As unbelievable as it is for me to say, after nearly 20 years of being a loyal Nissan customer I couldn't do it anymore.

I've had a 5th gen maxima, 3rd gen Altima, 2rd gen Pathfinder and have mostly enjoyed ownership of all these vehicles. With that being said I've noticed a lack of accountability coming from Nissan corporate in recent years.

it started with the ignition coils/vais on the 5th Gen maxima and the oil consumption on the 2nd gen Pathfinder. These issues were tolerable and I simply topped it off and replace the coils respectively.

I started becoming irritated with nissan regarding the pre cats on the 3.5 and Nissan's refusal to address it. Then I started reading about the blown transmissions on the 3th gen pathfinders and how a defect in the cooling line was costing owners thousands of dollars in repairs.

I started reading about all the lawsuits that were being filed against Nissan, now this is not to say other car companies have not been sued but to the scope and the fact that Nissan was supposed to be a reputable brand was very upsetting.

Now the maxima and the Pathfinder are long gone, but the Altima was still running strong. with the mileage climbing (nearly 180k) and a growing need for an all wheel drive me and my wife started looking at the Juke. and there it was again, timing chain tensioner issues causing catastrophic failure and Nissan saying it wasn't their problem.

Nissan did issue a recall on SOME Jukes knowing full well almost every juke in production from 2011 to 2014 might have this issue. once again, if you buy a juke that's outside the recall and it fails good luck getting Nissan to do anything about it.

I don't know what happened but Nissan was not the same company after 1999. Their products were always reliable and well built up to that time. once again, I know all brands have their issues but it's Nissan's refusal to address their failures and sticking the blue collar folks who buy their cars with thousands worth of repairs that shouldn't be an issue regarding regular maintenance and repair.

so as much as I've enjoyed their vehicles, the current trend of their corporate policy has driven me away from their brand. Alas, we traded in the Altima for a 2009 Subaru Legacy. At least subaru addressed the head gasket issues in 2005 and admitted their failures.

I want to make one thing clear, this is not a knock on any Nissan owners on this forum, I understand why we love their products but I've become somewhat disenfranchised with their increasingly casual disregard for the welfare of their consumers based on mechanical oversights by their engineers.

 

All manufacturers are cutting costs and even brands like Toyota & Honda aren't what they used to be.

Enjoy your Subaru

 

I'm with you on this. Nissan doesn't go out of their way to fix obvious mistakes in their products. Like with the 5.5gen maxima's oil burning issue. When somebody dumps 30grand of their hard earned money on a car, it better work properly. And if it doesn't, the company should step in and back you up.

They just want you to drive off the lot with it. After that, whatever!

 

^
In my 08 Altima and 02 Maxima book, Nissan said it was normal to fill up a little between oil changes. So it's not like the owners didn't know about it and Nissan told people up front via the book.

 

Sorry it didnt end well for you, Enjoy your Subaru, they make great vehicles

 

Funny that you mentioned 1999.

Nissan and the Renault-Nissan Alliance

In March 1999, Renault and Nissan formed the Renault-Nissan Alliance, and in May 1999 Renault purchased a 36.8% stake in Nissan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Ghosn

 

Yep. I won't buy any Nissan after the date they hooked up with Renault. I was at the tranny shop discussing adding a cooler to my Alti and we got talking about the CVT. Total horror! No way am I ever going to buy a Nissan with a CVT in it.

 

I think the CVT is a hot button issue. Many long-time drivers just do not like the idea of the CVT, feeling it removes the driver from the equation. But, as an octogenarian who has been driving since the 1940s, and who has driven half a million miles with manuals, and over a million with automatics which varied from two speed to five speed, I have had no complaints with my 2009 8th gen CVT, which is over six years old, and without the slightest hint of trouble.

I think another problem some folks have with the CVT is that they try to drive it like an automatic tranny, while we actually need to relearn how to drive in order to use CVTs optimally. With the CVT, I look only at the tach, nursing the accelerator pedal accordingly, and never use the speedometer.

 

^
Wow the 1940s? WW2, WW1, Vietnam War , Pearl Harbor, Watergate scandal, Lewinsky scandal, black civil rights movement etc etc... You witnessed so many significant historic events!

I'm so jealous

 

Jealous? All that means is that I probably don't have much time left. I will almost surely live to the 8th gen, possibly the 9th gen, but I probably will view the 10th gen Maxima from a great distance. Hopefully from above, rather than below.

I remember going to school barefoot during the great depression. I remember the photos showing Pearl Harbor ablaze. That was three days after the attack, as things moved much slower back then.

I still have a few ration books saved from WWII. One pair of shoes each year. No gas or tires unless your work was connected to the war effort. Most foods were in short supply, and were rationed. Even the pennies of 1943 were made of a zinc/pot metal substance that felt sort of like a small flat stone.

I remember the air raid sirens, and searchlights sweeping the night sky. I remember a B25 bomber crashing into the mountain behind our home. I remember how happy I was when the war was over, and tennis shoes were once more available. That meant our school basketball team did not have to play in dress-type street shoes again. I bought my first pair of Converse Chuck Taylor Al-Star basketball shoes in fall of 1945.

 

^
Wow.

 

the biggest issue was USA manufacturing, too coincidental that Maximas started getting many problems in 2004 onwards and 2004 was the first year they went from Japanese manufacturing to American. that and the Renault partnership, no different than how Ford took a steaming hot dump on Mazda trying to buy them out and ruined Mazda

id gladly own another older Nissan like my Hardbody, that thing was one of the most reliable vehicles i have ever owned much like my Maxima. anything past the early-mid 90s for Nissan i wouldnt touch outside of R34 and S15

Subaru, Toyota, and Honda are still having some vehicles built in the US but i wouldnt hesitate to own a Japanese built one. Hondas are still trucking along as the reliable economy cars theyve always been as with Toyota, just the feel of Toyotas luxury cars in the last 10 years is weak to me

 

^
What do you think of Hyundai and KIA?

 

never cared for them, made disposable cars 15 years ago then copied the Japanese to get their ish together. only thing saving them is their warranty on new vehicles

 

So don't buy a Hyundai Elantra?

 

ive driven a few of the new Elantra and the interior is pretty nice, otherwise i cant really speak for them

 

I drove a brand-new Hyundai Equus thing, the super expensive one. It's actually quite nice inside and was on-par with Audi in terms of interior design and power. The build quality I cannot speak for and I would rather get an established high-end brand vehicle over Hyundai's upper brand.

Some Kia/ Hyundai's look great and most have really basic interiors (Some are great!), but I always question the reliability and wouldn't personally buy one.

 

^^ Huyndai and Kia are Korean...that's it

Asking if they're good is like asking if goods made in China are of good quality, but I digress..



BTW, Hyundai/Kia are about to pay $150 mil to the EPA for violating global warming laws

I think the big picture is that many car brands have good/bad cars, if you stick only to certain model/model years you should be pretty good..

For example, besides the 6th gens, any Maxima bought since its inception is a pretty good purchase, they've been pretty reliable and good quality, including the 7th gens. The newer Maximas don't have the same feel as the older ones, but they are good cars.

Look at Toyota Camrys over the years, and how they had their share of problems with the last models, and the new ones are just plain crap. Recalls, seat problems, crap cheap interiors, and they don't even give you a full leather seat on the XLE trims now!? It's like half leatherette/half suede or vinyl Idk..Not to mention, that V6 variants are almost non-existent now and cost way too much.

Hondas had their share of problems too, remember the Accords with all the tranny problems around mid 2000's? My buddy had one of those that had two trannies replaced..Anyway the new ones are pretty good and reliable, but they now too have CVT. Again, V6 models are almost non-existent and cost too much.

Mazda? Until recently with the Mazda6, has been in a hole for years. The only car they had until recently was the Mazda3 which is compact and only for a small customer base...Besides that, Mazda has always been quite reliable.

Look at American brands and all the recalls they have right now. I don't even wanna comment on those. Except for Chrysler, which at least seems to have their interior design in order and quality of materials...

And then look at German brands like Benz/BMW, VW/Audi/Porche...Many of their models have been horrible for reliability over the years. Any V8 made by these brands has been a POS. And these cars cost and arm n leg...The German brands are usually a perfect example of why only buying certain models is a good idea...

Seriously, if you compare the 7th gen Maxima to many other cars, you'll see that it's a pretty good and reliable car, and very good at that price level. Also, with the 8th gen being delayed it seems Nissan really cares and wants their flagship to have as little bugs and issues as possible when they release it...That sounds to me like they care, not that they don't care...Goes back again to buying only certain models/model years (it's not about any one specific brand, ever)

All car brands have gotten this way in recent years, quality and customer loyalty has gone down across the board.

 

i love the turbo four banger sounds awsome with my new bov and new "short block".

 

^^ lol

 

BINGO!!!!! Carlos may have saved Nissan from bankruptcy, but history tends to repeat itself. Renault cost cutting is costing Nissan big time. The new Altima is riddled with issues still. The timing chain issues with previous model VQ engines were just wrong, and yet NO accountability.

 

Sorry to see you leave. I guess I prefer Nissan because my experiences have been with 1999 models or earlier.

I can tell you that Honda is having serious problems -- mostly with V6 vehicles.

Honda owners clubs are calling for the resignation of CEO Ito.

Class action lawsuits are common as Honda refuses to assist owners with major design fault issues.

I don't know which car manufacturer I would pick if I were buying a new car today. I still see some fairly new Infiniti products that appear to be somewhat "old school" from a drive-train perspective.

I remember growing up with a neighbor who was a machinist for Timex Corporation. He always managed to find and keep at least 3 Renault cars around like the one in the picture. He was always working on his cars. Maybe he needed three to have one that could be driven regularly. I remember his wife bought a new rear engine Renault at some point. It looked like a little box.

 

If i had to decide on an all new make of vehicle, i think I'd go with a subi outback or Baja

 

LOL, I don't think you'll be buying a new one. The Baja has been out of production for over 8 years. Plus, that was back when Subaru was having a heck of a time with head gasket failures.

And people who don't like CVTs will be disappointed with Subaru as they use them almost if not exclusively in place of automatics. Although manual transmissions are still an option in a number of their vehicles.

We just bought a new Toyota Rav4 for the wife. I am hoping an Audi is next in my future. There are still a lot of good choices out there.

 

I purchased a 1994 Maxima new and still have it and plan on running it into the ground, though it is getting more time consuming to keep up with all the little issues (mostly caused by deteriorating rubber, some of which is hard to access for replacement).


I've been thinking about the same thing regarding Nissan and am leaning towards a Honda Accord or Subaru outback as well. My maxima was built in Japan and as solid as they come, outside of what could be a dozen fuel injectors and window regulators over the years, along with the normal wear items. The newer cars don't seem to be anywhere near as solid, but I have also been really disappointed with Nissan with regards to a 2000 Pathfinder also in the family. All sorts of sensor issues causing service vehicle lights over the years starting from day one. The QC just doesn't seem to be there as they look to take cost out of the vehicles, while adding all sorts of unnecessary features in my opinion.

 

^
That gen is a gem.

 

Yeah, a lot of manufacturers are suffering from moving production from Japan to America. Nissans took a massive dump from when they stopped Japanese production.
Even though my 5.5 gen Maxima has been very reliable for the most part, I myself am pretty much done with Nissan after I get rid of this vehicle.
Definitely have to agree with others moving to Subaru's, they build a solid vehicle & are starting to have a better fit & finish to their interiors which is a plus.
Definitely gonna move to a Subaru or Honda/Acura product as my next vehicle.

 

Agreed, always had a soft spot for 3rd Gen's

 

You own a 3rd gen in TORONTO!?

Can I come see it ?

 

Haha, that was very long ago when I was a kid, was totalled in 2002

 

My first encounter with Nissan was a 72 Datsun 240Z in 1977. In 79, I put a 350 Chevy engine in it and put another 156,000 miles on it. I then had a 79 280ZX and then an 84 300ZX Turbo. I bought the 300ZX after I had bought an 88 Maxima and loved that engine, even though I was happy the day the 300ZX was sold. I later bought a 96 Maxima for the wife, which she got in the divorce, and a matching 95 Maxima for myself and they have been good cars. I currently have an 03 I35 Infiniti that I bought with a bad engine and replaced the motor with a 02 3.5 Maxima engine. It is a very nice, very enjoyable car to drive. But, I do have some typical oil consumption. When I sold the 88, it had 295,000 miles and did not use any oil. Nissan did replace the injectors on the 88 for free and even provided a rental car as they were back ordered at that time
Two weeks ago I bought a Miata as I am slowly getting out of many years on motorcycles.
I spent 35 years in the Quality Profession and it really concerns me in what I am seeing everywhere with the quality of everything. I just replaced the plastic hatch latch on my girlfriends Toyota van with an aftermarket metal one. Yep, they saved a few cents and this a very common failure.

 

Nissan corporate should be concern about their long time, loyal customer leaving the boat...

Some kick in da b*tt are getting lost somewhere.

I have been lucky with Nissan and the service has been good for the past 20+ years, the 2014 Frontier is running strong so I cross my finger and hope to not have problems like yours.

In the mean time good luck with the Subaru.

 

Go Lexus

 

+1 that higher resale value exists because they are reliable cars

 

Sorry you have chosen to leave the brand but sometimes you just have to move on. I was a Subaru customer for 10 years but left the brand because of the reliability issues but it was my fault because the were bot heavily modified WRX and an STI. If they remain stock you not have any issues other than routine maintenance. Good luck in the future sir.

 

A little info to ponder.


http://wallstcheatsheet.com/automobi...tml/?a=viewall

 

Is Ford there due to their trucks, fleet cars and SUVs?

 

The reason the companies on the list are on the list is because they adopted teachings from W. Edwards Deming. Japan adopted quality programs using the Deming cycle after WWII. Ford was the first U.S. auto company to take Deming's teachings seriously.

Read about W. Edwards Deming at the following link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Edwards_Deming

 

I assume that by "book" you mean the owner's manual. Well by the time you have the owner's manual, you've already bought the car-- unless you try to get a copy of the manual BEFORE buying.
Even though many of us on this forum are car enthusiasts, I doubt that few have read the owner's manual cover-to-cover for a car before buying it.
Maybe I am wrong, but if I'm spending $30,000-$40,000 for a Maxima, I am expecting it to be pretty clear of any major design or mechanical flaws...

 

Researching car model would work too. Anyhow no car is perfect