My son was driving this car and heard the engine making unusual noise and a clunking noise. I took the car to a mechanic to have it checked out and found out the front sub frame is completely rusted out. The front motor mount isn't attached to anything. The motor isn't supported up front. He told me the car is not safe to drive. I can't believe there isn't a recall on something so dangerous. I'm filing this report in case I have to take legal action at a later date.
2000 Nissan Maxima engine complaints
Page 2 of 4: complaints 11 to 40 of 81, newest first, as owners wrote them.
My vehicle, as with many nissan maxima's from 2000 to 2003, is affected by a defective radiator core support. The part is extremely prone to rusting and decaying while the surrounding parts remain intact. The part on my car has developed holes and chunks are constantly falling off, possibly causing a safety hazard.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 nissan maxima. The contact stated that the radiator cross bar was corroded. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop. And the manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 108,475 and the current mileage was 108,575. Updated 08/14/12*lj updated 08/15/12
During routine inspection at nissan dealership technician discovered that the stuctural support for the radiator was rotted. The structural support also supports the engine. Dealership informed me that this is very dangerous and requires immediate attention. The structural integrity of the engine mount is compromised. This seems to be a common defect, as I observed at least 5 other similar complaints posted on the federal safety agency website. Owners of these vehicles should be notified of this dangerous condition.
I checked my oil and transmission fluid about a week and a half after buying the car and right when I shut the hood the check engine light popped on and stayed on obviously very temperamental. About a week later while stopped at a red light the engine felt a little weird then when I started driving right away the car lost power shut down and all the light popped on I had my 2 year old and 3 year old and fiance in the car and the steering wheel locked up and I almost got hit trying to steer it out of traffic into a mcdonald's. Called the dealer and he just left us sitting there in the heat. Called the tow truck and I was trying to restart the car but it would turn over but not stay on. So I wait and wait and decide to try starting it like 20 minutes later after looking under the hood and it starts right up as the tow truck is pulling up but he charged me anyway even though I was able to drive it from there to the dealers on my own the dealers mechanic kept trying to diagnose this thing and kept saying oh its fixed now about 4 different times...first he said it was the coil pack,then he said it was the maf mass air flow sensor,then they said bad gas was put in it by them and they cleaned the gas rail,then finally they listened to me and replaced the isc (idle speed control) motor now it started working and not dying on me when I slow down or stop at red lights because they gave it back to me like three times saying it was fixed and it wasn't but now when I'm in the park position with the car running within about 20-30 seconds the RPM drops and the car lights up and dies but at least it starts right back up and drives not like before but this is still a problem. Look on identifix website and you will see that 4 components need to be recalled. The maf,ignition coils,isc,and most expensive of all the ECM which it says is usally damaged once the isc is done for.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 nissan maxima. The contact stated that the vehicle was receiving transmission service when the radiator fractured from the vehicle due to corrosion. The radiator support was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and advised that there were no recalls for the failure and no further assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 150,000 and the current mileage was 152,000. Updated 03/24/11*lj updated 05/02/11
My nissan was parked on the street about 11:00 pm. The following morning, just before 7:00 am, I had knocking at my door and it was the fireman wanting the keys to my car so they could access the latch to open the hood. Smoke was coming out of the sides of the hood and the firemen were already spraying my hood as the engine was on fire. Since the latch did not work, an electric saw was used to open it. The engine was doused with the fire hose till the smoke stopped. You could see that the whole engine was black. The fire was so strong that the front was sitting on top of the front tire. It has been reported as an accident with cause unknown and must have been burning anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes. Odd that a fire would start since the car was sitting overnight for 6 to 7 hours, cold. I was fortunate not to be in the car. It was lucky that it was a rainy day and caught early by a neighbor before it affected any other cars, people, and residential area by blowing up. It will be interesting to see nissan's explanation to this incident.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 nissan maxima. The contact stated that when restarting the vehicle, the engine would misfire and the vehicle would shake abnormally. The vehicle would also shake abnormally when driving at various speeds and would sporadically begin to lose power. The dealer performed a diagnosis on the vehicle and determined that the ignition was defective. Most recently, the check engine warning light was illuminated and would not shut off. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 34,000 and the current mileage was 36,000.
After driving at highway speeds for 20 minutes, got off highway and pulled into gas station. After putting the vehicle in park, the car shut off. After coming out of the store, it failed to start. Went back to the car later, and it started right up. Took to mechanic, blamed the service light on the anti-theft system. Came on again 2-3 weeks later, took to a different mechanic who said it was the ignition coils. Quoted me $1300 to replace all 6. Opted not to perform repair at that time. 2 weeks later, the coil failed and caused the car to run very rough, as well as consume large amounts of gas. Replaced broken coil and o2 sensor. Car continues to get far below average mpg. About 15 mpg highway driving.
Transmission failure: bought vehicle in april of '99. Transmission began to slip at 15k. Reman trans under warranty. 2nd slip occurred at 30k under warranty. Denied vehicle trade. Reman trans. 3rd occurrence at 45k, replaced trans w/ oem under warranty. Denied trade. Transmission failure at high temp for long drives (2 hr incline) and had to wait for the trans to cool before it drove again, one occurrence at 55k, oil ok. Still intermittent power loss/slippage. Dealership unable to recreate problem. Denied trade. Ignition coils: knocking, bad gas mileage, and power loss due to ignition coil failure at 70k. Was told I needed to replace all coils rather than the one that was damaged and all spark plugs. Alternator went out after repair. Replaced all coils, plugs and alternator ($1500). Still have power loss & occasional knocking. No help from nissan. Denied trade. Suspension: constant knocking of tire area at 60k. All 4 hubs damaged and replaced at 65k. All 4 struts leaking and had to be replaced also at 65k. No help from nissan. Nissan quote $3000. Opted outside repair for $1000, no more problems. Emissions: more loss of power (3000rpm+) and bad gas mileage. Probably linked to ignition coil problem. Problem has been diagnosed to 1 of 4 catalytic converter sensor failures. 130k. No help from nissan. $3000+. Fan: loud noise when A/C is on. One fan defective at 80k. Fan blade rubbing on metal frame. Replaced fan $200. No help from nissan. Conclusion: I wanted to have my vehicle considered a lemon and traded. I had no complaint with nissan or the maxima line. I only had a problem with just my car. Just wanted a new maxima. 5 lemon attempts with nissan, rejected each time. Dismissed under strict lemon law stipulation regarding repair statute of limitations and guidelines of repair. Vehicle has been nothing but trouble. Properly maintained and have maintenance receipts and dates of each occurrence listed above.
Engine coils and oxygen sensors have been needed to be be replaced on many occasions since I've owned this vehicle. When 2 of the coils needed to be replaced, the engine ran extremely rough (from both misfires) causing a huge reduction in engine speed and the inability to pass or accelerate safely onto the highway. This happened so abruptly on one occasion, that I was nearly run off the road. I am the original owner (purchased aug 1999) and have had to replace 4 of the 6 engine coils and all 4 of my oxygen sensors (each on different dates). I only have 116k miles on the vehicle.
Check engine light flashed during acceleration, and then stayed on, coinciding with poor engine performance. Occurred repeatedly over several year period. Eventually replaced all ignition coils which solved the problem (old coils kept).
Tl*the contact owns a 2000 nissan maxima. One year ago, the engine warning light illuminated on the instrument control panel. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the coil ignition failed. The coil ignition was replaced. Several months later, the engine warning light illuminated again on the instrument control panel and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The dealer replaced all of the coil ignition springs. One week later, the light illuminated again and the dealer stated that the oxygen sensor needed to be replaced. The oxygen sensor was replaced. Five months later, the failure recurred and the dealer stated that the catalyst needed to be replaced. The vehicle has not been repaired because the expense exceeds $1,200. The manufacturer would not provide any assistance because the warranty expired. The failure mileage was 74,000 and current mileage was 88,000.
My maxima started sputtering and acted as if it was going to die. The service engine soon light came on. At about 3500rpm the car brick walled and decelerated. First I took it to a mechanic who blew out all my hoses. That worked for a couple months. Then the light came back on and was acting up again. Replaced the 2 front oxygen sensors. Worked for about a week. Went back to the mechanic who replaced the mass air flow sensor and replaced the fuel filter. Ran good for a few weeks and started acting up again. Took it back to mechanic and had to have the first of 6 ignition coils replaced. Running fine, occasionally sputters, but my service engine light won't go away. Took it to a nissan dealership and the service dept. Said that the 2000 model does not have an ECM software update!
My 2000 maxima has a check engine light illuminated. Normally, the cars runs fine but approximately 10 times over the last several years in extremely humid conditions and when the temperature is around 50 degrees (f), the idle gets extremely rough. I had the fault codes read and they were p1320 (three times) and p0420 (once). After being read, the codes were reset, but immediately returned. This defect has existed on and off for over two years and has been reset several during this time. When reset the last time, the weather was exactly as described above. The car has 36k miles and is driven around 4k miles per year. My investigation indicated defective coils, which are known problems to nissan and should have been recalled a long time ago. The car was purchased due to consumer reports great ratings but because of this defect I can safely say that I would never purchase a nissan automobile again. Asking consumers to pay over $1000 to repair a vehicle built with defective parts is almost criminal. Nissan should own up to its responsibility and recall the known defective parts thus restoring customer satisfaction and vehicle reliability.
I have a check engine light on at 60,000 miles on 2000 nissan maxima, but code was p1320 which dealer ask to replace all six coils of cylinders costing 2000$.
Tl*the contact owns a 2000 nissan maxima. The contact stated that the check engine light remains illuminated on the instrument panel. He replaced the o2 sensors twice in one year and also replaced six of the coils springs after the vehicle was diagnosed. After each replacement, the engine light did not illuminate for three weeks. The coil springs were just replaced three weeks ago and now the check engine light is illuminated again. Speed was not a factor. He notified the dealer and they stated that he had to pay to have the vehicle diagnosed again. The contact stated that he is not taking the vehicle back to the dealer. The powertrain was unknown. The current mileage was 89,000 and failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
2000 nissan maxima mass air flow sensor failure.
I drive a 2000 nissan maxima that currently has 48000 miles on it. I developed an engine ping at 45000 miles and took it to the dealer for sevice. They replaced all 6 coil packs and air something or other at a cost of $1300.00. I have driven it 5000 more miles and I once again have an engine ping. I took it back to the dealer a second time to which they told me I was a quart low on oil and that would cause a ping. They did an oil & filter change. I was pleased as I drove away and heard no engine ping, however about 30 miles later it came back. Their theory of being 1 quart low on oil is not correct. I decided to research this problem on the net, and see that this is a very common problem with nissan's. This is not a cheap fix and I think nissan should have to recall this as it should not be a consumer fix.
Engine runs rough during cold weather (<50 degrees) and trips the code for engine misfire. The code does not always tell which cylinder has the misfire. Engine coils determined to be the problem, but replacement only delays another misfiring for a while. I like the car but doubt I'll ever buy another nissan because of this issue.
Tl*the contact owns a 2000 nissan maxima. The contact claimed to have an ignition coil failure, engine ping, and a decrease in power when accelerating. The contact replaced the ignition coil twice within three months , and could provide repair invoices if needed. The failure mileage was 75200.*ak consumer states that dealer will not provide copy of diagnostic and c-rt stating only for internal use. Update *4/23/07tr
My check engine light is on - and the car is running poorly. There is an issue with it jerking intermittently while driving. I have been told by the repair shop that there is a technical service bulletin on this car for bad engine coils and harnesses. Total cost to repair is between $3,000-4,000. If a manufacturer knows there is a problem with a car it produces, it should have a recall and repair the cars affected.
Faulty engine sensors; engine failure; manufacturer's failure to recognize problem.
Tl* - the contact has a 2000 nissan maxima gxe that had to have the oxygen sensors replaced twice. The radiator was changed in the summer of 2006. The check engine light turned on due to an engine failure, the contact understood that this was a common problem with these types of cars.
2000 nissan maxima. Problem with engine misfiring related to ntb01059. Problem continues to recur though coil packs (6) are replaced. This is expensive. Nissan knows about it. There are websites and petitions with over 3000 names of people having this recurring problem.
Dt*: the contact stated the check engine light illuminated. The engine sputtered when started and at 20-55 MPH the engine made a rattling sound. At speeds greater than 55 MPH, the rattling stopped. There were three oxygen sensors replaced in the exhaust system of the vehicle however the persisted.
2000 maxima had problems with the ignition coil assembly. *ts the AC compressor was replaced. The malfunction indicator light illuminated. The dealer recommended replacing all 6 coils, because it could not be determine which coils were defective.
At about 75,000 miles, engine would take a little longer to start especially in rainy weather. It sounded like it was taking longer for fuel to get to engine. Check engine light came on at 80,000 miles. Code indicated bad catalytic convertor. Mechanic reset and a few thousand miles later it came on again. Mechanic determined that both oxygen sensors were defective and they had to be replaced to pass smog check for $460 also, at about 80,000 miles, car had intermitant acceleration problems which became more problematic in rainy weather. I would floor accelerator and nothing would happen. Mechanic pressure tested fuel pump and found it too low and replaced fuel pump for $478. This solved problem for a few months and it began happening again. Then, one day I tried to back out of my garage and it wouldn't go in reverse when I shifted it. I pushed my car out of garage and was able to get it to go in drive. While driving to mechanic's, I put car in cruise control and it would lose power intermitantly trying to maintain the set speed. I took it out of cruise control and floored the accelerator and the same previous problem occurred. It reved engine but nothing would happen. When I got to mechanic, it would go in reverse. He determined that it was the transmission that didn't give enough clutch pressure until it was driven for a while. It was a failing transmission that caused this and the inability to accelerate. It would cost over $3,000 to replace the transmission. I had to replace defective front and rear struts, front tie rod grease boot, compress coil spring, tie rod outer end at 134,000 miles for $1100. At 137,000 miles, the egr valve & gasket fell out while I was driving. Mechanic determined that the egr valve housing was broken and it was replaced for $340. Due to the amount of money spent on this vehicle, I cannot afford $3000 to replace the transmission and will be selling my first and last nissan vehicle ever.
My 2000 nissan maxima has been experience problems with the "check engine soon" light. A dealer hooked it up to a computer and indicated a code of p1320 - faulty coil - misfire on cylinder 4. He told me in his experience with 2000 nissan maximas he can replace one, but customer will be back because the coils are defective and other will eventually go. I feel since they are defective cylinders, nissan should recall the parts.
Beginning at 17,000 miles and continuing to 73,000 miles repeated harness wiring breaks resulting in engine coil failure, emission control malfunctions, catalytic converter failure, and engine misfiring. Car lost power and became unusable for brief time periods. Apprehensive driving car for fear of problem occurring unexpectedly. Car had been repaired eight times. Emission control module replaced and emission control system reprogrammed. Coils replaced on several occasions and frayed wires repaired. Catalytic converter replaced.
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