1998 Nissan Maxima SE 3.0 V6

Summary:

Bulletproof and ultra reliable

Faults:

Replaced shocks at 200,000km due to soft cornering on mountain roads, which are regularly travelled.

Replaced knock sensor at 209,000km - was occasionally performing like 2.0 litre car and was picked up by on board computer - surprisingly cheap repair at $300.

Replaced bushes on front lower arm mounts - had chewed out, probably due to plenty of travel on country roads with gravel surfaces and lots of potholes and corrugations.

General Comments:

Car is unbelievably reliable - have never had such a reliable vehicle - even the brake rotors are original - a surprise if you knew how hard I drive this car.

Performs very well - strong and quick.

Extremely well spec'd for a NZ new model.

Reasonable fuel consumption for size and performance - long run average 9.5l/100km over 125,000k - can do 800km on a tank when treated gently, or 550km when thrashed.

Still no rattles or clunks in the cabin.

Front passenger seat is uncomfortable on the odd occasion that I sit there - possibly due to the fact that that seat is seldom used.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd January, 2008

1998 Nissan Maxima S 3 L V6

Summary:

I don't think it is a very good car

Faults:

On the way home from the dealership the bonnet flew up I think 3 times of which I had to stop to put back down. After a week of this happening continuosly I ended up screwing it down to the car. The seatbelt broke within 1 month and I now after having it repaired several times just decided to knot it before going out. I've replaced the tires a lot and it has cost me a lot of money. The fuel tank runs out very quickly and almost each time I go out I need to fill it up. Apart from that I was very happy with the car.

General Comments:

Very expensive to run and I wouldn't buy another Nissan ever.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 14th September, 2004

28th Nov 2007, 14:23

What's a bonnet?

In terms of a car part.

31st Jul 2008, 16:32

I am surprised, my experience with Nissan has been positive.

For the other comment a hood is referred to as a bonnet in Europe and Australia, and a boot is the trunk.

30th Jun 2009, 06:21

Yeah, my '98 eats tires too. Although I'm curious about the seat belt. Was it the belt itself? Or where it bolts in? I'm pretty sure the seat belts are warranted for life.

9th Aug 2009, 10:20

The negative comments have nothing to do with the actual performance of the vehicle.

Your seat belt has a life warranty on it. Take it to get it fixed. This is an extremely rare problem.

How many times have you had to replace your tires? Tires wear out due to the way people drive.

If your gas mileage is poor, it can be due to a lot of things; one being aggressive driving, which would account for your tires as well.

If these are the only problems you are having with the car, then I would be thankful that's all you have to worry about.

29th Jun 2010, 23:46

Look at his previous car: a Dodge Viper. If he drives this like it's a Viper, no wonder he's flying through fuel and tires! You can't necessarily blame that on the vehicle.