2004 Nissan Maxima

THE JERKING AND SLIPPING OF THE 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA'S TRANSMISSION IS DANGEROUS! IT NEARLY THROWS MY 8 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER INTO THE BACK OF MY DRIVER'S SEAT EVERYTIME IT SWITCHES GEARS!!!! WHEN I PUT IT INTO DRIVE, IT JERKS NEARLY A FOOT UP WHICH CAUSED ME TO REAR END MY MOTHER'S VAN THAT WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF MY CAR!!!! PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GET HURT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *TR

I HAVE A 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA WITH FOUR GOODYEAR EAGLE RSA TIRES. TWO OF WHICH HAD SIDEWALL CRACKING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. I PUT IN A REQUEST TO GOODYEAR REGARDING THIS SAFETY HAZARD AND WAS DENIED REIMBURSEMENT/REPLACEMENT. I NOW HAVE A THIRD TIRE THAT HAS GONE FLAT DUE TO SIDEWALL CRACKING. GOODYEAR IS FAILING TO RECOGNIZE THIS DEFECT OR ITS DANGER. I SIMPLY AM ASKING FOR REPLACEMENT AS THESE TIRES ARE FAR FROM WORN. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA AND I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE SHIFTING IN AND OUT OF GEAR. WHEN I START THE CAR IT STALLS AND I HAVE TO RESTART AND GIVE IT GAS. IT ALSO JUST STOPPED ON ME ONE DAY ON THE INTERSTATE. I HAVE READ SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON CARSURVEY.ORG WITH THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM AND NISSAN DOESN'T SEEM TO BE HELPING ANYONE. WITH AS MANY COMPLAINTS THAT I HAVE READ YOU WOULD THINK THERE WOULD BE A RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSION. I HOPE SOMEONE COULD LOOK INTO THIS BECAUSE THIS SEEMS TO BE QUITE A PROBLEM IN 2004 NISSAN MAXIMAS. *TR

'04 MAXIMA, MAINTAINED REGULARLY, ORIGINAL OWNER, PURCHASED IN SUMMER OF '03(FIRST BATCH OF ASSY. LINE); STEREO HEAD UNIT SAT BUTTON, BUT NO SAT CONNECTIONS IN BACK OF HEAD UNIT. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT ONE YEAR ('06) NEAR CHRISTMAS TO TREAT MYSELF TO HAVE SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO INSTALLED IN MY CAR AS I WAS PROMISED BY THE ADVERTISEMENTS AT TIME OF PURCHASE. THE TECH HAD ALREADY MOUNTED THE ANTENNA TO MY ROOF AND THEN WAS READY TO INSTALL THE TUNER AND CONNECT IT TO THE STEREO HEAD UNIT AND COULD NOT LOCATE THE JACKS ON THE BACK OF THE HEAD UNIT TO CONNECT THE SATELLITE TUNER. THE SERVICE ADVISOR EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THEY HAVE RUN INTO THIS ON THE CARS THAT CAME OFF THE ASSEMBLY LINE IN THE FIRST 6 MONTHS OF PRODUCTION OF THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. THE CARS HAVE A SAT BUTTON ON THE DASH BUT NO CONNECTIONS ON THE HEAD UNIT TO CONNECT ONE. ALSO EXPLAINED IT HAD SINCE BEEN CORRECTED BY NISSAN ON ALL CARS OF THE SAME MODEL MADE AFTER, THAT HAD THE APPROPRIATE STEREO HEAD UNIT INSTALLED TO ACCOMMODATE SATELLITE RADIO TUNERS. HE THEN CONTINUED TO TELL ME THAT NISSAN WAS NOT COVERING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE HEAD UNIT FOR THOSE CUSTOMERS REQUESTING SATELLITE RADIO INSTALLATION. THIS WAS A BIG BLOW TO ME AND I COULD NOT AFFORD TO REPLACE THE HEAD UNIT MYSELF. THE TECH HAD TO UN-MOUNT THE ANTENNA LEAVING CHUNKS OF PAINT MISSING FROM MY ROOF AND I HAD SINCE HAD TO INSTALL AN AFTERMARKET PORTABLE SATELLITE RADIO WHICH ALWAYS GIVES ME STATIC PROBLEMS. I BELIEVE NISSAN SHOULD COVER THIS REPLACEMENT SINCE THE CAR WAS ADVERTISED AT TIME OF PURCHASE TO HAVE THE OPTION OF SATELLITE RADIO. I ONLY OPTED OUT AT TIME OF PURCHASE BECAUSE I FELT COMFORTABLE WITH THE FACT THAT I COULD ALWAYS COME BACK AND GET IT INSTALLED. IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT ISSUE AT TIME OF PURCHASE, THE DEALER WOULD HAVE FIXED THAT IN ORDER TO MAKE THE SALE. WHY NOT AFTER THE FACT? TREATING CURRENT OWNERS GOOD IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS ATTRACTING NEW ONES. REPEAT BUSINESS IS EVERY COMPANIES BREAD AND BUTTER. *TR

'04 MAXIMA, MAINTAINED REGULARLY, ORIGINAL OWNER, PURCHASED IN SUMMER OF '03(FIRST BATCH OF ASSY. LINE); TRANSMISSION SLIPS FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE THE FIRST 25K MILES ON THE CAR. I GOT THE TRANS FLUID FLUSHED AND WAS FINE BUT THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN AT 50K MILES. I ASKED THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOPS AND THE DEALERSHIP WHY THIS KEEPS RE-OCCURRING AND THEY BOTH SAID THAT "THAT'S JUST THE WAY THAT CAR IS." LIKE CLOCK WORK IT HAPPENS EVERY 25K MILES. I CONTINUE TO GET THE TRANS FLUID FLUSHED/CHANGED EVERY 25K, CAR IS NOW AT 115K MILES, JUST HAD IT DONE AT 100K AND PROBLEM IS STARTING AGAIN ALREADY. I'M FEARING ONE DAY SOON THE TRANSMISSION IS JUST GOING TO GO ALL TOGETHER AND I WILL BE LOOKING AT PROBABLY $4K - $6K FOR REPAIR. I LOVE MY MAXIMA AND BOUGHT IT FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE THAT THEY HAVE A REPUTATION FOR LONG LASTING CARS, BUT IT SEEMS THERE WERE SOME FLAWS WHEN THEY INTRODUCED THIS NEW BODY STYLE YEAR (NOT SURE HOW DIFFERENT THE ENGINES OR TRANSMISSIONS ARE IN COMPARISON TO THE PREVIOUS MODELS) AND THESE TYPES OF ISSUES ARE NOT MAKING ME WANT TO PURCHASE ANOTHER ONE IN THE FUTURE. THE SERVICE ADVISOR AT MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP STATES HIS MOTHER OWNS AN '06 MAXIMA (SAME TRANS) AND JUST HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION DUE TO THE SAME ISSUE. HE TOLD ME, "IT'S COMING. IT'S IF IT'S WHEN". THIS ISSUE IS POSTED ALL OVER THIS SITE AND MANY OTHERS. WHY ISN'T NISSAN STEPPING UP TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS? *TR

'04 MAXIMA, MAINTAINED REGULARLY, ORIGINAL OWNER, PURCHASED IN SUMMER OF '03(FIRST BATCH OF ASSY. LINE); NOISE COMING FROM RIGHT SIDE OF ENGINE. NOISE WAS LOUD WHEN ENGINE WAS COLD AND WOULD GO AWAY AFTER ENGINE HAD WARMED UP. EVENTUALLY STARTED TO STILL HEAR THE NOISE (NOT AS LOUD) AFTER ENGINE WAS WARM. LOCAL REPAIR SHOP SAID THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE TIMING CHAIN AND MOST LIKELY THE GUIDE HAD BROKEN AND WAS RUBBING THE CHAIN AND STATED BOTH WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THIS SHOP HAD NEVER DONE ONE OF THESE REPAIRS ON A NISSAN BECAUSE "THIS NEVER HAPPENS TO A NISSAN MOTOR". YET THEY FOUND MANY TSBS AND INTERNET SEARCH RESULTS ABOUT MY PARTICULAR MODEL CAR HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE. THEY SUGGESTED I HAVE THE DEALERSHIP TAKE A LOOK. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER AND WITHOUT TELLING THEM WHAT THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP SAID, ONLY SUMMARIZING THE EXPLANATION OF THE NOISE WHEN ENGINE WAS COLD AND THEN GOES AWAY AFTER WARM UP, THE SERVICE ADVISOR INTERRUPTED ME AND SAID, "IT'S THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDE". HE BARELY LET ME FINISH THE STORY BEFORE HE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS. HE SAID THAT WAS BECAUSE HE (HIS SERVICE CENTER) HAS DONE THIS REPAIR ON 04 MAXIMA'S SO MANY TIMES IT'S RIDICULOUS. HE ALSO STATED THAT IT HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY NISSAN AS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 04 MODEL ENGINES BUT YET WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIRS. NISSAN BOASTS THAT THE TIMING CHAINS IN THESE ENGINES ARE MAINTENANCE FREE OR AT LEAST WORTH 300K+ MILES (SINCE BY THAT TIME MOST OWNERS WOULD HAVE GOT 15 YEARS+ OUT OF THE CAR), BUT YET THE PARTS TO HOLD THE CHAIN ON BREAK DOWN WAY BEFORE THAT. THE LABOR TO REPAIR THE SURROUNDING PARTS IS THE SAME TO REPLACE THE CHAIN SINCE THE TECH HAS TO REACH TO THE SAME SPOT OF THE ENGINE FOR REPAIRS. I WAS ORIGINALLY QUOTED $1500.+ FOR THE REPAIRS BUT WAS ABLE TO STRIKE A SMALL DISCOUNT AND PAID $1133.55 FOR "2 TENSIONER CHAINS", "CHAIN GUIDE", "TENSIONER ASSEMBLY", AND SOME OTHER SEALS & GASKETS. LABOR ALONE WAS $787.50. WHICH WAS DISCOUNTED FROM $1100.+. OUTRAGEOUS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AT LOW SPEEDS, SHE EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED VEHICLE ACCELERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS FLUSHED; HOWEVER, THE REPAIR DID NOT REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 107000. UPDATED 3/12/10 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION WOULD GET STUCK IN GEAR WHEN TRYING TO RESUME SPEED AFTER STOPPING AND DROPPING 10-20 MPH SLOWER. WHEN THE ACCELERATOR WAS APPLIED, THE TRANSMISSION IDLED, BUT THE VEHICLE STAGGERED IN 1ST GEAR. UPDATED 05/10/10*JB