2000 Nissan Maxima GXE review from North America

Never go to Nissan dealer to fix your car.

Having owned a 1993 Black Nissan Sentra GXE in 1998, and a 2000 Gray Nissan Sentra SE in 2004 without any mechanic problems, I was considering to upgrade my car with Nissan recently.

However, this vehicle (2000 Maxima GXE) failed DMV's smog check, so that I brought the car to a Nissan Service Dept. The people there disappointed me. I brought the car to a Nissan dealer service on 10/3 and wanted a diagnosis on the failures marked on the smog check report (Failure Codes #P1320, P0140 and P0300). I handed the smog check report to the representative at entrance and was told there would be a diagnosis charges US$91, then I left the car there overnight. When I picked it up the next day I was told that a one-hour diagnosis was not enough to diagnose the car and it required at least another three hours (cost more than US$271) to DIAGNOSE. As I was told, the problems are exactly what was mentioned on the smog check report WITHOUT FURTHER EXPLANATION. I asked why it took an hour to restate the problems and was told an hour diagnosis is only enough to load the errors from the internal computer of the car. Then I asked why a diagnosis charges are in an hourly rate, and if they're going to check every screw so as to charge much more, and why the diagnosis takes over an hour as many other Internet reviews on the same problem with the same year, same model car; however, the representative kept talking without listening to me as if he was arguing with me.

I wrote a complaint at www.nissanusa.com the next day, but never received a reply so far (10 weeks?!). So, I'm here!

Extremely disappointed with Nissan/Infiniti. (I planned to have an Infiniti two years later, but NO WAY now.)

A month later, I brought the car to a smog check shop with mechanic repair service. I paid $530 and they fixed the car and did a tune-up (sixth year regular service) in ONE day.

BTW, the previous owner of my car had the same smog check failure codes since the fourth year after he bought it new in 2000. And the service engine light turned on long, long time ago. And the service engine light is on again, but the car drives smooth!

Failure computer; failure service engine light; poor dealer service.