Hey guys i'm in the market for a new car and was very much interested in the 350z. Just wanted to get a few pointers as to what i should be looking out for or common problems etc...I am looking at the 03-04 6spd models. also if anyone is looking to get rid of their please let me know. located in the gta area.

thanks
khiz

 

make sure the build date of the car is nov 03 or later. that would be a 2004.5 model year with revised 'european' suspension settings that doesn't bounce around as much, revised interior bits, and knee pads

 

yeah i suggest an 04.5 as thats what i picked up. but dont let that discourage you, i have a few buddies with 03's and one of them had the feathering fixed and the problem never came back and my other buddy never even had the problem with feathering. also the suspension isnt that bouncy, it is noticibly different but not that bad as its made out to be, anyways coilovers will fix that lol. also the window motor is an issue with 03 early 04 too, one of my buddies car makes a wierd noise when its cold out, but they have never failed on either, but they could have already been replaced. idk. but if you do buy an 03-04 and it doesnt have the problem then more than likely you should be ok. good luck. all i can say is dont get an 05 aniv-06, i have heard horror stories. quite a big risk you take getting one of those.

 

Thanks guys very informative reponses...looking forward to being a future z owner....keep the suggestions coming..

 

i'm selling my 03 track pack!

 

what problems does a 35th anniversary have?

 

revup motor tends to consume unhealthy amounts of oil... members on this forum have firsthand experience

 

oh....hasn't happened to me yet. fingers crossed

 

my car is a 04 track model made in march 2004, is that a 04 or a 04.5 model

 

Look at your VIN.

If the letter before the last 6 digits on your VIN starts with an M, it's 04.5

If it's a T, you'll need to look at the last 6 digits.

2004 Nissan 350Z Coupe/Roadster (Coupe VINs up to D*4T160000,E*4T060000) (Roadster VINs from D*4T102001 to D*4T110000 & from A*4T002001 to A*4T010000)

2004.5 Nissan 350Z Coupe/Roadster (Coupe VINs from D*4T160001, E*4T060001) ( Roadster VINs from D*4T110001, A*4T010001)


FYI, the letters stand for the factory that it's built in.
T: Oppama
M: Tochigi

 

its an 04, you're good
anytime it was made after nov 03, you're good

 

There is nothing wrong with 03 models as well, tire feathering was solved simply with a $99 camber kit which anybody who lowers their car should put on to get the best camber results anyway.

I haven't heard anything about this whole suspension bushing issue however whats that about?

 

knotchy transmission... specially if you've driven a honda or toyota, you'll find this. also, i've read about the window motor problems.
other than that, its a good car. Check the cupholder and the cubby hole, those things have a lot of issues too. Maybe i'm going into too much detail now..
One thing I regret... I spent 25K on my 350z. I should have picked up a used E46, M3 for a little more, instead. My friend owns an M3's, the drive, seating position, throttle response, gearbox, and so much more is better than the Z33.

 

I have an 03 and its fine so far.

 

its an excellent car, my brother has one. I'm a big BMW fan, owned a modified e36 before this. The build quality is much better too. But the Zed is a very involving drive, the steering gives more feedback, EVO didn't give it 5 stars for nothing. Of course, the M3 has the better engine and ergo....but expensive to maintain

 

mine is

4T06***1

so is that a 2004.5 then?

 

looks like it.

 

A few of us have '03's with all the early problems taken care of.
I would say the most important thing to check is if it was winter driven.

 

I'm curious as to why you say that....(besides the rust issue)

 

its not the bushings, its the springs themselves. They were designed for europe but the test drivers were impressed with them so they made it standard for NA after 04. If you have coilovers its a nonissue