Nissan Maxima A33 (1999-2003)

BACK TO THE FUTURE – Just got myself a 2002 Ti with 204,000kms on the clock. Runs smoothly and apart from a dodgy Fuel Gauge and a broken Aerial all is good. Of course, I'll still have that little voice inside till after my first service, (now done), but hey it got me 65km home already, in cool comfort. More to follow! Show details ·  2

Super reliable......up to 220,000 klm – As the title says my 2001 A33 maxima was super reliable until it hit 220,000 klm. Fantastic engine, plenty of power with a silky smooth auto. I did not spend a single cent over normal service (Oil, brakes...etc.) for the first 220,000 km, then things started to go bad. Starter motor $500 Coolant leak onto the idle control motor that frizzed the… Read more

computer (A common problem with A33 maxima and pulsar of the the same year) $700 with second hand parts.

Now I have electrical issues, the electric door locks, rear demister, warning chimes and interior light all stopped working at the same time (Not fixed yet).

I know its not a lot of money but my last car (1992 telstar tx-5 Ghia) did 430,000 kms........with only non wear items replaced was a fan switch $160 and a horn sponge in the steering wheel $12, and all the electrics work.

One of the BEST cars I have ever owned – Purchased my silver Nissan Maxima ST-R at around 60,000 K's on the dial and had to sell it around 125,000 because I got given a company car and there was no point in letting it just stand there. This car never gave me any troubles. The Interior was very nice and comfortable. The factory stereo was decent but put in an after marker Pioneer… Read more

system to add Bluetooth, USB and AUX connectivity. The sound system itself was really good. Never had any issues with the electronics, cruise control was great as was climate control and the sunroof. I think the seats were also more comfortable than what I have experienced in some other cars. The wood grain inserts, the leather wrapped steering wheel and gear knob gives a subtle hint of luxury. Found that the interior road noise was initially high but that was because the previous owner had put on shoddy cheaper tires. I replaced them and put on some Continentals and it was breeze.

The engine was a masterpiece. It was the last in the line of 3 litre's before they made it a 3.5. Silky smooth but if you wanted to put your foot down, plenty of power and grunt. Around twisty roads, this car was simply a dream to drive. If I had one slight complaint it was that the fuel economy was on the high side. Even though I tried to be very conservative with my driving patterns.

Overall though I was extremely happy with my car and was sad to see it go :'(

Really Good Car. Very Under Rated – I I have done a full video review of the car. Which can be found at https://youtu.be/Mdo-cS3kdv8 Here is a summarised version of this. Interior and Comfort: The Interior is nice and comfortable. The wood grain inserts, the leather wrapped steering wheel and gear knob gives a subtle hint of luxury. The factory stereo sounds really good, the… Read more

automatic climate control and the cruise control works flawless as well. As mentioned earlier in the video, you have nice comfortable seats all around and all the necessary driver control functions are within your reach.

I would have liked it even better if the interior road noise was a little less and slightly more headroom for rear passengers.

Engine, Transmission, Suspension, Handling and Fuel Economy:

Now coming to the engine, the engine on this car is one of the best in its class. It is silky smooth and quiet, but when you really put your foot down, you will feel that there is plenty of power available at your disposal. The shift changes are smooth. The suspensions are a little on soft side which ensures a comfortable ride and at the same the handling is not bad for a family sedan. Fuel consumption figures are 7.2L/100km for highway and 10.8L/100km for city driving, which is actually quite good it class.

Things to look for:

These cars are very reliable and last a long time given that they have been serviced regularly. So, before purchasing you should look for regular service history, log book and other usual checks. After reading through few internet forums, I have found that the coil packs on these cars sometimes fails and it could lead to some expensive repairs. Also, make sure that the sparks plugs were changed at 100K if not then you are looking at $25 per plug as you need to use platinum tipped plugs with this car. Overall it is a decent car with few negative points. So, I would strongly recommend this car.

An excellent motor vehicle - Find one! – The 1999 Nissan Maxima is certainly a car worth buying. Find a well-looked after one, preferably with low mileage, and you will be very pleased. The 6-cylinder 3 liter engine is super quiet and extremely reliable. The only reasonably major expense which may occur in time, is replacement of the coils. A set of 6 will cost about $950, fitted. Use a… Read more

good semi-synthetic engine-oil, with regular oil and filter changes, and you will have a long-lasting, very reliable engine with enough power for enjoyable and comfortable driving. These cars are well-assembled and looked after, both the exterior and interior are acceptably pleasing. One of Nissan's great cars!

Quality at an affordable price – I have owned my 2003 A33 Maxima Ti for seven years, having bought it with 57000 Km on the odometer. It has been super reliable, comfortable and economical. On highway driving regularly returns 7 litres/100 km at posted speed limits. It has now covered 100000 Km and shows no signs of trouble. Everything works as new, no oil used between changes… Read more

and is still on original brake pads. A lot of car for not a lot of money, especially if regularly serviced. Check the log books. Equipment levels, comfort , reliability.

Worst car ever – The car kept breaking down, the previous owner crashed it without telling us, 2000 model Ti and is so annoying, ugly, noisy and I just want to get rid of it! Every time you go fast it feels like your being in an accident. Even the "leather seats" didn't feel like leather, more like plastic, in fact the whole interior was made from plastic, if your thinking of buying a maxima, I would think twice! Nothing Everything! Show details

Good – Even the top of the range Ti's can be had for under 10k with around 100k on the clock (private market). Typical dealer price for the Ti's with around 100k is between 11 and 13k. It's hard to find more car for your money. Even the base model ST is impressive. Personally I prefer the Ti simply because I don't quite think they got the body kit right… Read more ·  2

on the sportier ST-R. Everyone will tell you that you have to drive a Maxima to see what all the fuss is about, and they're right. You are pampered with style and features and a smooth ride. But I personally dislike front-wheel drive vehicles and the Maxima suffers from all the typical side-effects (torque-steer, etc). Once you try to drive this car enthusiastically you'll wish you bought a rear-wheel drive instead. However that's not really why people buy Maximas. People buy Maximas because they are a very classy very well-designed vehicle that are a pleasure to drive the way they are supposed to be driven.

In my opinion the A33 is the best Maxima ever created. "Interesting" styling or not, it looks a hell of a lot better than the abomination that came after it (at least what was imported for sale in Australia). Luxury and reliability at a very affordable price. Sports one of the most impressive V6 engines around. Front wheel drive. Styling is an acquired taste.

Average Car with Below Average Dealer Support – Purchased from New in 1999 and had nothing but trouble with it. New coils/plugs regularly despite Nissan saying they only needed plugs every 100k. Intermittent electrical issues, CD player would not eject CD requiring half the dash to be removed by inexperienced Nissan dealer who never got the dash back properly and thus always had… Read more

rattles/squeaks. Psycho cruise control that would lock on and accelerate the car well past the speed limit only to drop off going up hills and cause nose dives (not nice when there is someone following behind as they get no warning ie: no brake lights). Underpowered and weak engine, didn't like towing or going up hills. Best part of the car was the paint finish and trim levels. Paintwork and Trim. Terrible Service and Dealer Backup. Manufacturer didn't want to know...

Good – Great car overall! Very reliable, best v6 engine around. I have an '02 ST model. The rear springs & shocks could be a bit firmer, but not the end of the world. I will be buying another Maxima, but the way mine is going it will be a long time yet. Great engine, economical on fuel, easy to drive. Lacks a little rear seat head room, rear suspension bottoms out with a couple of people in the rear seat. Show details ·  1

Good – These car are good family cars, you can drive 500 kms then play a game of golf. A peron with basic mechanic skills could service engine. Prices are good for this model used. Good first car boy/girl. Family safety. Larger than a Commordore inside. Most options are standard. Easy to use controls < turn on cruise. Control, open sun roof, use electric… Read more

seats. Set the climate control, top quality sound system. These cars are drivers cars they corner well stop fast abs of course. They feel safe. Fuel consumption. They are a heavy on fuel when using air con. Boot space a could be bigger.

Good – We've got a 2001 model and it has had some woes but over all it has been quite reliable. If you have it serviced regularly and don't skimp too much on the bits and pieces you should have a good experience with the Nissan Maxima. They're hard to find second-hand parts for because they don't often end up in wreckers yards... they're that… Read more

reliable. Reliable, comfortable and an easy driver. Is a bit noisy inside, by comparison to some other similarly priced cars. It's front-wheel-drive and thus carries all the front-wheel-drive woes such as a huge turning circle, torque steering under throttle, heavy steering with little feedback to the steering wheel (but this could be biased from having driven rear-wheel-drive cars for nearly 30 years). Can feel like a boat on uneven roads.