Hi, Chris,
I was suffering with the same problem for awhile on my 2000 Maxima,
until I figured out that there are radio signals all over the place that
sometimes can interfere with the frequency of the remote, requiring you
to be closer to the car than you'd think was 'normal.' There's one spot
in particular where I park my car, and when there, I need to be
literally on top of the car to open it with the remote. I noticed an
array of microwave and cell antennas near the lot, and just to test my
theory, I parked right under the towers, and the remote didn't work. The
further away from the towers I got, the further away from the car the
remote worked.
Z