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Nissan Maxima

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#6960 of 8972 tire update by buzzard4 Jun 09, 2003 (9:31 am)
I'll apologize up front for the negative tone of this post. I bought a Maxima in large part due to the positive feedback I read on this board and others. Unfortunately, my experience to date has been less than positive.   It's now been 3 weeks since I bought my '03 GLE, and 2 weeks, 5 days since I drove it. I returned the car the day after I bought it because it had a vibration. Now 3 sets of replacement Bridgestone Turanzas later, the car still vibrates. Their last resort is to put on Goodyear GSDs, which is apparently the only other tire available in that size. Expensive tires, but not very good for snow, and with characteristics totally counter to the intended ride of a GLE. But since they told me that's all they're willing to do, I'm going to give it a shot.   To add to the problem, I bought the car in MD, but I live in PA. In order to file a lemon law claim, I first have to register the car in PA. To do that, I need the car.   I think what frosts me the most is Nissan's immediate focus on the tires, and their willingness to string me along for 3 weeks. That either indicates that they know they have a quality problem with their tire supplier and are trying to hide it, or they don't want to accept responsibility for a problem with the car. What really pushed me over the edge is when Nissan told me the vibration is "a characteristic of the car." Funny, I didn't see that on the sticker for their flagship vehicle.   I'll post when/if this comes to a resolution. In the meantime, if you're considering a '03 GLE, balance out the good deal you're likely to get with the fact that you'll have very limited availability of replacement tires, and according to Nissan a characteristic vibration.
#6961 of 8972 tires by alpha01 Jun 09, 2003 (9:45 am)
Why is there limited availability of the Turanza? ~alpha
#6962 of 8972 tire update and vibration by p100 Jun 09, 2003 (4:22 pm)
"Vibration is a characteristic of the car". This is total nonsense. When I bought a new 98 SE, the car did not show any signs of vibration and does not to this day with 62 K miles as long as the tires are properly balanced.   Mazda told me the same BS when I had a problem with my 626. Turned out the vibration was caused by faulty CV joints/axles. In your case the problem appears to be just the tires. It seems to me that they cannot even balance the tires properly because chances of three sets of tires being defective are slim, unless they are "recycling" the defective tires taken off from other vehicles.   As I described elsewhere in these forums, I test drove two new 6 speed 03 SEs and both had a vibration around 60 MPH. I did not buy either car because these people no longer deserve my business. I do not need to tell you how disappointed I was since I like Maximas. They (Nissan) are well aware that they have a problem, but they chose not to do anything about it.
#6963 of 8972 by monte4 Jun 09, 2003 (5:54 pm)
Yeah the ol Bridgestone vib has been complained to Nissan quite a bit since 00 but what have they done nothing. They continued to use that crappy tire for 4 more years on some models. go to Max org so many of us guys have had that prob and complained nothing was done, good ol Nissan service.
#6964 of 8972 RE: Need Help - M4d cow by beanctr Jun 09, 2003 (8:49 pm)
Own an 02 Maxima SE 6SP. Love the power, interior space, and amenities. It has been very reliable up to this point and I expect it to be for miles to come. I have 24K miles on it. Things I don't like include poor paint quality(watch out for the dark colors), odd-sized tires ($$$ to replace), and a sunroof that doesn't fit flush with the roofline (most 02/03's that I have seen don't fit flush, the 04's I have seen seem to fit better).
#6965 of 8972 '04 maxima by m4d_cow Jun 10, 2003 (12:30 am)
hmm, thats quite some opinion u guys have there. has anyone actually take a look and test drove the new maxima yet, if yes, can u plz tell me ur experience? Cos i test drove the new maxima last week, but they dun have the '03 left in stock for a test ( i was planning to compare them both). And yeah what i'm also concerned about is the build quality, since this car is built in US ( even though i heard Acura TL is US built and pretty reliable, is it true?). thanx again
#6966 of 8972 Ugh by perna Jun 10, 2003 (8:20 am)
First, I'm appalled that people think that a US-built car is automatically junkier than a Japan-built car. This is total nonsense.   The vibration *is* probably the tires; I did notice it when I brought my 03 home (although I have Potenzas, not Turanzas). Checked the air pressure, holy cow - they were MASSIVELY overinflated. Took the air out, and now they're fine. They still aren't tires I'd ever buy myself (HORRIBLE in rain and snow), but they'll do.   Buzzard, I'd find a new dealer!
#6967 of 8972 perna by p100 Jun 10, 2003 (8:42 pm)
comparison of Japanese vehicles I owned built in Japan vs built in the US:   1992 Mazda Protege LX: built in Japan Problems in 125 K miles and 7 years: 1. Replaced auxiliary cooling fan at 76K miles which wore out due to constant A/C use in Florida   1999 Mazda ES V6: built in the US Problems in 67K miles and 4 years: 1. Alignment out of spec from the factory - corrected at 300 miles 2. Right front tire defective and replaced at 3K miles 3. Axles/CV joints defective and replaced at 9K miles 4. left front hub defective and replaced at 15K miles 5. A/C quit working at 30K miles, serviced 3 times under warranty and problem not corrected 6. coolant overflow bottle leaking and replaced at 34K miles. This also fixed the A/C problem because coolant leaked into compressor clutch harness connector 7. all four alloy wheels pitting and replaced at 40K miles 8. keyless entry remote broke and replaced at 49K miles 9. hood shake since the car was new - never corrected under warranty - Mazda service advisor told me there is nothing they can do   1998 Nissan Maxima SE: Made in Japan   No problems to date. 62K miles on the car.   1995 Nissan SE V6 4X4 pickup: Made in the US   Problems in 76K miles/8 years:   1. Wheels misaligned from the factory - corrected under warranty at 5 K miles when the tires started wearing funny. 2. Rear differential replaced under warranty due to loud whine (it started making noise at 3K miles) 3. Speedometer quit and was replaced at 55K miles 4. Fan clutch broke and was replaced at 70K miles 5. Turn signal/light switch broke and was replaced at 72K miles 6. Driveshaft center bearing fell apart at 76K miles and had to be replaced   It does not take a rocket scientist to draw some conclusions from the above data. This is my experience.
#6968 of 8972 perna by habitat1 Jun 11, 2003 (4:33 am)
In addition to p100's personal experience, I offer two other broader data points:   (1) The US built Mercedes ML320/430 was rated second to last out of 100+/- vehicles in initial quality by JD Powers (the only Mercedes made in the US).   (2) The US built Z3 was the most problem plagued BMW model with respect to build quality and fit and finish since 1980. By contrast, the German built 530i has received Consumer Reports highest rating of all cars tested two years running and received the highest scores in the magazines 50 year history.   I do not think US-built cars are "automatically" junkier than their Japanese or German counterparts. However, I do think there are significant cultural, labor relations and other obstacles to overcome to achieve the same level of quality in the US. Few manufacturers have overcome these obstacles, as evidenced by Lexus and Infiniti continuing to build their "premium" brands overseas while their "standard" class vehicles are built in the US.   I wish this wasn't so; but I guess I voted with my own pocketbook when I bought a 1995 Japanese made Maxima over the US built Camry and Accord based upon product quality research I did back in 1994. I subsequently bought a Honda S2000 and found some comfort that it is built next to the NSX in one of the highest rated plants in the world.   Let's hope the 2004 Maxima is a change in the right direction. Even the Japanese built Maxima appears to have declined in quality from 1995 to 2003, so perhaps the bar isn't as high for the 2004 model to clear.
#6969 of 8972 CR TEST OF '04 MAXIMA by bartalk2 Jun 11, 2003 (6:14 am)
Consumer Reports was critical of the '04 SE they recently tested for its choppy ride, torque steer, and ridiculously wide turning circle (44 feet!). The car feels big and cumbersome. The SL has a less sporty suspension and smaller wheels, so possibly its ride and turning circle are better. Overall, though they rated the car "very good", a discouraging report compared to the top rated sedans tested now and earlier.

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