2004 NISSAN MAXIMA Complaints

I BOUGHT A USED 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA IN 2007 - WORKED WELL FOR ABOUT A YEAR. AT THE END OF 2008 MY CAR BEGAN TO SLOWLY JERK WHEN DECELERATING AND PULLING OFF AN EXIT OR MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC (NOT NISSAN) AND WAS TOLD MY TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING. I TRIED TO CONTACT NISSAN BUT I NEED TO BRING IT TO THEIR DEALER AND PAY $200 JUST FOR THEM TO LOOK AT IT AND TELL ME WHAT I ALREADY KNOW, OR BE IGNORANT AND SAY THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING LIKE THEY DID TO OTHER MAXIMA OWNERS. FOR OVER A YEAR ALL I WOULD USE THIS CAR FOR WAS TO AND FROM WORK, IF I HAD TO RUN ERRANDS OR GO OUT, I WALKED OR RODE WITH A FRIEND. FOR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY I PAY EACH MONTH, THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. AS OF JULY 2010 MY CAR CANNOT DRIVE MORE THAN 15 MILES AT A TIME WITHOUT HAVING TO TAKE OFF THE BATTERY AND RESET THE CAR SO IT CAN GO ANOTHER 15 MILES. I STILL OWE MONEY ON THIS VEHICLE AND YET I HAD TO GO BUY ANOTHER CAR JUST SO I CAN GET TO WORK. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS AND THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS!! WHEN IS NISSAN GOING TO OWN UP TO THEIR RESPONSIBILITY AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT. UNFORTUNATELY, IT SEEMS THAT SOMEONE WILL HAVE TO GET SEVERELY HURT OR LOSE THEIR LIFE IN ORDER FOR NISSAN TO RECOGNIZE. I HAVE SEVERAL FRIENDS WITH THE SAME VEHICLE AND HAVE THE SAME ISSUE, AND HAVE SPENT $1,000+ AT NISSAN FOR THEM TO FIX EVERYTHING BUT THE TRANSMISSION. WE HAVE DONE MOTOR MOUNT REPLACEMENTS & TRANSMISSION FLUSHES AND STILL HAVE PROBLEMS. WHEN IS SOMEONE GOING TO STAND UP FOR THE CONSUMERS AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS? I AM PAYING A CAR NOTE AND INSURANCE TO SEE MY CAR SIT IN MY PARKING LOT EVERYDAY. THE CAR JERKS VIOLENTLY, AND GETS WORSE OVER TIME. 500 COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED ON HERE, AND STILL NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF BLOGS AND WEBSITES OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME THING. I CONTACTED MY ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE AND RECEIVED BASICALLY NO HELP. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER NISSAN! *TR

2004 NISSAN MAXIMA TRANSMISSION FAILING AFTER ONLY 60000 MILES. HAVE HAD HARD SHIFTING SINCE NEW AND NISSAN KNOWS THIS TRANNY IS DEFECTIVE. VIN NUMBER [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT WAS DECELERATING FROM APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE JERKED VIOLENTLY WHILE SHIFTING FROM SECOND TO FIRST GEAR. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE DOWNSHIFTED FROM SECOND TO FIRST GEAR. THE FAILURE WAS MORE PREVALENT WHEN THE ENGINE WAS WARM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 93,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND STALL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A CRASH WHILE DRIVING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY SIX YEARS OLD. THE CONTACT HAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM BROKE DOWN SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE IT FAILED ALL TOGETHER. THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE DUE TO A FAULTY DESIGN THAT ALLOWS RUST TO BUILD UP BETWEEN THE WHEEL SENSORS AND THE HUB, WHICH APPEARS TO BE MOST PREVALENT IN THE SALT STATES. THE INITIAL SYMPTOMS INCLUDE THE ABS FIRING DURING REGULAR BRAKING, WHICH COULD BE A SAFETY CONCERN AT HIGH SPEEDS. EVENTUALLY, THE MISFIRING ABS WILL CAUSE THE ABS CONTROLLER TO BURN OUT COMPLETELY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL OF THE MOTOR MOUNTS WERE FRACTURED AND WERE REPLACED. AFTER THE REPAIR, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN KNOCKING AND SHIFTING ABNORMALLY HARD WHEN GOING FROM SECOND TO THIRD GEARS AND ALSO WHEN SHIFTING INTO REVERSE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 48,000. UPDATED 2/28/11 *CN UPDATED 03/07/11

2004 NISSAN MAXIMA SE WITH VQ35 3.5L V6 ENGINE - TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS MY MAXIMA TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A FAULTY DESIGN IN THE SECONDARY TIMING CHAINS WEARING THE TENSIONERS OUT FASTER THAN THEY SHOULD. NISSAN QUOTES ANYWHERE FROM $1,500 TO $3,000 DOLLARS TO COMPLETE REPAIR WHICH USUALLY CONSISTS OF REMOVING THE ENGINE FROM THE VEHICLE! MANY COMPLAINTS ON MULTIPLE FORUMS ONLINE FROM MANY DIFFERENT OWNERS COMPLAIN OF THIS SAME ISSUE, NORMALLY OCCURRING AROUND 60,000 MILE MARK. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE ALL OF THESE VEHICLES ARE AFFECTED. THE COST FOR THE REPAIR OF THE VEHICLE I AM STILL FINANCING IS CATASTROPHIC! NISSAN WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THE CAR FOR 3 DAYS TO COMPLETE THE REPAIR. THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM I SHOULD BE HAVING WITH A VEHICLE THAT IS STILL BEING FINANCED FOR A FEW MORE YEARS. TIMING CHAINS WERE DESIGNED TO ALLOW CUSTOMERS THE SECURITY OF NOT MESSING WITH THEM FOR WAY MORE THAN 100K MILES, OR 60K MILES RATHER! I AM SO LUCKY MINE HAS EVEN LASTED THIS LONG AND NISSAN REFUSES CUSTOMERS REGULARLY WHO ASK FOR ASSISTANCE. NISSAN NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS REPAIR SINCE THEY KNOW ABOUT THE ISSUE, RELEASED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (NTB07-042C) HIGHLIGHTING THE ISSUE, AND NOTIFY THEIR TECHNICIANS OF THE FAULTY SECONDARY TIMING CHAIN DESIGN. *TR

I PREVIOUSLY REPORTED MY 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA SE AS HAVING POWER TRAIN TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO BP NISSAN AND THEY DID A DIAGNOSTICS ON THE TRANSMISSION AND DETERMINED THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED. NISSAN TO CALL ME BACK TODAY, WE'LL SEE. AFTER THE DEALER DID THE DIAGNOSTICS, I WAS DRIVING HOME AND WHAT A COINCIDENCE, THE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" CAME ON. IT SEEMS THAT EVERY TIME I HAVE MY CAR TO THE DEALER FOR ONE THING, SHORTLY AFTER LIGHTS START COMING ON. I GUESS THEY DON'T RESET OR SOMETHING AS THEY SHOULD. *TR

ANOTHER MOTOR MOUNT BROKE, HAD IT FIXED. ONE WEEK LATER I STARTED EXPERIENCING JERKING AND GEAR CHANGING AS I DROVE. WAS ON FREEWAY AND VEHICLE WENT INTO THIRD AND JOLTED MY UPPER BODY (HAD SORE NECK FOR ONE WEEK). ALSO EXPERIENCING 2-3, AND 3-2. PUTTING VEHICLE INTO DRIVE AND REVERSE, THE VEHICLE JERKS BADLY, REVERSE BEING THE WORST. WHEN I COME TO A STOP THE VEHICLE LUNGES FORWARD VERY SHARPLY. NISSAN PAID FOR THE DIAGNOSTICS TEST $234.00 AND BUENA PARK NISSAN'S REPORT STATED THE VEHICLE NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS IS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AND WILL LET ME KNOW IF I GET A NEW TRANSMISSION AT THERE EXPENSE, I HOPE SO, I'M UNEMPLOYED SINCE 10/2010.

TRANSMISSION SLAMS/BANGS FROM 2ND TO LOW GEARS AT APPROX 20 MPH DURING DOWN SHIFT. ALSO HAS HESITATION/PAUSE CAUSING A HUGE JERK/PUSH WHEN CHANGING SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR AT APRROXIMATELY 20 MPH. SEEMS TO OCCUR AFTER CAR HAS WARMED OR HEATED UP AFTER ABOUT 10 - 20 MINUTES OF DRIVING. BOTH INCIDENTS HAS EXTREMELY HIGH POTENTIAL OF CAUSING A MAJOR ACCIDENT WHICH COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE MAJOR INJURY OR EVEN LOSS OF LIFE. CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY NISSAN HAS NOT VOLUNTARILY INITIATED A RECALL FOR THIS MAJOR/SERIOUS DEFECT IN THEIR PRODUCT.