2004 Nissan Maxima

I HAVE A 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA SE THAT I BOUGHT 2 YEARS AGO WITH 14000 MILES ON IT. CURRENTLY HAVE 24000 MILES SO I DON'T DRIVE A LOT. IN THOSE 2 YEARS, I'VE HAD STRUTS, BRAKES, ROTORS,A/C PROBLEMS, TONS OF ANTI-LOCK BRAKE ISSUES(WAS IN SHOP 4 TIMES) AND AT 19000 MILES, A TIRE BLOWOUT AND AGAIN ANOTHER ONE AT 24000 MILES. I SUBMITTED MY PAPERWORK FOR CRACKED SIDEWALLS ON MY GOODYEAR RSA TIRES ON JULY 1,2007 AND HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING YET. THIS CAR HAS BEEN THE CAR FROM YOU KNOW WHERE. IT JUST HAS PROBLEM AFTER PROBLEM--I GET ONE THING FIXED AND SOMETHING ELSE SEEMS TO COME UP. *JB

2004 NISSAN MAXIMA SE. ANTI-LOCK BRAKE (ABS) COMPONENTS FAILING, THERE IS ALSO A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THE NISSAN WEBSITE DESCRIBING WAYS TO FIX OR REPLACE PARTS, BUT VERY EXPENSIVE. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE. THE ABS DID KICK ON UNDER NORMAL BRAKING AND NOW THE ABS MOTOR IS STUCK RUNNING, THE BRAKE AND ABS LIGHTS ARE ON AND THE ABS SYSTEM WILL NO LONGER ACTIVATE IN A DYNAMIC SLIDING CONDITION. THE ABS MOTOR CONTINUES RUNNING EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF AND THE KEY IS REMOVED. THE FUSE AND MOTOR GET EXTREMELY HOT AND MAY POTENTIALLY CAUSE A FIRE IN THE VEHICLE IF THE BATTERY IS NOT DISCONNECTED OVERNIGHT. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT POSTING ON THE WEB ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND AT LEAST 3 DIFFERENT NISSAN DEALERSHIPS THAT I HAVE CALLED ARE AWARE OF THIS BEING A PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ABS LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED AFTER THE CAR WAS TURNED ON OR OFF. THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON AND OFF BY ITSELF. THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE DISCONNECTED TO SHUT THE LIGHT OFF. MOST OF THE TIMES, THE ABS HAD TO BE COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED, AND THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING WITHOUT THIS SAFETY FEATURE. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNALS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE ENTIRE ABS SYSTEM AND THE SENSORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH MY 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE TIRES, HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE IN THE SHOP FOR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING NUMEROUS TIMES; HAVE PAID TO HAVE THE BATTERY REPLACED BECAUSE THE CAR SUDDENLY STALLED; HAVE HAD THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACED BECAUSE OF ONE OF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TRIPS TO THE DEALER. MOST RECENTLY, I REPLACED THE FRONT AND BACK BRAKES DUE TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. A MONTH LATER, THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM FAILS, AND I AM TOLD THAT IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY, AND THE CHARGE WILL BE $1,645. THE CAR IS ONLY TWO YEARS OLD. I AM AT THE DEALER AT LEAST ONCE, SOMETIMES TWICE A MONTH. I USED TO BE THE BIGGEST CHEERLEADER FOR NISSAN. I HAD A 1991 NISSAN MAXIMA THAT I BOUGHT USED WITH 173,000 MILES ON IT. THAT CAR WAS ON THE ROAD UNTIL IT HAD MORE THAN 300,000. NOW I FEEL LIKE I PURCHASED A LEMON. I BOUGHT A NEW CAR BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT THE HEADACHES THAT COME ALONG WITH A USED CAR. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER ON SEPTEMBER 18TH BECAUSE SOMETHING WEIRD GOING ON WITH THE BRAKES. I HAD HAD THE BRAKES CHANGED ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE THAT, I KNEW THAT THEY WERE IN GOOD CONDITION. I RECEIVED A CALL LATER THAT DAY TELLING ME THAT MY ABS BRAKE SYSTEM WAS BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AND THAT I WOULD NEED TO COVER THE COST BECAUSE THE PART WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. I CONTACT NISSAN NORTH AMERICA TO LODGE A COMPLAINT ON SEPTEMBER 19TH TO SEE IF THEY WOULD COVER THE COST FOR THE ABS SYSTEM FAILING, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO COVER A MAJOR REPAIR LIKE THAT ON A 2 YEAR OLD CAR. I WAS TOLD THAT A REGIONAL SPECIALIST WOULD CALL ME BACK WITHIN 24 HOURS. 2 DAYS PASSED WITHOUT A RETURN CALL. I CALLED AGAIN ON THE 22, AND AGAIN ON THE 25TH WITH NO RESPONSE. L BELIEVE THAT NISSAN IS AWARE OF ALL OF THE MANUFACTURING DEFECTS WITH THE MAXIMA AND BY NOT RESPONDING HOPE THAT CONSUMERS WILL GO AHEAD AND PAY FOR THE REPAIRS OVER AND OVER AGAIN BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID TO DRIVE AN UNSAFE CAR. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED, WHILE DECELERATING OR DEPRESSING THE BREAK PEDAL, THE FRONT WHEELS AND STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED AND JERKED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. THE PROBLEM WAS RECURRING, BUT NOT CONSTANT. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND SERVICED ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS. EACH TIME, THE FRONT BREAK ROTORS WERE TURNED, ELIMINATING THE VIBRATION FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THE MANUFACTURED DETERMINED THE ROTORS OVERHEAT AT TIMES, WARPING THE ROTORS, AND SUGGESTED THE VEHICLE BE TAKEN TO ANOTHER SERVICE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER ALSO CONFIRMED THAT WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED, SO SERVICES WOULD BE PROVIDED AT COST.

AT 13K MILES, WHEN TRAVELING OVER 50 MPH AND I STEP ON THE BRAKE, THE STEERING WHEEL AND FRONT END JUDDERS VIOLENTLY. THIS HAS CAUSED MUCH CONCERN AND WORRY. HOWEVER, WHEN I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER I WAS TOLD THAT THE ROTORS COULD BE "MACHINED DOWN TO A SMOOTH FINISH AT MY EXPENSE OF $120.00". I ASKED WHY IT WASN'T COVERED UNDER MY WARRANTY AND WAS TOLD, "BECAUSE IT'S CONSIDERED MAINTENANCE." FOR A NEW CAR - 2004, UNDER 30K MILES THAT IS BULL AND NISSAN SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM! *NM

EVER SINCE THE FIRST DAY I PURCHASED MY 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA, I NOTICED SOMETHING RATHER ODD. AT 50 MPH, EVEN LESS AT MOST TIMES, THERE IS A TERRIBLE SHIMMY WHICH CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. WHEN I STEP ON THE BRAKES AT OR ABOVE 50 MPH, THE WHEEL SHAKES FEROCIOUSLY OUT OF CONTROL, AND THIS CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS SERIOUS ACCIDENT, ESPECIALLY IN RAIN OR SNOW, AND EVEN ON DRY LAND. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE. EVERYONE WITH A 2004-2006 NISSAN MAXIMA HAS THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A LEMON. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED A RECALL LETTER WAS RECEIVED IN THE MAIL 4/20/06. THE NHTSA RECALL, # 05V512000, CONCERNING SEAT: FRONT ASSEMBLY: POWER ADJUST. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED ON 4/21/06 TO HAVE THE RECALL REPAIRED. THE DEALER STATED THE FIRST AVAILABLE APPOINTMENT WOULD BE 4/26/06, HOWEVER THE CONTACT BELIEVED THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE REMEDIED IN A TIMELY MANOR. *AK UPDATED 5/16/2006 - THE BRAKE MADE NOISE AND THE TIRE DEFLATED DUE TO DRY ROT. *NM