6th Mar 2004, 23:44
I don't buy this review... I agree Nissan has some bad dealers/service compared to others, but I find it hard to believe the dealer was unable to fix the problem.
29th Apr 2004, 09:48
I have owned a 3.5SE for the past 6 months and love it.
This is the same engine as the famous 3.0, it is not new, simply larger and more powerful. This engine remains one of the best in the world, and is very reliable, even if it ticks a bit from time to time. If you find that it pings, put higher octane fuel in it.
I don't mind the interior at all, but I admit that it could be better though.
Robmac.
14th Jun 2004, 16:35
I agree with the poor quality of the plastic, etc. on the 2003 Maxima. My 2003 SE has 8,000 miles, but the rattles started almost immediately. My center dash under the radio rattles, the roof right near the sunroof, the driver door has a faint buzz that I cannot find and the power window switches are of such thin gauge plastic that they constantly vibrate. It is a shame that the quality of plastic inside this car is so cheap because it ruins the ownership experience of an otherwise great car. Interesting to note, before I purchased the car a number of reviews in magazines indicated that the quailty of the interior materials was subpar. When I test drove the car, I thought the interior looked a little cheap, but I could live with it given the better aspects of the car. I did not realize the cheapness related to the extreme numbers of rattles. Bottom line, I like Nissan's performance edge over Toyota and Honda, but I will never buy another one because they just do not have the attention to detail.
24th Jul 2004, 13:56
I'm glad that you like your 2003 Maxima. I'm thinking about buying a 2003 Maxima next year. I think that they are so pretty. But, before I purchase it, can you tell me of any other problems that you have had with your vehicle. Because right now, I'm stuck between two cars the 2003 Maxima and the 2002 Galant. What do you think? Anybody?
17th Aug 2004, 07:12
I purchased an 02 Maxima SE last November. I am having the same problems with the 3.5 Engine the rattling noise when I accelerate and the rattle when I start the engine. I also, experienced the vibrating seat noise when I hit a speed bump or a bump in the road. I also, agree that Nissan has used to some inexpensive parts to construct the Maxima. I owned to Hondas in my past and both cars were made out of sturdy body parts.
9th Sep 2004, 20:29
I purchased a 03 SE in May 2003. I drive the car for business and put on average 2000-2500 miles per month on the car. I have not had one single problem, it drives like a rocket, I find the quality excellent, and love driving it everyday. The only thing I dislike is the turning radius which is worse than my wife's 04 EB Expedition. However, when I attempted to trade it in on an 04, the dealer only offered me $14900 with a little less than 25K miles on it. Another dealer only $15K. I was really disappointed at that point.
Loving it in Louisiana.
19th Nov 2004, 08:07
Louisiana I had an 02 I needed to sell. The dealers did the the same to me with only 17,000 miles on and 6 months old they offered me 9,000 less than I paid. I took it to Carmax, they gave me top dollar on the spot. I purchased my next car from that same dealer.
P.S. My Maxima was a fantastic auto, but other obligations were more important. Good luck.
11th Jul 2007, 16:41
I am a diehard Nissan fan... I have owned a Stanza, 200sx, G20, SE-R Spec V & now I have an I35 & I have had great experiences with all vehicles.
My mom has a 03 Maxima (after owning a 93 for 160k miles; still running when sold it) & I have a 03 I35, and both vehicles are top notch in terms of reliability...
I will say that the quality of the I is better than the Maxima, but both are still great vehicles, and are just as reliable as the Camry/Accord/ES/TL.
I average about 42k miles a year on the I35, and have had to do nothing but routine work to the car (oil change, tire rotation, belts, etc); same goes for the Maxima.
Our 04 Titan has been a great car also; towing trailers, cars, going off road, daily driving with no problem besides belts squeaking.
7th Jan 2004, 14:56
He said in the review that his previous car was a Nissan Altima, yet when asked he put Toyota Camry. Interesting...