9th Nov 2006, 19:38

A month ago I bought a 2000 Maxima GLE with 113k miles on it. I have noticed that the engine stalls on cool mornings and on two occasions after a mid-day startup the engine would shutter for a couple of miles and then it would clear up and run like a champ. My local mechanic warned me not to buy this car and after reading the comments about the coils, I feel that I should have listened to my mechanic. So far, I have not had the check engine light come on or any other warning lights. The car is currently in the shop with a rear brake problems. I am not financially able to sink too much money in this car, but I guess I need to make a decision to either fix the car of get rid of it.

10th Nov 2006, 10:20

I, too, had the jerking/shaking problem at 45k in my 2000 Maxima that turned out to be the ignition coils. The local dealer wanted $1100 to replace the 2 defective one, my dad was able to purchase them from Autozone and have his small-town mechanic replace them, all for $250.

I am currently having another problem that the dealer's diagnosis claims is not related to the ignition coils. The car, which has a manual transmission, will stall when sitting at a red light, or when the clutch is held in/the transmission is in neutral while in motion. Living in a city, I am constantly riding the clutch and the stalling problem has led to several very dangerous situations. My dealer claims the problem is a fatal error in the ECM (Engine Control Module) that requires replacing it. That's a $1200 fix!! Any thoughts out there? Could this be the other 4 engine coils that need to be replaced, or has anyone else replaced their ECM? Unfortunately, I'm out of the emissions warranty at 90k, so I'm on my own for this.

14th Nov 2006, 07:13

And another voice heard from: My 2000 Maxima just had the remaining 5 ignition coils and 6 spark plugs replaced as the SE light and two other lights came on. As it's my wife's car, I had it fixed, but very expensive. Nissan should do something about this!! (Only 49,000 miles on mine... arghhh)

14th Nov 2006, 08:30

I own a 2000 Maxima GXE with 170,000 miles. I have ignition coil problems. Replaced 3 and 5 and today replacing #6.

Should I just to the rest or go one by one when I have the running rough and shaking problems?

To also comment on someone else's problems: yes my brakes have always had problems.

Other than the above car has run great for 170,000 miles.

Any advise?

14th Nov 2006, 19:24

Maxima is a great car. I had a problem with ignition coil and spent $450 to replace it (at 90,000).Other than that it is going great.

It has run 130,000 kms and still goes great. I have 2 other cars, but I love my Maxima.

17th Nov 2006, 08:51

I have had ongoing problems with my 2000 Nissan Maxima. I've replaced 3 oxygen sensors and have now been battling the cold stall issue. My stalling problem goes away after the car warms up, but until then will stall when I'm in a slow drift or stop at a red light, etc. I have it at the Nissan garage now and they think it is the ECU, but cannot guarantee that is the problem. I hate to pay for this costly fix if it is not going to fix my car. Anyone else had this part replaced for the cold stall problem? I see someone recently was told the same thing.

27th Nov 2006, 09:31

I have a 2000 Maxima SE with around 105000 miles on it. I am having stuttering problems as well. When I try o accelerate quickly, the engine seems to lose power. I am going to buy a coil or two and try to replace them myself. Any suggestions before I begin?

2nd Dec 2006, 08:48

Ignition coils problem. I had problems with one ignition coil and I thought replacing only one coil it will fix the problem. I noticed the replacement ignition coil is slightly different in shape and has a gray dot on it. After I replaced this defective coil I continued to have engine light going off with the same code P1320. I bought a OBDII scanner for about $80 and I read the codes myself and I also can erase the code. I think Nissan changed significantly the design of these ignition coils and because of that when you rev up the engine (above 3500rpm) there is a disbalance of ignition. I think this is the reason behind the Nissan recommendation to replace all coils at once. I ended up replacing all ignition coils and so far no more problems. One genuine Nissan ignition coil costs about $74. It is quite easy to replace, you don't need a mechanic do it.

7th Dec 2006, 18:26

I also own a 2000 SE Maxima and had my car threw a "Service Engine Soon" light two days ago. Took it to Auto Zone tonight and had the computer read. It also threw a P1320 code. Except mine said P1320 Manufacturer Specific Powertrain Trouble Code. Wife has complained about some stuttering previous to this as well. Looks like I am a lucky owner who reached 84,000 miles before this took place. If this has been covered by Nissan as a recall and you know about it please let us know!!

18th Dec 2006, 18:53

I too am having problems with my check engine light going on. The dealer near me tells me I should replace all coils plus the plugs at a cost of $972 parts and labor. The car is not causing real problems yet. I am wondering if I need both coils and plugs and if it is something I need to do right away.

I have spent a bit on money on the car recently for new tires and the 90,000-mile service. I bought the car used four years ago and the first couple of years were pretty much maintenance free. Last two years I have had to replace MAF sensors, oxygen sensor and heated oxygen, brake calipers, as well as the expected exhaust system and brake pads. Car is getting to be a maintenance drag on my finances.

Other than the expensive repair bills lately I really like the car. Drives well and I love the seat. I like the firmness in the seat and the adjustments.

20th Dec 2006, 21:18

Maxima 2000 has platinum tip spark plugs. It is recommended to change them at 100,000. Probably this is the reason it was recommended to change ignition coils and spark plugs. I tried to change only the defective ignition coil and the engine light went off with a code as general ignition problem, no specific coil. The code is P1320. I think there is a significant difference between the old ignition coils and the replacement ones. I am really upset with Nissan about this. They should have made a recall on ignition coils, but they didn't, and they refuse to acknowledge there is a manufacturing defect with the original ignition coils. This problem is way too common for Maxima 2000. The replacement of sparks plugs and the ignition coils it takes at most 1 hour. The genuine Nissan ignition coils and sparks plugs will cost about $450 to $500. Those people charging around $1000 for this easy job are making a lot of money. The only tricky part is when you disconnect the connector to the ignition coils. It is a green tab that needs to be pushed down and then the connector pops out. Do not over-tight the sparks plugs and do not adjust the gap since they are platinum tipped.