mkaresh

Wanting better reliability information, in late 2005 I started conducting a reliability survey at TrueDelta.com.

So far 402 Maxima and I-Series owners have signed up to participate. Which is a good start, but more are needed to sufficiently cover all model years from 1995 on.

In August we posted a result for the 1998 Maxima and I30. But the sample size is marginal, so these results are asterisked and only visible to participants on the site itself. Based on this limited amount of data, the 1998s appear to have about an average repair rate--about 188 repair trips per 100 cars per year--and the 2001s an average repair rate--179 repair trips per 100 cars per year. For a new car this would be very high, but these cars have an average of 145k miles on them. In that context, not bad.

The full set of results, with another update coming in November:

Vehicle reliability research

ptatohed

iTrader: (12)

To who's benefit is this? Just a tip, if you are asking people to do something that takes (even a little) time/effort, you should mention to them whey they should do it. Oh, and a 'please' and a 'thank you' wouldn't hurt. Good luck.

mkaresh

Wow, where were my manners?

The OP was merely to inform owners that we have some information available. But the key result for the 1998 Maxima is only visible to participants on the site, so I also posted it here. We hope to have more in the future. This will depend, of course, on the number of participants.

What participants get: full access to the data. Guests get a lot of access, but participants get access to everything, including a description of every repair reported, for free. No other survey provides this level of detail--even when they charge for a membership.

So, if this interests you, please sign up and help out.

(ptatohed: Thank you for the tips.)

mkaresh

Everyone who has been helping out, thanks.

We have a larger, but still marginal, sample size in the updated results.

The repair rate has improved quite a bit from last time for the 1998 Maxima and I30, to 155 successful repair trips per 100 cars per year (about 1.5 repair trips per car). This is about average.

With more participants, we could provide more precise results and include more model years.

For the full set of results, and to sign up to help:

TrueDelta Vehicle Reliability Survey results

mkaresh

There is now a page of reliability comparisons for each model. Maxima here:

Nissan Maxima reliability comparisons

Results for the Maxima will be visible to everyone with just a few more participants per year.

HiMi5SPD

iTrader: (1)

I just turned to 313,000 today, and just did the front brakes over on Tuesday. Maxine doesn't seem to care.

mkaresh

Justs one partial result for the 4th gen Maxima in the February set. With 138 repair trips per 100 vehicles per year, the 1998 is about average.

A big thanks to everyone who has been helping. We'll have further updates in May, August, and November. With more participants, we could provide more precise information and cover all model years.

We now have a separate results page for each model that includes the results for competitors. The page for the Nissan Maxima:

Nissan Maxima reliability comparisons

98maxse5spd

iTrader: (5)

Trips per year is a poor measure of reliability.

For example:

Guy 1 - I have 10 trips per year because I drive 30k/year and need 10 oil changes.
Guy 2 - I had two trips last year, one to replace my transmission and one because my engine fell out.

How about dollars per mile instead?

mkaresh

Most routine maintenance is excluded from the analysis. So Guy 1 has no repair trips.

We do collect the data for a dollars per year stat. But computing this stat requires a larger sample size than the current stat, because there's more variation from car to car. As long as sample sizes are small, the current stat is best. When sample sizes get large enough, we'll provide additional stats.

Update: next month we're going to start including the timing belt in the items that should be reported, to equalize results between cars with timing belts and those with timing chains.

mkaresh

Updated results next week. 449 Maximas signed up so far, a very good start. The greater the number of owners who participate, the more information we can provide to everyone.

Car reliability research

mkaresh

We have updated results for the Maxima to include owner experiences through March 2009. In terms of successful repair trips per 100 cars per year:

1998: 134, better than average
1997: 62, better than average
1996: 97, better than average

Sample sizes range from small to just a couple short of the minimum for a full result, so these are all just partial results. Largest sample size for the 1998, so this result is probably the most accurate.

A big thanks to everyone who has been helping. We'll have further updates in August and November. With more participants, we could provide more precise information and cover all model years.

Nissan Maxima reliability comparisons

mkaresh

485 Maxima owners now signed up. Great start, but more remain needed to fully cover all model years. Updated results next month.

Car reliability research

96WhiteMaxima

I have driven this thing....about 4 times to the repair shop, once for an oil change and the sway bar mount bushings, twice for belt replacements and once for a transmission pan repair. 92k original miles on the engine. Mind you I've had the car for 2 months now and its in need of maintenance. This thing is a TANK in my opinion.

Maximeltman

iTrader: (11)

Hey I just joined, but I listed my 1999 Maxima as a 'half-year' and I think it's not a half year and I cannot change the status.

mkaresh

I check for this particular error a couple of times a month, and might have already caught it. Please contact me with your email address so I can verify this.

http://www.truedelta.com/contact.php

Updated results soon. Additional participants always helpful.

mkaresh

We have updated results for the Maxima and I30/I35 to include owner experiences through June 2009. In terms of successful repair trips per 100 cars per year:

1998: 110, adequate sample size

1997: 104, small sample size

1996: 162, small sample size

All are better than average.

A big thanks, once again, to everyone who has been helping. We'll have further updates in November and February. With more participants, we could provide more precise information and cover all model years.

Nissan Maxima reliability comparisons

ColombianMax

iTrader: (7)

Just signed up, lets see how this goes.

mkaresh

Thanks, I appreciate it.

We'll have updated results next month, partial results for the 1996 and 1997 and a full result for the 1998. Ideally we'd have full results for all years--just a matter of getting enough people involved.

Car reliability research

mkaresh

We have updated results for the Maxima and I30/I35 to include owner experiences through September 30, 2009x. In terms of repair trips per 100 cars per year:

1998: 101, better than average

1997: 104, better than average

1996: 170, about average

Small sample sizes for 1996 and 1997, so these results are less precise.

A big thanks once again to everyone who has been helping. We'll have further updates in February and May. With more participants, we could provide more precise information and cover all model years.

addanis01

thanks for the information .....good to know

mkaresh

You're certainly welcome. I'm just sorry I don't have more and better information to share yet. But we'll get there as more owners join and participate.

mkaresh

I'll have updated results in February. As always, additional participants would be helpful.

Car reliability research

torvan

Evidently you had enough 1999 Maxima SEs for the survey, so mine could not be added. Must be a lot of us on there!

mkaresh

Sounds like you might have misread something. We don't have too much of anything--there's no such thing as too large a sample size.

It is not possible to participate in the main survey as soon as you sign up. I activate newly enrolled cars twice a month. Next time will be tomorrow, when the emails for this month's survey should go out.

rconway91

my 96 is the most unreliable car ever... constantly fixing it... Im the 4th owner and the other guys must of beat the sh*t out it...

mkaresh

We have updated results for the Maxima and I30/I35 to include owner experiences through December 31, 2009. In terms of repair trips per 100 cars per year:

1998: 96

1997: 98, small sample

1996: 142

The 1996 is about average, the others are better than average.

A big thank you, once again, to everyone who has been helping. We'll have further updates in May and August. With more participants, we could provide more precise information and cover all model years.

Nissan Maxima reliability comparisons

mkaresh

Recently enhanced the related repair history survey so that it can (optionally) be used as a personal car maintenance record.

As always, more participants would be helpful. Updated Car Reliability Survey results in May, with a preview for participants soon.

Car reliability research

mkaresh

Updated results very soon. Especially need more participants for the 1995, 1997, and 1999.

TravisCadello

imma sign up and check it out!

mkaresh

We have updated results for the Maxima and I30/I35 to include owner experiences through March 31, 2010. In terms of repair trips per 100 cars per year:

1999: 157, small sample

1998: 127

1997: 121, small sample

1996: 129

1995 137, small sample

As more owners participate, the results are becoming more consistent from model year to model year.

The 1999 is worse than average (but based on a small sample) and the others are all about average.

A big thank you, once again, to everyone who has been helping. We'll have further updates in August and November. With more participants, we could provide more precise information.

Nissan Maxima reliability comparisons

mkaresh

We have updated results for the Maxima and I30/I35 to include owner experiences through June 30, 2010. Other sources of car reliability information won't cover the more recent months until the summer or even fall of next year.

Repair frequencies, in terms of repair trips per 100 cars per year:

1999: 149, about average

1998: 125, about average

1997: 98, better than average

1996: 87, better than average

1995 116, better than average, small sample size

One factor I haven't decided how to account for: with older cars people start living with minor problems rather than fixing them. This likely explains the lower numbers for the 1995-1997.

Thank you, once again, to everyone who has been helping. We'll have further updates in November and February.

To see how competitors compare, and to sign up to help improve this information:

Nissan Maxima reliability comparisons

mkaresh

Updated reliability stats next month.

As always, the more owners participate, the better the information we can provide to everyone.

Car reliability research

j-dawg

Cool, added my e-mail + car. How do I actually complete the survey? Or do I have to wait for the e-mail to be sent out?

mkaresh

Thanks for asking. New cars are added to the survey and the initial email goes out near the beginning of each month.

metaverse

@ mkaresh

Thank you for the information ... but just to clarify ... our information and email will never be given away or sold to anyone, correct?

I've got enough spam as it is

mkaresh

Correct, your personal info and email will not be shared with anyone else.

mkaresh

We have updated results for the Maxima and I30/I35 to include owner experiences through September 30, 2010. Other sources of car reliability information won't cover the months since April until the summer or even fall of next year.

Repair frequencies, in terms of repair trips per 100 cars per year:

1999: 133, about average

1998: 93, better than average

1997: 87, better than average

1996: 85, better than average

1995 121, about average, very small sample size

One factor I haven't decided how to account for: with older cars people start living with minor problems rather than fixing them. This likely explains the lower numbers for hte 1995-1998.

Thank you, once again, to everyone who has been helping. We'll have further updates in February and May. With more participants, we could provide more precise information and cover all model years.

To see how competitors compare, and to sign up to help:

Nissan Maxima reliability ratings and comparisons

mkaresh

Updated results around the end of the month. We continue to be very close to the minimum for a few model years, so even a few additional participants would be very helpful.

We have some new pages that display all reported repairs by problem area:

1999 Nissan Maxima problem reports

From this page it's possible to select a different model year or specify a problem area.

mkaresh

We have updated results for the Maxima and I30/I35 to include owner experiences through December 31, 2010.

Repair frequencies, in terms of repair trips per 100 cars per year:

1999: 118, about average

1998: 90, better than average

1997: 79, better than average

1996: 80, better than average

1995 85, better than average, very small sample size

Thank you, once again, to everyone who has been helping. We'll have further updates in May and August. With more participants, we could provide more precise information and cover all model years.

To see how competitors compare, and to sign up to help improve this information:

Nissan Maxima reliability ratings and comparisons

mkaresh

We have updated results for the Maxima and I30/I35 to include owner experiences through March 31, 2011.

Repair frequencies, in terms of repair trips per 100 cars per year:

1999: 99, about average

1998: 93, better than average

1997: 102, about average

1996: 90, better than average

1995 110, about average, very small sample size

Unusually consistent from 1995 through 1999.

We'll have further updates in August and November. With more participants, we could provide more precise information and cover all model years.

To see how competitors compare, and to sign up to help improve this information:

Nissan Maxima reliability ratings and comparisons