2004 Nissan Maxima SE from North America - Comments

Moonroof.

I bought the 04 Maxima in September 04. I do a lot of highway driving. I currently have 10k on the max and the only problem I had at 100miles was the moon roof; would not close shut. Had that fixed at the dealer at no cost (lubricant added). I live in Chicago and in the winter there is a lot of salt and its cold... I notice that the rear end of the car makes a squeaking noise when on a wavy road. So far I have no brake problems, I'll definitely post if I get any. However, my dash reported "battery and Brake" and I have not seen it ever since (weird). I have owned 4 Maximas and they all have performed excellent in terms of reliability and power. Gosh, I miss my 97 Max!!!

What I like about the 04 MAX:

1. It's a Maxima

2. Roomy

3. Style

4. Interior

5. Door handles

6. Sporty yet Luxurious

7. Bose sound

8. Response time when on the highway

9. Beat on the engine and it still idles like my 97

10. Good paint quality.

What I don't like about the 04 MAX:

1. Steering Play at fast takeoff

2. Wipers are cheap

3. Interest rate at 3% instead of what I wanted; 2%.

What I would like to see Nissan add in the future to the Maxima:

1. All Wheel drive system.

Some did you know (s) :

Did you know that you could lock all your doors using the remote device even if the car is ON?

Not responsible if you try it :)

I would scarcely call the interest rate a fault of the vehicle. An extra percent on your purchase price is a reflection of the nations economy not Nissan. Three percent is soo low anyway. With the wiper blades - have you tried an after market set of blades - Again I feel that this is trivia. Tires make a big difference to steering feel and alignment will make a big difference as well. A suspension dealer could help with advice if the lightness of the steering is a problem. These are not performance cars although the motors are fabulous, Suspension is geared for comfort and cruising.

I own a Maxima myself, and the issue with the steering that you feel is called torque steer. This is due to the Maxima being a high (er) horsepower front-wheel-drive car. Basically, when you push on the gas aggressively, the tires will try to pull in a certain direction if they are even slightly turned. Just a small sacrifice to a good horsepower sedan in my opinion.

I have a 2004 Maxima SL which I bought after trading in my 98 Maxima. Now has only 12k. This cars overall acceleration and handling is much better than the 98. Stereo is awesome. The torque steer is to be expectd with that much power under the hood with a front wheel drive. Just don't lean on the pedal so hard. Dash did rattle some, but dealer corrected some of the problems. Mostly has to do with the glove compartment. I agree plastics in interior appointment could be better. Day time head lights seem to burn out fast. Mileage is slightly worse than 98 Max, but still not too bad considering the horsepower. Steering radius is a nuisance. Haven't noticed the steering shimmy problem at all that people are talking about. The thing goes like hell on the highway, don't even feel how fast your going. Did have the strut problem at 5k and the dealer replaced both front struts with upgraded ones. Overall Dealer & Nissan service is good, but its had 2 recalls, but that's apparently not unusual for a car. No trunk problem. Paint does scratch easily though. Long term reliability to the 98 max is yet to be seen. There are lots of gadets that can go wrong, makes me nervous after warranty is over.

I'm at 67,000 miles, no problems only two recalls!!! i'll keep racking the miles and you keep checking for updates.

I sold the Max-ima at 83K miles last year and it ran the same as new... I bought a Lexus and am waiting for the G-T-R :)