1998 Nissan Maxima review from North America
"Automatic slows it down a lot"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Water infiltrated the electrical system during heavy rain and the horn kept blowing (in the middle of the night!). It was covered by the warranty and fixed.
The "engine check" light lights up almost every 2 months for no clear reason.
Other than that, nothing else. Just regular maintenance.
General comments?
The automatic transmission is just bad. The overdrive is just too "over". You stop at a stop and if you don't immobilize the car entirely, it will stay in 3rd gear and you almost have to push the gas up to the end to accelerate decently.
Nice sound system. Great bass and the speakers can take a lot.
Steering is very precise.
Nice engine. Powerful, but really needs a manual transmission to use its potential.
Costs a lot to maintain, Nissan parts are just expensive.
It consumes a lot of gas, it has a very bad miles per gallon ratio (automatic doesn't help).
Conclusion: it's a very reliable car that had virtually no problems. It consumes a lot, but performs when needed. Just don't buy an automatic, makes the car plain boring.
Recommended Reviews:
  | The best buy in used V-6 sedans |
| 1997 - Maxima SE or GLE, unsure VQ30DE Ranked among the best in reliability and repeat ownership, the Maxima is the cream of the crop |
All 1998 Nissan Maxima reviews
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| First year of ownership | 1998 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.0 V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7/10 |
| Reliability marks | 9/10 |
| Comfort marks | 8/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 6/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 140000 miles |
| Previous car | Nissan Sentra |
| Date of Entry | 13th September, 2001 |