Hey Scotty,
I see a 2002 Maxima with (allegedly) 44k miles on it being sold for $2900. Is it reliable? Is it expensive in maintenance, parts and repairs? And is it too old of a purchase?
Nissan is not a reliable car maker and I would definitely pass on that. Even if this was a quality car maker brand 44k on an 02 means that the car has had to have been sitting around for a long time not being driven. That's not always the case but 90% of the time that's what that means. If you're looking for a good deal on a used car check Autotempest.com and see if you can't find a Honda or Toyota in your price range GL car shopping : )
Pass
That was the first year of the 3.5 V6 and you could look up on youtube where many mechanics talk about how they had issues, specifically timing chain I believe.
Maximas are screaming cars they are awesome but nowadays they tend to have problems with their CVT autos, though 02 isn't affected.
The French company Renault merged with Nissan in 2001 and Nissans after then had more issues than before.
I would want proof of the mileage, have a mechanic check it out, and haggle if you are considering buying it.
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Nissan/Maxima/2002/ Owner complaints show high number of engine issues
Noisy/rattling timing chain is very common issue with the earlier 3.5 V6
Ratchets And Wrenches on Youtube, "Top 10 Reliable Cars Under 5K - 10 MOST Reliable Cars Less Than $5000"
"#5 : Nissan Maxima from 1995 to 2001, these cars come with a 3.0 V6...
However, the Maximas from 2002 and 2003 are not on my list because in 2002 the 3.5 engines were used and those used a timing chain which had issues with both the timing chain and timing chain tensioner..."
Actually, my father's first car was a 1994 Nissan Maxima. It was decent until it was around 15 years old and then the engine fell apart. The next couple generations showed a huge decrease in quality.
All in all I do not think this vehicle is a good buy. With my 3k, I'd look for a Toyota Camry/Avalon with a bit more miles, which would still be a lot more trouble free for a long time.
2002 2003 maximas were some of the strongest ever made. Timing chains did not have problems until the change of body style in 2004. As long as it’s clean I would say that’s an awesome buy in my opinion I see those cars regularly with over 200k still running strong. They had some issues with rust over the wheel wells in the rear but mechanically they were some of the strongest out there and very powerful and fun to drive
