belt for the transmission so maybe that's the answer. I absolutely fell in love with the Maxima when I took it for a test drive but not being particularly mechanically adept I'm a little leery of buying into a problematic gearbox, though overall I've always believed Nissan's had a reputation for being reliable cars. One alternative I've considered is to simply buy a 2010 model with hopefully similar mileage, knowing that the transmission will at least be covered for the next three years. Any thoughts?

 

IMO if you are buying it for looks and to have a good reliable fast car then yes get it, but if you wanna beat on it and stomp the pedal all the way down every day then don't. My 09 has 170k on the original tranny and you would never know, It drives like new still and once in a while on the highway I give it a good push but that's about it. I love the way it looks so much, I think looks wise its better than the new one from the front, and side, but not the back tho. Most reviews are from people with problems, while the majority don't have em and won't go and post a positive review. I still have my 00 and that my beater car that a beat on lol....this one is my baby that I never beat on.

 

Thanks for that. I'm with you on the looks, on the outside and particularly on the inside - there's a real wow factor with it. As for slamming the car, well, I'm 58 so my leadfoot days are well behind me. I just wanted a sporty and luxurious family-sized car for cruising at leisure around Florida. The car I'm looking at, despite being a 2012 model, has less than 30,000 miles on it, so I was hoping that the relative lack of wear was where I could buy the car with confidence.

The vast majority of 'problem' posts I seem to read with the car revolve around some very idiosyncratic behavior with the transmission when slowing down to moderate speeds after cruising on the highway. Has that ever been your experience?

Cheers

 

Sounds like the engine braking. Its mainly on hills where it gets annoying. I like my 2012 SV with tech package. I have a 75 280z for fun but with oespectrum struts and akebono pads the max is quite a capable car