Faults:

The mass air flow sensor turned bad at 132,000 miles.

I got new struts ($800) at 131,000 miles.

The rear brake caliber holds the rotor, and all are rusted.

General Comments:

I bought this car with 130,000 miles on it, and only paid $3000 for it. I really don't consider it's high mileage on a VQ engine; I know Nissan engines, and I have seen vehicles with 400,000 miles on them. The engine is virtually bullet-proof. I think Nissan makes the best V6 engine, bar none. I really don't like the transmission; it feels like shifting a semi truck. I guess I need a 'short shifter'.

The car is very fast; it can reach 60 Km/Hr in 6 sec flat. Because of the straight ram air intake, the car is pretty easy to work on.

The only major downfall is the MPG; I get 25 MPG highway, even with a Fuel Saver. I was hoping to get better gas mileage on a 5-speed but I cannot. My Mom's automatic transmission Maxima gets better gas mileage, even without a Fuel Saver.

Faults:

All sensors failed around the 120k mark, otherwise the car was very reliable and a blast to drive.

General Comments:

The 5 speed manual made this car stand out. It was very fast with good handling (sport suspension with 16 in wheels on the SE model) while providing luxury and a nice ride. Not too many sedans at that price could run from 0 to 60 in under 7.0 seconds.

Faults:

Since I bought the car in 2003 (as used), I had a steady problem. The dash light for Service Engine Soon was on and off all the time, but mostly on. Finally I solved this problem that drives crazy a lot of Nissan owners. If one uses only Premium gas (91 octanes) as prescribed by the owner's manual, the light will go off. As soon as one uses lower octane fuel, the light will come back on. The explanation is simple! The ignition and anti-pollution system on the Nissan has been set for the use of Premium gas and as soon as on uses a cheaper gas, the mixture of air/fuel changes thus signaling the oxygen sensors more carbon dioxide than normal. When one uses the proper fuel the combustion mixture is lean resulting in a lesser CO2 emisssion. It is also possible that the oxygen sensor are burned, but please try first using the prescribed type of fuel before going to the dealer who will gladly replace all 6 coils, oxygen sensors and spark plugs for hundreds and hundreds of dollars and not telling you to use proper gas. That would be unproductive for his wallet!

General Comments:

Great car, as they say as good as a BMW, but much cheaper!

Faults:

It has been a great car. I just got it this year on my 16th birthday, but went joyriding in it at 14. Never had any problems with it. A few years ago something got stuck inthe ignition and my parents had to get 400 dollars worth of stuff replaced.

General Comments:

Excellent performer mine is at about 320HP since I had it turbocharged a few months ago. Great reliable daily driver.

Faults:

When I got this car, it was already 5 years old with a lot of mileage, so I'm not too sure on the repairs needed earlier, but since I got it, it has been amazing. I have needed to replace the brake pads and rotors one time, and I got new tires as well. Pretty much basic stuff that all cars need. I have not had problems with anything else that would be unusual, except the condenser for my air conditioner doesn't work anymore. While this is pretty inconvenient in the summer, it does not take away from the general good condition of the car.

General Comments:

My first car was a Maxima and I loved it so much that after I got rid of it, I bought another one. The first one was a 94 and it was totaled in an accident, but I am willing to bet that if it had not been, I would still be driving it today. Maximas are amazing cars and I would not complain if I were to drive one for the rest of my life.