koain

I'm beginning to worry and wondering if leaving the nissan/infiniti brand was a smart move. The only maintenance I ever performed on my 2000 maxima 5 speed with 170k was engine oil changes and a coil pack replacement and spark plug replacement at 100k. Reading this forum I;m wondering if I shouldnt have bought a G35 instead of a TL.

roat41

ummmmmmmmm... my TL has 206k and is perfect!

Azndjay

every car has maintenance issues , maybe you just missed acouple of steps in your maxima at 100k? i was at the nissan dealer for my pathfinder and look around there schdule list at 100k you need to do alot not just plugs

TheChamp531

iTrader: (3)

If your G35 forum doesn't have issues, then they are the worst board of them all. EVERY car has problems. If they don't say/show any, that just means everyone is crazy.

koain

I don't know how to edit my posts but I meant to say a 5 speed manual trans.

Azndjay

i would think you would be replaceing your shock every other years since your in chicago. the bumps in the roads man horrible last time i went there...

koain

Azndjay...I've never followed the dealer or manufacturers recommended maintenance intervals as they are more about profit potential for the dealers than actual concern for the car owners.

Champ...thats all I ever had to do to the car of a mechanical nature....tires and brake pad replacement and wheel alignments are not the same as timing belt issues and valve adjustments and tranny shift sensor replacements or manual gearbox oil flushing.

I bought the car with 15k miles and am praying to the japanese car gods I don't have as many of the problems as some of the posters at this site

Azndjay

then thats explains why you have little maintenance done to your maxima. I guess your dealers are not good to you like my nissan and acura dealers then.. mines are honest and let me know whats wrong with anything before they do something.

JTS97Z28

iTrader: (4)

Dude, you do realize that one of the main points of these forums are to diagnose issues or concerns right? Go to ANY car forum they are identical. There is not a single car forum on this planet where the members dont discuss issues with their cars. So your thinking these are unreliable cars because you see some problems posted on the forums?!?!

Also, you live in Chicago....I know so far this year snow has been non-existant, but have fun trying to drive a RWD G35 in the snow.

My last point, I would go out on a limb and say Acura/Honda are more reliable than Nissan/Infiniti. If not more then right on par with them. BTW the TL and TL-S look much better than a G35 so you made the right choice ;-)

TheChamp531

iTrader: (3)

^+1

And? That is the same thing I do all the time.

Timing Belt issues? Maybe one thread out of every 5,000. Transmission solenoids? That is called preventative maintenance. I don't know what you've been smoking, but we BARELY have issues in the mechanical standpoint. Of course you have some cars that are just bad luck aka lemon cars-- but EVERY brand has it.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Koain, first-welcome to Acurazine.

Second, in time, I'm sure you'll find that your TL will give you as much, if not more enjoyment than your Nissan/Infiniti.

The guys on this forum are much smarter than you'll ever know. You can learn a lot from them-I did.

Give your TL time to grow on you....trust me on this one!

Scottwax

I miss my 6MT '02 Maxima, mostly because it would rape my 5AT '04 V6 Accord. Really never had many problems with either of my 5.5 gen Maximas but I've had even less issues with Hondas.

Build quality is definitely better with Honda/Acura, at least between the Maxima vs Accord and TL. Interiors are more upscale and quieter. When it comes to a TL vs G35 though, that's tougher since the G35 also has a pretty nice interior and build quality is better than the Maxima. Plus it drives the proper end of the car.

BTW, go to maxima.org and see all the problems with O2 sensors, 2-3 cold weather flares with the 4AT, cam position sensors, IVT solenoids, wheel bearings, etc.

tlpod03

I am also from Chicago and I thank god everyday that I decided to get a TL. All if not most of my friends have G35s and its just ridiculous . I love my TL 110% over the Gs and I have never regretted my purchase

LaCostaRacer

You cannot judge a car's quality by the number of posts on a forum because a lot of posts are from people that have had problems. That would be like going to a Doctors office and assessing that there are a lot of sick people in this world.

Having owned a 1992 Maxima SE, I can say that I have had far fewer problems with the TL than with the Max at 5 years of ownership. The TL has far more features and performance enhancements that by their complexity would warrant reduced reliability but I have only been to the dealer one time for a recall/speaker buzz in 5.5 years of ownership.

I remember a couple of recalls and replacing all 4 doors of window regulators in a two year period and having the Bose Radio crap out along with buzzes in the dash. The intermittent wiper would often not work as well.

Admittedly cars have improved over the years, but I see the Consumer Reports Ownership survey still ranks the TL better in predicted reliability than the Maxima- the Maxima gets and 'average' and the TL is much better than average.

I'll take a CU ownership survey (in which I participate in each year) over doing a forum analysis based on probem posts any day.

ez12a

True delta would tend to disagree with you (OP). Infiniti has consistency higher service visits and slightly higher depreciation rates.

If you got it used you cant really make a good judgement.

Also the G35 interior (prior to 2007) has nothing on the TL interior

HairyMonkey019

iTrader: (7)

modded 3G TL > Modded G35
G35's
WAYYYYYY TOO COMMON

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

I would say that each car can be good or bad, but at least with the Maxima there is no timing belt replacement.

Most dealers have a very aggressive service schedule, one that is nothing but a money maker and most use a schedule that is far from the factory authorized schedule. Our '08 knock-around car the cost for parts was $32 doing the 30k mile factory recommended service myself, but the dealer had a price tag of $610 for an anomaly of services that could be construed as nothing more than a rip-off.

Back to the Maxima, daughter's '00, owned for 10 years and now with 197,000 miles, minimal problems, but they do have their share of ailments, e.g. front cats need replacement, IACV terminal burns out and the unit needs replacement. If you visit the Maxima Forum there are problems arising every day.

Enjoy the TL and start complaining when or if you ever encounter any problems.

veggiemonster

iTrader: (1)

at first i was like, hey back off. but then i thought about it, and yeah. shocks get a beating out here.


@turbonut, the chain tensioner is more labor than a TL service. its 20 hours book time. you still have to go in there every 120k.

the water pump service on my '95 was $1250 in labor.

my uncle is a honda master tech (honda 'heavy' gives those out after like 15 years) and actually won some awards for being the best in the country. he thinks its pointless to do the service under 160k, and says if you feel like risking it, he has coworkers with over 220k on their accords with stock timing and waterpumps.

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

Welcome to the forum.

The 2000 Maxima was nearly bullet proof. You had an awesome car. I got about 190K out of my 95 Maxima.

Every car has issues. The car I had before my TL was an I35. Nice car. Boring as hell to drive, but most everything was great. The only issue with the car....and it's a big one....it consumed oil. Bigtime. The VQ35's are plagued with oil consumption issues. Read the boards. I like the G35, but it was never an option when I was looking for a new car.

carbngrytl

I had an 02 Maxima SE 6spd before the TL. worst car I ever had. Consumed oil, had the 3rd gear crunch issue, went trough o2 sensors, wheel bearings. Cost me hundreds every year just to keep it on the road. Bought it with 60k, had 127k when I traded it on the TL.

avs007

Not that it matters, but in case anyone here has one of these, and didn't know... This problem only happens on certain model of VQ's, but the ones that are effected by this, can have the problem remedied by installing a a small catch-can before the PCV. That way oil gets trapped in the catch can, instead of getting burned by the engine. Makes it easier to monitor, and prevents you from burning oil.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Only if you need it replaced and the 120k miles is not a factory recommended service interval. As I said previously,197K miles, no noise, no tensioner, but at 105k you'll need the belt replaced on the TL.

Deerole

I dnt miss my maxima...had to change the engine than the tranny than this than that...im good...all cars give problems dude suck it up

vietxquangstah

iTrader: (7)

My friends dad has a 2003 G35. I've been in it plenty of times and I can tell you that the interior is GARBAGE compared to the 04-08 TL. So ugly.

Now if you are comparing the G35 interior to the Accord or Maxima than maybe... but the TL wins here hands down

Scottwax

Yeah, the early ones were laid out well but the materials were cheap-but by pretty nice, I mean compared to the Maxima. That did change in '06 I believe. G35s have more potential than the TL for pure speed, RWD > FWD for ultimate performance. There isn't any argument on that issue. Plus the VQ35 can make pretty big reliable power. Day to day though, a TL is probably a better choice. Easier to see out of, larger trunk and interior, FWD is great for typical city driving especially if you have winter weather. Plus you can usually pick up a used one for less than a TL. Just after I got my Accord, I saw a 2004 G35 sedan 6MT with 70k miles on it for only $12k.

Mine was dead reliable. Didn't use oil, no 3rd gear crunch. Quickest car I've had since my '74 4 speed Z/28. Unfortunately, I let the rear tires get too close to the wear bars and an apartment complex had flooded the street in the middle of a curve during a drought on a road that is downright dangerous when it rains. Wasn't expecting it to be wet. FWD, low tread on the rear tires and 1" of water in a curve equaled a totaled car. An officeress told me that complex has caused problems all summer by letting their sprinklers run so long.

My first 2002 had the automatic and it used oil, needed a wheel bearing and hub, O2 and precats early on, but the last 65k miles or so I didn't do much at all.

I don't see any more problems here than I did on maxima.org and most of the issues here are the automatics where on maxima.org it is pretty spread out over the whole car.

spaceboy

i almost bought a G35 before my TL, glad I didn't, interior is nothing compared to TL......uh can i touch that screen??
the only thing that really caught my attention was probably the exhaust tone which i learned TLs are also capable of doing that by having stage 1~4 mod......and yeah parts are cheaper when it comes to maintenance..yes it give me more HP but my TL is already giving me more than enough......people always tell me Lexus is No.1 then Infiniti then Acura....i simply don't really care if they are judging by the price

every car has its problem that's why dealer has something call "warranty", i think it really depends how well you take care of it...if u really miss your maxima and think is so much better than TLs, i suggest you go back to it, regret once is enough, twice is considered stupid...because what you are doing now is trying to say Nissan/Infiniti is better than Acura IN AN ACURA FORUM, i am sure you will find your comments more supportive in Nissan/Infinity forum, good luck with whatever you decide

Deerole

+1 on the shitty G interior

sleeper22

One reason I bought the TL is its more refined than the G35 and FWD. My G35 sucked in the snow bigtime. Overall I like the TL better and the G35 is a very good car but it has its issues trust me.

Guiltyox

The first time you break a timing chain/belt because of "never following the dealer or manufacturer recommended maintenance intervals", you'll regret it :-D. Have fun buying a new engine.

fyi - dealerships usually overcharge for services, not over estimate maintenance times (unless they are complete crooks).

jspagna1

We owned a 92 Maxima SE. Guy down the street who bought it still drives it. We still own an 03 that my daughter drives.
TL is the first Honda product we've ever bought and I like it,but my wife does'nt???
I may take the TL and may buy my wife another Maxima. Two different automobiles IMO.

golfer04

I can relate, as I also previously had (and still have) a 2001 Maxima 5spd that I bought about 8 years ago. It has been a great car and now has about 170k almost trouble free miles. What I think was the most upsetting thing with getting my new (used) TL, first, was finding about so many having tranny issues, and second, although I knew it would need a timing belt at some point, the cost of replacement.

My Maxima was far from trouble free, going through a couple of 02 sensors, a broken exhaust pipe and a slave cylinder for the clutch, however there was never really any fear of having a major unexpected cost. The 5 speed trannies were almost bulletproof and the timing chains are known to last upwards of 300k miles. Only concern was replacing the clutch at some point, but that is more of a wear and tear item.

I love my new TL, it definitely feels like a much higher quality car that drives smoother and quieter, and has many more driver ammenities. But it is always in the back of my head now that I am probably going to have to plan for a tranny replacement at some point in the next few years, and that I know I am going to have to fork out at least a grand for timing belt/water pump replacement as well...

I am sure that feeling/nagging will fade the longer I own and enjoy the car, as it has already dissipated significantly in the last few weeks, but I know to have just purchased a new car and read about some of the more common and somewhat major issues can be somewhat disheartening.

No car is perfect, so just enjoy it for what it is, a great car. (And if it makes you feel any better, I also had a Chevy Lumina that went through three transmissions in less than 4 years and 130k mostly highway miles )

Guiltyox

Any one who thinks TL's are high maintenance or have a lot of problems should look into the Mazda RX7 3rd Gens (FD's).....or even the RX series in general.

I'm just saying.... :-D

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

I've owned a '89 Turbo II since new, not too bad even with 14lbs boost, but we take excellent care of the car, and in fact it hasn't seen rain since '92.

Guiltyox

The FD series, if bought now, you would have to replace EVERY single rubber hose under the hood, the AST bypass/metal reservoir, extra oil cooler, after market radiator, and a turbo timer JUST as preventative maintenance. Otherwise, have fun rebuilding the engine after you blow your Apex seals, :-D.



I'm still deciding if I want an FD as a weekend project car or not...the maintenance on it makes me hesitant :-\.

Scottwax

I know my Mazda 626 V6 POS edition sucked big time. Last 4 months I owned it I put $1500 into it. Then I got hit from behind on the freeway and the impact totaled the car. I consider that to be my lucky day.

Guiltyox

Not a rotary engine :-)

I hate cars

The TL does not use hydraulic lifters so you have to adjust valve lash. There are some advantages to running a solid valve-train. I mean, really, it's too much to adjust the valves every 100,000 miles?

A drain and fill of the gearbox is too much to ask?

Timing belt issues? What timing belt issues?

I come from a car with a timing chain. I prefer the timing belt because you have a set interval. With a chain, it's easy to try and push it to 200,000+ miles. I've pulled my own engine apart in different states of timing chain failure and I never would have known if it wasn't for a scheduled refreshing. Chains do fail and they're not as predictable as belts.

It sounds like you want a car that you want to do zero maintenance on and that's never going to happen. The TL and most manufacturer's scheduled intervals are far from too short. In fact, they push intervals such as plugs and ATF way too far as a selling point.

Acura_Dude

My last car was a 2000 Mazda Millenia (Millenium Ed). Loved that car. Had the s'charged Miller-Cycle V6. Very reliable for me, but a pita with maintenance. Luckily for me that motor was non-interference and I had no worries of the t-belt failure damaging the motor. Too bad I totalled it, I'd still have it. Had put almost 50K miles on that car in 2 years!

Im glad this was mentioned about chains. My moms car is an 02 nissan sentra and i wonder how long the timing chain will last. Car has almost 150K miles on it and it isn't very well takened care of. Last mechanic fubar'd it up big time. Idling issues, etc, but it drives. It can take abuse as far as im concerned.

Now as for Honda, I always wondered why they recommended long intervals (like the 105K service). I personally think 100K miles on a set of plugs is too much imo. Though I do trust the manufacturers recommendations. They did put some serious money into R&D. But it is a selling point. People are lazy at vehicle maintenance, they tend to chance it. Not anyone on here of course. Just talking about the average owner.

My last car, the Millenia recommended plugs AND the belts replaced every 60K miles though the majority of owners push their belts, I did. Many even got 200K miles out of their belts. It's not uncommon to pull a t-belt past 100K miles and it looks nearly as good as a new one.

Scottwax

I know, that's why I was so PO'ed about that car, so much went wrong with it you'd think it was a rotary Mazda.

s_vares

I also own a 2008 F150 King Ranch. (Work Truck)

The Ford forums have a lot less friendly chatter and much more "my engine is broken"
lol, all forums are the same.
And Nissan should NEVER be compared to Honda
The cars are dreadful