Common Nissan 3.5L VQ35DE V6 problems?

yeah, but an FF block

the VQ35 burns AND leaks oil.

get ready for alternator, power steering hose, A/C and starter failure in the next 15k

it's not *that* unreliable

There's just better out there for the money

Not exact, same block. All the infinity's that end in 35 as well not to mention the Altima 3.5, pathfinder 01-04 and qx4 01-03

What would you suggest? The one I'm looking at is CAD 1300 and another is 1500

Mine burns doesnt leak but you are correct. Some people suggest that the earlier models gaskets couldn't handel the detergents in synthetic oils but I find that a little tinfoil-hatish

Where in Canada are you, Nissans rust like crazy. West coast you'd be fine but Ontario and Quebec stay away. Take the advice from a guy who will never buy a Nissan again strictly because of the rust.

They burn oil, some so little that you dont even notice, some so much that you have to top it off every single week.

Rumor has it that the reason the 5th gen maxima had the 3.0 for the first 2 years is because nissan was still trying to fix this issue - and then said fuck it and released it anyways in 2002.

Personally id go for one that has the 3.0 because that motor is basically bulletproof, they just wont fucking die. Youll be losing a bit of power but some dirt cheap mods (~500$ exhaust = 18hp) will make you feel better about yourself.

Also you probably know this but dont even bother if its not manual.

Southern Ontario but both of the cars seem to have little to no rust. Of course will have to confirm this once I actually go see.Yeah one of the 2 Maximas is an '00 so has the 3.0L. Was there any other advantage of the 3.0L apart from no oil burning?

Manual of course, I know the auto has some issues but I also just want a manual for the driving pleasure

Also would like to add that the early 3.5s had an issue where the precats (located where headers are) would have honeycomb material break off from engine vibrations and bounce around before inevidably bouncing back into the engine and fucking shit up.

Im 99.99999% sure nissan did a recall though so by this point it shouldnt be a concern, but its worth looking into the cars service history i suppose.

And one more thing - DO NOT under ANY circumstances buy a maxima that has been owned by a black person. It will be fucked and you are literally asking for trouble.

Definitely gonna look into that and ask for service history, since it's an 02 so first year for that engine.

And thanks for that adivce lol, pretty sure the guy's white. Sounds like there's a good story behind that...

it's my understanding that the VQ35DE one, 2002 and 2003, had transmission issues in the higher miles, such as ~130k+

keep an eye out.

3.0 is basically unkillable. Argueably one of the most reliable motors of that era.

HOWEVER... You would be better served in all departments to buy a 95-99 maxima if you want a 3.0. They are significantly lighter. The 00-01 3.0 has a variable intake manifold that gives it a MUCH better top end and a bit more power - but you can simply swap that onto the 95-99 motor. Its a little involved; you also need to swap in the fuel rail and injectors, as well as wire in a tuning device if you wish to see the benefits of doing the swap - but if you are competent its a cakewalk. There are a gorillion writeups with step by step pictures on doing it. I did it as a total noob over a weekend and it was a great learning experience for me. Overall probably around 600$ TOPS but worth every penny.

If you dont want to deal with all that bullshit and just want a reliable beater, the 00-01 is the way to go.

If you dont want to deal with all that bullshit and want a quicker beater that has questionable reliability - go for the 02-03.

If you dont mind wrenching, AND want reliability, 95-99 is hands down the best option.

I've read that those were the automatics, definitely going for a manual

The only two manuals for sale in my region are an '00 and '02. I definitely enjoy wrenching but even if I were to wait for an earlier model year i don't think I could do the swap because I have a lot of work keeping me busy for the next year or so :(

Thanks for the advice. Are the 3.5s really that much more unreliable than the 3.0's? or would you say its manageable/not overly expensive? I'm torn between the power vs. the reliability and the 3.0 has a dead 02 sensor plus is $200 more expensive.

What has you set on the maxima? The 3.5 requires premium fuel and Nissan wasn't known for fuel economy back then.

Mostly the power and (relative) reliability at low cost. Any suggestions for alternatives?

The biggest concern is the oil burning with the 3.5s. Its extremely managable, just not absolutely bullet proof like the 3.0s are.

And as long as you check your oil religiously for the first month, this wont be a big deal. Unless of course you get shafted and get one that drinks a qt every week. Just ask the seller if it burns any oil, if he says it doesnt then run away because they pretty much all do to some extent. All you gotta do is just keep it topped off, its really not bad in the grand scheme of things.

I would steer clear of the 00 though, dead o2 sensor is an excuse to hide a bigger problem. Theres absolutely nothing hard or expensive about fixing that, even if the owner had a shop do it. Maybe the owner is just a clueless fuck, idk. But more than likely it cant pass smog for whatever reason and he hopes to pass that problem onto the next sucker.

Id HIGHLY recomend looking up "maxima forum" on google and browsing for an hour or two, use the search bar for specific questions you have if you dont see stuff in the stickies because literally ****EVERYTHING**** has been discussed about those cars several times over. The community can be total faglords towards noobs but the info there is absolutely priceless for a maxima owner.

>pic semi related

Power wise, mid 90's 5.0 mustang. They're pretty cheap without the foxbody tax and go fast. If you just want reliable, Toyota. To get the power+reliability for ~$2000, well I'd like that answer as well.

I had an Infiniti I35 at around 135k mile it was burning about a quart between oil changes and the transmission was going to die any minute before I got rid of it.

For the 00, the smog is valid until 2017 and he claims he can get it safetied if paid for. But I absolutely agree with you that the 02 could be hiding something bigger. Another sketchy thing is that he claims that the handbrake warning light is always on for no reason but te handbrake works 'perfectly fine.'

Will definitely browse forums. i would love to get the 3.5 if its manageable as you say, hope I don't get a heavy drinker though.

Around my parts foxbody tax on mid 90's mustangs is real, especially the gt's

I can say with almost certainty that the o2 is hiding another issue. As for the brake light, thats just a sensor, i wouldnt really worry about that. If he says he can get it safety'd but then goes ahead and says smog is good til '17, that means it cannot pass smog because something got fucked. If hes willing to pay to get an inspection to make selling the car easier, he should also be willing to pay to fix the sensor (which is easier to fix that it is to change your own oil, not to mention cheaper if he did it himself).

In all honesty my field of knowledge is limited to the 4th gens, thats what I drive. And by extension, the 5th gen 3.0s because i did the intake swap. All i know about the 3.5s is stuff i read on the forum i mentioned that i saw frequently.

Just look up stuff in the search bar like "buying guide" or "3.5 issues" generic phrases like that and you will have an infinite amount of info. Again literally everything has been covered there - you will never find an issue or have a question that hasnt been already answered or addressed, its a fucking amazing resource for these cars. Its all about finding it by typing the correct terms into the search bar. I honestly wouldnt go to see the car before spending time learning the ins and outs there.

>Common Nissan 3.5L VQ35DE V6 problems? Anonymous 08/01/16(Mon)18:33:18 No.15548114
Solid advice thanks, def gonna spend a few hours exploring forums