hey everyone,

I am considering getting a Z in June when the quarter ends so I can get a good price. I wanted to know if the late model 2003's problems have been fixed, i.e : tire feathering, window grease, and grinding. Would it be better to get a 2003 at a good deal, or a 2004? I am leaning more towards a 2003 if they are fixed.

Here is a thread that has a list of problems with the '03

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....&threadid=9354

All help is appreciated,
Thanx

 

I am wrestling with the same dilemma as you are. Not sure what to do right now. '03 or wait until next year to get the '04. I want it now, but fully realize that I may have to deal with some problems, which I do not want to do. I just want to enjoy the car. You will hear many arguments that I while people like you and I wait and be patient, the current owners are having sooooo much fun driving the car. I agree. But then there are also some that are having to take their car to the stealership to get minor and some major issues taken car of. The issue and point is that I do not with to be one of those people.

In the end, its a simple matter of "to each his/her own". Its not my money someone else is spending or their money that I'm spending.

Its tougher wrestling with the indecision rather than just deciding and sticking with it. Something I'm unable to do at the moment. You may be going through the same thing.

 

same thing here, i hear the first year a model of a car comes out has more problems than future cars.

 

for the last time, nissan is not going to withhold fixes to known problems, just so they can put out 30000bad cars and start off 2004 with a bang. thats just stupid logic.

they will implement fixes as they create them, not wait for 2004 to suddenly put them all into production.

whether fixes will come around the 2004 model is just random, did they sit around and say, hmmm lets wait till 2004 before we put in the new bose amp, or lets wait till 2004 for the window TSB, nope, they made the changes on the fly.

early 2004 will have the same problems as late 2003, only thing that will change are design changes, they might rearrange the interior or add a color. but no there are no known changes as of yet.

 

The problems with the 2003 are nothing serious. Besides, there are fixes for them covered by the warranty.

Why wait so long for such minor details?

 

I have to disagree, Nissan may want to address certain issues but fixing issues on the fly as you suggest is not quite that easy. It is very logical to put on a few band-aids to the remaining cars to be produced for 03' and then revamp the line with newer techniques, different procedures/parts etc... for the 04' year production cars. I'm sure they want and will fix problem areas, logistically you cannot simply shut down the line and retool in the middle of a production run.

As a matter of timing I will get an 04' but thankful to let Nissan have the time to work out some of the bugs.

 

I see your point. But are the existing problems substantive enough to require Nissan to "revamp the line"? Most of the reported problems have quick fixes that work just fine, and some are already incorporated in the rest of the 2003 production line.

 

I've got a 2003 Z bought on Feb. 16, 2003..... After 6000 mi. I have NO problems...... (knockonwood)

 

I bought mine in november, and after 5500miles, no problems either. other than grease streak... but hell, if thats my problem, I should send nissan a tin of cookies.

the problems we have as someone said, do not require the line to be shut down, just alter a few tolerances, youd actually be suprised how easy it is since its all computer controlled now, just change the data, and itll do it all by itself. alot of tranny problems in the beginning are due to improper wear of the machinery, grinders and blades that have to create various peices will wear down, then they have to be redone, or replaced. in the beginning they are perfecting that, getting the variances correct ect, and they are likely going to have a few peices coming off out of the allowable tolerances for the first couple of runs, but by 500 or 1000 cars, theyve got it just about nailed down. and now by 10,000, theyre as solid as theyll ever be.

 

I was in the same boat as you all considering waiting for the 04, rather than deal with potential 03 problems.

I decided to buy the Z, I've had it three weeks and not one problem. Now I realize that I don't have enough miles on the car to find out whether I am a victim of the feathering issues. But I got a great deal that was too good to pass up. All the tsb's have been implemented before the car hit the dealership. 100% happy with my Z! And believe me when I say this--I was very nervous about buying an 03. If you search enough on this forum, you'll find that more Z owners are happy and reporting no problems than not. I think the really early vin builds were most affected.

My vin # is in the 16408, Feb production.

 

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Umm, its stupid of you to assume that I/we think that 2004 models will have no problems. The hope/assumption is that some of the minor problems and hopefully some of the more major ones will be taken care of by then. Hope. At least the ones that are known right now. Sorry that this was not made obvious/clear for your acute sense of observations.

Its great to know that there are 30,000 (god damn it - thirty f'ing thousand potentially problamatic cars out there). That's just great. Gald you pointed that out. Ohhh, yes, yes, there are certainly a lot of absolutely perfect Z's out there. Great to know.

I really hope the current Z owners are 100$ satisfied with their decision. Because even with all this bs about the quality, I am still tempted to go buy one this very weekend. How you like 'dem apples.

 

Im not familiar with the problems you are reffering to, any particular problems that you would atleast expect to be fixed?

as of right now, I can not think of a single problem I would expect them to fix, already put out a TSB for bose, and grease streak. I would imagine this fix has been incorporated into the production line now.

what else? not trying to be sarcastic, Im dead serious, what problems do you expect to be fixed, whether it be tomarrow, 2004, or 2005.

 

I'm just waiting for the turbo

 

I am too, it is called the Greddy TT. I think Nissan is shy to come out with one because of high prices might take the Z out of the target market as it did with the 300TT. If you are waiting for nissan to do that, you might be waiting for 2005+ or whenever another car that is competition/same price range comes out with more hp.

 

The rumoured 2004 Supra may well push Nissan to come up with a turbo. I personally don't have a problem with a 2005 turbo, by then my warranty is over and I'll start happily moding my Z.

 

no every word Ive heard from a credible source say toyota will also put out a NA V6 with around 300hp, most likely around will mean right under. just as the Z has. the supra was 40grand too, if they want to charge 40grand base price, go for it, its out of the Z territory and it can try and take on the Z06, good luck.

 

Another reason I'd buy a 2004 is that it's a year newer and when you go to sell it you'll probably make up the difference in price. It's not like an 03 is going to be 2K cheaper then an 04.

 

Thanx alot everyone for all their posts! Graduation is coming up soon....June 12th to be exact, and I am really looking forward to getting my Z. I've been on this forum for a couple of months now, every single day, just absorbing information. This forum has been an invaluable tool. I have decided to get a 2003 and try to get a deal since the 2004's are coming pretty soon. Is it true that since it will be the end of the quarter (and summer) that I will be able to get a better deal? I'm currently thinking of trying to get a little over invoice.

Thanx everyone
-Nick