2004 Nissan Maxima engine and engine cooling problems

“SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE, 1ST TO 2ND OR 2ND TO 3RD - ENGINE REVS, TRANSMISSION JERKS AFTER SHORT DELAY. WHEN GOING ON DOWNHILL BENDS THIS MEANS THAT THE CAR WANTS TO JERK OFF THE ROAD, SOMEWHAT. APPARENTLY DUE TO IMPROPER COOLING ON THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, IT GETS GUMMY, AND THEN THE SOLENOIDS CLOG UP AND GET STUCK. THERE IS ALSO A LOT OF WEAR ON THE GEARS. FOR THE FIRST REPAIR, A FLUSH AND REPLACING THE SOLENOIDS WILL USUALLY GIVE ANOTHER 20K MILES, BUT THE PROBLEM DOESN'T GET FIXED UNLESS A CUSTOM COOLING SYSTEM IS PUT ON THE TRANSMISSION LINES. IT'S A CRAPPY DESIGN. INSTEAD OF RUNNING THE COOLING LINES TO THE ENGINE AND PUTTING A THERMOSTAT ON A SWITCH, THERE SHOULD BE A DEDICATED COOLER ON THE TRANSMISSION. ALSO, IT'S RIDICULOUSLY HARD TO GET TO THE TRANSMISSION FLUID FILTER, WHICH IS INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION CASE. HOW HARD WOULD IT HAVE BEEN TO PUT AN EXTERNAL FILTER DOWN IN THE PAN? *TR”

“DROVE MY 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA OFF THE LOT ON 3/3/14 AND NOTICED A JERK ONCE I GOT TO 30MPH, THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME AFTER I PURCHASED IT THAT WHAT EVER PROBLEMS I HAVE I NEED TO FIX MYSELF BECAUSE I BOUGHT THE CAR "AS IS". *TR”

“I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW NISSAN MAXIMA 2004. AFTER DRIVING FOR 5 YEARS, IT HAS GIVEN NOTHING BUT HEADACHE AND STRESS. IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OR WOULD BE JERKING/SHAKING AFTER STEPPING ON THE ACCELERATOR. WHILE DRIVING IN THE FREEWAY, MY CAR WOULD SLOW DOWN AND COULDN'T DRIVE PASS 20 MILE PER HOUR, THEN ENGINE DIED. I HAD REPLACED CATALYTIC CONVERTER ,SENSORS, MUFFLERS,BRAKES. AND THE PROBLEMS STILL HAVEN'T RESOLVED. AS OF TODAY, I DON'T HAVE A CAR, IT IS AT THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC. *TR”

“TRANSMISSION SLIPS AND HESITATES AS YOU PLACE IN GEAR. ONCE YOU PLACE IT IN GEAR FROM DRIVE TO PARK TO REVERSE IT JERKS VERY HARD WHICH PLACES PRESSURE ON THE MOTOR MOUNTS CAUSING THEM TO HAVE PROBLEMS. ALL OF THE NISSAN MAXIMA'S HAVE A SERIOUS MANUFACTURED FLAW WITH THERE TRANSMISSION. THIS IS A SERIOUS FLAW AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED BY NISSAN, ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS MADE ARE ALL STATING THE SAME THING. THIS IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURE DEFECT. THIS DEFECT OCCURS EVEN IF YOU ARE SITTING STILL WITH YOUR FEET ON THE BRAKES AND ATTEMPT TO SHIFT FROM PARK TO DRIVE TO REVERSE THE VEHICLE JERKS SO HARD IT MOVES THE VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH YOUR FEET IS ON THE BRAKES. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE. ONCE THE ENGINE WARMS UP THE TRANSMISSION BEGINS TO SLIP EVEN AS THE VEHICLE APPROACH A STOP LIGHT OR STOP SIGN THE CAR DOWN SHIFTS ITSELF AND JERK AS IT SHIFTS.”

“TRANMISSION SKIPPED @ 65,518 WICH I WAS TOLD WAS OUT OF THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY PAID $4,000.00 ON 12/08/08 FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A NEW TRANMISSION. FOUND OUT LATER NISSAN USES RE-BUILT TRANI. RIGHT AFTER THE INITIONAL TRANI WAS PUT IN I CONTINUED TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM...TOOK IT A FEW TIMES BACK BUT ALL I GOT WAS THE RUN AROUND...THEY STATED IT MIGHT BE THE MOTOR MOUNT, THAT GOT FIXED STILL THE PROBLEM WAS THERE. THE CAR WENT THRU DIAGNOSTIC READING FROM 2009 THRU 2012 BUT SINCE THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS NOT ON IT WOULD NOT GIVE ANY DIAGNOSIS CODES.... UNTIL APRIL OF THIS YEAR MY TRANSMISSION SKIPPED AGAIN @ APPROX. 113,500.00 WHILE BEING TESTED BY A NISSAN MECHANIC...UPDATED 07/13/12 *BF”

“I OWN A 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA AND WHEN I BOUGHT IT I THOUGHT I WAS BUYING A GREAT CAR THAT WAS LESS THAN 6 MONTHS AGO ALTHOUGH I STILL LIKE THE CAR IT IS STARTING TO MAKE THIS TICKING NOISE THE TICKING NOISE IS COMING FROM THE TIMING CHAIN AND IS DOING THAT BECAUSE OF A PIECE OF PLASTIC HAS GOTTEN LOOSE ON THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDES SO NOW THAT THIS PIECE OF PLASTIC IS LOOSE MY TIMING CHAIN COULD POSSIBLY SNAP AND DAMAGE MY ENTIRE MOTOR SO I DECIDE OK ILL JUST FIX IT BUT OH NO ITS 1500 DOLLARS TO FIX BECAUSE OF ALL THE LABOR THAT IS NEEDED TO GET MY CAR REPAIRED BECAUSE OF THE LABOR INVOLVED IN GETTING TO THE TIMING CHAIN SO MY COMPLAINT IS THAT WHY DO YOU HAVE A STUPID PIECE OF PLASTIC THAT IS NOW FAILING FOR ALMOST ALL VQ 35 ENGINES IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE WHY AS A COMPANY YOU ARE SO CHEAP THAT YOU CANT DESIGN SOMETHING MORE DURABLE THAN A PIECE OF PLASTIC TO HOLD TOGETHER THE ENGINE OF MY CAR THAT WHEN IT FIRST CAME OUT IN 2004 WAS GOING FOR LIKE 26000 DOLLARS HOW CHEAP CAN YOU GET UNBELIEVABLE YOU WOULD THINK I WOULD NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MY CAR DYING BECAUSE OF THIS ONE STUPID PIECE OF PLASTIC THAT IS BASICALLY DEFECTIVE AND WAS NOT MEANT TO HOLD…”