I'm planning on buying a Z here within the next week. I'm concerned over the tire feathering issue. The 2 cars I'm currently looing at were built in early '04 (one in February and the other in April, unfortunately the one in February is the color I really want...). I've heard that Nissan supposedly fixed the tire feathering problem sometime in '04, but does anyone know the exact build month in which Nissan instituted this change? Any input you guys can provide would be appreciated

 

it doesnt really matter, they extended the service for the 04 model as well..

 

What does tire feathering mean?

 

https://my350z.com/forum/maintenance-and-repair/66548-attn-z-owners-alignment-issues-please-read-moderators-included.html

R

 

I know they extended the service for all '04's, but what happens when that extension runs out. The general consensus seems to be that the extension is a band-aid rather than a fix to the problem. I'd rather get a car that never had the problem so I won't have to deal with paying for tire changes, etc... once the extension runs out.

 

This could start a huge debate. You are not going to find a definitive answer unfortunetly. Most people believe nothing has changed in the way the car is built. Alignment specs have changed and tire tread and type have changed. Still, some people have the problem and some don't. There are 2003 owners that have never seen the problem. The best indication as to which car to buy if you are worried about "feathering" alone would be to turn the wheel and rub your hand over the inside of both tires feeling for uneven tread blocks.

 

Had 3+ friends with Z's and each one of them that had tire feathering had it fixed and not came back. Me personally, I have an 04.5 and 8k on the car with no signs of tirewear

 

I wonder if the feathering occurred on Z's with manual or automatic transmissions, or both?

Many of the recalls I've read on various vehicles refered to the fact that alot of people buying manual transmission cars today don't know how to properly drive and service them.

Anyone think that this matters in this instance?

 

nope, tranny has nothing to do with the suspension, the tranny has issues of its own

 

Oh, no, first Acura now the Z?

Whats wrong with the tranny this time?