Faults:

One of the first problems on this car was the antenna. As a child I used to play with the switch excessively, and eventually it just stopped working.

An annoying issue that has come with age is the reliability of the doors. Unlike new cars, the Maxima doors require a substantial amount of strength to close.

At high speeds, the steering wheel tends to vibrate, as if it were about to fall off.

Just recently the electronic door unlocker has stopped functioning as it had before. Once in a while I have to lock the doors and reopen them because the first press has no response.

General Comments:

The funnest part of driving the Maxima would have to be flooring it. Although it is 21 years old, it still roars like a lion.

I have been experimenting with using gears 1, 2, and then D for fastest acceleration, but without proper equipment I cannot determine the effectivity of doing this.

Faults:

I have had no problems with this car yet, other than the seats being worn, but no major tears or anything.

General Comments:

This car has major potential, the in-line 6 with overhead cam is ideal for high performance.

I love this car, probably the best car I've owned yet. I have owned a lot of old cars, especially 80's.

The handling is excellent and the gas mileage is excellent for this old car.

With an injector kit, racing clutch and cam, this car could be ideal for an undercover racer.

With preventive maintenance this car could last for a very long time.

It has decent space and seating is fairly comfortable.

Faults:

Fuel pump went out when trying to change the fuel filter.

Suspension had been needing work done on it as it made squeaking noises when going over bumps.

Oil, brake fluid, coolant, and transmission fluid leaked.

Rotors had to be replaced when the tires were replaced.

Fuel injectors were replaced right before I got the car.

Driveshaft had needed replacing as it vibrated during acceleration sometimes.

Tie rods, ball joints, and wheel bearings were loose and worn out.

Thermostat went bad, and I had to let the car warm up during cold weather, or it would stall.

A/C system needed new belts, although it still worked.

Some cosmetics began to fall apart.

General Comments:

This Nissan was my very first car. It was given to me by my father. Later on, I had to sell the car because it got wrecked and totalled.

The acceleration of this car was so-so. While the power was enough for everyday driving, it wasn't that great. The handling, on the other hand, was lousy for the most part due to the worn axle parts. The car had a tendency to pull off to one side. Steering wheel shook from side to side at higher speeds. At times, it felt like everything was about to come loose. Overall, the performance was rather minimal for the most part. Grade: D+

Although there was a greater potential for the car break down due to its age and the parts that were worn out, the car got me from point A to point B without any problems. It didn't run very well for the most part. However, I was never stranded in this car. I just had to be more alert about something going wrong. I also had to keep a close eye on the fluids as most of them leaked. On the whole, this car was satisfactorily reliable considering its condition. Grade: C.

The cloth seats in this car were pretty comfortable, and the air conditioning and heater both worked pretty well. However, the car was a bit bumpy on certain roads due to the worn suspension. As with most Japanese cars, the smaller size made it a little bit cramped at times with some people. Anyway, the comfort was alright but not the best. Grade: C+

We didn't have to spend too much money on this car during the time I had it, but, in the long run, we would have had to start putting more money into it to get parts replaced. It is not uncommon to put more money into an older car. With that said, the running costs of this car were average. Grade: C.

This Nissan Maxima was functional as a first car. It got me to and from different destinations without failure despite its condition. Overall, this old car, being a Nissan, got the job done.