I've owned my max for 3 weeks and I love the car. That said, I want to strip the paint off and drive primered like a G because the paint is terrible. The car is a year old and it looks worse than my 8 year old T-bird. Chips everywhere, unfixable mind you they are so small and a color change repaint would cost me 3k+ I am really considering doing it next year, I just can't take the poor quality of the paint. Makes the car look like pure **** in a matter of weeks. Just thought I'd vent before I ran someone over. Oh, that and the car doesn't start 25% of the time I turn the key over. Battery light comes on, check engine. Then I try again and it usually starts. I can't wait to ream the dealer on this one

 

Have you ever heard of a dealer installed option called "automate?" Here in AZ they put it on every car, but I think it's like a $300 option. It is a sealant they apply over your paint every 6 months that protects it. The paint is warranteed for two years. Might want to check in to it....

 

See I can't understand the paint complaints. I understand the rattles, the fluid leaks, the rust under the rear bumper cover and sometimes like on mine the blistering at the wheel wells, but I don't have any paint chips not related to people making contact with the vehicle. Yesterday a bunch of ^&*&&^ in a cycle race kicked up all kinds of stones that hit my car. I really wasn't gonna say anything but the fact that a AC cop on a BMW motorcycycle was riding with them ensured their safety. I later looked on my car and there weren't any chips. If you got your car new, are you sure the dealer didn't damage/repaint it? Cause once bodywork is done, it's chips galore, just like the keebler cookie elves say.

 

Automate eh? I'll look into that. A mere touch on this paint scratches, especially the darker colors. I'll call the dealer tomorrow and see what's goin down. In a few months I'll have a silver colored car cause all the paint will be gone, but until then I guess I'll contemplate turning it into a 84 ElDorado, primered, 1000 spoke gold rims, the works. Now that would be a unique max.

I got the car with 12k miles on it. Someone traded up/down to a G35 is what I was told.

 

Yeah Nissan paint sucks. I mean my 4th Gen is bad enough, I can hardly imagine how you 5th Gens have it! Dealers should have a "repaint" accessory.
-Cyrus

 

Although many people complain about the paint it's definately not every maxima... mine is going on 7 years old and 100,000 miles and is now going into the shop for a repaint but that's only because someone keyed it!! if not for the keying i wouldn't have to repaint it. for the most part my paint has held up excellent. the only areas that were a little bad were the front and rear bumpers but not through any fault of nissan... that's from getting touched up by nyc drivers while i'm parked!

 

There already is one... it's hideous (no offense to owner, to each their own). Check on custommaxima.com and look under 3rd gens I think...
Mike

 

Whoops.. 4th Gen... here ya go. (Mark's Maxima, 3/4 of the way down pg. 4).
Sorry to pick on you Mark... but what mushrooms were you on?

http://www.custommaxima.com/MaximaOw...enOwners4.html

 

i think my 88 sentra has less paint chips than my max.

 

most paint sucks nowadays, on most cars. Cutting corners.

 

Ahh, it feels refreshing to have a lighter-colored car. Beige seems to hide things well. If my max was black, I think I'd be depressed. My friends black 97 240 is pretty bad in the scratches/paint damage area. Too bad, it's a nice car to look at until you get close

 

Because 8 years ago, car makers were able to use different paints that were more durable. Nowdays, makers must use paints that are more enviromentally friendly. The problem is industry-wide.

Try to get that 3M StoneGuard.

 

I have (well had before body shop) only two very small chip in the hood on mine. As most have said, its due to the softer paint and environmentally safe clear coats of today. It probably wont make you feel better, but my old Prelude ('01) had the most sensitive clear coat known to man. Looking at it the wrong way caused swirling/scratching. The Maxima is actually a little better in that regard.

For those of you who think your paint is bad in normal sunlight, throw some halogen lights on it. Make sure you have a padded surface to fall and weep on after this.

 

Nissan paint tends to be very hard and somewhat brittle. I have a Honda also, they use a much softer clearcoat I have a ton of swirls and scratches from just washing the car and I'm very careful about it.

Personally I prefer the harder paint Nissan uses its MUCH more scratch resistant. As long as I don't tailgate trucks I don't have any problems with chips.