2004 Nissan Maxima

BOUGHT THE NISSAN MAXIMA ON AUGUST 10, 2004 FROM VOB NISSAN IN ROCKVILLE, MD. UNDER 100 MILES, TOOK BACK TO DEALER DUE TO UNACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF VIBRATION IN THE FRONT WHEELS FELT THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL GENERALLY BETWEEN 40 AND 70 MPH ON SMOOTH SURFACED HIGHWAY DRIVING. INITIALLY I WAS TOLD THIS IS PROBABLY DUE TO FLAT SPOTS ON THE TIRES PER CAR SITTING IN THE LOT FOR AN EXTENDED TIME. BUT THE VIBRATION CONTINUED. WHEN CRUISING MORE PRONOUNCED. DEALER INITIALLY PERFORMED WHEEL BALANCING WHICH DIDN'T WORK. THEN THEY REPLACED THE FRONT TWO CONTINENTAL TIRES WHICH STILL DIDN'T WORK. THEY PERFORMED ??ROAD FORCE BALANCING?? CHECK. THE TIRES HAD READINGS OF CLOSE TO 40 WHERE THE ACCEPTABLE READING SHOULD BE BELOW 10. THERE WAS ALSO AN ISSUE WITH THE BRAKES. WHEN DRIVEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THE STEERING WAS VISIBLY VIBRATING. VOB ALSO NOTICED THE WARPED ROTORS IN FRONT AND RE-SURFACED THEM. DEALER REPLACED THE CONTINENTAL TIRES WITH MICHELIN MXV4. NOTICEABLE IMPROVEMENT IN HANDLING BUT NOT QUITE. DEALER DID EVERYTHING POSSIBLE PER WRITTEN TSBS, ETC. AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING ELSE HE COULD DO, THEREFORE CALL THE MANUFACTURER. 3/22/05 I CONTACTED DARCARS OF ROCKVILLE. THEY REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS WHICH WERE UNEVENLY WORN AND ALSO RE-SURFACED THE ROTORS IN A SPECIAL MACHINE WHILE THEY WERE ATTACHED TO THE CAR AS RECOMMENDED BY NISSAN. VIBRATION PROBLEM WAS MARKEDLY BETTER AFTER THAT. HOWEVER, I STILL FEEL THE PROBLEMS WHEN PRESSING THE BREAK PEDAL LIGHTLY GOING AT SPEED. ALSO WHEN DRIVING ABOVE 60 MPH ON STRAIGHT ROADS. I AM DEBATING WHETHER TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER NOW OR WAIT FOR IT TO GET WORSE. IT HAS BEEN A CONSTANT FRUSTRATION.

DT: CONSUMER LEASED NEW MAXIMA. ABOUT 6 MONTHS LATER HAD TO REPLACE A TIRE. TOOK VEHICLE TO SERVICE DEALER AND HAD REPLACEMENT. OVER THIS WEEKEND A DIFFERENT TIRE CAME OFF WHILE DRIVING, BUT THE REPAIRED TIRE HAS SLITS IN THE TREAD AS ALL THE OTHER ONES DO AS WELL. THE DEALER NOTED THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE 2004 MAXIMA. ALSO THERE IS SHOCK PROBLEMS KNOWN TO NISSAN BUT NO RECALLS BUT DEALERS ARE AWARE OF THIS AND MUST REPLACE THOSE ISSUES INCLUDING THE SUNROOF WHICH APPARENTLY CAN SHATTER UNDER EXTREME HEAT. CAR IS CURRENTLY IN SHOP FOR REPAIR. *AK

BRAND NEW 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA, DRIVEN NORMALLY FOR MONTHS AND RECENTLY STARTED NOTICING THE STRUTS MAKING A BANGING NOISE OVER NORMAL LIGHT ROAD BUMPS. THE RIDE QUALITY HAS SINCE DETERIORATED AND IS NOW REACHING THE POINT OF BEING DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. IT HAS BEEN TO TWO NISSAN DEALERS SO FAR WHO REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND KEEP TRYING TO BLAME IT ON ME, MEANWHILE HUNDREDS OF OTHER PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM, AND MANY OTHER DEALERSHIPS ACKNOWLEDGE IT. THERE MUST BE SOMETHING DONE AT THE COROPRATE LEVEL FROM NISSAN TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM. ALLOWING THE DEALERS TO DECIDE WHAT IS GOOD AND BAD, WHILE HALF OF THE PARTS ARE DEFECTIVE IS SOLVING NOTHING, AND ONLY CREATING MORE OF A HAZARD AND HASSLE FOR ALL MAXIMA OWNERS.*AK

THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE STRUT CONTINUES TO FAIL. THE PART HAS BEEN REPLACED TWO TIMES, HOWEVER THE CAUSE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER 9 OR 10 TIMES BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT FIND THE TREMBING IN THE STEERING. THE CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF FAILED STRUTS ARE A SAFETY ISSUE. *TC