hi everyone,

i'm in the process of looking for an 03/04 obsidian black sedan w/ black interior ... autotragic, under 30k mi., etc.

I recently joined the forums and have done some searches in the forum.

I'd appreciate it if some of you more experienced members can post any common problems/trends you've noticed with the sedans?? Something I can look for when purchasing a pre-owned G.

I have a 5-spd 96 maxima right now and absolutely love the reliability of the engine ... want to stay in the VQ family now for my next sedan.

thanks!

:squint:

Only thing about the 03s/04s are the brakes. Pads wear like muthafookas. Also you have to be careful and make sure you get the HID when looking at 03s. I call :bs: on teh search thing

https://g35driver.com/forums/buying-selling-leasing-discussion/75955-during-my-search-03-sedan-auto.html

Mine has navi but in all honestly, I'd give up the navi for a less optioned 05.

hahah man i searched "common problems" ... too used to ORG culture.

thanks for the link

What's with all these maxima owners?

They're starting to realize that they can get a better car in the G for less money than they spent on the Maxima.

it's the most natural transition from a maxima to a G35 (especially sedan) ...

i check craigslist every 15 min to look for a new G posting. damn i can't wait.

I'm looking for a loaded G (without navi) for under $24k with low miles (30-35k mi.) ... thre are plenty of silver ones available, but I can't let go of black.

the decision between 6mt and auto is driving me nuts .. but i think i'm better off with an auto for the long run. will revisit the MT in my next car.

that's compared to the 6th gen ...

IMHO, I was jonsing for a dark blue with wheat interior.

the only complaint i have about my 03 is the brake wear/dust. i can clean my wheels and within a week they are black again. this can be fixed though with new pads...oh and the squeals from the brakes drive you crazy too. other than that i love it...gotta get the 6mt though.

whoa, brake squeeling?? I had that disease on my maxima for 3 yrs before I finally swapped out both pads and rotors.

Good thing brake pads aren't complicated to change.

The biggest problem is the brakes as the other guys have said. The brakes are covered for 3year/36,000 miles (rotors, pads, everything)

Most of the problems are not sedan specific.

Other problems are the transmission (6MT) has synchro porblems.

The VQ can burn a lot of oil, some go through as much as 1.5-2qts per 3,000 miles.

There is a TSB for the axle.

I have the Stillen metal matrix brake pads and they work beautifully and very little dust. For $49/set from Stillen, there is no reason to use OEM, they suck ***. And the 5AT is really nice. I was always a manual trans guy until this one. I dont think I could go back to manual in a car unless it was in a real roadster or true performance car. I get my shifting fix on 2 wheels.

I guess I can comment on that since I'm trading in my 2003 Max for a 2006 GeeX. The Max is more of a gadget car, more for someone entering the Nissan family the first time or a first time buyer like me. You get all the toys and then some more for less price plus more room, less noise and better mileage and better in the snow (versus the RWD). The interior of the 2002-2003 Max, imo, is also much nicer than the G when it first came out. Basically, people who get the Maxima doesn't think the G is worth the extra few thousand dollars (and Nissans usually have better interests rates for those who lease or finance), so it all comes down to the price (and room for those who uses it as a family car). I mean, afterall, the Max doesn't run that much slower than the G or pulls that much less g on a skidpad. At the end of the day, the G is only a better car dynamically - which is not a priority to some people. But for people like me who doesn't have a family to drive around all the time and who have owned other Nissans, I look at a G as an upgrade - you give up a few toys but you get a bit more horsepower, a bit more cornering grip, better brakes, better quality leather, better warranty and of course, the FM platform and the works. I hope I didn't offend anyone because I look at the G as an upgrade, but that's just how the public looks at cars differently when they compare and how Nissan targets the different demographics.

... and yes, I will miss the heated steering wheel on those cold Canadian winter mornings!

I agree the G is an upgrade and the maxima seems to target a different group.

But the other difference that is big (especially to Americans) is the name. It is considered a "luxury" car where any Nissan is not and I think it shows in the finish of the car. Now this is not why I purchased my car at all; it was the rwd and future I saw in it for me (SC, brakes, suspension,...) but it is a very different car from the maxima. They might be the same family and share an engine but the similarities stop there for the most part.

One of the biggest reasons I did not buy a new TL is because it's FWD. There is a big drawback to having a car put power to the ground, steer and brake with the same wheels.

Other than the heated steering wheel, what does the Max have over the G?