I’m Kelly & I live in Tennessee. Longtime Nissan owner; currently driving my 4th Maxima which I bought 3 weeks ago. Never had a reason to join a Maxima help forum site until now….unfortunately my latest Maxima came with a lot of issues & problems.

I am F I E R C E L Y determined to educate myself on all things Maxima this time around; to DIY if applicable; and to bring her back to life because I don’t think any of her former owners took good or proper care of her. 😞

Let me back up a bit. My Nissan history goes a little something like this:
•2011 Maxima S (silver)
•2012 Altima (grey) ***bit the dust at 337k miles & on its 3rd trans! !
•2014 Maxima SV (black)
•2012 Altima Coupe (white) *hated this car & hate isn’t a strong enough word
•2010 Maxima S (white)
•2012 Maxima S (black) **Current**

My latest ride is a 2012 Maxima S, bought @157k miles. All of my Nissans have had high mileage when I bought them none this high. Overall I believe I have a fantastic ride; there are just a lot of issues both big & small that need taken care of. I’m trying to prioritize in order of importance & that’s proving difficult as every service garage has differing advice. Here’s the short list.

repairs/services COMPLETED:
key fob ($120)
right front headlight assembly kit ($950 the 2nd day of ownership!)
illegal 6% window tint removed & replaced with legal 35% ($300)
front & rear brakes & mass airflow sensor ($700)
right rear tire replaced & all 4 rotated & balanced + 8 mounting bolts ($180)
serpentine belt + transitioner belt ($210)
AC system flush + add refrigerant + trans fluid service (trans fluid was BLACK)+ oil change to include synthetic high mileage oil + cabin air filter cleaned (had not been cleaned in many years if ever, I was told) + windshield wiper blades ($468)
front windshield removed & replaced by Safelite ($50 ins deductible)


REPAIRS/SERVICES NEEDED:
upper & lower idler pulleys (constant chirping sounds)
left rear tire replaced (scored 1 out of 6 on TTS)
windshield fluid reservoir tank needs connecting hoses
motor mount needed
engine cover needs clips to hold in place~upper & lower
all 4 wheels need replacing as each is bent & I believe this is the source of steering wheel vibrations @ higher speeds. also 2 center caps broken & 1 missing entirely
both my plug ins are shorted out so no charging source for a cell phone
spare tire + cover
owners manual needed
valve stem covers missing
airbags service light is on
TPS monitoring light is on
ENGINE WHINE*NOTICED LAST WEEK: transmission replacement advised: estimate is $7,300 for OEM trans which I will NOT be doing. I’ll take myself down to the salvage yard when the time comes thank you very much.
*ABOUT THE WHINE~I’ve read about a Nissan Service Bulletin that advised owners to replace the insulator on the power steering pump motor housing so I plan to try that IF I can find the correct part without paying $40-$100.

This car was so filthy y’all, inside and out. Almost like some funk from being partially submerged in water or maybe left unattended for a long period of time in storage or otherwise with all 4 windows down + the sun roof open. I ain’t ever seen this kind of funk in any automobile, ever. I scrubbed the entire interior with hot water & purple fabuloso, then leather cleaner on seats & interior cleaner & protectant & it still needs some strong elbow grease in crevices & on all surfaces. The exterior had a caked on yellowish grime that you could see & feel & it took about 6 handwashes & 2 waxes to remove.

Knowing what I know now I don’t believe any previous owner has ever taken good or proper care of this car. I fully intend to! I stand behind my purchase; I believe I have a fantastically neglected Maxima that has the potential to quite possibly be the best Nissan I’ve had yet…& in spite of the costs & hardships so far, she’s my fave.

Please share your thoughts, opinions & similar stories so I know I’m not alone! I’m happy I found this site & so far almost everything I’ve read has been relatable & helpful.

I am in need of several smaller/less essential items and/or parts & I’ve posted in the 6th or 7th Gen classifieds so if anyone out there has any items listed that can be parted with please message me!

Kd

 

Hello and

Considering how nasty this Max was at time of purchase based on your description, I sure hope you got it for a very low price.

 

3k

 

Hello and

 

where did you get key for low price I have a 2011 Nissan Maxima sv