I am on the fence about trading in my 91 Automatic Maxima. It has 190,000 miles on it. I have spent about 2,000 in repairs since I bought it for 2,000
3 years ago. If I fix the rack & power steerining pump, I'm afraid the transmission will be next.
I heard somewhere they last 230,000 or so...

 

there's no clear way for anyone to tell you your transmission will last 201,456 miles. many transmissions on here have gone before 100k and many after. it all depends on how it's cared for as well as how it's driven. if you haven't done so already, add a transmission cooler. also perform regular fluid changes and knock on wood it should last.

i'm at 150k and counting on the original tranny and i don't see any signs of it failing anytime soon.

 

i was reading on bignissans.uk that leaving the car in nuetral while waiting at a traffic light can extend the life of a tranny (albeit a very small amount). i had always done this as a left-over instinct from driving a stick for many years... and was suprised to see that it had any benefit at all. thought?
-M

 

Yeah, it's you end up shocking the trans by putting it into and out of gear at the light.
and you increase the chance of doing theaccidental neutral drop which WILL SIGNIFICANTLY shorten trans life..

 

Dang...230K? And to think mine only lasted for 175...I guess someone must owe me some money??

 

I'd say about 140k.The RE4F02A is a notoriously fragile transmission, one of the worst Nissan ever made IMO. Mine crapped out around 140k and it was never abused by my father when the max was his car. It's crapping out again because the rebuild shop ripped me off and then went out of business.

 

Thanks for all the replies! I guesse I (and my Max) are very lucky or the PO had the tranny replaced already...any way to tell? Carmax, DMV report etc...

 

It's doubtful you would find any info on carfax, etc. I don't think they track that kind of repair. I see you are in Dallas- stay away from Eagle Transmission, if you decide to get a rebuild. I'm not statisfied with mine.

 

I will take your advice. How much did it cost? What are the problems your having now? How many miles did you have on it when it died?

 

Mine has 214K on it but it has been slipping in O/D since I bought it from my mother in law. I put a tranny cooler in it and it helped somewhat. I bought the car with 180K on it, drive 150-200 miles a day 5 days a week, and it hasn't gotten one bit worse since I put the tranny cooler in it. I know I'm on borrowed time, but the tranny cooler is the best investment possible on a tranny.

 

Mine died at 175K, started slipping between 1-2, if I remember correctly. It was done a little more than a year ago, with a 12/12 warranty. Basically a full rebuild, and cost me $1800.

Right now, it still shifts in all gears, but seems soft. In other words, doesn't shift crisply between gears, and in my opinion takes too long to shift. Not to the point of slipping, though. Kind of lurches sometimes like when you slow down to go over a railroad track or something, and then give it gas on the other side. Seems like it takes a minute to pick up again.

Also, around 45mph, it seems like it doesn't know what gear to be in- I can feel it "hunting". If I slow down a bit, or speed up a bit, it's fine.

The old one never did any of those things. New one has about 190K on it, and just out of warranty.

If I have problems again I'll do one of 3 things- Sell it, swap in a low mileage used auto, or do a 5 sp swap. I'll never spend that kind of money again for a rebuild.