2004 NISSAN MAXIMA Complaints

ORIGINAL OWNER OF NISSAN MAXIMA SE. THE CAR DROVE LIKE A TRUCK WITHIN 10K MILES, WHEEL TORQUED AT ACCELERATION, CLUNK ON WELL-MAINTAINED ROADS FROM FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL WELL. FRONT TIRES WORE OUT 30K AND CLUNKING NOISE IN FRONT WHEEL WELL, CAR STILL UNDER WARRANTY, DEALER SAYS SPORTS TIRES SO LESS LIFE AND MORE ROAD FEEL/NOISE COMES THROUGH, PUT IN NEW TIRES IN BACK. ROTATED ORIGINAL REAR TIRES TO FRONT, THEY WORE OUT RECENTLY (~49K). CLUNKING SOUND NEVER STOPPED. NOW CAR OUT OF WARRANTY. DEALER SAYS YOUR STRUTS ARE GONE AND YOUR MOTOR MOUNT IS BLOWN SO THERE IS A CLUNK FROM WHEEL WELL AND YOUR TIRES WORE OUT. OH YEAH? SO WHY DOES THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT WITH A THUNK FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE AND VICE VERSA? OH, YOU MUST FIRST FIX MOTOR MOUNT AND STRUT BEFORE WE CAN LOOK AT TRANSMISSION. PAID TO DEALER TO REPLACE MOTOR MOUNT, REPLACED STRUTS MYSELF. THE ENGINE STILL THUNKS (TRANSMISSION PAUSES BEFORE CATCHING WITH A JERK FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE, OR DRIVE TO REVERSE. THE JERK IS OCCASIONALLY VIOLENT, LESS PRONOUNCED WHEN ENGINE COLD.) HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUSHED BY DEALER. NO DIFFERENCE. A CAR DRIVEN 50K BY A 70-YEAR OLD EXPERIENCES A BROKEN MOTOR MOUNT, BUM STRUT AND BROKEN TRANSMISSION BEFORE 50K MILES. I PAID ALMOST 30K FOR THIS WHITE ELEPHANT. HAVE ALWAYS OWNED JAPANESE CARS, FIRST NISSAN. OH, DID I MENTION THE OIL LEAK FROM ENGINE OIL SEAL (48K) AND TRUNK LID SLAMMING (40K) BECAUSE THE TWO PISTON ARMS TO HOLD THE LID CAN'T HOLD THE LID UP (SINCE IT SEEMS DAYS AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED). DEALER SEEMS TO THINK I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE SERVICE SPECIALIST MENTIONED THAT THIS MODEL HAS AN ISSUE WILL "RUBBER PARTS." I GUESS THE OIL SEAL, THE STRUT SEAL, THE MOTOR MOUNT AND THE TWO TRUNK PISTONS ALL HAVE RUBBER PARTS THAT LEAKED AND/OR DISINTEGRATED. HE MAY HAVE IT ABOUT RIGHT. AM NOT SURE WHAT RUBBER PART MIGHT BE THE CAUSE OF THE MOST COSTLY PROBLEM - THE TRANSMISSION, BROKEN AT 49K MILES. WONDER WHY THERE ISN'T A RECALL. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA AND I HAVE SPOKEN WITH SEVERAL OWNER OF THE SAME VEHICLE AS WELL AS READ SEVERAL COMMENTS ONLINE THAT ALL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THE TRANSMISSION IN THE VEHICLE DOES SHIFT PROPERLY. WHEN YOU PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND THEN MOVE IT BACK IN DRIVE IT DOES A HARD JERK, BEFORE IT WILL MOVE. WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT CAUSING THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN THEN JERK REALLY HARD WHEN IT FINALLY DOES SHIFT. IT ALSO DOES THIS WHEN STOPPED AT A LIGHT; THE CAR WILL TAKE AWHILE BEFORE MOVING, BUT WILL DO A HARD JERK AGAIN. I FEEL IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR MYSELF AND MY 4 MONTH OLD TRYING TO MERGE ONTO THE INTERSTATE AND THE TRANSMISSION DOESN'T SHIFT CAUSING THE CAR TO SLOW DO AND THEN WHEN IT FINALLY DOES SHIFT, JERKS EXTREMELY HARD. I HAVE BEEN HAVING THE PROBLEM FOR OVER A MONTH NOW, BUT THE RECENT INCIDENT OCCURRING WHILE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WAS SCARY FOR ME. SEVERAL NISSAN DEALERSHIPS ADMIT THAT THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN THIS VEHICLE. THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP AS WELL AS TRANSMISSION SHOPS RECOMMEND TRANSMISSION TO BE REPLACED COSTING BETWEEN $3,800 AND $4,000 OR YOU CAN GET YOUR TRANSMISSION FLUSHED TO SEE IF THAT WOULD HELP. THE VEHICLE IS 4 YEARS OLD AND SHOULD NOT HAVE ISSUES LIKE THIS. I AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY $4,000 TO REPLACE A TRANSMISSION ON A VEHICLE THAT WE ARE STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON. *TR

HAVE A 5 SPEED AUTOMATIC 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA. AT APPROXIMATELY 70K THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO VIOLENTLY KICK BETWEEN 2-3 GEARS. AFTER A COUPLE MONTHS OF THIS CONDITION THE TRANSMISSION KICKED SO BAD THAT IT BECAME A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE CAR WOULD PULL RIGHT AND AT TIMES OUT OF MY LANE WHILE DRIVING IN CITY TRAFFIC. AS A RESULT I REPLACED MY TRANSMISSION AND NOW SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE EXACT SAME ISSUE REAPPEARED. (~6MONTHS/ 5K MILES) NOT ONLY DOES MY VEHICLE KICK BETWEEN 2ND-3RD GEAR, IT IS NOW GETTING STUCK IN 3RD GEAR AND THEREFORE CAN NOT BE SAFELY DRIVEN. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY SEVERAL MAXIMA SOURCES THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE 2004 5 SPEED AUTOMATIC (RE5F22A) (AW 55-50SN) TRANSMISSION. RESEARCH ON INTERNET HAS CONFIRMED MANY INSTANCES THAT DUPLICATE THIS ISSUE.

NISSAN MAXIMA 2004 SE JERK WHEN SHIFT FROM PARK TO REVERSE AND FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE HAPPEN EVERY DAY AFTER PARKING FOR SO MANY HOURS. CAM SENSORY HAVE BEEN REPLACE, TRANSMISSION'S FLUID HAVE BEEN FLUSH, AND THE TIMING BELT HAVE BEEN CHANGE BUT THE JERKINESS STILL OCCUR. *TR

2004 + NISSAN MAXIMA'S ARE HAVING TIMING CHAIN ISSUES WHICH STARTS TO OCCUR AFTER 50K AS PER THE THOUSAND OF FORUM MEMBERS ACROSS DIFFERENT FORUM. I AM A VICTIM TOO. ITS A KNOWN DEFECT IN MAXIMA'S AND THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALLS TO FIX THIS. THIS TIMING CHAIN ISSUE FIX COST APPX $1600 AND DIFFICULT FOR US TO PAY SUCH AN AMOUNT WHICH HAS BEEN DECLARED BY NISSAN AS A MAINTENANCE FREE ITEM. THIS TIMING CHAIN WOULD GRADUALLY LEAD TO ALL SORT OF PROBLEMS LEADING TO COMPLETE FAILURE IF NOT TAKEN CARE OF. WE AS A CUSTOMER PLEDGE NHTSA TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION. ALREADY CONTACTED LOCAL DEALER AND NISSAN USA WITHOUT ANY RESULTS. *TR

I OWN A MAXIMA 2004 AND IT ACCELERATE BY ITSELF EVERY TIME I DRIVE UNDER 35MPH OR 10MPH ABOVE. THEY ALREADY REPAIRED THE TRANSMISSION, CHANGE SOME WIRES, REPLACED ABS SENSORS, AND DID SOME OTHER ELECTRICAL WORK AND THE PROBLEM DOESN'T GO AWAY. *TR

MY CAR HAS NOT CRANKED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS LEAVING ME STRANDED. ALSO RATTLING SOUND FOR A LONG TIME WHEN STARTING THE CAR. THIS MORNING WHEN I CRANKED MY CAR IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING BROKE LOOSE, UNABLE TO DRIVE WILL HAVE TO GET IT CHECKED OUT ALSO RUST SPOTS ARE FORMING ON MY HOOD, FRONT BUMPER AND BOTH SIDES OF MY WINDSHIELD. *TR

(1) 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA, WITH NO WARNING , THE ENGINE REVES UP INTERMITTENTLY, CARS DOESN'T ACCELERATE THEN IT STARTS JERKING AND BUCKING, YOU ARE STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC , UNTIL IT DECIDES TO WORK AGAIN .... (2) IT OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY, NO CONSISTENT TIME FRAME, THE ENGINE REVES UP INTERMITTENTLY, CARS DOESN'T ACCELERATE THEN IT STARTS JERKING AND BUCKING.......CONSEQUENCES: SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS FAILURE TO OPERATE CORRECTLY.....I HAVE READ THE SAME PROBLEM ALL OVER THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS VEHICLE.....THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL DONE BEFORE SOMEONE GET KILLED!!!!!!!!MY 20 YEAR DAUGHTER DRIVES THIS CAR AND I AM CONCERNED FOR HER SAFETY. (3)I HAVE BROUGHT IT INTO NISSAN 5 OR MORE TIMES, BUT THE COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE SAME PROBLEM....IT FINALLY DID IT AGAIN A CAME UP WITH A CODE....THEY NOW RECOMMEND A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT AT $4,600.00 ...THEY DO NOT REBUILD THESE, ONLY REPLACE THEM BECAUSE IT ID TOO COMPLICATED TO REBUILD.. ********PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM FURTHER AND MAKE THEM RECALL THESE VEHICLES BEFORE SOMEONE GET HURT OR KILLED!!!!! THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO VENT MY FRUSTRATIONS! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD AND VIBRATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CONTROL SOLENOID AND VALVE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 17,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATELY 82,000. UPDATED 1/19/2010 *CN UPDATED 01/27/11

I PURCHASED A USED 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA FROM THIS DEALERSHIP. THIS IS MY THIRD MAXIMA THAT I HAVE OWNED. I RECENTLY STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH MY CAR. IT STARTING HAVING TROUBLE SHIFTING INTO GEAR. I TOOK THIS TO THIS DEALERSHIP AND OF COURSE THEY CLAIMED THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS ISSUE BEFORE. THEY CAME BACK AND SHOWED ME THIS BOTTLE FILLED WITH FLUID AND CLAIMED THAT THIS BLACK OIL WAS THE FLUID THEY TOOK FROM THE TRANSMISSION. THEY INSPECTED THE CAR AND TOLD ME THEY WOULD SEND IT TO THE NISSAN CORPORATE OFFICE TO SEE IF THEY WOULD CONSIDER A GOODWILL ASSISTANCE. IMMEDIATELY UPON LEAVING I TOOK MY CAR TO A TRANSMISSION COMPANY AND THEY CHECKED THE OIL AND TOLD ME THERE WAS NO WAY THAT OIL CAME OUT OF MY CAR. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE OLDEST TRICKS IN THE BOOK AND THAT THIS IS PROBABLY THE SAME CONTAINER USED ON ALL CUSTOMERS THAT COME IN AND COMPLAIN. I JUST SPOKE WITH DELAND NISSAN TO SEE IF THEY WERE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS CONSIDERING HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE AND THEY STATED NO. I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER NISSAN EVER AND WILL BE LOOKING TO SEE IF THERE IS ANYTHING ELSE THAT CAN BE DONE AGAINST THIS COMPANY. *TR