thenewguyy

Hey guys,
New around here, stumbled upon this forum when I was doing some research on the I35's. I came across an 03, looks fairly clean, the dealer is actually offering a 2 year engine and transmission warranty with it. Its got about 72k miles on it. What are the main things I should be looking for other than regular oil changes and should have had a tuneup done by now, thanks.

MaxMike93

May not have had a tune-up since the cars are usually rated for 100k miles. Viral issue with the I35 and 5.5 Maxima was oil burning, so ask (although they may not mention it), check for blue-colored/oil-odor exhaust, or check the oil to see if it's low. Other than that, shouldn't really come across any other issues as they are pretty much bulletproof.

thenewguyy

Thanks for the advice. Im thinking car is 10 years old plus a premium luxury car so a tuneup should be done by now, even if its 30k miles short of its schedule, can't hurt. Yea doubt they would mention something that isnt visible right then and there. Ill check the oil levels. Kinda gas mileage are you getting on this? What the fuel tank capacity?

MaxMike93

I have an I30 so I have a 3.0 instead of the 3.5. Highway you can probably get mid to high 20s, but city I usually see less than 20 but I'm told I have a heavy right foot. I believe the tank is around eighteen gallons, and you really should use premium. That's all I use and people have said the Nissan V6 engines don't really respond too well to lower than that. Not really a problem for me since the gas station I go to puts premium the same as mid-grade three times a week.

thenewguyy

ah nice, that brings me to my next question, premium vs unleaded. To be honest, I was looking at 4 cylinder mid size sedans (accord, altima, camry) and my budget was between the $5k-6k range. I had come across a few 5th gen maximas before but I hate the rear end on those things plus the fact of the thirsty engine and it requiring premium. Did research and found out that they can survive on unleaded as well. Altimas were out of the question due to serious floorboard issues plus malfunctioning electronics, Camry's are too bland, accords i wasnt able to find in my price range with low mileage. Did come across a 07 sonata but too scared to own the early korean cars. I came across this I35, which looks 10 times better than the maximas and still has a serious punch but then theres the VQ. So I was wondering how bad can it be. If i do decide on purchasing it, i will put premium initially and then try unleaded for a few months and see how much of a difference in mileage i see. Performance I dont really care for cause it packs enough of a punch already. Regular meintenance would be my main focus since there will be nothing more done to it other than get us from A to B in luxury lol

VQnBEYOND

I have an 02 i35 with 99000 miles and oil leaks are a problem but the O-ring and gasket fixes that but only issue ever with my car.i think they have 18.5 gallon tanks and I get 32 mpg highway 65mph not bad but anything higher makes rpms run a lot more and then you get mid 20s but best car I ever bought for sure

mclasser

I bought my 02 I35 with around 72K miles about a year and a half ago. Along with oil consumption, check the lower radiator support as it likes to rust out. Also check the calipers, particularly the rears for seizing. This can be verified by driving the car and applying the brakes. If it pulls to one side while braking, the caliper on the opposite side is likely seized. Uneven brake pad wear also is a giveaway. Check for any howling/rumbling as that could be bad wheel bearings. If the ride is rough/bouncy, the struts are probably blown. Not long after I bought my car, I noticed all 4 struts were bad. Check condition of ATF, coolant and brake + PS fluid. The latter 2 are ignored the most.

These are nice cars and the VQ is a helluva engine. Good luck!

thenewguyy

Ok guys so I pulled the trigger today. Went to drive it, clean as heck from the inside. So engine lights, pulls hard, shifts smoothly, seems like it needs new rotors and pads as far as breaks go. There's some surface rust by the driver side door sill which I will get taken care of soon. Also has a 2 year engine and transmission warranty for 2 years, so with taxes included and all, came out to $4800.

shaxs

Cool man! Enjoy!

thenewguyy

Thanks man will do!!