benzcl500

I posted in another board but got like 2 responses...so here I am i this one

I'm looking to buy a nice used Maxima...I wanna spend somewhere around 12-14.5K for an average miles maxima...looking for 98-00 SE's...im in the jersey area if that helps...is that a reasonable price?

How do you guys like your maxima's...any reliability probs?

Still debating between stick and auto...but i guess whatever comes

Gianniali

iTrader: (2)

I'm the one that put not one major problem, and I have 143,000 plus on my odometer. I'm in Jersey, want a ride and see what the Max can do with all those miles, hope you don't have heart problems!

Nismo

iTrader: (18)

so far its been very good, 97 46k

only problem which was due to a recall is my bad alternator but other than that, everything has been great

NickStam

iTrader: (3)

very

Dave B

My 96 has been bulletproof. 91K miles, numerous trips down the 1/4 mile, it's pushing ~30fwhp and 30fwtq more than stock, stock clutch, and no significant repairs other than a knock sensor and maintenence.


Dave

Synki

My 99 ran great and sold it with 50k miles. This car was driven pretty much locally all the time.

My 92 has been more then what I expected. It has 220k miles on it with original motor/transmission. The car gets drivien 7 days a week and is all highway/city miles.

NotNew!!NewSN!!

mine is absolute poo

ericdwong

One word- transmission

bert

You consider it average to have a few major problems???

BlackCat

iTrader: (6)

I'm also one that posted not one major problem.

(Of course I'm talking about before I started modding )

benzcl500

hehehe

im an american car driver...if it aint broke, it aint american

Eric L.

Just read my sig. I've had my share of problems, even though I am meticulous about maintaining my car.

NYCe MaXiMa

iTrader: (9)

126k
97 SE 5 speed

not one problem yet *knocks on wood*


98 GXE auto..
73k
nothing..

93 SE
sold at 106k
transmission dead at 86k, felt almost dead at 106k (reason for sale), numerous suspension components, fuel pressure regulator, fuel injector, bunch of sensors.. was getting 14-20 mpg for some reason, no one could tell me.. and it wasn't my driving style since i tried driving it every way..
about 2,500$ in repairs in a year of ownership.. wasn't very fortunate with that one..

but the 4th gens have been good to me.

nadir_s

Maintained in every aspect... 140k miles, was driving like brand new but I have 1 prob.... differential bearings went bad. Aside from that, car runs PERFECT :knocks on wood:

Stephen Max

iTrader: (59)

What's the difference between "not one major problem" and "only a few minor problems"? I've only had to replace the knock sensor and a starter on a 95 SE with 120,000 miles. Great reliability, I'd say.

Max_Gator

My wife's 96 is approaching 145k miles and has only had one problem: a leaking oil pressure sending unit that cost $100 AT THE DEALER to replace.

My 2k has had a couple problems that I attribute to a new model first year: brake problem; fuel cut.

It has also had a variable intake problem that caused me to curse Nissan. Not certain what caused that problem - this car is driven much harder than my wife's.

max988

My 87 SE has its water pump, alternator replaced and several batteries along the way. My 91 GXE stalled on the highway and had it towed to the dealer. The dealer was unable to troubleshoot it until few days later but the car started. The same problem reoccurred again one month later in my garage (jump start didn't work so maybe a fuel related problem) and started it the next day. I still have my 87 and it was purchased new. I traded in the 91 after ten years.

carnal_c30

iTrader: (38)

part costs like 7 bucks mines leaking too I just havent gotten around to change it... I need to change the oil AND have the proper size wrench at the same time- aint happened yet


I have had no maojor problems with my Maxima'97 64k miles it doesnt get driven much these days

Frank Fontaine

Here are my thoughts as someone who shelled out 22 grand for a brand-new 98 5-spd with every option under the sun:

average should not mean a few major problems, because I would never spend 10 grand on a car that had a few major problems. I would say the Maxima is an average car with multiple minor problems. It is a very cheap car for what you get feature-wise, because I've seen used 97's going for $8995 from authorized dealers. At that price they have high mileage. Regardless, you can drive the p*** out of such a car for 1 month since it's covered by a warranty.

I would say your strategy would be you hope to score a used car where the owner took the car back to Nissan to get all the problems corrected, so that wont be the case in a lease return or if the car changed hands more than once. Try to find an original owner car with about up to 70,000 miles--if you got less than 60 you can cover any oil issues under warranty. Used? I don't know if I'd want a stick because you wont know if the previous owner(s) liked to ride the clutch like a surfboard or not. I notice that quite alot when I ride in other people's sticks, they've got the clutch depressed even at stop lights. If all the stuff was repaired and adjusted your only problem with a used maxima will be rattles. Good luck. Don't be afraid to offer 3 grand less than those prices you listed and see what happens. We Americans are too afraid to haggle, and I'm trying to get out of that habit. I just bought new eyeglasses and the prices were ridiculous--$600 (titanium rimless with transitions xtractive yada yada). This was a chain store so I asked her if she could take anything off she said no, by the time we were done she took off $125. I'm still getting ripped off but at least it's not as much! So ask for a big discount esp. on a car

Street Reeper

96 Auto 73,000

The only things are

CV joint
window regulator
starter

With the cold weather my struts have begun to creek while their cold, should I get new ones?

How long have most automatic transmissions lasted, with regular hot footing?

Maxima91

in my 90 the tranny went out around the same mileage yrs did, huh weird, other than that, its been good to me, now its at 101,000

FLO_BOY

of which, I've put on about 30K miles...

one major problem: injector stuck open on cylinder 6.

...and I've changed numerous maintenance items, a knock sensor
and an O2 sensor...

hope this helps...
FLO_BOY

Wills98MaxSE

Despite the following that's happened with the SE when my brother had the Max, he's managed to take care of it quite well, actually better than my dad does w/ his cars, but they both know I take care of cars the best

- Driver door accident:
someone T-boned him in Lincoln Park, MI when he was making a left turn 3 yrs ago, he couldn't even get his door open, needed a new door and all parts inside the door

- Front end accident:
At this time, my brother was living in Farmington Hills, MI but needed a new radiator, hood, bumper, front end re-straightnening. I too had the same damage done with my '98 Altima in Spring '00.

- Using fuel below 93:
To this date, he always puts either 89 or worse case, 87, even in a car that requires premuim fuel, like the Max, and even he does this with his '01.5 Passat 1.8T, which also calls for premium.... poor Joe, already in one year and just this fall after moving to Ann Arbor, MI, he shelled out $900 for an oil pump gone bad on his Passat

benzcl500

thats what I'm afraid of when i purchase a used one...i never know what kind of gas he used....grrrrrrr

JUDE

iTrader: (7)

My Intake Gasket went bad, that was my only major problem.

Sprint

iTrader: (10)

ok which bastard just voted in this old post

Taken2DaMax

iTrader: (5)

My car has a couple of problems (flaky starter button and antenna motor). But that's because these are problems that popped up around my car's age (138K). She's an old fart. But if you keep up with the maintance of the vehicle, these VQs will last longer than most cars.

DoGGy

im confused.
are you asking how good its running at the moment or how many problems i've had so far??

so far i've changed 3 o2 sensors.

at the moment i got absolutly no problems. but i do need new rotors and pads as well as a balancing.