Others may have had different experiences than me. I bought the roadster the very first week it was released, so I had a very early model.

I was the first to have the pinhole problem and Nissan replaced my entire top under warranty. See this thread https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....hlight=pinhole

Trouble starting the car on the first try. I forgot the solution to that one, but I had to take it to the dealer 3 times before they figured that out.

I had the clicking noise from the rear axle (first on the driver's side, then on the passenger side). Fixed under warranty

The other issues I mentioned (brake squeal, tire feathering, etc.) were all known problems. I can't tell you how many times I took my car in for the brakes. If I said 20 times, that'd probably be a low number. The car was embarassing to drive sometimes because the brake noise was so bad. Nissan service kept saying that it was normal for high-performance brakes. I have never driven any car in my life that had brakes that noisy.

If it were my money, I would avoid the early 2004 ZR's and go for one built later.

Despite all of my issues, I loved the car (my wife hated it, though) and I would buy another 350Z in a heartbeat, just not an early model.

 

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Ok, even though I didn't notice any of these issues with the Z that Im looking at, I did not think of the build date as being an issue, but you're right since this was the first year that the ZR was built.

This is really a tough decision. I also want to check with my insurance company to see if the premium would go up if I switched to the ZR.

 

Another question since I'm still deciding on whether or not I would want to pick up this car.

When my brother and I test drove the car, the car was constantly slipping and the VSA (I think that's what its called on the Z) was flashing constantly. It was probably around 35 degrees out, but the roads were fairly clean and wasn't really wet or snow on the ground. Is this normal for the ZR's stock summer tires? We had been driving on it for 15 minutes already when it kept on slipping. Let me know, thanks!

 

It can be, if I"m on a road with any kind of dips it will detect a slip, I have 18's though so that may mess with it a bit. It shouldn't do it constantly though.

 

Granted, the road was not perfectly paved but it was definitely not bumps and potholes all over the place. It was very strange. The ride was pretty stiff too so we felt everything. Definitely a sports car feel to it.

 

Does the Roadster have traction control?

 

Yes, it should have the traction control. They didn't make a "base" trim in the ZR, just coupe.

It doesen't have to be a big dip when combined with different wheels, the system is calibrated for stock so even a small change can throw it off a little bit.

I don't find it too big of an issue, the traction control is a great feature to help you out, just when you want to dive a bit more..."spirited" you can turn it off.