Hello everyone. I have been looking to get rid of my daily beater car since it's on its last leg, and I'm ready to finally get something nice. I went and test drove a 2012 Maxima 3.5 SV with the sport package yesterday, and I loved it. It had everything I'm looking for sporty, quick, good riding, and luxurious.

I know very little about Nissans, since all I have ever owned is GM vehicles. I'm done with GM after all of their recalls and poor quality, so I'm expanding my car options. I know the newer Maximas have the CVT trasmission. I didn't have any complaints about it during the test drive, the car had great acceleration and shifting to it. The thing that concerns me on is the reliability factor. I know when GM used used the CVT transmission on their Saturn vehicles it was complete garbage and problematic. I plan on keeping my next vehicle for 4-5 years, and I don't want to buy something that requires a lot of maintenance or is know to be problematic.

I did some research, and I found that Nissan extended the warranty on the CVT trans on the 07-10 Maximas. Did Nissan redesign the transmission on the 11+ Maximas? Is it a lot better on the newer models?

Are there any other common problem on the 09+ Maxima SVs that I should look for when buying used? Any certain years I should avoid?

Also, have any of you Maxima owners experienced yellowing and hazing with your headlights? The reason I am asking is because I see lots of newer Altimas and previous gen Maximas with yellow and hazed headlights. Did Nissan step up the quality on the newest gen Maxima headlights?

 

Welcome to the club!! Maximas are great cars for the price! To answer some of your questions, the CVT had its challenges but overall it's pretty good. I have an 09 SV sport/tech and I love the car! It has a 10yr/120k mile tranny warranty which came in hand as my CVT failed at 56k miles. It was replaced free of charge and without hassle. I consider my CVT issue to be the exception and not the norm. The trans was redesigned for the 2012 + models years. As for the headlights, they do develop a slight haze on the top but can VERY easily be cleaned up with OTC products or light wet sanding. Overall, I would say to do your research, get a certified car if possible, and look for low miles and you'll be pretty Happy with your purchase. Best of luck!

 

Hey man, you have some really great questions. I'm on my 2nd 7th-gen Maxima now; the first one was a 2009 3.5 SV with sport and cold weather packages which was bought used with 22k on it at the time of purchase and I drove it for about 26k miles at the time of trade-in. Great vehicle.

Only issues I encountered was the tilt/telescopic steering wheel motors went at separate times (first the tilt went and after I had that fixed the telescopic went shortly thereafter -- both replaced under warranty and I didn't pay a dime), and I could also tell that the power steering pump was just starting to go at the time of trade-in this past Black Friday in 2013. I'm sure of it.

The only known issues that come to mind for me are the ones I just stated and actually experienced: power steering pump and the tilt/telescopic motor for the steering wheel. I didn't actually get the power steering pump replaced because I just traded it in but I have heard on this forum that those pumps were on back order and really hard to come by because it was such a widespread issue for the 7th-gen Maximas.

New car I traded the '09 SV in for was a leftover '12 3.5 SV with sport and tech packages and taken off of the lot with just 14 miles on odometer and am currently a hair over 7,000 miles with no issues whatsoever.

Also, regarding the hazing of the headlights: many 7th-gen owners including myself got minimal hazing on the top part of the head lamp assembly only. I recently found a product that I've used before on other parts of the car and applied it to the head lamp assembly, and, lo and behold, it literally wiped the hazing on there right off and it hasn't been back since. It has been over a month now with a fair share of very hot and hazy days also.

Anyway, best of luck with the sale and welcome!

 

'09 SV with premium and tech packages, built in Sept '08, 45K miles, still on OEM tires and OEM brake pads/rotors with no problems yet. I am old, so it took me awhile to fully adjust to the CVT, and now I love it.

I have been driving since the late 1940s (I said I was old), and the brakes on this '09 Maxima are easily the smoothest of any car I have ever driven. I rotate the tires every 15K, and have not needed a realignment or tire balancing since I bought the car new soon after it had arrived from the assembly plant.

Not everyone has been as lucky as I have with this 7th gen, but quite a few here on the org have also had no problems with their 7th gen.

When buying a used car, take off the carpet molding so you can check for rust under the carpets and padding in both the cabin and trunk. Also test drive the car paying close atention to everything. Push every button, check the HVAC system, check the dash for any warning lights that indicate trouble, etc.

There are a TON of features on this 7th gen, especially with either the Sport or Premium packages. Get some kind of guarantee in writing, in case you find something during the weeks it will take to check absolutely everything.

 

Ditto on the steering wheel motors going bad and also had to replace my front right wheel bearing.

 

I concur with everyone elses posts I have a 2010 SV prem tech package the biggest thing I have encountered was the sensors are sensitive so if my gas tank cap wasnt completely secured it would throw off the sensor and my check engine light would come on. Simple fix other than that its an awesome car I traded in my 06 bmw for this maxima and I am extremely please with the vehicle and the services I received at the dealership. Biggest advice that everyone can agree on for a lifetime purchase would just be staying on top of your maintenance schedule.

 

The car flies under the radar. People who know the car realize that it is a great value for the money. My 2012 SV with sport package has had no issues what so ever. Although I also own a 201 2BMW 535i, this is the car that I drive the most

 

Make sure the front seats heat and/or cool to your satisfaction.

 

Wouldn't hurt to ask for a fresh battery. It will save you from having to deal with it sooner than you would have thought and when you least expect it. My experience has been the Nissan batteries last about 18-24 months.

 

I'll address two of the issues you requested:

1. CVT-I have an 09 Maxima and I've had no issues with it and I have over 140K miles on mine.

2. Yellow Hazing-the stock lights are proned to this on our cars, good thing for me that I have aftermarket lights but even though I did have that issue when I had my stock headlights it wasn't as bad as it was on previous Gen Maximas I own (a 2001 and a 2003).

Good luck with your new car, take care of it and it will take care of you.

 

Funny that you mention the rusting in the floor pans. I have seen on some Nissan forums where people have experienced floor pan rotting on the previous gen Altimas, and premature rusting on other Nissans such as around the chrome trim around the rear plate. Is rusting and paint problems common on Nissans?

What about the 3.5 V6 engine? Are oil consumption, head gasket problems, etc., or any other problems common?

 

The 3.5L is a proven design used in the Murano, 350Z, Infinity's, etc. I wouldn't worry too much about that engine.

 

For the portion concerning the hazy headlights affected by UV, keep the plastics protected with a UV protectant wax or sealant. Don't forgot to do the foglights and side mirror turn signals if your Maxima comes with it. These are usually the first to go before the headlights become dull looking. There are headlight film protectants that you may purchase, but I decided to go against that in fear of cracking the plastic from an installer I was planning to go to (3M and XPEL certified), YMMV.

Also, an issue you may find daunting is condensation in the taillights and side mirror turn signals. These should be of no issue and were by design from Nissan based on a forum post I read here to vent the heat from the LEDs. The condensation in the taillight will appear in the signal and backup light area and should not affect the electronics at all. I live in Texas, and it is currently summer so I have not experienced this. I do see it when I wash my car though, but it is about half an inch of condensation that goes away immediately when I go out into the sun after a wash.

Otherwise, treat the Maxima as you would for any car you would normally buy. Take extra precaution for used vehicles. Pay attention to the tech glitches posted before and also the infamous "engine knock." More info here:
http://forums.maxima.org/7th-generat...-problems.html

 

The metal under the carpets and padding is coated with rust resistant paint, and is fine, except that when water gets under these carpets and pads, there is NO WAY OUT (can't evaporate through the rubber bottomed carpet), so eventually, there will be rusting. This would probably be the case with any vehicle.

I have owned nothing but Maximas since October of 1984, and have not yet had a rusting problem. If I lived near saltwater, or where lots of salt is used on roads, the situation might have been different.

A few folks here on the org have had a little oil consumption, and a few have mentioned head gaskets, but most say their oil level and gaskets are fine. I have never had to add oil between changes (my level usually drops between a fifth and a tenth of a quart between changes), and never had a gasket touched in 30 years of driving Maximas. But then I never take my Maxima to the track, either.

 

Has anyone else had rusting occur around the chrome piece around the rear plate area? A few people have reported it in this thread, but I was wondering if this is a common. If I'm paying $25K+ for a car, I don't want something that is going to start rusting.

http://forums.maxima.org/7th-generat...2011-rust.html


I'll admit, I'm kind of a leadfoot and like to do hard acceleration pulls once in a while sometimes from a dead stop. With the paddle shift, I'd probably be likely to do higher RPM shifting at times. From what you all have seen, is the CVT fairly durable? Can it hold up to this kind of driving or does it have to be babied? Will adding larger wheels, 20", cause any issues or strain it?

What is the mileage interval for changing the transmission fluid? What is the average cost to have this done at the dealer?

Sorry for all the questions, but like I said I know nothing about Nissans or Maximas, and I want to make sure this is going to be the right car for me. One that will be durable and reliable.

 

No rust on my vehicle. There weren't any rust on the CPO vehicles at the dealer, nor my friend's 2012 Maxima (purchased new) parked outside in Houston humidity, rain, and heat when he traded it in.

If you are trying to be the quickest of them all, manually shifting the car will yield slower results. The simulated shifts are quick but definitely slow down acceleration and will also decrease your fuel economy; not that the latter matters if you have a leadfoot but it is worth noting. Many people on the forum have mixed thoughts on when to change (drain and refill, no flushing) the transmission fluid but usually [every] 60,000 miles is a good start. For aggressive driving, consider changing it sooner at 45-48,000 miles for obvious reasons. Prices differ between dealers, but the job can be done at home. There are a couple of threads that go over it, including some recommendations on what fluids to use. Expect $120+ for the oil. Putting larger wheels should not be an issue on the Maxima. Many on here have larger wheels and none have noted any transmission issues. If there are any issues, it usually is for the fitment of the wheels rather than a mechanical portion of the car. The Maxima fits 18-19 inch wheels from the factory.

 

That's good on the no rust. This is going to be my year round daily driver that sits outside, so it's going to see a little winter weather, not much though, since we don't get too much snow in TN. I've lived in the north, and I have seen first hand how road salt can destroy and rust out vehicles.

How is the durability of the paint on the Maximas? Does it get chipped up on the front end very easily from rocks and everything else flying at the car while driving?

I drove another Maxima today, this one didn't have the paddle shifters in it, and I still enjoyed it. The CVT is really starting to grow on me. The Maxima seems like a a true sports car compared to the under powered 140 HP in my car that is running on borrowed time. The Nissan dealer is currently looking to find me an SV in the specifications and colors that I want. Hopefully they can find something soon. I also found a couple Infiniti G37s and an Acura TL that I am going to look at to compare to the Maxima.

I know I may get biased answers since this is a Maxima forum, but between an '10 Maxima and a '10 Infiniti Journey which would you all choose if you had the choice? I know the G37 has more power, no CVT, and has standard nav Bose, and other amenities, but the Maxima looks sportier. Decisions, decisions

 

Doubt many of us would get bent out of shape about a G37 vs a Maxima. Ive driven a few and really like them. If I didn't put so many miles on a car and my wife would never drive it, Id own a G37.

 

I considered a new Maxima or a used G37. The G37 is a nice vehicle. It has a regular transmission and all wheel drive. I got a Maxima because it is roomier, the interior is every bit as nice as the G37 and a new Maxima was a better value. I also liked the look of the Maxima better. Some have said that the G37 is a bit feminine looking, seems like a lot of women are driving it.

Wonder if anyone else has noticed but many of the 7th gen Maxima's I see on the road are driven by women. Seems like in the past the Maxima was primarily driven by men. The ladies seemed to prefer the Altima. Perhaps the 7th gen's styling is such that more women are willing to consider it.

 

I think it should be corrected that the G35 and G37 are RWD with the availability of an AWD model. Combine that with a different transmission type (optional 6-speed manual or regular automatic) and a more powerful engine, the G-sedan is more performance orientated. Don't get me wrong, I did consider the G since I was actually helping a friend research the car as he was looking for a new car as well. The Maxima definitely drew me in better though, as it was much more inexpensive and I could purchase the vehicle new with a warranty. But more importantly, the style looked better to me since I fell in love with the shape of the car's hips (the wider rear doors) and the silhouette (C-pillar) of the window line. The Infiniti is a performer, but the styling is more GT-like.

 

Although the G37 is RWD it seems that most of the ones up here come in the all wheel drive version. If you live where you get a fair amount of snow I would say go with AWD.

 

I was surprised to see used G37s going for the same price as used Maxima SVs. I guess they don't retian their resale too well. I'd really like to have a G37 coupe, but it's just not a practivcal everyday car for me, I need backseat and trunk space. I also see a lot of women driving G37s, and quite a few driving Maximas. There are not really any other vehicles out there that appeal to me that can be bought for under $25K used that have good looking styling, good looking interior, NAV, HIDs, and a V6 engine. So I think I'm 95% sure I'm going to get a Maxima. Now the hard part of finding one that I like and in good shape. I'm choosy when it comes to used cars, and I only particular ones. It's got to be an SV with rear cam or NAV, pearl white or silver, and black interior. Not too many are out there in my area.

I haven't even got the car yet, and I've already been looking at parts I want to get for it. In the first few weeks, 20% tint, 20" wheels, and a different front grille will be added.

I'm looking at 2010+ SVs with less than 40K miles and Nissan certified. So this weekend I'll be searching and hopefully I'll find one.