2002 NISSAN MAXIMA Complaints

ABS LIGHT CAME ON WHEN I WAS DRIVING TO TOWN. BRAKES SEEMED TO WORK OK, SO I CONTINUED. GOT TO TOWN (40 MILES), DID MY BUSINESS, GOT IN THE CAR TO GO HOME. STARTED CAR, ABS LIGHT STILL ON, DROVE 1 1/2 BLOCKS, APPLIED BRAKES AS I APPROACHED INTERSECTION, AND THE PEDAL LOCKED. TAPPED THE PEDAL, STILL LOCKED. CAR FELT LIKE IT WAS STILL GETTING THROTTLE. PUT IT IN NEUTRAL, PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, AND LUCKILY STOPPED BEFORE THE INTERSECTION. PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT, PUSHED THE BRAKE, AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. PARKED THE CAR, AND TURNED IT OFF. THEN, I DECIDED TO MOVE IT TO ANOTHER LOCATION IN THE PARKING LOT AND LEAVE IT FOR A TOW TRUCK. WHEN MOVING IT, I PUSHED THE BRAKE AGAIN, HEARD A NOISE, ABS LIGHT WENT OFF, AND BRAKES WORKED AGAIN. DROVE HOME. I AM GOING TO TAKE IT TO THE SHOP SOON. COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR

UNABLE TO STOP VEHICLE - BRAKE FAILURE ON DRY PAVEMENT. WHEN BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED, THERE WAS ONLY A CLICKING SOUND AS IF THE ABS WAS TRYING TO ENGAGE FOR NO REASON - BUT BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE AT ALL. DEALER LATER REPORTED THAT THIS WAS DUE TO A FAULTY ABS SENSOR ON LEFT REAR BUT I AM DISTURBED THAT THIS ABS FAILURE WOULD CAUSE TOTAL BRAKE LOSS. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR FOR FEAR OF ANOTHER ABS SENSOR GOING WITHOUT ANY NOTICE. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL OTHER BRAKE PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE SINCE I PURCHASED NEW IN 2002. THE ROTORS HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED 4 TIMES ON VEHICLE WITH LESS THAN 55K MILES (MAINLY HIGHWAY MILES). DEALER ADMITTED THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH ROTORS WARPING ON THIS CAR FOR NO APPARENT REASON. IN ADDITION,I HAD THE BACK BRAKE CALIPERS SEIZE UP ON ME FOR NO APPARENT REASON WHILE DRIVING ON TURNPIKE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN AT 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE SPEED DECREASED DRAMATICALLY AND THE RPM'S 1500. SOON AFTERWARDS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. AFTER AT THE DEALER, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SENSOR CODE APPEARED. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SENSOR WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 02V043000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 43,000. THE CONSUMER STATED DEALER REPAIRED VEHICLE AT THE COST OF $564.14. UPDATED 12/04/07 *TR

IN-DASH CD CHANGER DEFECT - HALF THE SPEAKERS ARE INTERMITTENTLY SILENT WHEN PLAYING A CD. THIS IS A DEFECT COMMONLY FOUND IN 2002 MAXIMAS. *TR

THERE WAS A VOLUNTARY RECALL (RECALL ID # 03V455000) FOR MY 2002 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED IN THE SPRING OF 2004. THE RECALL SPECIFIES THAT THEY WILL REPLACE BOTH THE "CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR AND THE CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR(S), AND IN SOME CASES THE VARIABLE TIMING CONTROL SENSOR(S)". THEY ONLY REPLACED THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR PER THEIR SERVICE ORDER AND THEY REFUSE TO REPLACE THE CAMSHAFT SENSOR(S). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 2 AND 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES FAILED AND THE SERVICE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ALSO. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V455000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,189.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTED COMING ON. SEVERAL WEEKS LATER, VEHICLE STARTED STALLING IN TRAFFIC, ALMOST CAUSING ME TO GET REAR ENDED. TROUBLE SCANNER SHOWED CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR A- BANK 1 CIRCUIT MALFUNCTION. STARTED CHECKING THE PROBLEM ON THE COMPUTER, AND FOUND SOMEONE ELSE HAD THE PROBLEM AND PAID DEARLY TO GET IT FIXED. USING CAMPAIGN NUMBER PROVIDED, 03V455000, DISCOVERED 2002 MAXIMA GLE, VIN [XXX], WAS NOT COVERED. READ COMPLAINT NUMBER [XXX]. OBVIOUSLY, THE 2002 MAXIMA WAS NOT IN THE RECALL. I WAS SURE THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR. DO I HAVE AN OPTION IN THIS CASE. *AK UPDATED 07/10/2012 *JS

VEHICLE IS 5 YEARS OLD ,2 WEEKS OUT OF WARRANTY), EXTREMELY WELL MAINTAINED WITH 43,000 MILES. BEGAN HEARING A GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION. NISSAN DEALER AND A SECOND SOURCE IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS THE BEARINGS IN THE TRANSMISSION. EVERYONE I TRY TO GET AN ESTIMATE FOR REPAIRS WERE SUPRISED THAT THE BEARINGS WOULD GO OUT WITH SUCH LOW MILAGE, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE TRANSMISSION HAD PREVENTIVE MAINTAINANCE DONE BY THE DEALER AT 39,000 MILES. *AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN MAXIMA GLE. WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE WILL COMPLETELY SHUT OFF AND NOT RESTART. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED TWICE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC ON BOTH OCCASIONS. THE FIRST TIME THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED AND THE SECOND TIME THE CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR. THE CONTACT IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE AS NOTED IN RECALL # 03V455000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 54,550. THE CONSUMER STATED NISSAN DID NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT DEALER HE DETERMINED THE CAUSE WAS A FLUCTUATING VOLTAGE GIVEN OUT BY THE ALTERNATOR AND A WORN WIRE HARNESS WHICH COULD OF SHORTED THE SYSTEM. UPON THE REPAIR OF THE DEFECTS, THERE IS NO FURTHER INVESTIGATION NEEDED. UPDATED 07/18/07 *TR

FRONT WHEEL NUT THAT SECURES WHEEL HUB TO CV-JOINT CAME LOOSE IN MY 2002 MAXIMA. NUT WAS BACKED UP TO THE COTTER PIN. ALSO, THIS HAPPENED LAST YEAR ON MY WIFE'S 2000 MAXIMA. I THINK NISSAN MADE A BAD DESIGN DECISION WHEN THEY CHOSE NOT TO USE A LOCKING WASHER/NUT FOR THIS DESIGN. I HAVE A JPEG PICTURE OF RESULTANT WHEEL WOBBLE.*AK