AET

I got my Max ('91 SE 5-speed) about 2 1/2 months ago. It had 143k when I got it, paid $2700. I had it checked out before I bought it, only things the shop found wrong with it were a busted CV boot and a sagging door hinge. Had a shop replace the axle and I replaced the door hinge myself. The car was wonderful for the next 2 weeks, since then its turned into Christine. In the last 2 months roughly, I've had the following problems
1.) Car started sticking in gear every time I'd release the clutch a little and then push it back to the floor (i.e. inching up at stop lights, then the car refuses to come out of gear until clutch completely released).
2.) The slave cylinder was leaking, replaced that. No effect on problem #1 unfortunately.
3.) The brake master cylinder started losing pressure, replaced that only to noticed that the driver's side caliper had siezed. Cryed uncle and took it to the shop in a fog of burning brake pad.
4.) Car started idling like **** sporadically, went to replace the O2 sensor. The tip of the old O2 (the part that actually sits inside the y-pipe) had rusted inside the pipe and broke off in the Y. Had to get a new O2 and Warpspeed Y-pipe.
5.) Front tranny mount was bad, both motor mounts slightly torn, replaced those.
6.) Power antenna died an untimely death.
7.) The back driver-side window regulator went, now the drivers door window is getting SLOW.
8.) Went to do my clutch and found that the lower of 2 bolts that hold the strut tower to the wheel hub was bent and completely siezed. Realizing that the clutch job was now out of the qustion that night, I went ahead and started putting everything back together. It was here that I discovered that the tranny drain plug, which was no more than hand tight when I took it out, was in fact stripped and couldn't be tightened any more than half of hand tight. Another classic move by idiot mechanics with air tools they don't know how to use correctly.
9.) I was getting vibration at highway speeds and found play in the tie-rod ends, so I replaced them. This was about a month ago. today I went to have the tire shop touch up on the alignment I got right after I replaced the tie-rod ends. The guy lets me have a look at it when its up on the rack, and low and behold, the NEW tie-rods are loose AND the axle I had replaced two months earlier (where they managed to bend the strut bolt and F**k up my tranny plug)is now throwing grease.

So if your still reading let me know, do I officially have the Maxima world record for neverending B.S. It seems to me that if Job had a car, it would have been a '91 Max SE 5-speed. I love my Max when its cooperating, but to date I've spent $1800 fixing it, and only $650 of that was spent at the shop. The rest of the $$, except for the tires, has gone just for parts for work I've done myself. God only knows what the ticket would have been had I gotten lazy and taken it to the shop every time I've had a problem! I've had so much trouble with this car I honestly feel as though I'm gonna wake up at some point. This **** can't be real.

subs1000w

thats why i dont let anybody but me and a few select friends touch my car. and the car has 140k miles on it what did you expect ive had to do most of that also and my car only has 110k and i bought it with 96k stuff just wheres out after 12years but just think now you dont have to worry about the stuff you fixed for another 10y and 650$ sounds like alot of money to replace a 10$ cv boot

D-sta

iTrader: (6)

It's a rough start. It's a car thats over 10 years old and bound to have problems and boy but those are a bit much. Good thing you do a lot of work yourself. Hopefully as you repair the problems you have now you won't have anymore in the future.

AET

Cost $250 for a new driver-side axle (had the shop replace the whole axle instead of just the boot-was only $50 more for whole axle; didn't know how long boot had been bad, wasn't much grease left in). $100 to remove frozen caliper, fix, and bleed brakes. $285 for 4 new Dunlop Sport A2's, and $65 for a 4-wheel alignment. Don't get me wrong, I have ample experience with high mileage cars, and I know that one way or another your gonna pay for a car (had an Accord I got rid of at 143k, a Celica I ditched at 173k-great little car, a Pulsar I drove into the dust at 130k, an altima before my max that was doing great at 132k before a bad wreck). As long as you fix most problems yourself fixing old cars is cheaper, more rewarding, and a lot more fun than having a new one. I love the way my Max drives between problems, but I gotta say, this car is making me work for it. The real pain in the **** about spending this kinda dough fixing things as it keeps my $$$ tied up in repairs when I want to spend the money on mods. If the car had given me a little time before this s**t started happening, I would have had a lightweight flywheel, the rest of the exhaust and a CAI, and a lightened crankshaft pulley already. Then the car would already of had that extra incentive to put major $$$ in it. Even as it is, I'm not giving up on this sucker. The 3rd gen Max is my favorite by FAR. Even if I had the $$$ for a new one, it isn't what I want. If they don't make the car you really love anymore then your only choice is to work your behind off reconditioning an old one. And I think this one's gonna make me happy for a long time when I get done.

D-sta

iTrader: (6)

You can always buy another 3rd gen with less mileage. I've had my car for 3 years and the only major thing I had to do in those 3 years was to change an axle because the boot opened up. Three years ago my parents paid for my 92 SE 5-speed with 71,000 miles $6200 now three years later I have 84,000 miles and I'll have been able to do is mod. Even my clutch set-up was not necessary I did it because I had money to do it and wanted to go faster. So far everything has been good with my car but I do expect a lot of things to happen eventually, it's a machine, things wear down!

Dark Lord Bunny

iTrader: (5)

Sweet bearded Jesus... I think you own the title of most problematic Max. It's a great car when it isn't broken. Like D-sta said, you could always opt for a lower mileage version just figure out which would be cheaper for ya.

lophix

iTrader: (3)

that is quite a lot, I agree. The thing about high mileage vehicles is stuff starts breaking down one at a time. The trick is catching them right before they happen thereby preventing further problems. Replacing parts that are about to go bad / parts that have been on the car since manufacture with new parts that have lifetime warranties / aftermarket performance parts also helps. By the way, I don't know how you drive so I can't really tell if you are driving your car to the ground like some of us do and don't really complain when something goes bad with the car.
Try and do an all-over on the car on a weekend and note things that are still on since manufacture that tend to break down and use your discretion to determine if you should replace them immediately or not...excluding stuff like the tranny/motor, of course.

Jeff92se

iTrader: (82)

That's nothing. Try new removing and installing engines TWICE and having to do 3 tranny removal/installs. This is one top of getting rear ended(totalled) 2 weeks after doing the last engine/tranny swap. Oh.. forgot to mention that this swap included a brand new ACT clutch, new o2 sensor, ext temp sensor. So I get to do this AGAIN when I find another car.

You haven't lived until you had to replace your heator core. DIY that one and then come back to me.

lophix

iTrader: (3)

I'll do that when I'm high on the reefer!!
on the real, there are some things that just arent meant to be diy for easygoing people like me.....namely heater core!!!

PDubs

I haven't had THAT many problems, but there have been a good amount of little ones. I can't wait to sell my 3rd gen now that I dumped $$ just to fix it back up.

AET

Now that you've fixed it up your gonna sell it? I guess that may be smart (lose it before the next round of problems sets in). I've viewed all the work I've done on my Max as the deal sealer; I've spent so much money fixing it up, there's no way I'm gonna sell it now. No way I could get even half my dough back.

NismoDrew91SE

such is the price for owning an older car. 2 options continue to repair, and maintain and it will last you a good while. the other just run it to the ground and buy a honda....

AET

Honda= Always broke (like Nissan) AND slow (which our cars are not--- that is when they're actually running the way they should).

NismoDrew91SE

nissans, always broke? i'd like to see any other cars run as long and as good as ours. my dad bought the car brand new in 91' and i got it in '99, just had to do a timing belt/waterpump job on it, and aside from a new clutch those have been the only major repairs done. i'd guess some people just get lucky, some don't. we had a '95 wrangler, and that was just crap. the amount of money we sunk into that could of gotten me another 3rd gen. you should be priveledged you own a nissan. In all honesty the repairs you have are nothing short of just a car getting old and needed the proper maintence to make it run. others on this board have gone through alot worse, and sunk a great deal more than you.

AET

Wow buddy, someone takes Nissan a little seriosly. This isn't my first Nissan, and it won't be the last. I've already owned an '89 Pilsar NX 5-speed and a 93 Altima 5-speed. Ran both of those well past 100K. Overall, they were pretty good cars; damn site better than some American makes. But Nissan has got some wierd over-engineer one thing while skimping on another issues. Some times you love the little things Nissan does, other times you curse them. I will say this, Nissan gives up alot to Toyota in build quality and interior bits. Don't get me wrong, Toyota makes a whole lot of boring cars. Consequently, I drive Nissans. Just imagine if Nissan built the same fun cars with interiors that didn't rattle and just a little more reliabilty. I love my Max but its always something. The latest installments in my chapter non-functioning ABS. Long story short, I love Nissans too man, but I don't wake up every day thanking God for one more day of uncertainty ...., "I wonder what's gonna break today?". If I didn't have faith, I woulda ditched the b****ch about $1000 ago.

James92SE

iTrader: (31)

Yours must have been really really ragged on before you got it. Ride in a good well kept 3rd gen and you'll change your story

The 3rd gen is the best built and most solid Maxima ever. However, ANY older car that's been ragged on for 10 yrs is gonna be a rattle trap.

shvelle

I've owned mine since late November 2002. I've replaced both axles, the clutch, the master cylinder, the clutch slave cylinder, and the electronic climate control.
I still need to replace the front struts, front brake pads (at least), all the springs (going INTRAX), ball-joints, rack&pinion (torn boot, not holding fluid), timing belt, water pump, distributor cap, plugs, wires, etc, etc.
On top of all of that...., I got a nasty surprise last Sunday - it seems I need BOTH rockers, some wheel well work (at rockers & in trunk), 2 patches inside behind the rear seat back...., and finally, the dreaded seatbelt rot near the filler neck.
I hate the fact that this thing takes all my time, and all my money...., but I refuse to give up. Hell...., soon it'll be mechanically mint! Well..., providing the timing belt doesn't go before I can afford to replace it...

Jeff92se

iTrader: (82)

Mine wasn't. In fact it STILL didn't rattle after I got rearended and drove the car home.

AET

Actually my car didn't SEEM a bit ragged out when I got it. The shop I took it to spend 1/2 hour w/ me going over it (on a lift no less). It seemed to be flawlessly maintained; primarily dealer serviced (although guy did oil changes, fuel filters, etc. DIY) by a fairily well-heeled guy who used it only to commute to work during the week. He only put 63K on it in 8 years. The guy I bought it from had an immaculate '64 Truimph TR4 on one side of his garage and a TR8 on the other. He claimed to have bought the '64 new, and let me tell you, it was damn near perfect. So, I think the guy maintained the car well, but I also think he was a driver's driver and put the Max through its paces. He said the only problem he ever had was a bad O2 sensor the second year he had the car. So yeah, it was a wonderful car for him for 8 years. But in my hands, driving about 3K per month, the Max seems to be repaying me what it probably owed him (a little repair for all that work). The Max really does feel solid for a 12 year old car, aside from some dash rattles that I just know aren't likely to ever go away. As for the Max owner who just listed even bigger trouble than I got, my GOD! I gotta say thank you man, as bad as I feel for you, at least I know someone else is currently dealing with the everything at once dilema (although I know probably thousands of the Max.org cats been through similar and even worse luck)