feathered tires? tranny problems? alignment issues? oil streaks?

first, i'd like to say hello to all...
this is my first post here and i'm a regular at s2ki.com. i have recently decided to jump on the _shift bandwagon since i've decided to purchase a 350z instead of the s2000 which i still one of my favorite cars. i have to say that i'm pretty excited to be buying my touring model in june. but, i have read though this forum about the issues listed above with nissan co. and the Z and i'm beginning to be concerned about what i might be getting into.

are these valid concerns that should steer me away? are these problems less common than most people believe? should i just cross my fingers and pray that i get a good one? if you had a chance to do all over again would you? i am pretty tolerant to minor flaws that every automobile has but i don't want to throw away my money at the same time.

i really would appreciate some feedback from real owners with an unbiased opinion.

thanks in advance,
P

 

Yes these problems do exist, but I believe the scale at which it is happening is much smaller than many think. I've had my '03 performance with no problems. Also most of the common problems do have a TSB out so the dealers should take care of those problems.

 

Yeah, there are some problems...but I think for the most part they're pretty minor.

There are some squeeks and rattles..but I think you can track those down if you try hard enough. Have you heard a Ford after a few thousand miles?

The tires may feather...mine are at 11k miles. But the noise isn't that bad, and the car is so fun to drive that it really doesn't bother me.

 

Look at the latest Consumer Reports 2004 buyers guide. They give the 350Z a better than average reliability rating. I've had no mechanical problems with my early car (vin #14xx). A lot of owners report weak paint but that seems to be typical these days (see the latest Forza magazine - they say the same thing about the paint on the Ferrari 456).

 

i owned a TL Type S with such cheap sheet metal that I would get dings from acorns, TLs have the WORST tranny problems (many people are on their 3rd), TL HIDs are the biggest target of theives along with the Maxima because theyre so easy to steal, just rip the frame and take the entire system because the ballast is in the light housing! squeaking noises and did I mention before that TLs have THE WORST TRANNY PROBLEMS, oh I did. I ditched my TLS at 15000 miles and have had no problems with my Z, but even in comparison there seems to be less to worry about in the Z and the TL is supposed to be a very reliable car (Honda product)

 

have a 03 touring..later model...none of the problems mentioned except for oil streak which has practically dissapeared.

auto...as far as feathering is concerned...up to 5000 miles had no sign. I have 10,000 on my kumho's which are holding up great!

i also think our car is very sensitive to sound...i guess inside cabin isn't well "sound proofed"-don't know the exact terminology so things will definitely sound louder.

great car!~...loving every second of it

 

psaez42,

I just traded my 2001 S2000 for a 350Z about 9 days ago. I also remain a fan of the S2000, but decided the 350Z was better suited to my taste (mostly that it's a coupe and has a more accessable power band). Before purchasing my 350Z, I regularly visited the forums here. From what I had been reading before I decided to go ahead and make the purchase, many of the problems were early production bugs. Nissan appears to have addressed many (if not all) of the problems with changes to both the 2004 and 2004.5 models. Mine appears to be without problems, but it is a 2004.5 and has only 320 miles on it - so don't judge by mine.

 

Mine is a 2003, and the only problem I've ever had was the feathering. While some people complain about this regularly, I'm kind of at peace with it.

After 2 visits to the service department, I've got a brand new set of tires. All in all, I'm glad it had the problem, because my tires were almost at 15K, and now they're brand new. Can't complain about that.

 

BDM-
i feel the same way...my bro has a '03 s2000 and get the chance to put it through it's paces on many occasions. i test drove the z about a month ago and i loved it. both cars are uber fun to drive but the z suited my taste even though i really wanted a convertible at that mid-low 30k price range.

DrVolkl-
good point.

Pusha Z-
that just sucks.

thanks for your input guys...now i guess i can put my mind at ease when it comes time to sign on that dotted line. anybody out there opposed to the z?

 

If anyone out there is really opposed to the Z, keep your mouth shut and go to a different forum! j/k

I think you'll find that although many of us have had issues with the car, most of us are pretty big enthusiasts, and I for one LOVE my car.

 

Build date on my DB Z is 01/04. Took delivery on 03/05/04. I have about 900 miles and so far no problems - I love this car!!

 

This car is awesome.... i have 6000 miles on a 2004 Performance 350 and its still running strong. no problems.... none at all knock on wood.

 

Yes there are known problems with the car, but nothing a good service department cant handle. Trust me, I read these forums thoroughly before buying my Z and it made me a little weary/paranoid because with my luck I thought I would get the lemon on the lot. But, do yourself a favor and stop reading the forums for a while until you do actually buy your Z. I am only saying this because if you start reading into things too much, it will take away from the pleasure and enjoyment of the Z when you initially get your car (i.e. listening for rattles, creaks, unusual sounds). After you get your car, then become an active member on the boards. Trust me and many others on this board, you will love your car and have no regrets about it.

 

One thing a lot of people forget is that these are sports cars. Sports cars are built out to a certain spec, and therefore don't have all the creature comforts of a sedan or "sports sedan".

Regular maintainence by a trusted dealer / mechanic will solve the majority of the problems listed on this site. I've got mine delivered August 20, 2002, and I've had very few problems (window streak which doesn't bother me, and my driver's window motor failed).

26k miles and still running strong! Now I'm starting to modify he he he... let the fun begin!

 

I have a 2003 touring with 22000 miles on it,and I have had the window streaking problem, but it went away. And the only really problem I have had was the tire feathering, and to be honest i bought new wheels and tireres and got an alignment and i have not had any problems at all. All i can say is good choice you will love it!!!!!

 

without giving you advice either way, you should at least browse this thread https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....threadid=15758 just so you know how to handle things *if* you have feathering problems.

 

^ hey thanks for the link.