2004 NISSAN 350Z Complaints

I WAS DRIVING ON THE EXPRESS WAY A MOTORCYCLE AHEAD OF ME APPLIED HIS BRAKES I FOLLOWED SUIT. THE 350Z ROADSTER BEGAN TO SWERVE AND SPIN UNCONTROLLABLY AND STOPPED AFTER I HIT THE SID RAIL RESULTING IN MOTORCYCLIST AND MYSELF GOING TO HOSPITAL THE ISSUES WITH THE TIRES ON THE 350Z ARE WELL KNOWN BY CONSUMERS, NISSAN, AND THEIR DEALERSHIPS. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR ON AT LEAST THREE OCCASIONS TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR EXAMINATION AND POSSIBLE REPAIRS BUT THE TIRE DEFECT AND HANDLING REMAIN. THIS IS UNFORTUNATE SINCE THEY HAVE TRIED TO UNSUCCESFULLY FIX THE ISSUE ON OTHER MODEL YEARS OF THIS VEHICLE

OEM TIRES (BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE040) ON MY NISSAN 350Z STARTED FEATHERING ON THE INSIDE OF BOTH FRONT TIRES AROUND 6000 MILES. NOTICED THE SOUND HAD GOTTEN MORE NOTICABLE AROUND 11000 MILES. TOOK VEHICLE INTO NISSAN AT 12548 MILES AND WAS TOLD THAT NISSAN HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT END ON THE 2003 MODEL, BUT THAT IT HAD BEEN CORRECTED. HEARD FROM ANOTHER SOURCE THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL 2004 350Z CARS THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM.

I HAVE A 2004 350Z ROADSTER WITH THE FEATHERING PROBLEM. AT FIRST, IT APPEARS TO BE A BREAK PROBLEM. THE NISSAN DEALER DID NOT COVER THIS UNDER WARRENTY EVEN THOUGH IT IS COVERED UNTIL 12,000 MILES. THE STATED THAT. " THE RIGHT FRONT MAY BE DAMAGED AND THAT I NEEDED TO TAKE IT TO A BODY SHOP AND HAVE THE FRAME BENT". I TOOK IT TO A TIRE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. MY FRONT TIRES WERE REPLACED AND A FRONT END ALIGNMENT DONE AT 11,000 MILES. ONLY SIX MONTHS LATER AT 16,500 THE NOISE IS STILL THERE. I TOOK IT TO A DIFFERERENT NISSAN DEALER AND THEY STATED THE ALIGNMENT WAS WAYYYY OFF. THEY DID A 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT. I WAS AGAIN CHARGED $70.00. I CALLED NISSAN NORTHAMERICA AND ALTHOUGHT THEY WERE RESPONSIVE AND TALKED TO THE DEALER...... THEY ( NISSAN ) CALM THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE 2004. I TOOK THE CAR BACK A WEEK LATER STATING THAT IT PULLED TO THE RIGHT A LITTLE ( THERE IS A TSB ON THIS ). THE DEALER SAID IT WAS DO THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE. HMM THEY JUST HAD IT IN LAST WEEK AND THIS WEEK THE TIRES ARE ALREADY LOW? THE CHECKED THE ALIGNMENT AND STATED IT WAS OK. THE CAR DRIVES OK... BUT THE NOISE IS STILL THERE ESPECIALLY AT 20 TO 30 WHEN BREAKING. ONLY TIME WILL TELL BUT I AM NOT SATISFIED NISSAN IS DOING WHAT IS NEEDED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. TIRES DON'T WEAR OUT WITH 11,000 MILES.

AT APPROXIMATELY 8,000 MILES, THE CAR STARTED GROWLING AND VIBRATING DURING BREAKING. THE NISSAN SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT THE ALIGNMENT HAD NOT BEEN SET CORRECTLY AT THE FACTORY. THE ALIGNMENT WAS SET CORRECTLY AND I WAS GIVEN 4 NEW TIRES SINCE THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THE NISSAN SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT THIS HAD BEEN AS ISSUE WITH THE 2003 350Z AS WELL. NISSAN HAD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 3 YEARS OR 36,000 MILES FOR THE 2003 MODELS. AT APPROXIMATELY 15,000 MILES THE CAR ONCE AGAIN STARTED TO GROWL AND VIBRATE DURING BREAKING. THE CAR WAS TAKEN INTO NISSAN FOR SERVICE. THE NISSAN SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT THE TIRES ARE STARTING TO CUP. THE NISSAN SERVICE MANAGER HAD THE ALIGNMENT CHECKED AND IT IS STILL SET CORRECTLY. THE NISSAN SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT SHE HAD CALLED NISSAN AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY WOULD DO SINCE THE CAR WAS PAST THE 12,000 WARRANTY RESTRICTION - EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD REALIGNED THE CAR AND REPLACED ALL THE TIRES AT 8,000 MILES. THE ONLY ACTION THAT COULD BE TAKEN TO SLOW DOWN THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TIRES, SINCE THE FRONT TIRES ARE A DIFFERENT SIZE THAN THE BACK TIRES, IS TO SWITCH POSITION OF THE TWO FRONT TIRES AS WELL AS THE TWO BACK TIRES. PLEASE NOTE THAT DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM - IT ONLY DELAYS THE PROBLEM.

NISSAN 350Z VIN [XXX] AT APPROX. 7700 MILES CAR DISPLAYED ROARING NOISE WHEN BRAKED. NOISE BECAME LOUDER AND CONSISTENT AT LOW SPEED AS MILEAGE INCREASED. DEALER (TROY NISSAN IN TROT, AL.) SHOWED ME CUPPING/UNEVEN WEAR ON INSIDE OF FRONT TIRES. AS PREVIOUS OWNER OF 2003 NISSAN 350Z, I RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM. REPEATED CALLS TO NISSAN CORPORATE MET WITH RESPONSE THAT NISSAN DOES NOT ADMIT PROBLEM EXISTS IN 2004 MODEL AND REFUSES TO REPLACE TIRES AS THE WAS THE PRACTICE WITH 2003 MODEL. BELIEVE THIS WILL CONSTITUTE SAFETY HAZARD AS THESE CARS GET OLDER AND THAT NISSAN MUST STEP UP TO THE PROBLEM. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I HAVE TAKEN MY 2004 350Z INTO THE IRVINE NISSAN DEALERSHIP TWICE ABOUT THE FRONT TIRE NOISE MAKING GROWLING SOUNDS. THE WORK REPORT ONLY LISTS THAT THERE IS TIRE WARE, BUT NO MENTION OF MY COMPLAINT ABOUT THE TIRES. DOCUMENTED OIL CHANGE, TIRE WEAR, AND SUGGEST ALLIGNMENT (BUT WOULD CHARGE ME FOR IT). TOOK THE CAR IN A SECOND TIME, AND DESCRIBBED THE ISSUE AGAIN. THEY REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE TIRES AS AN ISSUE ON 2004 VEHICLES, AND STATED ON THE VEHICLE WORK ORDER ORDER THAT THEY ADVISED ME ABOUT THE TSB FOR 2003, AND THE CONDITION DOES NOT EXIST ON 2004. ARGUED WITH THE MANAGER WHO SAYS THEY TOOK THE CAR FOR A DRIVE TO TEST THE NOISE, BUT WOULD STILL NOT DO ANYTHING. MANAGER HUNG UP ON ME. THE VEHICLE STILL HAS THE NOISE.

AT THE 15K SERVICE THE SERVICE ASSOCIATE NOTED SOME FRONT TIRE WEAR, AND SAID THAT AT THE NEXT SERVICE 18K, THAT I WOULD NEED A FRONT END ALIGNEMENT. AT THE 18K SERVICE THE SERVICE ASSOCIATED SAIT THAT THE TIRES WERE NO LONGER SERVICABLE AND THAT I WOULD NEED $600 OF TIRES AND AN ALIGNMENT. AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM, I FOUND THAT NISSAN HAS ADMITTED TO A SIMILAR PROBLEM ON THE 2003 MODELS, AND THAT THEY ARE REPLACING TIRES AND EXTENDING THE WARRENTY TO THREE YEARS. NISSAN HAS NOT OFFICIALLY DONE THIS FOR THE 2004 MODELS. I TOLD THIS TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AND THEY TRIED TO MAKE IT RIGHT AND OFFERED TO PAY FOR THE ALIGNMENT AND ONE TIRE. I SETTLED FOR THIS, BUT I HOPE NISSAN RESOGNIZES THIS DEFECT AND MAKES IT RIGHT BY ISSUING A RECALL OR EXTENDED WARRENTY ON THE 2004 MODELS AS WELL AS THE CURRENT EXTENSIONS ON THE 2003'S.

1. PURCHASED 2004 NISSAN 350Z MARCH 2004. BY SEPTEMBER 2004 AND WITH ONLY 9,000 MILES, THE CAR WAS EXPERIENCING A LOUD GRINDING SOUND UPON APPLICATION OF THE BRAKE. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THIS WAS A SUSPENSION PROBLEM CAUSING THE TIRES TO CUP OR FEATHER AND WEAR PREMATURELY. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP REPLACED BOTH FRONT TIRES AND DID AN ALIGNMENT. I WAS TOLD THE 2003 MODEL 350Z HAD THIS PROBLEM BUT THAT IT HAD BEEN REMEDIED. OBVIOUSLY THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED PROPERLY AS THE SAME PROBLEM CONTINUES WITH THE 2004 MODEL. MY CAR NOW HAS ONLY 18,000 MILES WITH ONLY 9,000 OF THOSE MILES ON MY NEW FRONT TIRES, AND THE SAME PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED. CUSTOMER SERVICE WITH NISSAN'S 800 NUMBER SAYS MY CAR IS BEYOND THE 12 MONTH/12,000 MILE WARRANTY AND THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING. WHAT SHOULD MY NEXT STEP BE?

I PURCHASED A 2004 NISSAN 350Z IN AUGUST OF 2003. AFTER ABOUT 24000 MILES I COMPLAINED OF EXCESSIVE ROAD NOISE COMMING FOR THE TIRES. I WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE FRONT TIRE WERE CUPPING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS SEEMS TO BE A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR AND NISSAN ACKNOWLEDGED IT ON THEIR 2003 MODEL BUT CONTINUES TO IGNORE IT ON THEIR 2004 MODEL CLAINING THAT IT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED ALTHOUGH THEY ARE NOT CLEAR ON HOW THEY ADDRESSED IT. I FEAR THAT THIS PROBLEM IF NOT ADDRESSED BY NISSAN WILL RESULT IN AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT FOR SOMEONE UNAWARE OF THE PROBLEM. IT IS SUPRISING TO ME THAT AUTO MANUFACTURERS ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO DISCLOSE THESE KIND OF KNOWN ISSUES WITH THEIR PRODUCTS. IT SEEMS THAT THE DEALERS ARE NOTIFIED BUT NOT THE CONSUMERS WHO HAVE BOUGHT THEIR PRODUCTS.*AK

WHEN REFUELING WITH TANK LESS THAN HALF FULL THE AUTOMATIC STOP MECHANISM OF THE NOZZLE IS TRIGGERED. I MUST WAIT 20-30 SECONDS, THEN I CAN COMPLETE REFUELING PROCESS. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I FILL UP THE CAR.*AK