Well it happened again.
Sep: $700 -> alternator, CV boot stuff
Oct: $800 -> Oxygen sensor, knock sensor stuff

TODAY: Brought it in to the dealer for front brakes and an oil change. Later in the morning they called and guess what (you know what's about to happen) I now need rear brakes done too, new parking brake line, new oil switch, and a new transmission fluid line. Now it's going to cost about $960

That's nearly $2500 in three months on a car with 85,000 miles. Is this to be expected? I was hoping to keep it until the end of 2003 but now I know I have to get a new car in the spring.

I bought the car used in 98; it had 36,000 miles. After this experience I have to sat that I will probably not buy antoher used car again. On second thought I might just say that I don't ever want a NISSAN ever again. What do you folks think?

I'm so angry right now, I wish I could just leave the car in front of a train and watch it get destroyed. I can't stand the sight of that thing. NOTHING but constant problems.

 

Your car is 7 years old with 85K on it. Things are going to need replacing and some may even fail.

Alternator and CV boot replacement isn't uncommon. Maybe your alternator shouldn't have failed early, but CV boots ware out on any car. $700 bucks sounds a little steep.

O2 sensors and KS for $800 bucks sounds VERY expensive. These are DIY things as well which could have saved you a lot of cash.

Brakes you can also do yourself, very simple job to replace the pads provided thats all your car needs. The other items mentioned could also be changed yourself.

Your a member of a community with loads of information that will help you with DIY repairs yet your still running back to the dealer and paying top dollar. Don't blame it on your car, things are going to ware out and sometimes fail. Use the power of the orgy to help you save money and fix these things yourself. Remember the satisfaction of doing it yourself is PRICELESS!

 

Well said njmaxseltd.

 

I didn't have time to replace my alternator myself so I had a shop do it but on the other hand, you should be changing your brake pads yourself. This is the easiest job you will ever encounter on the Max/I30.

The dealer is trying to rip you dude!

 

So, after the ~$250 for both sensors...$550 for labor?

Wow. At $60/hr that's over 9 hours.

Well...you get my point.

About the latest...brake pads and etc...would you ever stop to think that your dealership might be unnecessarily replacing items? I mean...they are in the business to make money....and if they charged you $800 for a KS and O2 sensor replacement/install, it's obvious where they lie on the rip-off scale.

 

Since your a 97 would you qualify for recall reembersement?

SuDZ

 

Well said. FC95SE, you're a big boy now. Time to learn how to work on your own car. We'll help you as much as we can!

 

2 things to keep in mind.

one - you overpayed big time for all the work. yes it seems like a big bullet to bite for $2500 worth of work but in reality all of it should have been under $1000. $1000 spent on a 7 year old car with 85k? not too bad in my book.

second - you've already done the work that needs to be done on a max. short of your transmission (which no car is safe from) nothing really *should* go wrong with the car from here on in. why get rid of it now? you should have gotten rid of it before doing the work if that's how you feel.

 

i have no confidence in my ability to work on any car. the only thing i have done myself is install the strut tower bars. if i were to do the brakes myself, I would constantly worry about if they were done right. and there is no way that i am going to get myself under the car.

 

Dude,

Even if you have no confidence, get under there and do it yourself. Or find a friend with a max in your area who has some experience, do a couple jobs with him, then start to work on some stuff on your own. I know when I first got my max, I was scared to put my FSTB on. Later I found brake jobs, spark plugs and all that stuff I was so scared of was easy.

Here's another point. If you're workin on your car and you screw somethin up, you can always take it to the mechanic at that point. But if you don't you save loads of cash. That's the way I always look at it.

So be willing to try. Believe me its worth it.

 

you gotta start somewhere...save yourself some $$$! once you do your first repair...you'll gain some confidence and tackle bigger repairs...and mods

 

Yea, if you're gonna refrain from working on the car yourself, at least take it to an independent mechanic and not the dealership. Or take it to an infiniti dealership for service. Just don't take it back to the place you've been getting ripped off by.

 

Don't get non-warranty work done at the dealer - that's not smart. I've made the mistake too. They will lie and rip you off every time they think they can get away with it. I've got quotes in writing to prove it (once $2200 for a repair a shop charged $150 for). Find a reputable mechanic!

 

Exactly, you have to start small and work frmo there. Your first engine job is not going to be too do a tranny swap but with things like oil, SP, etc. One step at a time and you get more and more comfortable.

SuDZ

 

I checked and my car was built before the series of cars that have the problem.

 

Figures huh.... I was one of the lucky 98's that got theirs done.

SuDZ

 

dude that's fine - but if you're not willing to do your own work you really can't complain when you have to pay... and you shouldn't pay the dealer!!

 

Well that's a shame because all of the money you've overpayed would have bought you every single tool you'd ever need to work on your car. High quality tools at that. Just get a shop manual for the Maxima because working on this car isn't rocket science. Doing things like suspension, brakes, CV axles, brake lines, exhausts, intakes, sensor replacement, belt replacements, alternator replacement, plugs and coil packs, fluid changes, sensor trouble shooting, etc can all be accomplished with a shop book, voltmeter, a jack, jack stands, spring compressors, and simple hand tools.

The fact that you know nothing about cars is screwing you majorly. Don't feel bad, most of the public doesn't know jack about cars either. Most people don't even know they are getting screwed. They just pay and ***** about how expensive things are to fix on their car.

Doing your own work on your car not only saves you a ton of money and frustration with dealerships, it gives you a sense of accomplishment and is very rewarding. Friend's think you're a God if you know anything about cars. Women really dig it too. I've probably saved myself a couple grand doing all the work on my Maxima. The 4th gen Maxima is incredibly easy to work on. Don't let all the wires and vacuum lines scare you.

Last weekend I changed the spark plugs, fuel filter, air filter, oil & filter, cleaned the grounds, and tested plug wires on my wife's 98 Subaru Legacy GT wagon. The parts cost me $50 and work took 2 hours of my time. You know what the two Subaru dealers in my area want for all that? $400+. Since you have to remove the windshield fluid reservoir, battery, and intake snorkel to get to the plugs, the labor skyrockets. It took me 1-hour to do the plugs. Ohhh that was so hard Subaru


Dave

 

Shop around too, Nissan wanted 600 for a knock sensor replacement in my area.... I called a small shop that said if I could not get it out on my own just give them a call, 20 - 30 bucks is what he quoted me.

SuDZ

 

i had the exact same problem as you, only i didnt really get ripped off for the labor. in the first 6 months of owning my car, i had all brakes replaced, new alternator, and new CV boot. not to mention new engine mount ($600), sunroof leaking ($500) and some other stuff. I was about ready to trash this car, but after i got all the normal, and somewhat abnormal repairs out of the way, I have had 0 problems with my car in the last year or so. after youve gotten all these repairs done, it would make more sense to keep this car as long as you can. im glad i did.

 

Why are you selling it then?

SuDZ

 

5 speed owns me

 

That is a very acceptable answer

SuDZ

 

No, every dealer will always screw you with parts and labor, but not every dealer charge you the same for price. Today a local RI Nissan Dealer wanted $120 + tax for front wheel hub, I found one from Jerry Rome Nissan in Mass for $97 shipped. Unfortunately Autozone do not carry this item which I would have went first and probably be cheaper if they had it. Another example of shopping around. Pep Boys Wheel Seal (Raw Hide) $16.99 + tax, Autozone Wheel Seal (Timkin- Japanese, I had also bought wheel bearings from Autozone for $35.00/each and is also made by Timkin)$8.50 + tax. Wheel studs at Napa are $1.50, Autozone $0.89 (might not be much, but when I ordered all new 20 studs, its alot).

Now this is where Dealers will screw you, not saying that all do, but they are in business for profit. I have a local RI mechanic that will install all my brakes (4 set ss lines, 4 rotors, complete front/rear pbr/metal master brake pads) do both front wheel bearings, and new hub for front driver side which will take him about 4-6 hrs labor. He is charging me much less than what a dealer would. For all the effort he is putting into my car, I will be helping him and watching what he is doing and tipping my mechanic on the quality of the work. I had also got quotes from two garages that I know, one in Mass and RI, the one nearest me gave me a better deal, and its under $300 of labor he is charging me (like woah!). Shop around, shop around, but shop around a place that is reputable at local repair shops.

Unfortunately some parts for the car can only be bought from the dealer, so shop around, and I have found Jerry Rome Nissan in Agawam, MA. to be professional, courteous and great prices, just mention The Org!

BTW, before the knowledge of The Org, I spent $550 at the dealer for front pads and turning 1 rotor, and replacing the other. They were done with my car like 2-3 hrs ago and let it sit to collect labor charge @ $65/hour. How I know, I saw the mechanic working on my car taking a minivan to get serviced. He also loosened my throttle cable (prolly to make my dumass go back and have them fix a bogus bs so they can make more money off a succer like me). Don't be a clown to them like I was.


- ßaller

 

I don't blame you for being frustrated about your car. It definitely isn't worth all that money to fix, I mean nearly 3 grand is ridiculous. But I think 95's are much more reliable than that in most cases. Maybe yours was an abused leased vehicle. Thats' why I can't stand leases and would never touch one with a 10' pole. You can't rent a hotel and trash it, you can't rent an apartment and trash it, but it seems you can abuse a leased car and get away with it. 2 of my friends turned in leased vehicles and they didn't even bother to check them out.

I'm also of the camp never to buy a Nissan again but I have to admit the Z looks darn gfood!

 

I used to feel exactly the same way.

Then ebmorgan and I installed my FSTB - not bad at all.

Then I paid to have my car dropped - and realized how easy it was to do myself by reading the .org.

Then I cleared my own tails, installed a dash kit.

THEN I got brave - did my own tuneup - and realized...THIS IS EASY!

Finally, I just gave in to my fears and installed the following in one week:

MEVI
Front Brakes
Stillen SuperCharger
Tranny Cooler
VB Mod
FMU

The only thing the dealership has replaced is my Alternator, under recall.

I swear man - cars are not hard at ALL to work on. Especially with a resource like the .org.

Stop being a woose and do all that stuff on your own - use a local Maxima.org member for help....

My previous car was a 92 Camaro RS that went through 4 engines in 6 years, 3 distributors, 7 (yes, SEVEN) starters, 2 heater Cores, 2 radiators, 4 thermostats, 5 distributor caps, 2 Alternators, a Water Pump, and get this - the frame literally snapped on the lower control arm while driving on a completely flat road. <Maybe if I had the ***** to work on my own car back then, I wouldn't have had all those problems because I would have understood preventive maintenance better)

My point is - you can do it, and there are FAR worse cars out there.

 

3 misunderstandings...

1. you went to the Nissan dealer for service (just prented a you are getting bruttally humped by a horny horse ...its the same feeling as going to Nissan for service!)

2. you drive a 9 y/o car(already stated)...**** happens

3. cars breakdown and **** happens.....

Ha!!! crying over $1500 in 1-2 months...try $2000 in one sitting for a rebuilt tranny!!!

 

I must come clean.....i've fallen victim to dealer prices. I do still go there for my Mobil 1 change, which a 40 bucks is very reasonable.

However. I paid the dealership 100 bucks to turn down my drum brakes. 100 F-ING dollars. I did have new front rotors too. I spent 400! UNREAL. I was so fed up with my car. The killer is for 100 bucks to turn the rear drums, no parts are involved. They put that bish on a lathe and turn em.....20 mins max for both. I bent over for them.

Well, my car did fail inspection, I need a new rear wheel brake cylinder. I'm going to do it myself.

Mike S.

 

If you don't like to work on cars you can still save money by buying genuine nissan parts from other sources for considerably less money. By using OEM parts no factory service center or independent shop will refuse your business.

As others have mentioned I would buy a chilton's or hayes manual just because it will give you a better understanding of your maxima. This will help you wade through the BS any dealership would give you.

Take your rear parking brake line as an example. There is a main cable that connects the parking brake lever to a distrubution block. From the distrubution block, two parking brake lines split from it, one going to the rear driver's side brake caliper, and one to the rear passenger side brake caliper. Which line is the dealership replacing? Or is the dealership going to replace everything because one cable out of three is bad? These are the questions you need to ask. This is the information you need to have to keep dealerships honest.

Good Luck!

 

That is a good week.

SuDZ

 

One more time F- dealerships

I do most of my own work but my car is still underwarranty, so when somthing goes wrong I take it to a local dealership (and sit next to the guy while he works on my car always.) I have heard Nissan dealerships get a bad rap for screwing you so I decided to try somthing.

When my starter went out it was covered under warranty and would be replaced. I decided to act all dumb about cars to see if they would screw me. I went in complaining of a noise in the front of my car and said that it was probably a wheel bearing (Max's only have hub's) or that it could be the driveshaft (the max is front wheel drive.) The mechanic proceeded to show me that my belts needed to be replaced, and that my front brakes had about 20% life left (250.00) and my rear brakes were gone (255.00)
My front brakes have 80%, and my rear have 75% left. I went ahead and took it to another local mechanic and just asked him to check the brakes, and he confirmed what I had said.
I can't believe that the dealership just sat there and lied to my face, and when I told them that I didn't want them to touch the brakes they were all over me about how it is dangerous and how it would become 'expensive' (500.00 isn't expensive for brakes???) if it wore down to the rotors.

F the dealerships, go to a local mechanic if you can't work on your car. Those prices you quoted are crazy. I would get a Haynes manual and try and check out what they said about what was wrong with your car.

Like others said this is a huge resource of info about your car, take advantage of it. It feels so good doing the work yourself. If you need help just ask, but search first, some people are just salivating to be the first one to post SEARCH

F dealerships