I've done some reading on the 350z, it seems like transmission issues are inevitable, as are engine issues (oil consumption or complete failure) and I am concerned. I would like to get a 350z but have between $10-12,000 ish to spend. I figured after looking at what they go for I could find a decent one without a million miles on it for that price, especially because I have cash in hand and the time of year...

Will buying a 350z in this budget be asking for trouble with repairs, maintenance and what not? Or are these things pretty rock solid? I'd like some techy advice but without biased if at all possible. I am basically looking for a plug and play car, I understand these cost more money than say a Maxima to keep up with and that is fine I'd just rather not have to deal with a rattle trap crap box that's going to need new syncros, trannys and engines even after it's been taken care of, or a car that's going to break when you actually drive it like a sports car.

 

go buy a brand knew $5000 kia and pocket the rest


factor in other things other than just the purchase price ..


gas
tires
insurance
oil changes
higher mileage stuff (coolant flush, other fluids, etc)
brakes

and the list goes on

 

If you're willing to wait about ten years, I'll probably be ready to sell my '08 touring coupe. It'll only have about 30K miles by then at the rate I'm going.

 

No doubt. And to add to that list it also seem that any and every mechanic or parts manufacturer think that Z owners grow money on trees. Aftermarket parts and repairs are ridiculous. You'd think this was some rare find Austrian car nobody makes anymore.

 

Adrians07Z

What's a "Dodge Antenna"?

 

It's an antenna off of a honda


its off a dodge avenger or magnum or nitro or sebring convertible .. similar to the s2000 antenna but fits better and cheaper

 

I've got close to 150k on my Z and it still runs like the day I bought it.

 

me too man, 170 n still goin very strong

 

now thats good to hear ..


I got my Z "new" in april and already got 17,000 just from driving to work every day .. good thing to know my Z will outlast the payments (and hopefully long after)


but I will admit you do have to spend a little more than a average car to play .. but any car is a money bucket, just all are different size buckets

 

My track model was sold at 97 k miles, no issues.

Auto had no issues I am aware of.

 

I would be more worried about driving a Z in those Maine winters than I would buying one with high miles. I have spent a lot of time up there, and I can't say that I would want a Z with all the snow you see.

 

$10K-12K is the wholesale price for a 2003-2004 350Z. That means you can buy from a private party for at least (and maybe less than) that price.

75K miles is normal for a 6 year old car, and that isn’t much for a Nissan. The 350 Z shares its engine and many other components across the Nissan line, and between the Nissan and the Infiniti. Nissan and its upgrade (the Infiniti) enjoy a wonderful reputation for reliability and longevity (i.e., high-mileage).

The MT is notorious for synchromesh problems in the 2003 (and 2004 models previous to the 2004.5 model?). If you can drive the car you want to buy, try down-shifting hard and quickly from 5th to 6th and 4th to 3rd. If you get any grinding, the transmission is the old model and needs replacement (it’s not easily repaired by replacing synchromesh-parts, and the fix is a transmission replacement).

The newer transmission model shifts more smoothly, but if there’s no grinding you are OK since this problem shows itself quickly (at low mileage).

It’s not easy to evaluate the clutch unless you feel slipping (indicating it requires replacement). Even a clutch that feels good now may be headed toward a replacement. It depends upon how hard it was driven by the previous owner. This is a performance car so you want performance (and that requires a clutch in good condition to enjoy the driving experience a Z provides). Clutch replacement is normal maintenance and a cost you should expect (same goes for brakes).

I wouldn’t worry about the engine anymore than any other high mileage car. Of course this depends upon how hard the previous owner drove the car, and the car’s maintenance records. If there isn’t a maintenance log (oil changes, engine repairs, etc.), I wouldn’t buy the car.

It’s not realistic to think you will buy a car with high mileage and not expect to have some maintenance.

--Spike

 

The price range you are talking about likely will limit it to a private party sale if you want a 350 w/ decent mileage. I purchased my 2003 w/ 67k miles for $11,500 from a private party and it's running strong, the engine does not burn oil and the trannsmissino shifts fine. I have replaced a window motor, fan motor and oxygen sensor... all of which were fairly cheap repairs with me performing the labor. Nissans are good cars in general, but any used car is a gamble, particularly used sports cars as people tend to drive sports cars harder. The best you can do is have the car mechanically inspected prior to purchase and hope for the best.

 

Thats the great thing about a 350Z, you're buying a pure sports car without any of the problems that sports cars have.

I have an '03 Touring with 73k mi and the only repair I've had was from the fault of the previous owner (never tied down new battery and caused cables to come loose and short circut the car's computer)

I have synchromesh problems going from 2nd to 3rd but only noticeable when I make the shift too fast when the car's still getting warmed up.

 

You make a great point that isn’t necessarily obvious.

I’ve owned or driven a number of performance and sports cars over the last 45 years, and the 350Z has a very single distinguishing characteristic: great reliability for a high-performance car.

The reason is simply because Nissan uses proven components (the engine in particular) that are shared across the manufacturer’s line of vehicles. Of course the Z’s unique components (e.g., 6MT, window closure/mechanism, etc.) have a higher failure rate, but that’s always expected in lower production models. To Nissan’s credit, the industry notices how quickly Nissan fixed the alignment “problem” and the 6MT “problem.”

If you want to see how ugly it gets buying a used performance car with significant miles, purchase a used Porsche. You will bleed ca$h the moment you acquire the car, and it only gets worse.

--Spike

 

03 Touring with 170,000 kms
no issues what so ever. previous owner was a lady from mississauga and she used it to commute from home to her cottage every weekend in sudbury. I bought it a year ago and it has been superb.