i think the site is great and a great idea. have you considered placing an online petition on your site. i'm sure plenty of people here would add their name to it and it would add more force to the purpose and message of the site.

 

just out of curiosity, what was the fix for the nsx? and how did they administer the fix for owners of the car? your nsx experience could provide a roadmap for Z owners to follow in dealing with this problem.

btw, i'm not wondering whether the nsx was exhibiting the same problem the z has. just curious about the details of how acura handled implementing the fix for existing owners.

 

i have an idea... it would be very informative to visitors of this site if everyone put info about their tire feathering experience in their sigs. it would also make a powerful statement about the problem by creating an ever-present reminder of the existence of the problem, that visitors will see as they browse any and all forum topics.

something like

----
2003 enthusiast 350z
tire feathering at 4200 miles (first set of tires)
tire feathering at 5000 miles (second set of tires)

 

Good idea...done

 

How are those Michelin Pilot Sports working out for you?

 

2003 Performance

tire feathering noticed at 14,500 (had the roar long before just thought it was normal for the z to roar) alignment off

new front and rear tires replaced alignment adjusted to spec

15,500 alignment off again front an rear adjusted no notice as yet of feathering tires.

 

too soon to tell, only 1500 miles on them, I do like the tires performance... they seem as sticky as the Potenzas but with a much higher wear rating. The originals were just starting to cup, with no noise, but dealer did replace them.

 

Well after winning hearing on 4/22/04 I elected for the buyback decision and have yet to hear back from NNA. I know I'm driving this car for free now - but I'm getting worried about (accidents, etc). It would really calm my nerve's if I could just trun her in tomorrow. I have a feeling though it could be another week or so which is killing me....

 

Perhaps it would be best for the community if you, or Nissan I should say. utilized this waiting period to conduct some extensive testing on the car. How fast can you go in reverse before hitting the rev limiter for example? I know I've often wondered. Or how many times will you bounce off the rev limiter in one minute by holding the throttle wide open in neutral? Or what is the maximum speed at which you can safely shift from 6th to reverse? Or you could identify the gear selection/RPM points that allow for clutchless shifting by trial and error. How about some extended mileage testing? Could you place the vehicle up on jack stands and let it run WOT in 4th gear to see what will happen first; blown engine or run out of gas? I think you owe it to this board to provide us with the answers to these questions kbsig.

 

Who about the:

Will it float test?

 

Couldn't agree more

 

I ordered some for the rear ... should be in by Thursday. Good to hear that are an OK tire.

 

i'd like to hear about your case. i have a trial through the BBB in a month and have been preparing. what were your strongest arguments. any help appreciated

 

I have put about 3700 miles on the Pilots with no wear or noise to date. They do handle well however they are a bit stiffer ride..still early to tell

 

LOL!

 

'04 Touring w/ 6800 miles....and she's feathering like a ****. So Bankston Lewisville fixed your alignment? How about tires? Did they cover this under the TSB or make you pay? Who'd you deal with over there? I called Bankston in Irving and the guy, flat out said i'm outta luck. Quote: "The feathering issue is fixed on the '04 Z's."

 

Well, I just got back from my 3rd attempt to repair the feathering on my '03 touring.

round 1, 10,000 - replaced tires and aligned, no questions asked
round 2, 15,000 - What roaring noise? checked alignment...still good
round 3, 20,000 - Oh, that roaring noise. swapped tires on rim alignment still good.

I spoke with the service tech about the alignment, he smiled and said "Yeah, our brand new $60,000 Hunter says it's still in spec"

He also mentioned that the '04's had a "suspension change" and that they don't have the problem. I told him that a dozen people on the web would disagree!

The noise has quited, but I am sure it will come back. As soon as it does I am sending my letter to NNA and ROARING down the VA Lemon Law road.

I have the clicking rear end now too. I guess tightening the "heat shield" didn't make the axel clicking go away?

 

3 days left for NNA to contact me before my LL claim is initiated.

 

I apologize for such a long thread. Just want to tell my whole saga.

I posted my original problem and have been a faithful follower of this thread.

I have a 2003 Touring model purchased in March 2003. I had the tire feathering problem which began around 6,500 miles. At that time I was not aware of the problems or of this thread. I brought it in for the 7,500 mile service. My dealership was great (at that time). Confirmed severe tire feathering and cupping. Told me the car was out of alignment and swapped the tires left to right. I still had the "roar" and at the suggestion of my boyfriend who said "something's not right, the car should not be out of alignment", I did an internet search and found this thread.

I went back to the dealership with as much information as I could find and told them that the "roar" was not fixed with the swap. I received 4 new tires (same Bridgestones). I was very happy that I didn't have to fight like some of you. I approached the owner told him of the problem and said I will see you in 6 months with the same problem. He said that if I really bellieved there is a defect in the vehicle he would look into a "buy back" at that time. I was so happy, I thought this is too easy.

In the meantime, I said this is too good to be true so I did some research on the Lemon Law in Pa. and found out what the requirements were and continued to gather as much information as I could. I made sure I met the Lemon Law requirements.

Following the thread with my new tires and the hope of the possibility a buy back later down the line (how naive!), I continued to love and drive my quiet Z. I now have 11,500 miles, the "roar" has returned. Not quite as loud yet, but its there.

At the 11,500 service, the tech confims that there is a "roar" and that the tires are feathering and cupping.

I am told to bring it back yet again and was told by the Asst. Service Manager, that they would call Nissan's Tech Line to see if they could replace the suspension. Once again, thinking I have a great dealership and this might be a fix. I didn't recall anyone on the thread getting a new suspension.

After the call to the Tech Line, I get a call back (a week later) and was told to bring the car back to check the alignment. I was given a rental car. Once again thinking I have a great dealership.

When I picked up the car yesterday, I was told that the car was slightly out of alignment and that they realigned it. I asked what about new tires as indicated in the new TSB. Unfortunately, the service manager's attitude shifted.

I was told by the service manager that TSB's mean nothing, that he took my car out for a test ride and took it up to 60 mph and heard no noise. I told him that if had ANY knowledge of the problem he would know that the noise occurs between 20 and 30 mph. He again said I have no problems with the tires. I asked him if his technician "lied" the week before when he documented it.

I then immediately spoke to the owner of the dealership who I might add seemed very honest and sincere. He offered to call Nissan on my behalf, which he did. He was told by the Regional Service and Parts Manager, that there will be no "buy backs" unless they are forced to do so by litigation. If litigation is persued, there will be no "good will" service performed only warranty work.

So, here I am back at ground zero trying to figure out what to do!

I almost don't have the energy to pursue the Lemon Law process, but I think that is what Nissan will hope we will do - go away.

Also, I haven't seen any responses from anyone indicating that they had luck with the Nismo S-Tune suspension. Anyone had any luck after installing this? How does it change the handling/ride? I was told by the asst. service mgr. that this is a racing suspension and would totally change the handling/ride of the car. (I drive mostly city driving).

Also, I wait to hear some results from anyone having luck with the Michelin Pilots.

I originally thought that I would wait out the 2 year period, get new tires when I needed them and then make a decision. Now, it looks like the dealership won't fulfill the TSB.

Unfortunately, there is no other car out there that I would rather drive. Has it definitely been confirmed that the G35 does not have these problems? I chedked the NTSHA complaints and see none regarding this problem.

To think that I traded my absolutely perfect 1987 garage kept, one mechanic beauty with only 100,000 miles for a piece of S#%t.

Truly Z-UNHAPPY in Philly.

 

You or your boyfriend can inspect the feathering. If anything else you can turn the wheels all the way in one direction and inspect the tread without taking the tires off the car.

If the feathering is visible then the dealer should measure it. Based on the severity two courses of action are required according to the TSB: Tire swap & alignment/ or replacement.

If they still refuse then don’t forget to fill out the customer satisfaction questionnaire as completely unsatisfied - TSB service refused. Then move on to another dealer.

Personally, I’d let the feathering get worse before I went back to the dealer. I don’t think anybody wants the tire swap and alignment (if anything else to prevent excessive damage to the rims) unless they are getting new tires.

I’ll be looking into the S-tune suspension myself. Hate to put money in Nissan’s pocket right now but I’m not going to cut off my nose to spite my face. Bottom line is I want the problem fixed for the cheapest price and if it means making my existing car more fun to drive then that’s what I’ll do. I don’t want to LL a car I love for this one problem. Financially I don’t think it makes sense. I plan on having this car for a long time.