Problems with 2004 Nissan Maxima ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Nissan transmission and timing chain issues. please see attached comments which demonstrate extent of problem. nissan and their dealership should assume responsibility for this obvious defect. http://www.carsurvey.org/viewcomments_review_61092.html. *tr

My timing chain started making noise at approximately 65,000 miles. when idling, i can hear the links in the engine. according to nissan, it will cost me approximately $3,000 to $4,000 in labor alone to correct the problem. *tr

I have an 04 nissan maxima. i purchased this car in 04. i had to replace the transmission at 60000 after complaining about the way the transmission shifts, numerous trips to the dealership, a 200 dollar transmission flush, and the replacement of a transmission mount, they finally replaced my transmission under warranty. since then i have had to replace my front struts 3 times, my timing chain $3500, and now i need another transmission at 126,000 miles. i have been on numerous blog sites with people who shared similar stories. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. when the vehicle was started, the clutch would not shift into any of the gears. the dealer repaired the master cylinder and the clutch system twice, yet, the failure continued. another dealer stated that the transmission was failing. the vehicle has not been repaired and is currently parked. the failure mileage was 29,000 and current mileage was 83,000. updated 06/17/08. *lj the consumer stated the fule pump and map sensor was replaced. updated

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. while driving the contact heard a buzzing sound which alerted him that the motor mounts were failing. the dealer stated that the engine motor mounts were torn , and the front and rear mounts on the cross member were replaced. approximately one month later the contact heard the buzzing sound and felt the engine shifted. the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. approximately three months later the vehicle was taken to the dealer again. the dealer replaced the front and rear motor mounts. the contact continued to hear the buzzing sound. the dealer advised the contact to replace the transmission fluid, and the right front strut. however, the repair did not solve the failure. the dealer informed the contact that the ecm computer should be replaced. the buzzing sound continued and the manufacturer stated that they would have their technician inspect the vehicle. presently, the technician has not inspected the vehicle. the current and failure mileages were 33,000.*ak update 5/3/07*tr

I have had numerous problems with my 2004 nissan maxima. i have had to replace tires, have had the vehicle in the shop for the check engine light coming numerous times; have paid to have the battery replaced because the car suddenly stalled; have had the catalytic converter replaced because of one of the check engine light trips to the dealer. most recently, i replaced the front and back brakes due to what i thought was normal wear and tear. a month later, the abs brake system fails, and i am told that is not under warranty, and the charge will be $1,645. the car is only two years old. i am at the dealer at least once, sometimes twice a month. i used to be the biggest cheerleader for nissan. i had a 1991 nissan maxima that i bought used with 173,000 miles on it. that car was on the road until it had more than 300,000. now i feel like i purchased a lemon. i bought a new car because i didn't want the headaches that come along with a used car. i took my car to the dealer on september 18th because something weird going on with the brakes. i had had the brakes changed about a month before that, i knew that they were in good condition. i received a call later that day telling me that my abs brake system was bad and needed to be replaced. and that i would need to cover the cost because the part was no longer under warranty. i contact nissan north america to lodge a complaint on september 19th to see if they would cover the cost for the abs system failing, because i don't think that i should have to cover a major repair like that on a 2 year old car. i was told that a regional specialist would call me back within 24 hours. 2 days passed without a return call. i called again on the 22, and again on the 25th with no response. l believe that nissan is aware of all of the manufacturing defects with the maxima and by not responding hope that consumers will go ahead and pay for the repairs over and over again because they are afraid to drive an ...

Warning signs started with a hard shift from 1st to 2nd to 3rd at 45k miles. done regular transmission maintenance but problem remains the same. later it started hard bang or jerk when shifting from drive to reverse or reverse to drive. at 112k miles it got worse and then knew reading online about faulty valve body problem in many 2004-2006 maximas transmission. repair cost is too high to even mention. second problem is timing chain plastic tentioners. a what? yes plastic timing chain tentioners inside engine compartment. problem started at 50k and continued as of today. complained to dealer when car was under warranty and deler said my car is running awesome. nissan later changed the design of plastic timing chain tentioner. but what about those who has faulty designed timing chain tentioners? responsible parties knows about these isses but refuses to acknowledge. why there is no recall yet?

Dt*: the contact stated that while driving 72 mph, a piston in the engine fractured causing oil to leak out of the vehicle. the instrument panel failed to provide a warning that the oil was low, and that the vehicle was overheating. the vehicle was taken to a service dealer, where the dealer was unable to repair the problem.

Good morning, i currently own 2004 maxima & have been experiencing major problems with this car for about 2-3 years. my major problem at first was my transmission. apparently the dealership states i will need a new transmission which is absurd since the car is not even 10 yrs old. i knew there was a problem when the car started jerking on its own. at times it jerks real hard when shifting from 1st to 2nd and it is quite scary & embarrassing. when the problem started, i have two friends who were owners of a nissan maxima as well and they were experiencing the same jerking transmission problems. they eventually traded their cars but i not wanted to go through the whole process of financing a car, i figured i'll fix the problem. the transmission is one problem but why every couple of months there is other problems as well. for example i last year i had to change my catalytic converter, my mounts, and my routers. now what has made me at my ends with this car is what happened last month (june 2009). while driving, there was a loud sound, i opened the hood of the car and right buy the engine, and there were flames. the fire dept was called along with the police. as i submit my complaint now my car is still at the shop. this has become a frustrated and very expensive issue that i have been facing. honestly i have spent about 5k's or more on this car, not considering that i'm still financing as well. how is it that, i have done my research and there are many others out there who have the same issue. nissan needs to take full responsibility and it is not a coincidence also. i have documents and emails from others who are also experiencing the same issue (over 300 complaints since 2006). pls if anything, there needs to be an investigation, many ppl are suffering and losing $ as well. *tr

This is problem #1: (i had so far 4/5 major problems) purchased 2004 nissan maxima brand new. within 2 months of driving this car, the thermostat kept registering at h, pinned at h. when i took it to the dealership in huntington, ny, they could not find the problem. was told, when it pinns at hot again, bring the car in. well, when i driving to work and the thermostat was pinned at hot again, i called the dealership to tell them and the receptionist said i could not bring my car in, it was not an emergency. i informed her that i don't know what type of problem this can be and what if my engine ceases? she said there was nothing i can do, and i can come in next week. i drove there anyway, and had to grab a mechanic to see that my car thermostat was indeed pinned at hot. it turned out to be a "electrical" problem and they had to replace the entire thermostat, and dash board. also, while all my problems were going on, my trunk pops open when i reverse every now and then. of course, the wonderful mechanics at the service dept in huntington could not duplicate the problem.. what a surprise?? *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 nissan maxima. the contact stated that whenever it was cold, snowing and approximately thirty degrees the vehicle would not start. the failure has occurred since 2004 immediately after the vehicle was purchased. the dealer has made several unsuccessful attempts to diagnose the failure. the contact is only able to drive the vehicle when someone jump starts it during the winter months. the failure never occurs during the summer months. the contact wrote a letter to the vehicle manufacturer and has not received a response. the contact has repeatedly taken the vehicle to the dealer to diagnose the failure. the failure mileage was 75 and the current mileage was 44,000.

When accelerating, there's a rattling sound/noise coming from around the engine area. *nm

I have had numerous ignition coils replaced over the course of the last 16 months. several times incurring weeks without the vehicle. there have been several electrical problems resulting in part replacement and the engine catching on fire. nissan corporate sent technicians to research the issue and had to replace the engine as a result of the fire, saying fortunately i stopped the vehicle before the fire got out of control. under the hood was charred and melted plastic and oil. since having the engine replaced, i have gone 9 months and have the same problems with coil failures and replacement. i am perusing lemon law action at this time but need to see what else can be done. i am at the point where i have no confidence in the vehicle and everytime i smell something out of the ordinary, i fear that i will see more smoke and another fire. the technician said the ground wire from the battery was shorting out against the body of the engine and transmission. the wire that was replace 9 months ago was replaced again two weeks ago for corroding completely through and making contact with the engine again. *jb

Dt: while the car shuts down/loses power. consumer is getting ready to make a turn, and during the turn, car loses power.*ak

2004 maxima has had timing chain noise for years has been blowing oil for 2 years now transmission is banging and shifting very hard losing power etc. for 3 months now had trans flushed did not help at all tires were defective in the first year a/c has not worked for 2 years this car is very much a lemon. *tr

10,522k miles,- i broke down due to failure of alternator and battery. dealership replaced both. 15,358k miles,- i complained about a loud rattling noise, like a flat tire rattling grinding noise and car feeling shaky.= dealership found no problem. continuing driving my car thinking everything is ok. i bought it brand new so i shouldn't really worry. i was wrong for thinking that. 27,500 mi. -i broke down again got towed to the dealership,where they replaced another alternator. 27,732-i brought it back to dealership, because i just thought the noise my car still made didn't seem right.= dealership resecured heatshield 3. 26'099 mi.-r/f headlight bulb burnt out. dealer fixed that one. 28'071 mi.-left side front headlight burnt out. dealer replaced . 29,276 mi.- i paid $300.00 for my major service that was due for my car, also thinking maybe my car wouldn't be as noisy as it is. maybe the dealership might find the problem. 31'431 mi.- i still hear the grinding noise,the cover under engine was loose, my air conditioner was not cold enough, and the center console was loose.=this time the dealership said it was the heat shield for the grinding noise, they fixed the loose cover under engine,fixed center console, and replaced low pressure hose in the a/c. 31'813 mi.- car still making the grinding noise, i hear knocking noises from the back of the car when i reverse, and the a/t light stays on longer than normal,then turnes off.= dealer replaced front exaust pipe, said the knocking noise i hear in the back of the car, is from the aftermarket air cleaner.(that is in the front of car).when i picked up my car from the dealership, i felt like this time my car was going to be fixed.i got in my headed for home.i heard the same noise i have been complaining about since 15,358 mi.i turned around brought right back in to service.=they replaced the rear manifold and cat converter.i picked up my car but i still hear the noise my car makes and it is louder when turning. *jb

While driving at highway speed steering wheel shook. dealership inspected vehicle twice. first time they tightened the suspension system. the second time dealership replaced the front rotors, but the problem recurred. also, radiator failed. *ak

Problem 1 of 5: purchased 2004 maxima brand new on 4/12/04. end of june, 2004, noticed temperature gauge pinned at hot. also, sometimes when i reverse, my trunk pops open. called nissan to bring car in. was not given appointment until 7/12/04. of course, the wonderful mechanics at nissan huntington could not experience the same problem and said my car was operating property at that time. gave me my car back and was told the next time my car is pinned at hot, bring it right in. then, a few weeks later, the thermostat was pinned at hot again. when i called nissan the woman who answers the phone for service would not let me bring my car in despite what the mechanic told me a few weeks back. she would not give me an appointment until the following week. i told her that this could be a major engine problem and what if my car engine fails. she did not care. so i drove the car in anyway, and had to cut the line at the service dept and grab a mechanic so they can see for themselves that the thermostat was indeed pinned at hot and i am not crazy. this was on 8/11/04, my car is just about 4 months old now. the dealership finally determined faulty temperature gauge and placed gauge. i only had 3,992 miles on this car. the dealership did give me a rent a car because i made a big stink about my car being broken and i would be out of a car for 4 days. *nm

The car started up and was running fine. my wife went back into the house to get our daughter and found the car had stalled. the car has not started since. i am concerned about this situation, because of the fact that the car justed stalled for no apparent reason. i hate to think what could have happened if my wife was driving the car. in addition, according to several post on edmunds.com this is happening to other consumers. i have had other problems with this car since i purchased it 3-12-03. it has been back to the dealership several times for the following reasons: service engine lights coming on, leaking sunroof, cd not working, a fog/condensation behind center console screen, and interior molding coming loose. i have called nissan usa and spoke to matt at 310-771-8454 ext 8454. if you can help with this please contact me at 410-239-0119. thank you for your time and efforts. *jb

The engine stalled after sputtering briefly while in park.*ak