djblackout

looking into purchasing a maxima. unsure if i want 4th gen or 5th gen. will most likely have over 100k miles maybe even 120k. my budget is small but ive found some good looking ones for around 3000$. gotta love a broke economy.

anyway, how reliable are these cars? that is my MAIN concern.

and 4th gen or 5th gen? auto or manual? [im used to manuals but again, its all about reliability for me.

and what should i look for that could be problematic with these cars when i got test drive/check them out?

any help is much appreciated.

5 ltr. beater

thinking of buying a 5th gen?

SiathLinux

http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...omparison.html

djblackout

so easy to post links, but no one wants to talk it out?

scarface4522

iTrader: (33)

I would say there both equally reliable.Just look around and see what you find in your price range, test drive it , get it looked at by a qualified mechanic and make a desicion.

djblackout

seems 4th gens are more in my range, but i was wondering if paying more was worth a 5th gen

5 ltr. beater

SiathLinux

Sorry, I thought I was helping you, by giving you some information based on owners of both cars.

Agreed, I happen to own a 4th Gen (as I like the styling better, found a great deal on a VERY clean 4th Gen)

Not a fan, but they are very reliable. They are not as well appointed as the Maxima, not sure the price on 95 - 2005 used ones either.

Overall, IF you can better afford the 4th Gen - then take your time and find a good one - (many are for sell on the .org too) - get a 5MT, SE if possible.

tigersharkdude

iTrader: (20)

if you get a 4th gen, steer clear of 99's.

Hectic

iTrader: (20)

I have some advice..


Buy a 3rd gen

djblackout

so what if i found a 98 with 140k for 2800? fair price? still going to be reliable with that many miles?

djblackout

bump

scarface4522

iTrader: (33)

have u looked around? test drive anything yet?

djblackout

i test drove a 5th gen thats all. but i have found a bunch of 4th gens in my price range. its just hard to test drive them because i dont have a car, and am having my girl run around that works full time to take me to these places. stresses her out

AlexxSCM

iTrader: (2)

98

crackhead

This thread has some good info in it about common problems in 4th gens (doesn't really get into it until the bottom of the first page). I luv my 95 se 5spd, bought it for $2500 about 5yrs ago from my dad w/ ~175k miles. Right now it has a little over 215k miles. ColombianMax has over 320k miles on his 95. There is a lot of cool stuff you can do with a 4th gen, check out the How-To's in the 4th gen section. The FAQ in the same section also has a lot of good info. Post #3 in the FAQ lists the all of the differences between the different trim levels and some of the things that changed from 95-99. The 4th and 5th are pretty much the same car, the 5th gen has a different body (heavier) and a different intake manifold (much better), but the majority of the mechanical parts are the same. I haven't had too much trouble from my car outside of regular maintenance. The front and rear crossmember bolts are mostly stripped and my lower control arm bushings are gone. I just replaced the alternator about a year ago. The only major problem I have had is with the 5spd transmission. I've broken 2 transmissions and I'm working on the third . The first one was the one from the factory. I trashed while I was learning to drive a stick before the car was mine. The second grenaded on me after I put a synthetic GL-5 gear oil in it and the diff seals started leaking. That one was in there for about 3yrs (I had only been driving it for the last year of those 3). More than a quart of oil had leaked out and I had trashed 1st and 2nd gears (4000+ rpm launches FTW!!! ). I was driving down the highway on a ~100mi trip in 95F+ weather and the trans locked up and split my jwt st1 clutch in half. The third I have had for around 4yrs with dino GL-4, a Zoom st2 4-puck kevlar clutch (pos clutch), Zoom aluminum flywheel (pos flywheel), and maybe only a few 4000+ rpm launches (It's true! ). Pretty sure I just broke the pressure plate on the pos clutch, but I haven't had any other serious problems the past 4yrs. I'm going to take a look at it during my 3.5 swap, gonna see how long this one lasts after that... Any Maxima will last forever if properly maintained and not abused (too much ).

djblackout

okay i did see quite a few 4th gens that were around 140k for about 2500. it just worries me because it seems really high in mileage. is there any way i can see if the motor has been taken care of? like leaky valve cover gaskets... any typical spots for oil leakS?

when is the chain supposed to be replaced/

and how good are the autos? crappy compared to the manuals?

i really dont mind either, im used to manual, but if i find an auto with a good body for cheaper, i would hate to discriminate due to it not being a 5spd

5150pa

I've recently purchased a very clean 98 with 150k for 2500 from a friend of the family. It's an auto, and it runs great and was well maintained. Only problem i've had was a bad starter, Threw in a reman and everything is great. Really if you look around the org and see some peoples rides, well over 200k, they last a long time if you take care of it.

crackhead

The only place I've had an oil leak was at the oil pressure sensor located in the rear of the upper oil pan. It wouldn't be a bad idea to look for any leaks at the valve cover. Mine looks a little oily, but no leaks. Check the radiator to see if the fluids look clean and green/red/blue. Check the oil to see if it also looks clean. My car was past 3k miles since the last oil change and has been sitting for the past 4 months. The oil on the dipstick is a dark brown but not black Mobile 1 synthetic. Pull a spark plug from the front and rear bank to see if they are in decent condition (most of the metal should be intact, no bubbling of the insulation, not a lot of black or white build-up on the tip, not soaked in oil, NGK is the preferred brand). If it is a 99, check the rear coil for any small cracks in the tube and boot. I would just avoid a 99 unless the coils have already been replaced. Documented service records are awesome.

I think my dad had the timing equipment changed around 150K miles. I don't remember why (I think a mechanic told him he should ), the ONLY thing that should need changing would be the chain tensioners and only because they get noisy.

If you can get under a 5spd car, check to see if there is any play in the axles at the transmission. If there is, check the fluid level to see if it is full. Expect to be topping off the gear oil regularly and rebuilding the transmission sooner rather than later (not in the next month, but maybe 2yrs or less). While under there, you can check for rust on the radiator support and see what brand oil filter is on there if you can. (I personally wouldn't trust any car that has seen a Fram filter... but that's just me. ) The autos have proven to be reliable if they haven't been really abused (also slow unless boosted ). Drive it to see if it is slipping at all (this would apply to both auto and manual).

5 spd all the way for me. I spent about $1200 on the last rebuild and I had already bought the clutch. I don't plan on paying anyone else to do that though. I finally have almost all the tools I would need to do it myself.

dizzle209

You should definitely get a 4th gen 5 speed if you're budget is $3000.

djblackout

what about a 3rd gen? i found one with the 3.0 v6 with 150k for about 2400

5 ltr. beater

what year 3rd gen?