2000 Nissan Maxima

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND. MOTORCYCLES EVERYWHERE. TRAFFIC. IM IN THE FAR LANE ON THE BELTWAY AND MY EXITS COMING UP. MOTORCYCLES EVERYWHERE. HEAVY TRAFFIC TOO BUT ITS MOVING. I CANT CUT OFF THE MOTORCYCLES. SO I WAIT TO PASS THEM. IM MERGING, LOOKING TO THE SIDE, LOOKING BEHIND ME. I WASN'T PAYING TO MUCH ATTENTION TO WHAT WAS COMING UP IN FRONT OF ME. I MEAN, WHAT ELSE IS THERE BUT CARS IN FRONT OF ME. THAT'S ALL I NEED TO WATCH OUT FOR RIGHT? SO I THOUGHT. I MADE IT ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT LANE, MERGING INTO EXIT LANE. "OH NO!" THERE'S A CURB. A TRIANGLE CURB RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. I SWERVE TO MY LEFT. REAR RIGHT TIRE HITS THE CURB AND TAKES LIFT OFF. AND SO DOES THE CAR, RIGHT INTO THE CENTER OF THE BELTWAY. I HAVE IT, I CAN FEEL ME GAINING CONTROL. THEN I FEEL THE FRONT TIRES LOOSE IT. AND THERE'S THE WALL. SMACK. FACE FIRST. SPIN AROUND ONE GOOD TIME. ROLL TO A STOP PERFECTLY ON THE SMALL SHOULDER ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. WELL IM STICKING OUT A LITTLE BUT IM OUT OF THE WAY. NO ONE HIT ME. NO OTHER ACCIDENTS WERE CAUSED. ONLY ONE COUPLE STOPPED BUT THAT'S OK. AND ONLY AFTER THE SHAKING WORE OFF, AND I STOPPED CRYING DID I REALIZE. "HEY, WHY DIDN'T THE AIR BAGS GO OFF?" THIS WAS A PRETTY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THERE'S FRAME DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF MY CAR. TOTALED! EVERYONE WAS OK. NECK PAINS AND A BRUISED KNEE. BUT CONSIDERING THE CONDITIONS OF THIS ACCIDENT, IT COULD HAVE GONE WAY WORST. AND NO AIRBAGS? *TR

MY PREVIOUS VEHICLE WAS A 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK AND THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE REAR SUBFRAME RUSTING. THE RUST PROBLEM ON MY MAXIMA CONCERNS A COMPONENT AT LEAST AS IMPORTANT AS THE SUBFRAME ON THE SUBARU. THE VEHICLE HAS A METAL RADIATOR SUPPORT AT THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE THAT RUNS THE WIDTH OF THE CAR. THIS RADIATOR SUPPORT NOT ONLY HOLDS THE RADIATOR UP, BUT IS ALSO CONNECTED TO AN ENGINE SUPPORT IN THE CENTRE. THIS RADIATOR SUPPORT IS RUSTING THROUGH RIGHT IN THE CENTRE WHERE THE ENGINE SUPPORT BOLTS TO THE RAD SUPPORT. THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD ON THE 2000-2003 AND THE 1995 - 1999 MAXIMA. A GOOGLE SEARCH WILL REVEAL THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM. IMAGINE THE CONSEQUENCES IF THE RAD SUPPORT SHOULD FAIL AND THUS, THE ENGINE BECOME UNSUPPORTED WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION? WHETHER THIS IS POOR METAL QUALITY, OR A LACK OF PROPER RUSTPROOFING PAINT (AS IT WAS WITH THE OUTBACK) I DON'T KNOW. THERE ARE VEHICLES OUT THERE WITH MINOR RUST IN OTHER MAJOR COMPONENTS, BUT A COMPLETELY ROTTED RADIATOR SUPPORT. I BELIEVE SOME INVESTIGATION BY THE NHTSA IS WARRANTED. I'M IN CANADA, BUT THIS PROBLEM IS RAMPANT IN THE US AS WELL. *TR

RADIATOR SUPPORT ON MY 2000 NISSAN MAXIMA IS ROTTED ON THE BOTTOM CENTER. I FOUND OUT COUPLE WEEKS AGO, WONDERING WHAT WAS THE NOISE THAT WAS COMING FROM THE FRONT END. WHILE DRIVING ON THE THROUGH WAY, AT 55MPH I COULD SEE MY HOOD SHAKING IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE ITS GOING FLY OUT WHICH IS KINDA SCARY, BASICALLY THE HOOD LATCH THAT IS ON THE RADIATOR SUPPORT IS LOOSE, BECAUSE THE ROD THAT HOLDS THE HOOD LATCH IS ROTTED AND BROKE FROM THE LOWER RADIATOR SUPPORT, IT LOOKS LIKE LOWER RADIATOR SUPPORT CAN BRAKE ANYTIME IN HALF FROM THE CENTER, WHICH WOULD DROP THE MOTOR DOWN WHILE IM ON THE ROAD. AND THIS I HAVE SEEN ON MANY MAXIMA OF THIS GENERATION AND MANY MAXIMA OWNERS OF THIS GENERATION OF MAXIMA 2000-2003 TALK ABOUT IT. *TR

MY SON WAS DRIVING THIS CAR AND HEARD THE ENGINE MAKING UNUSUAL NOISE AND A CLUNKING NOISE. I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT AND FOUND OUT THE FRONT SUB FRAME IS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. THE FRONT MOTOR MOUNT ISN'T ATTACHED TO ANYTHING. THE MOTOR ISN'T SUPPORTED UP FRONT. HE TOLD ME THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE ISN'T A RECALL ON SOMETHING SO DANGEROUS. I'M FILING THIS REPORT IN CASE I HAVE TO TAKE LEGAL ACTION AT A LATER DATE. *TR

I RECENTLY HAD MY TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGED (NOV. 2010) ON MY 2000 NISSAN MAXIMA SE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE RADIATOR SUPPORT IS CORRODED WITH RUST DUE TO VERY POOR QUALITY. I WAS TOLD BY THE AUTO MECHANIC THAT THIS SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING AND THAT IT WAS A SAFETY HAZARD SINCE THIS COULD RESULT IN THE ENGINE OR TRANSMISSION FALLING OUT OF THE VEHICLE. I WAS TOLD TO FILE A COMPLAINT SINCE THIS PROBLEM IS HAPPENING WITH MANY NISSAN MAXIMAS. *TR

I HAVE A MODEL YEAR 2000 NISSAN MAXIMA. I ALSO OWNED A 1990 NISSAN MAXIMA AND A 1998 NISSAN MAXIMA ALL WITH THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. THE RADIATOR SUPPORT RUSTS OUT COMPLETELY AND ITS NOT DUE TO RADIATOR FAILURE OR ACCIDENT DAMAGE. THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THESE CARS NEED TO BE BETTER PROTECTED FROM THE WEATHER OR BETTER QUALITY PARTS NEED TO BE USED. BUT SPECIFICALLY THE RADIATOR SUPPORT SYSTEMS IN THESE MAXIMAS ARE OF VERY POOR QUALITY. FAILURE OF THESE PARTS WOULD RESULT IN THE ENGINE AND OR TRANSMISSION FALLING OUT OF THE VEHICLE WHICH IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

THE LOWER RADIATOR SUPPORT (TIE BAR) HAS RUSTED OUT TO THE POINT THAT IT IS AFFECTING THE ALIGNMENT OF THE VEHICLE. THE RUST IS CONCENTRATED AROUND THE PLACE WHERE THE LOWER ENGINE SUPPORT BOLTS TO THE FRONT OF THE CAR. IT IS ENTIRELY CONCEIVABLE THAT THE ENGINE COULD CAUSE THE LOWER ENGINE SUPPORT TO BREAK FREE FROM THE LOWER RADIATOR SUPPORT. ADDITIONALLY, THE EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE LOWER RADIATOR SUPPORT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE CRASH PERFORMANCE ON THIS PART OF THE VEHICLE. *TR