I have a 2001 AE, which I love. I have had it for two months and drive it irregularly (maybe once for fifty miles or so every week). I have noticed that after the car sits for a time (several days of no driving), the brakes make a loud noise when I am backing up and depress the brake and when I pull forward and depress the pedal. The noise is like a loud clump, as if something metal has slipped out of a bind. The braking ability of the car is fine, though. My car has only 900 miles on it. Is this a problem I should be concerned with or should I just drive the car more frequently? Thanks for your response. This is my first Maxima.

 

When the car sits for a while, the brake rotors oxidize a bit from the moisture in the air and can form a layer of rust. It's normal though. The sound you hear is most likely the brake pads grinding the rust off when you first apply the brakes. After the brakes are warmed up and clean, they should be silent....

Congrats on your first Maxima