28th Sep 2008, 18:41

Same problem here - have an 05 Maxima SE which I got June of this year - jerking on the upshift from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd, sometimes even on the downshift. The car was problem-free for the 1st couple of months but the last 3-4 weeks have been a nightmare. The jerking gets so bad, it feels like you're getting punched! The problem is intermittent and rarely occurs on the highway. Took the car to my friend - a mechanic. He said there's nothing wrong with the transmission, but it seems my engine mount is broken and that might be causing the "thump".

Took the car to a repair shop specializing in transmission repairs, but they said they need to check the car when it's cold, therefore hold it overnight. Diagnostics revealed nothing. I regret the fact that I did not see these problems/comments before I bought the car... Is there anyone with any lead on this?

29th Sep 2008, 12:13

I have an 04 Maxima SE. We've had air conditioning problems in the past, and ended up paying $900 to get that repaired. Now we are running into transmission problems where the car does that bucking thing in between switching gears. We are taking it in this evening because I'm afraid the entire thing is going to fall out. I am sure we'll have to pay a fortune to get this fixed.

Once I get the diagnosis, I plan on going to that website to file a complaint. The car is not that old, and should NOT be facing these kind of issues. I will never buy a Nissan again due to this stuff.

Add me to the class action lawsuit list: jenniferlynn1313@hotmail.com, BUT file your complaints at the websites posted on this site as an initial step.

7th Oct 2008, 08:43

I also own an '04 Max with harsh 3-2 (downshifting) problems, I have found this technical tip at: http://www.at-parts.ru/tasc-tip-02-08%5B1%5D.pdf, that suggests the problem with our 5 speed auto transmissions made by Aisin Warner is in the valve body. I have sent a letter to Mr Warnke (who wrote the article) about the 3-2 shift and the repair that is required. As far as I know right now, it would take a transmission valve body replacement (part# 31705-8Y002) to fix the problem. Should be $500 - 1,000. for replacement.

I'll post MR. Warnke's reply. - Rick.

9th Oct 2008, 01:45

I had the same problems with my 05 Maxima since I bought the car in October 04.

The car would make a scraping noise when turning, and I took the car in at least 5 times, and of course the dealer could never find anything wrong.

One of those times, the Check Engine light came on and took it in to the dealer for a diagnostic, and of course they found nothing, but had to charge me $300 for labor.

I also had air conditioner problems, and spent about $400 to get it repaired.

At around 60k miles my car started to lose power while driving, and eventually began jerking when shifting from 1st to 2nd. I took it into the dealer, and they said it was the ABS system. I'm not a car expert, but I knew right off that it was the transmission, so I took it to another local repair shop. They said it was my transmission, and I ended up spending about $3K to have it rebuilt.

Now I too feel heat around the foot pedals when driving, and need to run the A/C to keep my feet from burning. I too will file a complaint with Nissan and any other agency necessary.

This is my first and last Nissan I will ever own. After reading all the complaints from other Nissan owners, I'm convinced that there is a serious problem with Nissan that they are avoiding at the costs of the consumer, and I plan on trading in my car ASAP while it's still running, and before I spend any more money on repairs.

10th Oct 2008, 18:10

I bought my 04 Maxima a little over a year ago with 37k on it. It ran beautifully. I thought it was a deal. Today after picking up my kids from school, my check engine light came on and when I stepped on the gas I got no response. When I shifted my selector to manual, I noticed it was on 5. It only has 62k on it. I am most definitely filing a complaint to both NHTA and BBB, as well as contacting Nissan with all of the posts from here!!!

10th Oct 2008, 18:42

Also have an 04 Maxima with shifting problems from 1st to 2nd. 67k miles on it, took it to our Nissan dealership and was told it needed a complete new transmission. A cool $3200 would take care of it. I called Nissan Consumer Affairs and filed a complaint to see what can be done. Sounds like this is a huge problem for the Maxima's. I refuse to pay that kind of money on a car that is only 4 years old with only 67k miles on it. Add us to any class action suit as well. nate1nick2@cox.net.

14th Oct 2008, 00:23

Have a 04 Maxima with 41k, and recently have been having a problem. The car would not accelerate with the normal power; I have to press more on the gas to get the desired speed, although it's shifting good and I always using premium gas. It wasn't like this before. I'm scared that this could be a starting of a trans issue, since in Maximas from 2004, transmission problems are common. Has anyone had this problem before, and knows why is that happening? PLEASE HELP.

16th Oct 2008, 13:39

To everyone new to this site the information posted here is going to make you grit your teeth if not crack them outright. I, like so many others here, was told by the dealer that they "have not heard that this was a problem". The mechanics at other shops are telling a very different story since they are often being turned to try to fix these issues because of the outrageous prices from the dealerships. The Dealer quoted me $5800 plus the $90 diagnostic to replace the transmission on my 2005 Nissan Maxima with 65,000 miles on it. The local mechanic is offering me a rebuild at $3,200 but isn't exactly inspiring me with hope that this any kind of "long-term" fix. He also explained that the parts are ONLY available through Nissan and at exorbitantly high prices. He advised that, if I could afford it, I should ditch the Maxima. The same faulty transmission was used from 2003-2006 with no efforts at correcting the issues with it. Unfortunately, the only solution I can provide is to continue to ante up for now since I know we all need our vehicles to maintain our jobs and lives. In the meantime, I'll also be following up on all the contacts I've pulled from these emails. Please do the same!!!