Been around in the forum for some months reading almost everything except f/i (dont have the resources to go f/i). I will be purchasing either 07/08 or possibly 06 z.

I read tons of threads about any problems happening to a z such as anything mentioned in "what do you dislike... and what do you hate most... about your z" threads.

So about all these problems with z such as... window not rolling down, rear clicking, clutch at 1-2 gear, road noise, tire feather, or all other problems..

Almost none of the people mention what year their z is. So my questions are
1) Are 07/08 more likely to be free of these problems than the earlier models? (Im going to be calling the previous owner about how he maintained it, check the car history, and do all the other stuff but just in case...)
2) For you 07/08 owners, do YOU guys have any minor/major problems?

 

The '06 manual transmission models have the famous oil consumption issue. Not all of them, but a good number of them burn quite a bit of oil. I had that issue on my '06 also. Some of the 07/08 owners complained of the clutch pedal getting stuck when pressed down, but I believe there was a recall on that. Pretty much any car on the market has it's own little quirks, so don't let it scare you away from buying a Z. I would just recommend to stay away from any '06 manual transmission Z's.

 

07 here. Other than the slave cylinder recall (which I didn't even experience), the car is a blast to drive. I do wish the interior had a better fit and finish. I have 2 rattles: one under the steering column and the rear hatch rattle (very common). No oil issues, no tire feathering, no window problems no etc...

Another reason why pick a 2007+ is the more powerful engine.

 

Here are the numbers champ: https://my350z.com/forum/2009-370z/5...ts-smacks.html

 

I have an 04 and only problem I had was my window motor went out. But with 80k+ on the window. It will happen. My car is a blast. Tire feathering is easy fix. Only thing that bothers some people that have been in my car is the rattle in the trunk. Other than that it's awesome. I drove an 07 and it had a lot of nice interior things I wish my car had. This car is built solid. My 07 Honda accord has more problems than my Z

 

Window motors are the same on the 07 and 08's, the problem will probably pass down to them. The Basic suspension is the same on all, all are subjet to tire feathering just like any other can on the market when its out of alignment.

I would just stay away from an 6mt 05 aniversary and 06 6mt car.

 

Hm everyone saying stay away from the 06 MT, bought mine 06 and still own it now for years no problems

 

I have to agree I have an 06 MT as well and really no major problems to speak of (knock on wood)

 

'05 is one of the best years, the only real problem was the thermostat went which cost $50 to replace through Nissan. I have well over a 100k miles and beside maintenance repairs and repairs which I neglected to make which bit me in the butt later, its been my most reliable car ever.

 

Just keep in mind that things sound worse than they are on the Internet. People love to ***** and post about their problems, usually while searching for a solution. When things don't break, you never hear about it.

You go on any car forum, and you're going to read about tons of problems...that said, two legitimate issues to watch out for are:
1) Rev-up oil consumption ('06 and some '05's)
2) Clutch slave cylinder on the '07-08's. Doesn't affect every car, but because of the poor decision to mount this part inside of the tranny, it's going to be an expensive fix.

Most of the other crap, as posted, is fixable....feathering, rattles, clutch engagement point, etc.

 

2007 here.

Only common issues are with the clutch slave cylinder recall as well as the passenger seat airbag sensor recall. I had the CSC replaced for no charge and the airbag sensor checked and cleared for no charge as well. The passenger seat airbag sensor seems to turn off that airbag for passengers that weigh less than ~120 lbs, but that's normal to protect the use of a baby seat.

No issues for me since I bought the car in July of '09. Only PITA thing i the TPMS sensors needing to be reset more often than I'd like.

 

I have an 06 with auto trans and the only issue I had was the temp gauge needed to be replaced within 3 weeks of buying the car new. No issues since them.

 

I have an 06. My dad bought it brand new, I bought it from him (he knew I loved it, as does he--like father like daughter, so when I was selling my car a year ago, he offered to sell me the z). He said he'd gotten the recall to replace the transmission and did it. Nothing wrong with it at all, except little things here and there (door handle on drivers side scratches easily, if the window is opened when it rains while driving, the effortless way the water comes in amazes me every time, etc).

 

'08 Nismo. Within a month of owning the car (bought used with 45,000 miles) I had my right window motor go out. Looking to get that resolved once the warranty transfers. I have noticed that the front of the car chips extremely easily and that as mentioned above, the handles scratch/semi rust easily and waters just pours in when the window is rolled down. Other than that I hope to not see anymore issues with the car, at least for awhile because I have heard that they are a very reliable car. Good luck!

 

Appreciate the info and comments guys. It looks like there arent major problems with 07/08 compared to earlier models. Tire feather, paint chips or rust or those minor ones wont be much of a worry especially since its going to be my dd on freeway with aggressive stance.

As for csc issue, ill have that recall done if it werent done.
So I guess the only problem i might face is the window...

I was just worried it might have other big problems like motor replacement due to previous owner's poor driving (mt) or fuel consumption but this ones for only 06 i think. By the way, is there a solution to fuel consumption? I might have read about it before but i read too many threads too fast so lol

 

Unfortunately the only real fix for oil consumption is to have the engine replaced. If the car is under warranty Nissan will foot the bill however beware that I have heard about several 06 owners who have had their engines replaced only to have the same problem once again.

With that said as I said earlier I have an 06 MT with 55,000 miles on it and I have been lucky enough to not experience this problem. Overall the 350z is a very well built car, like anything in life the better you care for it the longer it will last.

 

I have an 08 MT and no trouble other than the rear rattle described earlier,got mine with 24K on it and checked the oil today and its full after putting 2000 miles on it.I am going to a dealer to check the CSC recall and since its still under powertrain have them check a few things.

Love my Z.

 

Bought mine in 03 after 8 years and about 75k miles. Only prob. is both window motors and tire feathering at about 19k. I still love it as much as the day i got it.

 

I have an '06 6mt Grand Touring with 66k (and 7 track days) that I bought new as a dd. It had the oil consumption problem that was because of one of Nissan's suppliers making piston rings that were out of spec. Nissan replaced the motor at 25k and no problems since. I did track days before and after the new motor with no problems. It only appears on the mt models since the automatics don't usually get revved that high, and was corrected in mid '06. Also had a window motor go out. See the thread on this, it's not too hard a fix and mine has lasted a year and a half so far. No tire issues but I have the biased wheel sizes, and I put in adjustable front upper control arms and rear toe and camber adjusters with pretty aggressive camber. Well, other than 12k per set of rear tires at $350 per tire. And I don't even use them on the track, I have RA-1's for that. For that matter, I have a race car now and don't even track the Z any more. Maybe some Time Trials/Time Attack later on but I'm having too much fun with the race car.

I haven't heard of any problems that outweigh how much fun the car is. No regrets. I don't know if I'd worry about the slightly higher hp in the '07 and '08 models. It's exit speed that gets you down the straights faster!

 

I had a pretty bad oil consumption problem, but it was just a bad PVC valve.