My previous Maximas and even a '13 Altima all had a trunk which you could close with very little effort. My current Maxima requires me to slam it. Is yours the same way?

 

If you have to slam it shut there is something wrong with the alignment of the lid or operation of the locking mechanism. Mine closes as easily as shutting the side doors.

 

These trunks are heavy compared to other cars I've had in the past so I see what your saying

 

I haven't had any issues with mine, though I rarely keep anything in my truck so I really don't remember.

 

No problems on my '09.

 

no slam needed here. I requires effort to move it down, but when it gets to the lock it latches nice and easy.

 

My Infiniti trunk was balanced so you could close it with a finger, the 13 Max isn't that easy but you don't have to slam it

 

I'm a little surprised there are differences in how the trunk closes on various 7th gen Maximas.

With my '09, I simply put one finger inside the trunk closing handle (which I understand Nissan deleted beginning with the 2011 model year?) and give a very gentle tug, then immediately remove my finger and head to the driver's seat, knowing the trunk lid will float down and latch on its own within two or three seconds.

If I'm standing on the left side of the trunk, since the trunk closing handle is on the right side, I sometimes bypass the trunk closing handle and simply place my index finger on top of the trunk lid and push down, removing my finger before the lid has moved more than six inches, knowing it will float down and latch itself.

The only variation between our 7th gen Maximas should be whatever weight we have added to the trunk lid. I have only added an aluminum license plate, black painted plastic license plate frame, trimmed-down stick-on dealer logo and a coat of wax to mine, totaling only around four ounces, so I am surprised some here have lids that perform much differently than mine.

 

No issues either. An auto open feature would be much welcomed on Gen 8 though.

 

A difference is that they use struts vs metal hinges. Maybe its a failed implementation? All Altimas and the up to 5Gen Max use the hinges.

 

Struts are absolutely not all exactly the same. In fact, Nissan may use different trunk struts on Maximas on which a spoiler is installed at the factory. Lack of strut consistency may be why these 7th gen Maxima trunk lids vary in performance between vehicles.

 

Thank you for the replies! Here is what mine does. When grabbing things from the trunk I try to close it with a free hand. If I can not get a good tug on the trunk it will not close. I will then have to get a hand completely free to follow through with the close. It will not close on its own period without a follow through to the end. It drives me nuts! Is this not normal for you guys?

 

I agree but they should be an upgrade vs the hinges.

 

Latching on its own? Okay, that's so not fair to put this in the 09-10 and not in the newer models. I would have liked that on my '12. Sometimes I do have to push a little harder than other times. @dr_2010SV, I would definitely welcome this on the 8th Gen as well!

 

I have a 10 and I can promise these trunks don't latch by themselves. As I stated above, these trunks are on the heavy side compared to past vehicles. No problem latching but def need alittle bit of an extra push/slam to close

 

My '13 Altima needed just a firm push to close, you could lift it an inch and push it back down to close. If you don't make it on the first attempt with the Maxima you will need to bring it at least half way back up to get enough to slam it.

This reminds me of the ill fitting doors of older vehicles that you had to slam to get to close. Fit and finish has been disappointing to the point this maybe my last Nissan.

A quick quality issue list I have:

1. Knock from engine
2. Constant coolant smell
3. Trunk hard to close
4. Gas door mis-aligned
5. Front bumper missing fasteners under lip
6. Very stiff full throttle
7. Cup holder cover does not close on first attempt always but sometimes needs two or three attempts to get it to "catch"
8. Interior trim next to back seat defective
9. Carpet on drivers side too short causing a "bubble" next to the door. At least two inches of air under the carpet before you reach the floor.

I got rid of the '13 Altima for theses issues:

1. Clicking, tapping sound in passenger side "B" pillar. Only with speeds above 40 mph. Seems to be related to wind and not vibration. Seems to now be intermittent as a day can go by and nothing then it will come back for two more days. (Was constant for over 800 miles.)

2. Slight tranny whine at speeds under 40 mph while decelerating. Has become more and more prevalent, concerned may get worse.

3. Loose trim on roof gutter on drivers side, seems not sealed like passenger side.

4. Drivers seat material becomes loose (bubbles). Its the bottom cushion toward the rear next to the back support. Material can be tucked back down but will bubble back up again. Seems defective as passenger side does not do it.

5. Scratches on back window. Both sides on bottom have scratches. A piece of glass came loose on bottom corner drivers side.

6. Pulls to the right. Slight pull but requires constant correction when driving.

7. Slight wheel balancing issue, not consistent of a brand new car/tires. Most prevalent at 65-75mph.

8. Windshield weather stripping installed incorrectly across top. (I fixed it)

9. The drivers side weather stripping not installed correctly, gap between stripping and window allowing for water/debris to enter. Located on driver's side toward the top side.

10. Intermittently, when started in the morning there seems to be excessive accessory drive noise. The same sound as a power steering pump with no fluid would make. Sound increases/decreases with rpms.

11. Alternatively, there is an intermittent high pitched variable noise (like Morse code, almost a whistling/beeping sound), which can be heard at lower speeds. Coming from under hood, not related to rpm.

I thought if I get a model that had been many year into the model the kinks would be ironed out, I guess not. My '01 and '03 Maximas were great cars and the build quality is what sold me on buying a Japanese car. Now I am seeing build quality issues which ultimately will prevent me from buying Nissan again.

 

sounds like you bought a car that has been wrecked.

 

+1, I was about to say that. It seems like it.

 

Bought brand new. Had 60 too many miles on it but it was new. Take a look at some of my issues:

 

Okay, that does seem a bit shotty. I think I'll take another look at mine. I couldn't find anything wrong except the trunk did seem higher on one side. That was before I realized that the pavement was higher on one side of the lot I was in.

 

Propa Teknique - I see I have misled you on the trunk closing handle we had in the '09 and '10 Maximas, which was deleted around the '11 model. It was nothing more than a very convenient handle which was easy to grip and pull the trunk lid down. It had nothing to do with how easy or hard it was for the trunk to latch. I should not have mentioned this handle.

My trunk clearly latches easier than some here. If I use my fob and unlatch my trunk, but do not open the trunk lid, a simple push down on the lid with very little pressure causes it to relatch. That is clearly not the case with some of the Maximas here. I would think a slight adjustment could improve things. All doors, the hood and trunk lid on the Maxima can be adjusted, both for fit within the body and the latch itself..

 

Okay, got it! I don't understand why all don't work the same. I would think the closing of doors and trunks in the Maxima would all be uniform but I suppose that you're right; they can be adjusted to suit each person's tastes.

 

Or adjusted to operate the way the car's designers intended. Sometimes vehicles leave the factory with things not in perfect adjustment. Such as the trunk lid on my '04 Maxima SL. Or the tail pipes on my '09 Maxima. Or the back doors on my wife's Ford trucks. But dealers are good at adjusting these things if the buyer spots them early and insists the dealer make the adjustment.