2000 Nissan Maxima SE from North America - Comments

I have a 2000 Maxima with about 64K miles. Just got it back from a dealer who took two weeks to determine the mass air flow valve and 2 ignition coils were bad. Said the computer codes kept changing and that corporate tech support didn't return their calls. Cost over $800 to get my car out of the shop. I called Nissan corporate to complain about the problems I've had with this car (bought new and pampered, only use premium gas and already replaced another ignition coil at 38K) and was assigned a case number. I was told a regional rep would contact me, I've now called three times and no-one has ever called me back. Nissan has published technical service bulletins about the ignition coils http://www.nissanhelp.com/Bulletins/Maxima/2000/1.htm and is making consumers pay for faulty parts.

Original owner of a 2000 Maxima SE and have always used premium gas. Jan 2004 one coil replaced. Summer 2004 O2 sensor. December 2004 remaining 5 coils. January 2005 mass flow sensor. January 2005 catalytic converter. $3100 total. Had a file opened with Nissan customer service and although they were sympathetic I was denied any partial or whole reimbursement as each time a different code. Extremely disappointed in the amount of money an otherwise well kept Maxima has required. I've owned the car for 6 years (bought July 1999) and it has 99k miles. My next purchase will be a Honda.

HI, I am going to purchase a 2000 Nissan Max GLE from a private seller. it's 56k mileage and it cost about 12500$ everything looks good, and the condition of the car is excellent. After I read about all the comments here. I don't know what to do. I already commited with the seller. What should I do? please help me. you can email me at morny_8@yahoo.com

please I need advices. I really am stuck and confused right now. thanks ya all!

I have a 2000 Nissan Maxima check engine

light came on at 61,000 miles it goes off

only to come back on. I took it to the dealer

but they don't seem to know what the problem

is, many times when at the dealer the light goes

off. The dealer don't know why, all they want to

is check it. If you have had any resolution with this

problem contact me ladaniels@joimail.com.

I have a 2000 Nissan Maxima SE with 83,000 miles on it and the Service Engine Soon light came on. I have always put premium gas in my car. I went on-line and did some research and that is when I found this thread. I tried disconnecting the battery, waited, then took it for a test drive right after. The light didn't turn back on for three days, and then turned back on again. Also, the car engine started to shake and loose power intermittently.

At this point I realized that I had a serious problem, and brought the car to the dealer for diagnosis and repair. Well, I have to say that my dealer's repair department was quite knowledgeable, and have seen plenty of similar Maxima problems. Even without seeing the car they told me that the problem is likely to be a loose wire, ignition coils, or bad oxygen sensor/EGR valve. He also told me that unless it is a simple loose wire, I am looking at $600 - $700 repair bill. Well, the diagnostics showed multiple failure codes, with the likely cause of ignition coils failure. I also asked the dealer to replace spark plugs, since they recommended replacing all 6 ignition coils anyway. Well, I just picked up the car, and the engine is running smooth and produces more power. At the same time I am $720 lighter.

I have to say that I like my Maxima a lot. I bought it new in 2000 because I did not like the 2000 Camry V6 plastic dashboard. Also, Maxima offered better performance and was quite more refined and larger then the Honda Accord V6. However, the ignition coil problem is a big disappointment. Clearly, any car can have a design or production problem. However, I expect the Nissan company to acknowledge that the ignition coil problem is a defect and recall Maxima for coil replacement (the replacement coils are redesigned by Nissan, and this problem should not re-occur after replacement).

I just hope that something else does not fail, and cost me more money to repair. I am aware that the oxygen sensors in Maxima also fail en masse, and I dread the expense of replacing them. In the future I will stick with Toyota - every Toyota I owned was very reliable. My advice is that if you consider a Nissan car - do not buy it. After French bought this company, Nissan's legendary reliability is history.

I own a 2000 Maxima GLE with 103,000 miles on it. I love this car because it is comfortable, drives well and has a lot of power. Recently, it started driving very sluggish and service engine soon light came on. I put it in the shop 2 days ago and the mechanic is saying that I need a new computer. I had planned on keeping this car until the wheels fell off of it, but reading these comments is making me wonder if this is going to be the start of a number of problems.

We'll, Nissan has poorly designed the maxima with the electrical and engine parts needing to work together. I have had nothing, but problems with the coil packs, spark plugs, and fuel system. I've made it to 152,000 miles, but it runs terrible. I've replaced the timing chain and kept the oil changed, but nothing fixes the way the car runs for long. We have checked every sensor known to man and replaced some which helps for a while. This has been a mechanically sound car. If it would only run as such. So, after fighting with this car for months and months,,,,, time for something else.

OK. Orig owner of a 2000 Maxima GLE from May 2000. Had few problems, but now the Service Engine Light is on. Always use premium gas. Gas cap is tight. Taking it in this week. Will give full report.

Mostly OK with Maxima, altho there's a rattling on uphill acceleration no can figure out. Also, the sun roof stopped working properly about 3 yrs ago. Otherwise, it runs very well. Only 40k on it so far.

I bough my Nissan Max new in 2000 and have 47,988 miles on it. The first thing that went wrong was at 20000 I needed new front brake rotors Now this was not normal because the metal on the surface of the rotor was actually peeling off I showed it to Engineers that I would with that have degrees in metals etc they work on Nuclear Submarines etc I could not get a Nissan Rep to even look at them.

Next problem was the ignition coils car was running rough they told be it was the number 4 coil, but I should replace them all I followed their recommendation and found out later that they were defective, I was a few months over the 3 year warranty and my dealership ask Corporate Nissan to cover it and they said no so that was 700 dollars

Corporate did call me and bottom line was I had not spent enough money at the Nissan dealership on recommended maintenance, even though I had all the checks done by a private mechanic. A few months later I needed a new exhaust system Now at 47988 miles my service Engine soon light is on and I am due for emissions testing I was told by the dealer that I may well spend over 800 dollars to get this new item fixed. Well thanks to the Gent who posted the disconnect battery thing I did it it shut off the light and reset the computer and I flew through testing all reading were way below specs.

I have to my knowledge stopped 8 people from buying a Nissan in the pas year and will continue to tell my story about how crappy I was treated by Nissan North America I could not believe their phone call to me and the way the woman spoke to me. Till the day I die I will keep talking to people about the Nissan Max if they buy they better be prepared to be treated the same way.

We have an automotive chain that will read the ODB2 codes for free. Coil failures, which I have had one, do show on the scanner, but it only indicates the side or bank that the failure is on. By pulling all three plugs on the defect side you can usually visually ascertain which one has the bad coil. I replaced the one that was bad at the parts counter price of approx. $80 and had no problems for a while. I asked the parts man if it was a common problem and he reminded me that he asked "Do you just wanted that one?" Enough said!

However the engine light does seem to be on quite frequently even though most of the time drive ability is exceptional.

The mass air flow code seems to occur quite regularly and the Haynes manual states that even though the MAF sensor is with in specs for voltage and ohmic readings, it can still have wave form deformities that disrupt the computer's proper operation.

I intend to stay the ground and drive it, but it will be a fight not unlike Chrysler or Ford or Mitsubishi or some of the other who have put trashy parts together and sold it to me as a good product.

I have a 2000 Max SE which has about 100K miles and my check engine light came on about 8 months ago. I had two mechanics check my car out. The one mechanic changed the oxygen sensors, fuel pump, checked for vacuum leaks and the light came back on a couple of days later. The other mechanic replaced a vacuum hose that had a small crack and double check the O2 sensors again but he couldn’t figure out what’s wrong with my car. After I drove the car for a few days the light went out and just recently the light came back on. From what I’m hearing it’s probably the ignition coil. It looks like I will be driving around with the light on for a while until I can save up and pay for work. By the way, great forum.

I, too, have a 2000 Nissan Maxima. Bought it two years ago. A week after I got the car, it started stalling on and off, and "bucking" when I was driving. I took it back to the dealer (it was a certified car). They replaced an oxygen sensor.

Well, to make a long story short, I kept having problems on and off over the first year. A mechanic friend I know said the '99 and 2000 Maximas had ignition coil problems. I ended up having all of the coils replaced (at a cost to me close to $1,000) and the car has been fine ever since.

I recommend anyone who has similar problems to just replace all the coils (you can try to have the dealer cover it, but most likely they won't since it isn't a recall, but there was some sort of service bulletin about these).

I have 1999 Maxima with 130 miles,all the servicing were done from the Nissan dealer until 120k miles. I have all the receipts. The infamouse light of Maxima is on in my car for a week. After reading this froum I tried disconnecting the battery, but did not work. I do not feel any problem if terms of the performance. May be it is too early. I am thinking of replacing the fuel cap myself first. I will drive for a week or so and see if it works. I may also start using premium gas and see how it works. I will get back and report in this forum. But it may have to do with the coil or oxygen sensor.

Does nayone know how to replace ignation coils. It it a difficult job. Canwe do it by ourserlves?

I bought a 2000 Maxima SE in 2001. It had 48K miles.

Replaced A/T Control Unit $500 (under warranty) at 49K miles.

Replaced R&R Coil $120.45 at 90,317 miles.

376 CPR, Volume Air??? $289.61 at 90,382 miles.

Performed 90k service. Trans Svc, Drive Belts, etc. $340 at 92,319 miles.

Now at 117K miles, my car is sputtering and the Service Engine Soon light is staying on. The dealer says that I need to have the Ignition Coils replaced at $850.

I had a 93 Accord DX for 5 years from 38K miles until I totalled it at 156K miles. Only spent money to have timing belt, etc. changed.

I will never buy another Nissan. Wishing I had my old Honda.

I can't believe some of the reviews I have read about all the repairs people have done to get the service engine light off. I am a former manager of a repair shop. Mechanics hate that service engine light as well. Normally it is three things 1) EVAP Code - Meaning there is a leak in the evaporative system. It could be the gas cap, vent hose, or other part. 2) O2 sensors - They report the ratio of gas in the exhaust and are more reactive to other problems than being the main problem. However they do go bad. 3) Engine misfires. This can usually cause other codes to pop up, but the main problem is probably coils (especially with the nissan). The misfires can cause bad O2 readings as well.

Most mechanics will read the codes and replace everything that the computer tells them to. It might not solve the problem, but they do it just in case or because they don't really want to troublshoot the system. EVAP systems are difficult if the mechanic doesn't have a pressure testing system.

The bottom line, many cars have this same problem and Nissan is not alone. Count your blessings that it is just a coil, O2 sensor, or gas cap. Other cars are replacing transmissions or engines. I've heard of Acura owners having replaced their transmission three times in under 100k miles... now that is bad.