I have never owned a Japanese car before.

With respect to the -Z-, I got less than I expected. I thought it would be of higher quality.

It is a car that is easy to like....at lunch today a bank teller said, "I like your car."

I (we) get so many of those nice compliments that it tends to compensate for some of the unfortunate shortcomings.

 

1 2 7 10 are normal.

 

On my 2004.5 model, I've experienced many of the issues you've stated. Here's how I handled them:

#2 I was having this same problem. My friend (who is a hardcore car enthusiast) noted the same thing, as well as my girlfriend. I'm finding that it's caused by the extremely soft engine mounts in the Z. There is a very large amount of movement allowed by these mounts, and this affects your perception of when you *think* the clutch is engaged and when it actually is. I installed an engine torque damper (mine is a Stillen piece), and it improved the clutch action *dramatically*. I can make a smooth start every time now. It is much, much better. It helped so much I'm now also considering having some Delrin engine mounts made to replace the soft, fluid-filled oem pieces. Would transmit more vibration to the cabin, but I can only imagine how much more positive the driveline would react.

#3 No solution for this. My car isn't bad, but there are one or two rattles inside the dash somewhere that I just can't pinpoint. Can't hear them with the music turned up, but sometimes you just don't want to blast the stereo.

#8 Yup. The Z has a surprising amount of understeer from the factory. I installed an aftermarket set of swaybars and this helped a lot. The car still isn't quite where I want it to be, but it is much better and more tossable with the stiffer sway bars. Perhaps in the future I might try some different springs and shocks, too.

#10 The tranny is probably one of the most complained-about items on the Z. Very notchy, and often very hard to shift, especially when cold. In the future I'll probably try some different tranny fluids to see if they help. As far as noise, upgrade to a single-mass, lightened flywheel and you'll be missing the nice, quiet stock unit! My JWT flywheel is great and tons of fun, but it sure makes a lot of noise at low rpms!

Over all, the Z is tons of fun and I'm happy with mine. Just needs a few tweaks here and there to make it perfect for each person's particular tastes.

 

I have an '05 Enthusiast.

I wax it real nice and drive it real hard =)

No problems for me =)

 

I have never heard so much whining in my life.

 

Yes, you have. In fact, I can almost guarantee you (and anyone else who actually hangs out with human beings) have heard far, far more than this on numerous occasions.

I grow so tired of people who get on these forums with the sole intention of putting people down and not helping. People usually come to these types of forums to get help, assistance, information, etc. If you consider people asking for assistance to be whining, then just skip those threads.

 

Right On!!! I fully agree.

 

You have too much faith in humanity. I don't know who you hang out with, but I do not hear that much whining. People hate whiners.

Why come to the forum and make a post about your car if it has as many "defects" as his car? What point does it serve? If he was truly interested in fixing the problems, he would have worded his post differently.

Example: I have a rattle coming from the rear of my car. Has anyone else had this problem? What was your fix?

You obviously did not read his original post. If you did, then you would have seen that he did not, in fact, ask for a solution to a problem. He is whining about the transmission, miscellaneous rattles, gap tolerances, etc.

He has another thread where he is whining about drivers in southern Orange County.

Word choice and structure can change "whiney" post into a constructive post.

 

Hmmm, let's see, I think the post started with "Some observations" I did not say ALL Z's are like mine, nor did I say "Please help, I have all these problems." If you don't like my posts don't read it. No one is forcing you to read this post.

Apparantly, you need to follow all of my recent posts closely, to give your 2 cents on how you disapprove of my OPINIONS. Thanks mom.

Gee, I did not know I have offended the forum Volcano! Quick let us sacrifice more subjects into the volcano before it blows!

 

This sucks, im planning on getting a Z in February (when my Celica's lease ends), but ive read so many defects from the Z that makes me not want one. Then again there arent many other cars in its class that i would want.

 

BaTMan_4, do not let the original post scare you. Unfortunately, it sounds like he bought what used to be called a "Monday/Friday" car. I have an 05 Enthusiast Z with 1,800 miles on it. I'll tell you my experience in regard to his observations:

1&2) Tranny and clutch: No issues with tranny or shifting. Sometimes shifting from 1-2 is a little hard when the car is cold, but this is true of a lot of cars I've driven. He is correct about the "soft" first few inches of clutch, but it's really no biggie-- just takes some getting used to. Actually I've found that I can shift wi/o grinding if I just push the clutch in those few inches. Less of a workout in stop/go driving.

3) Rattles. I'm surprised to hear about DBZ's rattles. My Z feels very "solid". Going over bumps, I don't hear anything rattling (but then again I'm used to driving an Eclipse ). Occasionally I'll hear a minor rattle while cruising depending on the speed and road condition, but it's not loud enough or doesn't last long enough to bother me. Keep in mind that a 2-seater does not isolate you from the rear wheel well - you're going to hear noises from back there. The only repeatable noise is from the seatbelt rubbing the seat at my left shoulder. Pretty minor.

4) A-pillar paint. No opinion. Looks fine to me.

5) Gaps seem fine on my Z.

6) Frayed seatbelt? I'd have that repaired under warranty. Not normal.

7) Alignment/Drifting. My Z doesn't seem to drift much if at all. DBZ should have it checked out.

8) Power. This is subjective. There's never enough, is there? Before I broke the Z in, I thought my turbo Eclipse was slightly quicker. Now that I've found the right-foot floorboard, I know this isn't true. Sure, it could be a little quicker but I'm happy with the power nonetheless.

9) Wiper. No problems.

My biggest complaint is with the seats. No lumbar support. Makes it somewhat uncomfortable to drive (for me). I've installed a bladder type support in the seat and this seems to help quite a bit. Very happy with my Z.

- John

 

The Z really doesn't have any more defects than most other cars when you get down to it. There are just little things here and there that some people are more sensitive to than others. Take the tranny, for example. Sure, it's fairly clunky and not smooth, but mine has never failed to work. I've never been locked out of a gear or anything. The 2003 models had the most serious problems, but even then Nissan fixed them under warranty with updated trannies.

One of the issues with car forums in general is that you mostly hear from people regarding their problems, but not the good stuff. People drive their cars for weeks and weeks and enjoy them tremendously, but they normally don't post just to say that. They wait until they have a problem to make a post.

 

I agree with Z4ME2's post above. The car is really great, with only a few little nags here and there. No biggies.

Z4ME2, regarding rattles: wait until you get some more miles on the car. Initially I had no rattles at all, but after about 10k miles, I have one. Just one, mind you, and it's not a major deal and only happens at certain rpm or on certain types of road, but it's there. Of course, it might be my fault since I installed an aftermarket screen and headunit, and that involves removing that whole center console piece. Removing those pieces and doing work can often result in some rattles down the road. This has been true of every car I've ever owned, though, including my Audi A4. My Audi, which had an incredibly fantastic interior quality, had a few small rattles/squeaks after 50k miles. I think it's just a fact of life in most cars, especially those with stiff suspensions.

 

He posted a list of issues, and I posted what I've done to alleviate a few of them. What's wrong with that? I was just trying to help. I apologize if that upset you in some way.

Regarding the phrasing... who cares? Different people post in different ways. Sure, he might not have *explicitly* asked for help, but so what? When I first read his original post, my first thought was, "Hey, I've already dealt with many of these issues, so maybe I can help the guy out." Even if I had been somewhat annoyed by his method of phrasing (which I wasn't), I still would've helped since I felt he was sincere.

Why are people so sensitive on web forums these days? Geez.

 

My 350Z is a replacement for a 2001 BMW 330i. I think the Z if a MUCH more fun car to drive than the BMW. I have always felt that I GOT RIPPED OFF with the BMW and it was not worth what BMW asked for the CAR. My 350ZR cost only a small amount less than the 330i but is WORTH very dollar! I got some much for my money with the Z.

 

My 88 camaro had alot of noise coming from the dash. I took it off and scraped all the foam which was attatched to it and the car was quiet after that. It seems there were air pockets causing the noise. My point is , with enough determination you can probably fix anything. Go after the problem !!!!!!!!

 

Definitely! As far as that foam, another problem can be that it starts to harden up after years of being subjected to extremely hot dashboard temps in the summers. If that foam gets hard, I can imagine it getting squeaky when it rubs. In that case I'd imagine scraping it all away and replacing it with some sort of fresh, new padding would be even more beneficial.

 

What problems?

 

DBZ, good of you to share your thoughts in a very direct and sincere manner. Don't let the detractors shake you; some people are online just to argue anyway. I see you're enjoying your Z anyway! Happy driving!

 

Hey: '05 enthuZiast with close to 9k. Purchased in 11/04 with 56 miles (brand new) Negative gear grinding. In fact just recently, after working a 13 hour day and losing my concentration, I grinded 2nd gear on a downshift (yes, I rev match), but during the procedure, for some reason, I hesitated on releasing the clutch, hence, a grind. Operator error.But the transmission is strong--esp. 3rd + 4th gears. Yeah, there are a couple of rattles, but the sound of the engine (NISMO headers/exhaust) with the throttle to the floor is music to my ears and makes heads turn. I drive my cherished Z hard and I have taught many lessons out there. Some drivers, in fact, have been completely horrified, embarassed and humiliated by my Z's performance. And I like it when young women turn their heads and I am moving fast. rich, san jose, ca