An exasperated Nissan driver was stunned to see her car’s check engine light come on—after just 18,000 miles. Brooke (@j..brooke..81) vented her frustrations over the problems she’s experiencing with her 2023 Maxima in a viral TikTok. Her clip accrued over 24,000 views along with hundreds of comments.
Scores of users on the app shared their current disdain for the auto manufacturer.
“No, my check engine light’s on,” Brooke says in the video. She then repeats this bit of information, but this time she expresses her incredulity. “18,000 miles and my check engine light’s on.”
At this point in the clip she looks toward the camera, resting her hand beneath her chin. “I can’t even make this [expletive] up, y’all. I’m literally gonna cry. What the [expletive],” she rants.
Next, she explains that the engine light came on just as she arrived at the store.
Following this, Brooke begins to explain the situation to her viewers.
“So we’re leaving O’Reilly’s, right? Because I had to come, I got the check engine light on. 18,000 miles now,” she says. “So they hooked it up, it is an idle speed control system.”
According to the TikToker, the O’Reilly’s employee indicated the issue isn’t something that could be addressed with a parts swap. Instead, it’s a problem that only the auto manufacturer can solve. “He said that’s not a part, that’s gotta go back to Nissan,” she says.
Frustrations fly
Next, Brooke begins to shake the paper in front of her until it flies out of her hands while she yelps. However, she looks down at her phone in what appears to be a text conversation with another automotive expert.
“Here’s Matt: probably a faulty sensor, most likely. Seen that a few times in Altimas,” the TikToker says, exasperated.
After tossing her phone to the side she explains that her car isn’t an Altima, but a Nissan Maxima. As she does this, she begins to pull out of the O’Reilly’s parking lot. “My God, shoot me now, please. Shoot this car!” she says.
The person recording informs Brooke that she’s “crashing out” as she continues to malign the vehicle.
“I’m about to crash out, seriously. I’m about to lose my mind,” she says.
The person recording adds, “Pray to the Lord to the Devil, whatever, you pray to. Just make sure that one of us don’t go to [expletive] jail tonight. ‘Cause we gonna have to bail the other one out.”
Brooke corroborates this statement by asserting, “Facts!”
Nissan’s misfortune
Brooke isn’t the only person who’s maligned the Japanese auto manufacturer on social media. The Daily Dot has previously reported on an auto enthusiast’s trip to a Nissan dealership. During their visit, the car-centric influencer was astounded to see 2023 and 2024 Nissan vehicles that still haven’t been sold on lots.
Furthermore, another TikTok user expressed concerns over the state of Nissan/Infiniti’s model lineup. According to them, the brand is “cooked” as there are throngs of unsold inventory on dealership lots.
Automotive Manufacturing Solutions wrote that Nissan has cut a myriad of jobs at the company. However, “despite aggressive restructuring, Nissan’s outlook remains grim.” MarkterScreener adds the automaker is set to report a $519 million loss at the end of 2024’s fiscal year.
Why the downfall?
How did the well-known JDM brand find itself in such dire straits? Furthermore, one December 2024 report stated the company only has “12 months to survive.” Several contributing factors could explain why Nissan’s fallen out of favor with consumers.
Many of these are discussed in this Quora post titled, “Why shouldn’t you buy a Nissan?” One commenter stated that consumers have become wary brand’s CVT transmissions for purportedly being prone to failure. Additionally, the Daily Dot also reported on a mechanic who echoed this sentiment in a social media post. While working to fix a Nissan CVT transmission, they urged consumers to stay away from the brand.
Moreover, numerous automotive outlets have stated Nissan’s lack of hybrid offerings in the US has hurt sales. Both The Autopian and Motor1 have reported as such. Even Nissan’s CEO, Makota Uchida, has attributed its hybrid-less fleet to the company’s demise.
Additionally, there’s a question of long-term value to consider. MotorTrend writes that Nissan’s resale value is an “underwhelming 45.6 percent” after just five years. Compared to Toyota’s 69.31% during the same time frame, and it’s no wonder shoppers are looking elsewhere. According to Car Edge, there are 13 other brands with higher average resale prices than Nissan.
Viewers are critical of Nissan
Numerous folks who replied to Brooke’s video also shared their own unfavorable thoughts toward Nissan vehicles. “I will never buy a Nissan after this one of yours,” one penned.
“Trade it in, get a Toyota,” someone else urged the influencer.
One person said their recently purchased Nissan experienced a litany of recalls. “Girl I feel you I just got mine back from the shop and it had 5 RECALLS!” they said.
Several people urged her to avoid the brand at all costs. “Please get out of that Nissan. Get a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord,” this user penned.
However, another said they were happy with their Nissan Maxima: “Not me in my 2016 maxima platinum with 135000 with no issues.”
Brooke also stated that her prior experience with Nissan cars were nothing but pleasant. It’s just this current model that’s been giving her problems. “I have never had any issues with my 2016 or 2021. But this 2023 is driving me insane,” she wrote.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Nissan and O’Reilly’s via email and Brooke via TikTok comment for further information.
@j..brooke..81 The nightmare that keeps giving!!! #nissan #maxima #carproblems @Hayden Moore ♬ original sound – Brooke
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