My wife and I are on the verge of buying an '03 or '04 350Z. But before we do that I have a question for the forum.

Are there any critical electronic parts for the 350Z of these years that are no longer available and also cannot be repaired or refurbished?

I ask because we don't want to buy a vehicle that's going to instantly turn into a huge paperweight after the failure of some critical electronic part.

Please feel free to add anythng else that you think a potential owner of these early model years should be aware of.

Thanks

 

I think you're fine but, someone with more knowledge will chirp in. The Z's are fairly easy to find parts for and the common things that do go wrong can be repaired / replaced, no problem.

 

Thanks!

Do you happen to know what Nissan's policiy is with respect to the number of years that it supports vehicles with critical OEM parts (as opposed to carpets, etc. which are typically available for just a very few years)?

 

I think you're thinking about it a little too hard. The 350 was the bargain it was new because it's a parts bin car - that's how they kept costs low. Many of the components are shared in other Nissan vehicles across the board - especially the 'critical' stuff you are likely inquiring about.

I don't know what their policy is on paper - but its a pretty safe bet that availability will stay in tact for the foreseeable future. My 2 cents, at least

 

Do you happen to know what Nissan's policiy is with respect to the number of years that it supports vehicles with critical OEM parts (as opposed to carpets, etc. which are typically available for just a very few years)?

Hey Tony,

Along with my 08 Z, I've got a 94 Maxima and I just had the "rack" (power steering), valve cover gaskets, and struts (among other little things) replaced at my nearest dealorship.

The "rack" was a "little hard" to find but they did find one. I've been contemplating putting her up for sale for some time but she just keeps going and going. It's just now getting to the point where (as in my example of the rack) its getting a little hard to find certain parts. So I think you will be OK on your 03 for some time....

 

Thanks guys.

Nissan and other Japanese manufacturers have a very good record when it comes to supporting their older models with parts. I was still able to acquire most critical parts for the 1992 Honda Accord (that we sold 2 years ago) right up to the day we sold it. But that "no power anything" Accord had only a small fraction of the electronic gizmos that the 350Z has, I think.

Again, the only parts that I'm really worried about are the electronic parts, such as the ECU, for just one lone example. But I see that the ECU is apparently inexpensively rebuildable by places such as the following:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nissan-ECM-E...2abb12&vxp=mtr

However, as I was doing research on this great site, I stumbled onto some threads where people were replacing this guy:
http://www.partsfornissans.com/nissa...odulator-valve
and Nissan had apparently told them that the part was no longer available from Nissan. I did not actually add the above item "to the cart" and try to pay for it, so I don't know for certain whether it is available or not. But I hope it is because I'd like to buy one when, not if, the unit fails in our future vehicle.

I don't know if the BCM is still available from Nissan for those years or not, nor how "critical" it really is to the vehicle.

Do the above three items end the list of "critical" electronic parts that likely would not be available from an aftermarket source?

Thanks.

 

You're over thinking this way too much Tony. When's the last time you actually needed an ecu rebuilt

 

Never, not even on the '92 Accord, but times have changed. After literally decades of producing bulletproof automatic tranmissions, Honda suddenly "forgot" how to make a bulletproof transmission; Ford forgot how to make a cruise control that wouldn't burn up a vehicle; GM forgot how make an ignition switch; Nissan forgot how to make a radiator that wouldn't leak coolant into transmission fluid (as well as timing chain guides that wouldn't wear out prematurely). Etc.

If '97 to '00 C5 Vette owners have their EBCM fail, it is irreparable and GM long ago discontinued the part. So it's either a junkyard unit or drive the vehicle with no ABS and, if it came so equipped, traction/stability control.

I've never owned a 350Z, nor do I know anyone who does. I'm just being "buyer beware". I hope you understand.

 

my quick thoughts...

anything can happen...but anything can happen to anything...

The cars are pretty solid...plenty of parts all around especially for the 1st generation Zs.

Let me offer you this - which no one really touched on...there is so much aftermarket support for the car it's unreal...if the ECU goes out you can find multiple aftermarket units to replace it - the Haltech redbox and/or platinum harness are practically being given away, the navigation/radio/entertainment units are easily replaced - anything OEM will easily be replaced.

If you like the car, go have a third party mechanic look it over and if it look good then buy it...the biggest risk in life is not taking one

 

I can only speak from my experience as a pre-order customer of an '03 track model. It's had exemplary durability of most electronic and mechanical components. Some items--like window motors--are going to go out over time. But outside of changing the battery, I've had no problems with any critical components in my early production Z33, nor has the Z suffered any systematic failures like the ones on the C5.

It's a Nissan, not a Chevy...

 

From research here and on Youtube, I already know how to replace and reset window motors (hold those windows up with tape!), rotors & pads, suspension parts and a bunch of other components. I'm aware of the tire feathering-wear issue and that this vehicle may need more frequent, as well as proper, alignments.

So, with the above reassurance from current long-term owners and the derth of threads on the Tech forum about the failure of what I (a complete hands-on-Z ignoramus) regard as critical electronic components, my wife and I will almost certainly buy an '03 or '04 Z (but possibly a newer one).

Thanks very much for your comments, guys.

PS.

While I'm typing, I've been communicating with the 3-hours-distant seller of an '03 which has only 30,000 miles on it and, as far as I can tell from high rez photos and video, looks and sounds to be in almost like-new condition. I very much doubt if this vehicle has been treated harshly by its owner, but I might very well be wrong on that.

Anyway, I'm considering not getting Nissan's almost-$200, 152-point pre-purchase inspection done and instead spend that money on whatever the vehicle might need after purchase.

I fully realize that doing this may be financially insane, especially considering how I've been droning on about reliablity, critical electronic parts, etc., but I'd still like to read what other folks might do if they were considering purchasing such a vehicle.

Thanks again.

 

Have you checked all the Nissan dealers in your area? Some of them charge more or less than $200 and still do a 152-point check. It might be worth it to pay for it, but this really depends on your mechanical skills, tools and ability to do a full assessment.

 

Yes, the price was actually $179, before taxes, for the 152-point check, which I hope includes a reading of any codes.

I believe that I could do an inspection as good as a dealership, minus reading the codes, but the problem is that I've got to drive 3 hours one way to see the vehicle, and then the hassle of jacking the vehicle, etc. to do the inspection at the seller's home, then drive 3 hours home. All I can realistically do is take a good test drive, watch the exhaust on intial start, maybe examine the brake pads --- stuff like that.

I suppose what I should do is make an appointment at Nissan, pay for the inspection, and tell the seller to take the vehicle to and from the inspection. Then decide whether or not to tentatively buy the vehicle and, finally, take the trip to see and drive it. Then either buy or reject the vehicle.

But it's the fact that the vehicle only has 30K on it that tempts me to do otherwise.

While I'm typing, here's a photo the seller sent me of the inside edge of the driver's side front tire, taken with the wheel turned part way to the right, and the camera pointed at the tire from the rear of the vehicle toward the front. Do I see some feathering on that inside edge, or are my old eyes playing tricks on me?

 

There are so many things to worry about with older cars, but this issue isn’t one of them.

I have a 12 year-old 2013 350z Performance model that I just decided to spend lots of $$’s onfor upgrades. I’m not worried at all about upgrades or continuous support from Nissan. It will be there plus a plethora of aftermarket products.

 

Is it a 6 speed? The '03 Z's are known for grinding 3rd gear due to crappy synchros.

Other then that everything that has broken on my '03 Touring is normal wear and tear just accelerated due to racing the car on track days. Mostly brakes and recently front hubs. I had the tire feathering issue as well but can't tell if it was alignment problem or due to worn hubs. I'm on transmission #2 (used CD009 from an '06) and it too is grinding, but only when cold. So at 2 transmissions in 48K miles I'd be more worried about the tranny then anything else just due to costs.

 

Thanks, Spike. What you and others have said about the availability of aftermarket parts is reassuring to this potential 350Z buyer.

Thanks, JMII.

Because my wife will not drive an MT (even though she drove an MT Accord for several years!), our vehicle has to have an auto trans which, if my understanding is correct, is virtually bulletproof on the Zs.

But what you and others say about how you drive your vehicles has sort of snapped me out of my mindset that people buy vehicles for reliability just as much as performance, and it is quite obvious to me now that that is not necessarily true. I would not dare drive a vehicle the way you drag-strip, road & track racers do. The way I feel is not because of the speed or the fear for my life. It is because of the damage/wear that that will do to the vehicle -----that I or, even financially worse, someone else will have to fix. I actually like working on vehicles, but not each and every week after destroying something at a track. I enjoy doing other things, too.

But, again, I have to realize that the 350Z must be a remarkably-well-performing, very reliable vehicle that can, as Timex used to brag, "take a licking and keeps on ticking". OTOH, as a potential buyer, I have to be even more wary of vehicles that might very well have been abused by its present or past owner. I guess that when it comes to a 350Z, a very thorough pre-purchase inspection is even more of a necessity than other vehicles.

Thanks again, all.

 

what is your budget, why dont you go for an 07-08 with the HR motor?

 

The reason is purely financial. We'd like to get a summer-only-toy Z into our garage as inexpensively as possible and, around here anyway, the 07-08s are thousands more expensive than an '03 or 4.

I'd definitely enjoy more horsepower for those informal drag races from stop lights, but 287 horses is adequate for me.