Faults:

. I bought this car as a used vehicle with high miles and expected some dollars to be spent on running costs. The rear brakes locked up. Nissan uses an unusual system for rear disc brakes which have a hydraulic piston driving a screw against the pads. It gives multiplied power to the brakes, but as I found out they are expensive at $600 just to repair the rear end. The other item was the connecting rod between the two windshield wipers. It is a nylon ball and cup fitting which was inexpensive enough at $12 but a bear to replace. It took me two hours of playing mechanic, but once on all things worked normally. The starter motor went out, but in less than ten minutes I had the replacement installed. Two large bolts which are easily accessible made the replacement actually enjoyable, a rare event.

General Comments:

I think of Maximas as Japanese B.M.W's. They are solid, well engineered cars and they can scoot. My 1994 model had the five speed manual transmission and it could pull 60 miles per hour in second gear with some reserve still left in the engine. And second gear for acceleration was fierce,..lots of fun. The rear end set-up was good too. It was a full independent design and was/is better than my current 1999 Maxima with a solid beam rear end which can step out of line under cornering loads. I believe the '94 Maxima saved my life when I got T boned in the drivers side by a full size pick-up truck. I was impressed by the structural integrity of the body that its replacement was automatically another Maxima.

Faults:

New front struts at 195000km.

One ignition coil replaced at 205000.

Power window assembly on driver & one passenger side exchanged with ones from wreckers.

209000 Air conditioning not working, too costly to repair.

Same small rusted area around rear fender fixed.

General Comments:

Good acceleration and cornering for family sedan. Comfortable power seats & enough leg room at back. Nice highway cruiser with passing power to spare.

Very reliable car, always starts even in coldest Ontario weather.

Out of 20 plus cars I had, this is one of best deals on used car market. I will recommend this car to anyone.

Faults:

While I haven't had this car too long, I've noted the following issues either when purchased or since owned:

- Busted speakers, generally "crappy" stereo (though I'm sure it was excellent at one time)

- Display for clock, stereo is non-functioning (blank display)

- Power antenna will not come up, can't find where to fix it.

- Skippy transmission (130k)

- Brakes need repair/replacement (squeak badly)

- Air bag light is on and stays on.

- Springs to lift hood no longer hold the hood up; estimated $30-$40 to replace per side.

General Comments:

After an introductory note like the one above, you'd think I hate this car.

However, this car is frankly THE BOMB. It's truly a terrific car that was made solid. The car was in pretty crappy condition when I aquired it; though mostly cosmetic, it was fairly apparent that whoever had it before had ragged it out a good bit.

The first time I drove it, I was absolutely in love. I had been driving a 2004 Ford Mustang up until I bought this car, and there was a WORLD of difference between the Mustang and the Maxima, with the Maxima definitely coming out on top. The steering is very, very sensitive, and as far as power...WOW...this car could eat Mustangs all day long... acceleration and power, however unexpected, are second to none. The first time I actually drove it, I was just running to Eckerd up the street, but I was so amazed by the way the car drove that I hopped onto the interstate to see what it could do. I couldn't believe it! It lagged a bit around 85 MPH, but I pushed the pedal to the floor and it soared along effortlessly as if there was no top end.

Road noise is practically nonexistent, even at high speeds.

If you're looking for aggressive, you've found it in the 1994 Maxima...don't let the four doors fool you!

Back seat has limited legroom, trunk has lots of room.

Comfortable seats, the cloth is fairly easy to clean with carpet cleaner and a brush.

Handling seems pretty good thusfar, just be careful with steering - it's really sensitive and not hard to run off the road if you're not paying perfect attention.

Overall, this is a great car, and for its age, it drives like a three year-old car, ragged out or no. I love it!

You won't be dissappointed by this car!