p.s. my brother's corola eventually lost all of it's red paint and turned pink. haha

 

Most people are familiar with Consumer Reports, but misunderstand where the data comes from. It comes from 350Z owners such as you and I who are Consumer Reports members, and complete an annual survey. Those familiar with statistics know that this type of voluntary survey (rather than random)does not meet the strict criteria of statistics. Still, a survey of this type is much more valuable than anecdotal evidence such as I own a 2003 with 100,000 miles and it has never been in the shop once.

We can see from above the improvement that has been made with the transmission. It will be interesting to see how the 2005 transmission rates after owners accumulate more miles. Interesting that the suspension (front tire featuring) plaques 2004 with the same frequency as 2003. And the damn windows that do not go up and down(power equipment): 2005 has seen improvement.

Note that overall the 350Z rates average, while owner satisfaction is very good. Again 350Z owners will not experience exactly what is reflected on the chart. Few will be one or two standard deviations from the mean (a statistician may comment on how small those numbers are).

 

I agree, what problems. No issues here with my '04.5.

 

Davidv- What's interesting about those CR surveys is that last year my 04 scored pretty much like the '05 is scoring now. Reds all the one except for one which was half red I believe.

 

I've owned many cars new and used and it ia all luck of the draw.
These were all the new cars I've bought and issues I've had.


- 77 Ford Pinto, 200,00 miles on it and no problems

- 88 Toyota 4x4 v6, no probems other than the power steering pump whcih blew @ -35F

- 96 hyundia Elantra wagon, Car had no issues other than being cheaply built but for a 10k car it was pretty good for the 5 years owned.

- 96 Pontiac Grand Prix SE, major electrical issues! Replaced Alt 3x, Battery 2x, Water pump 1x, both window switches went out, rotors warped 2x, very hard on brake pads, rear tails collected water and foged up, Head gasket finally went and now sits until I can repair that.

- 2000 Toyota celica GT-S, Oil lubrication issues, coolant issues, creeks, belt tensioner squeel, Car was in the shop more than in my driveway!

- 2004 Matrix XR, no problems so far, very solid. Had a minor issue with the center console opening thing but that was easily fixed.

- 2006 350z touring, nothing so far (crosses fingers)

 

i bet a six pack that you nailed this one.

 

My thoughts exactly!

 

That is interesting. Is it possible that as 350Z owners put more miles on the car, they are more likely to report problems? Remember that the survey asks Have you had any problems in the last year? Just a hunch.

 

I've not had a problem with any of the problems listed in the original post or any problem plagued by any other owner on the board in over 14k miles. The only problem I have is that I want to drive the thing all the time and it costs me for the gas! Lol.

I had a 2001 Prelude and I drove that sucker hard, as it was tracked and auto-x'd. But I always took care of her in terms of oil changes, maintenance, etc. In 82k miles in four years, all I ever had to replace was a faulty auto-tensioner for the timing belt which was replaced buy a TSB and my extended warranty. I paid for the water pump to be replaced and thats it. Also, I think my ECU or my VSS went out around 40k but that was covered under warranty. And I snapped my power-steering belt at a drag strip one night, but that was at 60k and I replaced it myself. So to fix the car, it cost me approximately $600 over four years. I'm hoping to see that kind of longevity, maybe more, from the Z.

 

Yeah, that was kinda my thoughts unfortunately. I guess I feel good that mine has been trouble free.

 

I actually don't like Nissan and do like Toyota's and Honda's. I only like Nissan's sports car line up...Z, Skyline, 240SX's. I bought the Z because I love it, not because its a Nissan. Flame suit on!

 

I'll give you a little help:





OK guys,

Get him !!!!!

 

Incoming .....

 

^What are you gonna do, spy on him being flamed?

 

No problems with my 03 DB Touring. 30K and running like a top.

 

Yeah, I just want to get a good view out of the way. LOL !!!

I had this one on standby:

 

Haha, guess I had it coming. Although, if I may add, this is my second Z and will probably go for a 3rd. The first was a 1991 300ZX 5-speed. So I am a true Z enthusiast...just too bad Toyota didn't make it J/K!

 

I have to somewhat agree to that, I think Toyota and Honda put more engineering effort than Nissan. Nothing against Nissans, I actually like their offerings, but wished as a company they did more research and development.

Reliability of Infiniti brand is better than Acura for what I have seen in the past. So they are not bad at all in reliability.

 

You also have to realize that Nissan was on the brink of failure not too many years ago... They have litterally reinvented their entire product line in less than a decade! Many credit the Z and the Titan for saving the company.

I think its really impressive how well the market responded to the Titan, even though it has some problems of its own.

 

Yes, I would have to agree with that. Nissan came back very well from almost going bankrupt. Their designs, although some may be hate it or love it (i.e. Nissan Armada), are more modern or futuristic of the big 3 Japanese manufacturers. Toyota has great quality yet lacks the excitment (IMO), especially with the younger crowd 20's-mid 30's. Their new Tacoma is being advertise with a "younger" feel to target the younger generation. They are straying away from the moms and dads who buy a Camry just because "it's reliable". Honda is gaining a reputation in gaining ground with Toyota in terms of quality, have great designs, but lack the big displacement torque better known as "kick you in the back of your seat feeling" that we 350Z owners love. Just my $.02.