Bnaji

I don't even know where to start with all the issues this car has. Either Im cursed or its defective. I had a tail light replaced within the first month because it had moisture in it. Not a big deal.. Then, I needed a wheel alignment at 5000 miles.. Again, not a big deal. Then, the horrible sounds began. There was the loudest, most annoying, screeching sound coming from the car the first two.minutes it was turned on. It was whether I applied brakes or not. According to Nissan, it was due to the emergency brake being too tight on my right rear tire. They loosened it and it was fine. Then, one week later it started making the sound again but not as bad. On top of that, the sound in my car stopped randomly working. It worked again after I turned off the car for a few minutes. Did I mention I have the 2017 midnight edition? I'm starting to hate this car. It's been 6 months. Any thoughts?

2young2retire

I also have had the sound stop working. No matter which source I would select there would be no audio. The volume bar would go up and down as if I were increasing or decreasing the volume but no sound. Had to shut down the vehicle and restart and it was ok. I going to the dealer tomorrow to get my free first oil change and I will bring it up and see if they have a fix.

EDIT. Had the oil change done but the technician that works on the radio was not working that day so another trip to the dealer in the future. But the real bummer is that the Nissan dealer and the Dodge dealer swapped owners so 90% of the personnel that was there is now at the Dodge dealership. What I really hate about it is the service manager that I had been dealing with for so long is gone.

lightonthehill

Bnaji - any one or two of these problems could be endured without excessive stress. But things have reached a point where you should probably begin keeping very careful records of every incident, and exactly what the dealer said and did with each problem.

There is indeed an occasional car that, for whatever reason, is cursed. If you keep careful documentation, and the problems continue, you could eventually qualify for classifying this car under the lemon law and handing the cursed mess back to Nissan.

Bnaji

Thank you so much. Unfortunately, the latest brake fix was not documented but going back to dealer tomorrow to get it fixed again and I will make sure they document it. I really hope my car is not a lemon because it is such a hassle to try and prove that but I will if I have to. It makes me really sad to have all these issues because I absolutely love this car. It would be helpful to know if anyone else is having similar issues. Right now it feels like I'm the only one.

Bnaji

It's happened a few times and I just assumed it's user error. I'm done blaming myself though. There have been too many issues for me to ignore. This car is not cheap and it makes me really mad to have to be dealing with all these issues.

CNTRT

My 2017 Maxima S is a Lemon, and my lawyer is in negotiations with Nissan right now to come to a resolution.... Nissan quality control sucks. In most states, if you take your car to the dealer 3 or more times for the same issue and it's not fixed, it's a lemon... Look into that

Bnaji

I have definitely been considering that. I'm so stupid for not making sure the last two times were documented. This is technically the third time I have brought it to their attention. Will I need a lawyer to prove its a lemon after I have it documented three times? I'm so mad...

svtcop

I had the sound stop on my '17 SR a few weeks ago. Diagnostic from "secret menu" showed Bose amplifier excessive heat, wasn't cranking stereo, had actually just pulled out of my garage. Shut car down and it came back up with no issues since. I'll mention it when it's due for service but I'm sure they won't do much with it since it hasn't had any problems since.

Bnaji

Even though they might not do much what I'm learning is that it's good to have everything documented. Maybe if more people make them aware of the issue, they will look into it. I wonder if it's a Bose issue and not Nissan. I feel like the more technology we have in our cars, the more of a chance we have of something going bad. So disappointing.

Bnaji

If you don't mind, can you tell me what made you determine your car is a lemon? Did you have a major problem?

CNTRT

I've had a steering issue since I drove the car off the lot. Initially, the steering had a slight favor to the right but it wasn't a big deal... Took it to the dealer, did an alignment, then all of a sudden it was drifting to the left, took it back again, same thing... Took it back again, same thing..... And again, and again, and again.

6 alignments with the dealership, and then Nissan corporate got involved, they sent out a Nissan corporate representative.,

This guy initially confirmed the steering issue and performed another alignment, but dropped my car off the alignment rack while backing it up to exit, and I got upset, so the corporate rep who dropped my car got butt hurt because I was visibly upset that he dropped my car.... And he actually said to the dealerships service manager that he felt I had a problem with him because when I was leaving that day I "squeezed his hand hard" when giving him a hand shake... Unreal...

So, out of spite, he told his superiors at Nissan corporate that my steering was now "fixed", without my knowledge... So Nissan closed my case and basically said, "tough luck." I was NOT having that! So I got a lawyer and now all of a sudden, Nissan wants to work with me.

To this day, my car pulls substantially to the left, and I have documented video evidence to prove it. Figured I'd cover my *** in case some crap like that happened. It's a flawed system... Nissan sends a "representative" (someone who is on Nissans payroll) out to diagnose your car... That representative's word is gold to Nissan corporate... And in reality, that person they send out is nothing more than a tech, paid by corporate rather than a dealership... Which means they are not always the sharpest, and most inquisitive diagnosticians

Bnaji

I am so sorry to hear that! I can't believe they dropped your car!! I hope you get the issue resolved and get a new car. What a nightmare!

RickSmith

The typical Lemon Law stipulates that the car buyer is entitled to a remedy if one of two or three circumstances occur. 1) The car is out of service for a set number of days in the first year, usually around 30 and it remains defective. 2) The car is serviced a set number of times for the same problem, usually three or four within a set time frame, and it remains defective. Typically, the problems must occur within the first 18 months or two years of ownership. Or, 3) The car suffers a set number (less than #2) of catastrophic defects – such as brake failure – and remains defective. #3 is the one which is adopted by fewer states.

lightonthehill

CNTRT has been mentioning his steering problems here for over a month, but I did not realize until now that his car was 'pulling' to one side or the other. 'pulling' takes all the fun out of driving, and is not acceptable. I am very disappointed that Nissan was not able to eliminate the pulling via careful alignment. And I almost threw up when I saw his picture of how they actually DROPPED his car off the service rack. I will be very surprised if he is unable to qualify for the lemon law, as his situation seems to fit what the law was intended to cover.

Everyone here having multiple problems needs to carefully document each and every problem, each visit to the dealer, and the resolution (or lack of) to the problem. I'm not trying to start a campaign against Nissan, but simply want folks to either get what they paid for, or be compensated appropriately.

I feel very fortunate that I have not had the problems with my 8th gen Maxima that some here have had. This is easily the best (and most fun) car I have owned in 68 years of driving (yes, I am an old fart).

CNTRT

Thank you
Yeah the car feels like it's just been getting progressively worse with the pulling. I have to have constant pressure on the wheel slightly towards the right to keep the wheel straight. As a result of this, the steering, and responses from steering inputs are not linear...

im a driving enthusiast, and pride myself on keeping as straight/consistent a driving line I can while on the road. Precision driving is my passion. And this car eliminates that for me...

nissan has half assed this whole thing. All they did was alignments. They came out good on paper, but after the 6th alignment you'd think they'd start looking at the tires and mechanical components in the suspension....

The service director at the dealership told me that they swapped tires from a new maxima and drove it and it didn't change the behavior... But I wasn't there when they supposedly did this, and his body language indicated to me that he wasn't being truthful, so I am going in on Monday so that they can REALLY swap tires from another maxima, and I can feel it for myself.

My car does qualify as a lemon, and Nissan doesn't want me to sue them, so they are working with me... They will try to fix it, and make me an offer for me to keep the car if I'm satisfied. If not, I'll want them to buy the car back...

if if I could do it again, I'd get a Mazda 6 (known for its accurate steering) or the Charger with AWD.

If if you think about it, the Maxima isn't praised anywhere for having exquisite steering. It's just a tool of brute force. The car is fast and smooth on the highway, but that's about it. For that, I can get the charger, which is slower, but has more stable steering and it would be more functional in inclement weather with AWD.

The Mazda 6, while slower than the Max, would steer properly, and reward me for my precision...

the maxima is a sleeper and the power is addicting (I gave a Mercedes GLE 43 a run for its money the other day)... But it's not a precision tool, which a "4 door sports car" should be... And my steering issues are unacceptable...

Hell, I rented a 2017 GMC Acadia (3 row SUV) a couple weeks back, and felt so much more confidence in the stability of the steering than in my "4 door sports car".

Bnaji

Yea, i do agree with you. Its definitely a sleeper but the torque steering is kind of a problem. Its kind of hard to handle coming from driving a Corolla. Lol. I love the car but i hate the problems i have endured. Although so far they are minor and don't really involve my safety, its annoying to have to go in the dealership every month. I'm very busy and don't really have the time for it. To think I didn't even consider BMW because I thought those cars were always in the shop. Now look at me! I hope they either fix the issue in your car or give you your money back. That's just too much drama.

lightonthehill

CNTRT - For what it is worth (probably nothing), my daughter has a Mazda6 and loves it. She got it because it had exactly the equipment she wanted, including a manual (she has owned nothing but manuals since she took my 5speed manual Datsun 200SX from me back in 1980. Her first car was one of the very early Mazdas (RX7?) which was not only manual, but had a rotary engine. She loved it. She drove a manual Toyota Camry for over twenty years between the Datsun and her Mazda6. She bought the Camry used, and needed the 4 doors because she had three daughters. Mazda has a better reliability record than any Fiat-Chrysler product, but the Charger is a powerful and good looking car. Best of luck, whatever you do.

slava

What did you think about the steering of the Maxima rental you had for a while? Seeing that your car is very likely defective.

FattiesGoneWild

Should have a look at the new 2018 Toyota Camry V6. That car is DOPE!

CNTRT

Torque steer is definitely a problem. That's one big reason I think AWD should be an option. Eliminate the torque steer completely.
Thanks for the info. I test drove a Mazda 6 and CX-5 today... I liked their buttoned down and tight steering/body motions. MUUUCH less power than the Maxima, and a less "premium" feeling interior. Something I'd have to get used to if I went that way.

The Mazda 6 feels a little cheap though. A little "tinny"... "thin" as far as materials go... But the CX-5 feels a bit more premium. Of course, this generation of the 6 has been around since 2014, where as 2017 marks a brand new generation of the CX-5.

The steering in the rental was bad too. Different though.... For instance, when turning the wheel in either direction, the steering had a better on-center feel and more linear movements than my steering, but in a straight line, the rental Maxima was drifting around in the lane... Meaning in order to keep the car going completely straight, I had to constantly make fine adjustments to the steering wheel, or else it was getting pushed around like there were strong winds... But there were none. I had the car for 10 days and this was a consistent sensation.

My stepmom has a 2017 Maxima SL.... Her steering is weird too (I drove her car once). Hers doesn't suffer from the problems that the rental Maxima, or that my Maxima suffers from... Her steering is just slightly vague. For some reason, Nissan just hasn't perfected their electric power steering.

However, My dad's 2017 Murano SV AWD, and the 2 2017 Pathfinders I had as rentals recently have decent steering as far as I'm concerned. I'd definitely get a 2017 Murano over another 2017 Maxima if given the choice.

The Murano has better dynamic feeling and linear reactions in the steering than any 2017 Maxima I've driven.

I agree it is an intriguing vehicle from what I've seen of it. But if I'm going to be spending close to $40k on a vehicle, I'd probably get an SUV this time around.

Better all around capability and a little more sturdy for the type of work I do.

stodge

I find that the torque steer is harder to manage on our awful roads when the wheels can't retain contact with the road surface because of the bumps/pot holes/ridges. My Maxima tends to hope around if I hit the gas on a bad road surface. I assume AWD might offer a slight improvement in this case? I've not owned an AWD vehicle...

CNTRT

are you talking about while you're accelerating or just when cruising? If it's just when cruising, then that's bumpsteer, and that would happen regardless of the drivewheels.

but if it's when accelerating, then that's definitely torque steer... torque steer happens on powerful front wheel drive cars because all of that power is being put down through the wheels that steer the vehicle. Which causes the wheels to tug in either direction.

AWD can allocate up to 50% power to the rear wheels while accelerating hard from a stop depending on how hard you mash the throttle. So this will eliminate torque steer.

acamarillo

Conventional wisdom says the first model year of a new car is more prone to problems, but I have a 2016 S built in March 16, purchased in August 16, and I haven't had any significant problems - replacing the driver door weatherstrip due to wear, and having the passenger door light and the stay that holds the door open replaced. That's it, coming up on 19,000. No squeaks, rattles, transmission, steering, or engine problems (knock on wood). It seems that most of the cars with severe problems that are being reported are 2017s. Is that just my perception, or is it possible that quality control fell off after the first year after the model was established?

stodge

While I'm accelerating with more then medium throttle, especially from lower speeds.

CNTRT

AWD would definitely solve that