2002 Nissan Maxima SE review from North America
"Too much power without adequate controls"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
TCS, ABS and Slip lights have come on eight times while driving, since the year I owned the car, thus making these systems nonopertational till repaired, despite that the dealer repeatedly fixed them.
Hood very visibly and noticeably vibrates at high speeds which results in loss of road grip.
Steering tends to have a mind of its own and tends to pull out of hands on bumpy and slippery roads, also vague steering feel.
On loaded vehicle rear suspension bottoms out.
Extremely poor traction & below average handling in winter even with winter tires.
CD player skips.
High wind noise in the rear compartment.
Rust on fuel filler port.
Head lights always looks foggy.
Inferior quality interior materials as compared to 1999 Maxima.
General comments?
The car has 255HP and should have been a rear wheel drive to minimize torque steer and which robs it of adequate traction and handling on slippery and bumpy roads. I enjoy driving it in summer, but hood vibration, vague steering feel, wind noise and bad suspension limits my enjoyment.
The engine and transmission are superb.
The car looks beautiful.
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| By far, 2001 is the best year Maxima built by Nissan to this day! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 2002 |
| Year of manufacture | 2001 |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.5L, V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 5 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 8 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 49000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 104000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Nissan Maxima |
| Date of Entry | 9th November, 2005 |