I own a 2001 Maxima AE (grey lustre) purchased in April. I have less than 5000 miles on the car and have had no problems other than these two:
1) Paint chips (about a dozen or so) mainly on the hood .... not very big at all, but noticeable on a dark grey car
2) Speaker (Bose system) sounds muffled and rattles with even slight bass (my 1998 did not do this at all, but I had paint chips on that super black model too)

What can I do to correct these problems or at least help stop them from getting worse? Thanks!

 

You can buy a Carflector which will protect your hood. Or there is a clear film (I think there are a few, I think one is made by 3M, try the search) thing that you put on the hood, which is clear.

Check page 1 on the How-To's (stickies) on how to take care of the Bose sub rattle. You can also use Dynamat to insulate the speakers, which reduces noise.

Hope that helps.

 

Here is a link for the 3M Clear Mask.
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?threadid=85058
Since it is clear, your hood will not fade because sunlight penetrates the clear mask, unlike a factory bra.