1999 Nissan Maxima SE Limited review from North America

Air bag light blinks - SE Limited has side air bags, and apparently the passenger side seat air bag is prone to this. To get the light off, open drivers side door, turn ignition to on, press the door switch 10 times very fast, turn ignition off. This tells the system to reset.

Original battery finally gave up in late 2005.

I've had three Maxima's and rode in others, and it seems the passenger front wheel location vibrates in all of them... very subtle (my wife sittign in that seat doesn't even notice unless remind her - not an issue. This is with new or old tires, balancing, alignment still there.

One end of the spoiler popped loose from the trunk lid.

Power antenna is getting tired... they alwasy do.

A/C is getting tired. Added one car of recharge for $25 and its cold again. This is an issue on all 97 and newer cars of any brand with the newer refrigerant. My 96 model Maxima was still ice cold at 130,000. Better than my truck which has NO A/C at 60,000.

Changing belts is a pain... but only every 60-75K.

As mentioned, we are on our third Maxima. We like the performance, fit and finish, reliability. Our last Maxima was a 96 with 130,000 when we sold it. As with any car, you WILL have things that go bad or need replacement...O2 sensors, belts brakes and so on. Even Honda's have problems and require maintenance... virtually no car is trouble free. But, you will never had to tear into the engine on this car. Take car of the transmission, and it will take care of you. Flush the tranny and put in synthetic ATF and it will help improve the harshness.

Ride is firm and taught, steering is connected and tight, even now with 100K, and so was out last one with 130K.

Not as quick as our 95 with a 5 speed was, but quite respectable. OK on gas, not great.

Traction control works, but doesn't jump in right away either. It can also be turned off.

I dislike having to turn the cruise control on every time you turn the car on.

Boss stereo is above average for OEM systems.

Leather holds up great and is comfortable in a long trip. Seat heaters are not too hot, but also take a little time to warm up. Interior holds up well in general.

Reasonably quiet. If you are a big/tall person, the interior might be small for you. Good trunk space. Front seats and center console does get cramp with a cell phone and a can of soda.

I do all my own repair work, and am a Mechanical Engineer. For the average owner, finding a good place for service that you can trust is a bigger problem in itself than anything this car will ever do. DO NOT trust a dealer to fix your car.

Auto parts stores will often "code read" for free, and help explain how to fix issues.

The knock sensor code when present with the O2 code doesn't mean replacement. Replace the appropriate O2 sensor and the knock code should go away.

Maxima.org will help you solve your own problems. This car has a loyal following for a reason.