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Hey is Dzil I had the same problem as everyone,I clean the MAF sensor and that did not work so I got a new 1 put in last week and now the car is running like new           .Just change the MAF,that is cause of this problem and do it fast before it mess up your tranmission    

To all the people out there that have a 2000 NISSAN MAXIMA. I have same problems that you do. I went on line and read other people posts and they had exact same problems
that I do. Most o the time it is Mass Air Flow sensor. My car would no go above 3500 RPMs, it would stop running when I came to complete stop. The problem was worst when tha car was cold or in winter.  First I went and bought a MAF sensor cleaner took the sensor out and sprayed it, but that only made things worst. Next day I bought a MAF sensor at Autozone, it was about 230 dollars it was refurbished but they told me that they do not sell new ones and also if you bring the old one in they will give 45 dollars back. I went on line and it is 93 dollars in most internet stores but I just bought at store I did not want to drive any longer like that.I replaced it and now the problem is gone car starts perfect goes above 7000 rpms and does not have a problem with acceleration especially when cold. It is very easy to replace you can do it yourself all it takes is unscrewing about 10 screws. 4 four of them are actually on the sensor filter body and the rest is on air intake filter compartment. it is hard to remove one screw on the sensor body so I had to loosen the air intake filter compartment. It took me about an hour to replace the sensor but I am sure most people can do it in less than 30 minutes. Some of you say that it cost you 400 dollars I think it is a rip off. I called some shops and they told me that they charge only 30 dollars to replace that sensor. So if you have same problems you might have bad MAF sensor, but if you feel like the engine is shaking and car does not accelerate very well then it might be bad coil. I had to replace 2 about 1 year ago. Another issue with this model is that sometimes when you turn the car on the speedometer, fuel gage, odometer, oil temp gage do not work I read that it is a problem with wires somewhere  close to a shock absorber if anyone has any suggestions please post.  

No stalling yet on my 2000 Maxima - it has 103000 miles and runs great and of course, the service light is on. But my question/problem - at anywhere over 30mph it sounds like it is running with a dry rear end - which of course with front wheel drive, it isn't. But very noisy. Is there a problem here?  

I have a 2000 maxima, while driving around the car stop pulling, as if it is in neutral. I can then cut it off and wait about
15 minutes or half hour and it will pull again. It will run fine for two or three hours and start over again. The car has
a lot of codes and random misfires.  

sometimes something simple like plugs & wires don't believe the 100k 'service tune-up' may desperately need alot sooner. my biggest note on those MAF sensors go to a reputable junk or used part dealer & get one for less than half the new price & go to your local garage to reprogram. WE ALL GOTTA PROTEST CONGRESS OR AUTO GIANTS GIVE US MORE CHOICES OR JUST GO BACK TO 60'S & 70'S CARS. I'VE HAD JUNKS FOR 35YRS.  

Cleaned the egr tube to the intake and replaced the egr first. then cleaned the IACV. had a code for the front heated 02 sensor replaced that and ran a lot better, actually perfect for a day. then stalling at stops and poor acceleration. not nearly as bad as before but not acceptable. leaning towards fuel pump, as it stumbles with the brake on (under load) in drive or reverse with a little gas to it. It also falls on its face after going 55-60, decelerating and trying to accelerate at 1500 to 2000 rps at 0-30 mph. Also there is a fuel pump control module, after running it for an hour on the road i felt the module and it was extremely hot, could this be from the pump working too hard, like its on its way out? Any input is appreciated.
Ive replaced egr valve, cleaned tube from egr to intake, cleaned intake, took off and cleaned IACV, replaced front 02 sensor, and I have a stumble at 1000 to 2500 rpms on load in 3rd gear when accelerating mildly to conserve gas. this occurs when DECELERATING from 55 to 25 mph and then accelerating in third gear under load. Leaning towards fuel pressure. Could be fuel pressure regulater not responding to low vaccum upon low rpms.Or could be low volume. If I kick it down it accelerates fine. It also hesitates or stumbles lightly at a steady 55 mph. please help any info  or input is appreciated.  

I have 2000 Nissan Maxima, and went to Morris Nissan Charleston SC and have them checked out my car for any problems, after they have checked out they found few problems including ECM. I never had any problems with my car until Morris Nissan checked out my car, my car started driving weird and transmission started shifting weird, even though I have changed both axles, 2 catalytic converters and oxygen sensor. The salesman's name was John.
where can I can get help?  

Thanks to all who have posted on this topic. I had the same problem on my 2000 maxima as most, SES light, no power above 3500 rpm. Auto zone said it was a code P0171. Possible low fuel pressure/Blocked injectors/large vacuum leak/MAF sensor fault.
Cleaned the MAF sensor with the recommended spray and disconnected the battery and after a few cycles the car ran better than it has in some time with no SES light on. Took it for my New York St. inspection and it failed because the OBD status was not ready for the Catalyst, Evaporative system and Oxygen sensor. Apparently I had not driven enough miles and/or restarts for the computer to reset.
Made a few stops on the way home and now the SES light is back on. I'm baffled because the car runs great with plenty of power and I had thought that it was my transmission that was slipping. Need to get this light out and computer ready to pass inspection.
Anybody have any more suggestions that might solve my problem?
TIA  

MAF= MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR, this is the sensor
the engine's computer (ECM) uses to calculate
the load on the engine, by measuring the volume
of air passing by the MAF. Many performance issues
are very likely due to a faulty MAF. You would think the ECM would know by throttle position and
it does use that as an input. But with an erroneous signal from the MAF the ECM does not have the input needed to calculate the injector 'on time' or amount of gas sprayed into the intake. I simply changed the air filter on my fathers older Nissan and that was enough to kill the MAF. In regards to Nissan Flashing the ECM for the new MAF, they either #1 knew the MAF's were junk and completely redesigned them and had to change the ECM's allowable specifications. #2 are just ripping people off or #3 flashed the ECM with a new default 'MAP' that allows the ECM to use other inputs to calculate load to prevent, the very common "hits a wall at 3,500 RPM". I will replace the MAF and see if that in it self is all that's needed. K&N filters most definitely can effect and or damage the MAF, as most of them use heated wires that are cooled by the passing air and the temp drop is how the ECM calculates air flow, if the wires are coated with oil you can imagine how this would effect the reading...
In Nissan's defense many manufacturers MAFS go bad.  

check your rear tires for abnormal wear or you may have a faulty wheel bearing.
this if for the person complaining of a loud noise while driving from rear end  

Took my MAF out again and cleaned it drove like a champ again even after the ses light came back on, after a few stops it now runs worse than ever... no power bulking, hesitating, rough idle. Trying to pin point the problem before spending the $$$ I'm not working right now. After reading through posts I have to ask if I disconnect the MAF harness and the car runs all right then is the MAF that is definitely bad???

Thanks to all who take the time to post here. I didn't even know what a MAF was 3 days ago!!  

I too am totally ticked off about my 2002 Altima - Last replaced Catalytic converter 6 months ago - paid for by me - and now the bad news again! I need to replace it again! After $100s of dollars of oil purchased to keep my car running for over a year, and a whole lot of other problems too, I am TOTALLY FED UP! The young customer service rep at Nissan Canada might well be a robot and a very unhelpful one at that! PLEASE include me in a class action suit! Never another Nissan!!  

new to this site.  How do you post a question for the forum?  

I HAVE A 2000 MAXIMA THAT IS EXPERIENCING STALLING PROBLEMS BUT NOT ALL THE TIME.  WHEN COMING OFF THE HIGHWAY OR SOMETIMES APPROACHING A STOPLIGHT THE CAR WILL STALL WHEN THE CLUTCH IS PUSHED IN.  WAS TOLD IT COULD BE A DIRTY THROTTLE BODY OR AIR IDLE CONTROL?  ANY THOUGHTS ON HOW TO FIND THE PROBLEM OR HAVE A SOLUTION?  THERE SEEM TO BE SEVERAL PEOPLE WITH 2000 MAXIMA PROBLEMS OUT THERE.  

2000 Maxima, 136,000 miles, 5sp manual, St Petersburg, Florida

Bought this car 3 weeks ago from frustrated owner who apparently didn't know about this forum--the car ran like crap (the famous 3500 rpm performance limit) and he couldn't find a reputable mechanic that didn't want to sell him a new battery, starter, catalytic converter, O2 sensors, fuel filter, fuel pump, etc. etc.

The answer to this  performance problem for EVERYONE is NEW MAF and none of the other stuff.  Brand new NISSAN brand MAF cost me $94 (incl tax)from my local CarQuest Auto parts store.  (NOTE: this was new in NISSAN BOX not some bogus reman from Autozone for $200.)  This is a piece-o-cake install for even a novice mechanic--a long extension on your 10mm socket will help greatly.  

The car ran perfectly immediately after installation although the SES light was on.  So I didn't feel bad about parting with $116 to have the "special ECM reprogramming" performed by my local dealer.  (Based on what I've been reading, I think the new ECM program, although not essential, will not only clear the SES but make it less likely that future MAF issues will be ignored in lieu of "bad O2", "bad IACC" etc problems. Bite the bullet and do it!

Honest, I didn't know how fast a Maxima is until I jumped on it with the new MAF and reprogram.  Instant smoking tires, rev-limiting red line hit in seconds and full-pull through all other gears.  Will go for TSR (Top Speed Record) after I get some new tires that I trust and I inspect the undercarriage more thoroughly--it's first 106K miles were in Mass, the last 30K here in Florida, so it's a little rusty.