Reliability Of Early the Early Z's. 03 - 05
 

Hello.
I am new here as you can see, but had a question I decided to registrer for. I am currently a sophomore in college, and drive a 1986 Fiero GT. The car is fun, but I want a Z. My friend purchased one about 6 months ago, so I have driven it (2006 Black roadster) a decent amount.

My questions are as follows.

1.) How reliable are the earlier year Z's? I ask because I will be getting one for about 10k, so obviously I will be getting something with around 50 - 100k+ miles and from the early years. (2003 - 2004)

2.) Am I going into a money pit with a car like that?? My Fiero now has problems enough so it can't be any worse, however the Fiero is also much cheaper to fix than a Z would be.

Anyways, I won't be purchasing until mid / end of next summer, but I have my eye on things like these:

*All under 10k

http://carsforsale.com/used_cars_for...0Z_143715925_8

http://carsforsale.com/used_cars_for...Z_143787652_12

http://carsforsale.com/used_cars_for...Z_144153832_35

http://carsforsale.com/used_cars_for...Z_144017126_37

Thank You

Hey man, I am also a Sophomore in college. I daily drive an '03 G Coupe. Speaking from experience, you have to be very careful with a nice car such as a G/Z on campus. I go well out of my way to park away from everyone on campus and while at my apartment. I have never had any issues with my G (knock on wood). However, I bought it with 55k miles on it 2 years ago and know for a fact that the single previous owner meticulously maintained the car with all synthetic fluids and OEM routine maintenance parts. Ever since purchase, the G has never seen anything other than high-quality fluids and quality aftermarket parts. In your case, you will be getting into a Z with many more miles and most likely numerous owners. Obviously, you will have to educate yourself and know how to check out a Z before you purchase one. For peace of mind, you may want to have a Nissan professional check the car out for you prior to purchase. The Z is a very well made car. None the less, the degree to which the car was maintained in the past will dictate current/future problems. Lastly, if you know how to work on cars and/or follow DIY guides, you should be able to repair most common maintenance parts (oil, fluids, brakes, exhaust, etc...).

Hope that helps! Feel free to PM me with any further questions.

P.S. - The link to the last Z you posted (2006 model) looks too good to be true. I have my doubts if the car has a clean title and/or oil consumption problems. Price is not accurate to the value of that specific year car.

I have an 03 and it is in better condition than two of my friend's 07s, it really just depends on who you buy from and how they maintained their car. Your biggest issues will probably be worn rear hatch struts, window motors (not hard to do, but these are the biggest issue), other than that man I haven't had any major problems with mine and its supercharged (knock on wood) lol

Another question: I have driven this Fiero for about a year and a half now, and it's a stick. The car is also quite old in terms of technology,(Though new clutch, 30k engine and trans + lots of new suspension and interior) will the stick feel much different on a Z? I am down for either a manual or auto, leaning towards auto if I can.

I drove an 08 Cayman as my only other manual experience and I felt like I drove it horribly. It seemed like a whole different thing.

This gives you about 9 months to study reliability, common 350Z problems and maintenance costs here. You will be a 350Z buying professional by then.

ive had mine for 130000 miles, runs like a champ and i am not overly anal about how i take care of the z. just change fluids and wear items when im supposed to.

If you can drive one manual transmission you can drive another. Horsepower and torque of the 350Z will require some adjustment in your shifting technique. But after 500 miles practice you will do fine.

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at that age the Z would likely require a large suspension overhaul.
best if you can find one in which this work is done - bushings, wheel
bearings, lca's, etc.

the car is very sound from those years.

mine runs stronger than ever at 115k miles.

I have an '03 that has 137k miles which I bought new. I haven't had any major issues, still runs like a champ.

I purchased my 2005 ZR with 18k miles. Today, I have 120k. Excluding maint. costs, I have replaced my AT (at 100k) and a pair of front wheel bearings. In the near future, my top will need to be replaced. Runs and looks great.

http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/t...t/A09B6448.jpg

The top may be a weak link on ZRs. Even with care, one top motor on my 05 succumbed to a common problem this year. Be sure to test that it opens and closes smoothly - without pausing along the way. That type of repair is expensive.

Good luck! (the ZR is a blast!!!)

The '03-'05 Z's are now between 5 and 8 years old and some may be approaching their 9th birthday. If they are still running, they would seem to be reliable so I don't think you have to much to be concerned about. Most problems, if any, would have been resolved years ago.

So even more questions, how long does a clutch last in a Z? How much is a clutch job? Is the life greater or less than that of an average car?

Use the search button to review these types of discussions, as there is plenty of material already out there. The Roadster was not put into production until late 2004. Overall the roadster is a trouble free car. Do your search.