2003 NISSAN 350Z Complaints

TIRES ARE FEATHERING BADLY. DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER TRIED FIXING IT. NISSAN TRIED AVOIDING RECALL ON IT, BUT TOLD SERVICE CENTERS TO CHANGE TIRES AT NO COST. RIDICULOUS AND UNSAFE. WAS TOLD TO BE AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. EVERYONE EXCEPT THE COMPANY SEEMS TO NOTICE. 2003 350Z. NISSAN MADE ITS WARRANTY ON THE TIRES TO 24,000 AND OUR SERVICE IS TILL ABOUT 36000 MILES. THEY ARE JUST WAITING IT OUT UNTIL IT BECOMES THE PEOPLES PROBLEM. IS ANYBODY LISTENING?*AK

MY 2003 350Z'S TIRES WERE REPLACED BY THE DEALER AT 16,000 MILES. I RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM RIGHT BEFORE THE RECALL. NOW AT 27,000 MILES I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE BACK TIRES/ALIGNMENT. I'VE BEEN TOLD BY THE CONTRACTED TIRE DEALER WHICH MY NISSAN DEALER SENDS IT'S WORK TO THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE ALIGNMENT ON THE 2003 MODEL AND THE PROBLEM HAS SINCE BEEN CORRECTED ON THE 2004 MODEL. I'M TOLD THAT TO AVOID THE IMPROPER WEAR ON THE TIRES (CUPPING) THAT I SHOULD HAVE THE ALIGNMENT CHECKED EVERY 3-6 MONTHS. I WAS TOLD THAT OTHER THAN THE TIRE NOISE(WHICH WHEN NOTICEABLE MEANS SERIOUS IMPROPER WEAR), ANOTHER WAY TO TELL THAT THIS CUPPING IS HAPPENING IS TO PUT THE CAR UP ON THE RACK. ALSO, THE CAR STARTS TO HAVE TRACTION/HANDLING PROBLEMS. THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE SEEN IN A VISUAL CHECK WHEN THE CAR IS ON THE GROUND. I CALLED THE NISSAN HEADQUARTERS AND FILED A COMPLAINT, BUT WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. AT 27,000 MILES I GOT THE REAR ALIGNED AND HAD TO PURCHASE TWO NEW REAR TIRES. THERE IS SO OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM THAT NISSAN IS CHOOSING TO IGNORE. *JB

JAN 03 THE BRAKES WOULD SQUEAL LOUDLY WHEN BRAKING IN COLD WEATHER. THE TWO FRONT TIRES CONTINUALLY LOST AIR AND NEEDED TO BE REFILLED EVERY 3-4 WEEKS. UPON DEALER INSPECTION, NOTHING WAS FOUND WRONG. UPON RECALL NOTICE OF THE GROWLING OF THE TIRES (AROUND APRIL 04) THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE TWO FRONT TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE BROUGHT BACK TWICE DUE TO THE ALIGNMENT BEING DONE INCORRECTLY (STEERING WHEEL WAS CROOKED AND SLIP & VDC OFF LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED).SINCE THE TIRE REPLACEMENT, THE TWO NEW FRONT TIRES STILL LOSE AIR AND NEED TO BE FILLED UP EVERY 2-3 WEEKS NOW. THE TIRES OCCASIONALLY SQUEAL LOUDLY WHEN BRAKING. DEC 04 THE DASHBOARD WAS LIT UP WITH THE FOLLOWING WARNING LIGHTS:1. BRAKES 2. VDC OFF 3. SLIP UPON TOWING THE VEHICLE INTO NISSAN (BECAUSE THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE WENT MYSTERIOUSLY FLAT AGAIN), NISSAN DEALER HAS ADVISED THAT THE FRONT BRAKE PADS ARE WORN THROUGH TO LESS THAN 10% AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. THEY ALSO REPORTED THE FRONT TIRES HAD NO HOLES AND THE TIRE BEADING WAS FINE. THEY SUGGESTED THE TIRES GO LOW AND THE WARNING INDICATOR SOUNDS BECAUSE IT IS A SENSITIVE CAR. IT IS MY PERSONAL THEORY THAT THE VEHICLE HAS A DESIGN FLAW WITHIN THE SUSPENSION AND THE VEHICLE IS ALSO PLACING TOO MUCH WEIGHT AND PRESSURE ON THE FRONT TIRES WHICH HAS CAUSED: 1. GROWLING 2. FRONT TIRES TO LOSE AIR 3. BRAKES TO WEAR UNREASONABLY FAST 4. SQUEALING WHEN BRAKING. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN SATISFACTORY IN THEIR RESPONSES OR SUGGESTIONS. THE VEHICLE IS IN THE DEALER NOW; I REQUESTED THEY GIVE ME THE WORN BRAKE PADS WHEN I PICK UP THE CAR. *JB

DRIVER SIDE WHEEL CHASSIS BROKE WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVE AT 3 MPH. THERE WAS NO STEERING, AND THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO STRIKE A FENCE. VEHICLE IS STILL NOT DRIVABLE, AND THE MANUFACTURER OFFERS NO ASSISTANCE.*AK

I OWN A 2003 NISSAN 350Z MY TWO FRONT TIRES HAVE BEEN ON ORDER SINCE 7-2-04 ITS A RECALL I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING FROM NISSAN AS OF YET. *JB

PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2003 350Z CLUTCH BLEW AT 9000 MILES 11000 MILES LATER CLUTCH GO'S AGAIN THIS IS NOT JUST THE CLUTCH ITS THE TRANSMISSION WHICH MAKES THIS A HORRIBLE PROBLEM WHICH MEANS THIS IS PROBALLY A LEMON I RECOMMEND NO 1 TO PURCHASE A 350Z MANUAL U MUST GET AUTOMATIC

THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. WHEN DRIVING IN 5TH GEAR, HE WAS UNABLE TO CHANGE GEARS. APPROXIMATELY 500 MILES AGO, THE VEHICLES THIRD GEAR BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING. *JB

MY 2003 NISSAN 350Z HAS EXPERIENCED TIRE/FEATHERING ON BOTH FRONT TIRES. NISSAN REPLACED BOTH @ 17,000 MILES AT NO CHARGE TO ME. THEN @ 12,000 MILES ON 2ND SET, SAME PROBLEM EXISTS. NISSAN SAYS THEY WILL REPLACE, BUT THE DEALER SAYS TIRES ARE ON BACK-ORDER TILL APRIL 2005. THEY OFFERED NO "BUY BACK", OR LOANER. I COULD NOT WAIT TILL APRIL 2005, SO I TRADED THE 350Z. I TRADED BECAUSE AFTER MY WARRANTY PERIOD WAS TO EXPIRE @ 36,000 MILES, I WOULD HAVE HAD TO PAY APPROXIMATELY $600.00 PER SET TO REPLACE AT 10,000 TO 12,000 MILES. THE FEATHERING OF THE TIRES MADE FOR VERY LITTLE TRACTION, ESPECIALLY DURING RAINY CONDITIONS. I ALSO TOOK QUITE A HIT (TRADE-IN WAS $6,000 LESS THAN KELLY BLUE BOOK). NISSAN SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SELLING ME A LEMON>*AK

I OWN A 2003 350Z NISSAN. I AM ON MY THIRD SET OF FRONT TIRES IN 24,000 MILES. THIS CAR IS DEFECTIVE AND IS PART OF A WIDESPREAD NISSAN PROBLEM. VISIT WWW.NISSANTIREPROBLEMS.COM OR THE TIRE FORUM IN WWW.MY350Z.COM AND YOU WILL SEE THAT THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW THAT NISSAN CHOOSES TO IGNORE.*AK

MY FRONT TIRES WERE REPLACED ON MY NISSAN 350Z AFTER ONLY AFTER 18000 MILES, WITH A REALIGNMENT AFTER NISSAN RECOMMENDED IN THE BULLETIN RELEASE RELEASED THIS YEAR. NOW AFTER 33000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE I AM HAVING TO REPLACE ONCE AGAIN THE FRONT TIRES ON MY VEHICLE DUE TO IMPROPER WEAR ON THE TIRES, THE SAME AS WHAT HAPPENED AT THE 18000 MILE REPLACEMENT TIME. OBVIOUSLY THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH 350Z FRONT ALIGNMENT. IS THERE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST NISSAN FOR DEFECT OF THE FRONT ALIGNMENT, AS I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE THIS IS HAPPENING TO, AND HOW TO I GO ABOUT JOINING THE LAWSUIT?*AK