19th Oct 2007, 10:18

I have a 2004 Maxima, and I am so glad that I found this board. I bought the car last year with @48k miles on it.. it now has @60k miles on it and I've started noticing a very loud metallic rattling sound when I accelerate. At first I thought is was my brakes, but I had them checked, and they are fine. I also experienced the extremely hard jerk when switching gears especially when slowing down and accelerating again. This is horrible! Nissan should issue a recall on the 2004 Maxima transmission!

26th Oct 2007, 13:08

I own a 2004 Nissan Maxima SE with 34,000 miles on it. I also have the same rattling/wobbling of the steering wheel problem. From what I see from this post, it must have something to do with the struts - but I have yet to see a post where someone says they've fixed the problem.

Has anyone been able to fix this problem? Please let us know what the problem was and how it was fixed.

Thank you.

26th Oct 2007, 16:20

I own a 2004 Maxima SE that I bought brand new. I am at 71,000+ miles. I have brought the car into Service from day one regarding a rattling noise. At first they said to change from 93+ octane gas to 89 octane, even though when I purchased the vehicle I was advised to use premium.

Then they said it was the heat shields.

Then they said it was a bracket on the muffler.

...to this day I have that annoying can-of-spray-paint rattling sound from hell coming from I don't know where.

2 days ago I experienced the transmission jerk for the 1st time. Something has to be done.

29th Oct 2007, 11:24

I am glad a friend recommended this board. My 2004 Nissan Maxima SE is a problem; I bought my car used in 05. I had problems from about 5 months off the lot.

First was the rattle in the engine; the only way to combat this is to change the oil every month. I brought it to several dealers and mechanics, and they all say it's the timing chain, which is approx. 4000.00 cad plus labour, which is a whole other issue because its like a 3d puzzle.

React quickly and sell while you can.

31st Oct 2007, 10:13

04 Maxima SE, 65,000 miles, this is my first and last Nissan. Very discouraging because all this stuff happened at exactly 61,000miles. Right outside of the factory warranty.

#1) Tons of rattling from the front suspension, I thought it was the shocks, but got the car up on the lift and realized the bolt holding the steering column to the frame had fallen out, so the column was flopping around in the engine bay. That was easy, but dangerous.

#2) ABS kicked on under normal braking, brake lights went on in dash. The ABS motor stays running even when the vehicle is turned off and the keys are out. Only way to stop the motor is by clipping one of the terminals on the multi-fuse under the hood. ran the codes. Most likely the ABS solenoid Assy, $1400 from dealer. Just driving without ABS right now till I can save up the money or find one cheaper.

#3) Hard shifting from 1st-2nd and 2nd-3rd. I don't know if it the transmission or not, but its making me nervous.

#4) Engine vibration and engine noise under light acceleration until it downshifts to a lower gear and the RPM's rise again. It seems to be hanging in a higher gear longer than it should be while cruising and doesn't downshift fast enough when pedal is pressed to accelerate.

I wish Nissan would address some of these issues!!!

3rd Nov 2007, 17:40

I have a 2004 Nissan Maxima and I am having problems with ABS system. The problem started at 37,000 miles. The dealer charged me 200.00 dollars to clean left rear ABS sensor and everything seemed to be okay. Then a week ago at 43,000 miles the problem reoccured. I took the car back to the dealer. They replaced the right rear ABS sensor, charged me 450.00 dollars and the problem is still there. Now there saying I need a ABS controler which cost 1600.00 dollars with installation. This is a problem that is happening on 2004 and 2005 Maximas. If anyone else is having this same problem please contact Nissan so they can put out a recall. This is going to be my last Nissan!!!

7th Nov 2007, 11:21

Re: 2004 Nissan Maxima SE.

Nissan is replacing the transmission under warranty today. They just called & said that the engine & transmission mounts needed to be replaced as well. they told me that the mounts are made of rubber & since I live in Southwestern United States they prone wear quickly. $457 ouch... I'm having them do it because I've made a long term commitment to this car financially. I'm really disappointed. I've owned a 1992 Maxima & 2000 Maxima and the quality has gotten worse with each car. My advice is to go after Nissan with any transmission issue.

19th Nov 2007, 09:34

I have 04 maxima. These days I got a slipping on the gear when it accelerates or changes from 1 to 2. The dealer suggest me to do the transmission flush. Is this a good idea? just feared...

29th Nov 2007, 08:24

I purchased my 2004 Nissan Maxima in July 2003. After 120K miles, It started jerking violently between 1st and 2nd gear and when downshifting back to 1st from 2nd. Yesterday, I took it to a Nissan dealership for a diagnostic check although the check engine light never came on. It was recommended that I get the transmission flush ($199) to see if that would solve the problem and if it didn't I would have to replace the solenoid valve. If I chose to do nothing, I would have to pay $90 for the diagnostic check. I opted to do the flush, but unfortunately it didn't solve the problem. So now I'm faced with over $800 more for repairs. After reading the posts here, I am convinced that Nissan knows about this defect in the '04 Maxima. After all, they have a TSB on how to fix it. I don't understand why I have to pay $90 for a diagnostic check when they already know about the defect. I am interested in helping to get the car recalled. Where do we go to file a complaint so that our voices can be heard collectively? Then, Nissan will be forced to deal with this issue on their dime and not profit from hard working customers who are forced to repair the car themselves.

4th Dec 2007, 10:00

Hey guys guess what looks like I'm another victim of this 04 Maxima crisis. My transmission is acting up, there seems to be a problem when it shifts from first to second gear. I took it in to the dealership, and just because I have no records of check ups, they want to charge me about 4000 for a new transmission. My family needs a reliable car, and that's one of the reasons why I bought this car. Nissan, I'm very disappointed.