Hello everyone,

I been looking for a 350z for about a month now. I currently have a 5th gen Prelude but I'm looking to upgrade to a 350z. I been doing a lot of research on maintenance cost, recalls and reliability (been having trouble looking for info on the auto 350z reliability). I'm looking on spending around 10k-14k. I honestly am planning on leaving it stock for at about a year so I'd definitely want something reliable right from the get-go.

Are there any issues with the automatic 350z's? I was reading through some threads and read about the tire feathering on the 03-05 and oil consumption on the 06.. I just want to be able to get a problem-free 350z.

Would it be safe to pick up a 350z with around 90,000-100,000 miles? I understand that I'd probably have to do a major tune-up if I get one around the miles I listed above.. I really wouldn't mind that, as long as I don't have to do any major repairs.

This is kind of random, but how long do Z's last till the first major expense (rebuild)?

Are there any problems I have to be aware of besides oil consumption, window motor and tire feathering?

I hope to be part of the Z community in 2-3 months!

 

I have an '03 AT with 52,000 miles and I have no mechanical problems what so ever. Some slight tire feathering but that's it.

 

I have an 06 6 speed with 56000 on it now and after three oil changes I haven't had any oil consumption issues or anything really, my only problem with the car is lack of space.

 

I am new to the Z community and have only had my Z for about 4 months.I have a 03' manual Z with 60,000 miles. When I bought my z i took it to a nissan dealer where they did a very extensive inspection for me, and one thing they said to me was that the radial arm were bad and they told me that typically happens about every 60,000 miles? I don't know if anybody else has had this problem but they quoted me $700 to do both.

So just something to be aware of!

Besides that i absolutely love the car and am super happy with it and everything!

 

dude stick with the vtec its way more better...but in all seriousness mines at 145k+ and no problems what so ever.

 

If you're in the market for an auto then honestly I would try to get an 06. That year stayed with the non rev up motor so you don't have to worry about the oil consumption issues. Not only that, you get all the interior/exterior enhancements.

 

Thanks for all the replies so far. Would picking up a Z with around 95k be okay still? I'm planning on checking it out in person this weekend.

 

What year?

 

04.5 5AT rock solid at 84k miles

 

I'm personally looking to get a 03-04 Z since they're a bit cheaper than the other years. I know people would advise against getting the first production year of a car, but does this apply to the Z?

I been trying to get some research in on reliability but I'm not having much luck, to be honest. I realistically would like to spend around 10k-12k ( not over 13k). That way I could have money left over to do a major tune up and as emergency repair money.

Would it be advisableto bring it to a Nissan dealership to get it checked out?

The only thing concerning me is the reliability of the auto Z's from 03-04. I'm sure all tZ's share common problems regardless of transmission type.

Before I forget, is tired feathering a costly fix?

Thanks again for the replies.

 

first production year Zs are fine, it all depends on how well the car is taken care of basically. Tire feathering issue should've been fixed by previous owner via wheel alignment

 

find a stock 06 auto, best auto next to the hr motors from 07-08. on the 03-04s must watch for tire feathering, 04.5+ has a upgraded stock suspension, and 06+ has the new suspension and bigger brakes. All the auto Zs are rock solid, they have never had to have a recall and replacement on the auto tranny like the manual (look up cd0099) , its been the same one used since 03, just different computer adjustments.

 

Feathering is the result of bad alignment specs. Price of new tires (if needed) and a re-alignment fixes the problem.

 

06 AT roadster,56k, owned 18 months. No mods. Only problem was passenger window. Repaired myself w/forum help.

 

I have an 05 auto 350z with 89,000 miles with no problems to date except for the window motors. 350z is a very reliable car for a sports car. You can check out the 100,000 and 200,000 mile club threads on this site.

 

03 6spd with 101K and for the most part stock, just lowered on coils and intake. No real issues ever for the last 50k miles but I will say I wish I would've done a little more work and atleast gotten either a track for the brakes or a newer model.

 

I know many people who have 03' Z's, and seem to have less problems than any of the cars ive ever owned.

 

The earlier years are fine. Nissan built our cars to last at least 200,000 miles (if you don't believe me look at the owner's manual, and research on the internet.) Sometimes you have to be weary when buying a car that was previously owned, but be extremely weary if you know that person was in their teens or 20s because 9/10 times they treated the car like crap and something is waiting to break. I would never buy a car from someone if I knew the previous owner was around my age group.

 

i had an 03 auto , when i got it had 19000 miles and 99,000 before it got totaled . never had any major issues with the car. window motor went bad bad on drivers side and bose subwoofer was malfunctioning , but was easy to fix with an eraser and fix guide, i got off this site.

 

Thanks again for the replies. I'm going to try to get one with 80k or under but I still feel safe getting one with 100k because of the response I've gotten for you guys. Any tips n inspecting a Z? I heard the Z's door panels scratch easily. Is there any way to fix or prevent this? Also, I was reading that rock chips are easy to get. Any way to prevent this besides putting on a black bra? If I got a Z with around 90k, what maintenance work should I get done to it?