I'm wondering if they did have the problem would they have admitted it?

 

My VIN is like 3280 or about; took delivery Nov 4 2002. Car was built in late Sept so far as I can tell. 7400 miles.

Have an alignment this Friday, but I want a new set of fronts - the abnormal wear really made a difference in tread depth and now that they're on the outside, it sucks. Naturally this part of the front tire spends more time in contact with the pavement.

Still love my car, but NNA owes me some new rubber, no ******** about it.

Steve

 

Steve Z ,
When did the cupping start ? My Z was in the same shipment , close VIN to yours .Only at 3000 miles , nothing yet ! Thanks !

FrankieZZ

 

Frankie - I think around 6,000 miles - it may have been earlier, but I picked up what sounded like rotor noise around 6k, just now have 7.4k. I didn't ever look for it on the tires, so I'm not positive.

I put about 4k on from Nov2002-April 2003, but with the colder weather here during that time, I had to take it really easy w/re to braking, cornering, etc. 'cause the Potenzas were awful when cold.

Steve
stracy01@mac.com

 

BTW, if you didn't see the TSB for this, it's on the site, #NTB03-006. Based on all the bad alignments in this thread from initial delivery, I highly recommend getting yours checked before you potentially see the problem. By the time I noticed a problem, I lost 2x the treadwear from inner to outer, up front only.

 

The TSB as of Jan 23, 2003 shows -

Applied VIN's of -
Vehicles Built Before:
JN1AZ34E93T004958
JN1AZ34D63T104023

Applied Date:
Vehicles Built Before:
September 19, 2002

 

If Nissan has corrected the problem with the 350Z after VIN# JN1AZ34D63T104023, why don't they recall the 350Z with VIN#s:
Vehicles Built Before:
JN1AZ34E93T004958
JN1AZ34D63T104023
? (does anyone know how many cars this represents? 99,065 cars?)

I believe Nissan does have a fix but are unwilling to release the information. And does not want to have to replace whatever the fix is that the newer cars have. (ie. struts, control arms, springs etc...) Very bad business choice!

Many of us put our faith in the Nissan brand and put deposits down in the belief that Nissan's flagship would not be released unless it was up to par. I guess that is why Honda is considered a better brand especially when it comes to quality control.

VIN#T100157

 

If Nissan has corrected the problem with the 350Z after VIN# JN1AZ34D63T104023, why don't they recall the 350Z with VIN#s:
Vehicles Built Before:
JN1AZ34E93T004958
JN1AZ34D63T104023
? (does anyone know how many cars this represents? 99,065 cars?)

I believe Nissan does have a fix but are unwilling to release the information. And does not want to have to replace whatever the fix is that the newer cars have. (ie. struts, control arms, springs etc...) Very bad business choice!

Many of us put our faith in the Nissan brand and put deposits down in the belief that Nissan's flagship would not be released unless it was up to par. I guess that is why Honda is considered a better brand especially when it comes to quality control.

VIN#T100157

 

my question exactly. if they have corrected the problem in newer released cars, why don't they just swap out the parts for older mfg. cars? unless, they don't know what they fixed, so they can't really pin point the problem as yet..

 

My build date was 1/ 2003. I Had the problem. As you can see in my signature, I got a set of S-03 Pole Positions as warranty replacements. This was at the time the RE040's were out of stock pretty much nation wide. My alignment was also WAY off.

With the new alignment and new S-03's the car drives and tracks BETTER than it did off the lot. (I also get 1.2 mpg better on my gas milage) It's been 2500 miles now and no sign of the problem returning yet... (I know, it's still early...)

 

03 Z -
I would be interested in keeping in contact with you to watch your progress on your car. My dealer also requested that Nissan authorize a change in tires, either the S-03's or Michelin Pilot's. The Service Manager has been in the car business for 16 years and feels that their maybe an incompatability with the tires. He said he has seen simular problems with other cars and when you just change the tire (different rubber compound, different tread design, stiffer or softer side wall etc...) it can fix the problem with cupping.
kawataworks@yahoo.com

 

I posted last night on 350frenzy on this same topic. The pre-production Zs were tested in this country on Michelins and the Bridgestones were a late OE change. I agree with your dealer in thinking there is an incompatability between the tires and the Z's suspension. Change the tires, align it and most of the early preorder Zs will be OK, IMO. The TSB refers to the 8000+ pre-order cars which had the wear problem. Some owners, very few, did not have the problem but most have had it, except the ones who changed to bigger wheels/tires and then aligned their cars. Almost al of the pre-order cars came in out of alignment due to improper shipping and most dealers did not catch it before delivery to customers.

The 2004s will be in alignment, I am sure, but Nissan should not continue the Bridgestones as OE equipment. It will be interesting if they do. Are they on the new convertible, I forgot to check? If I were buying a Z today, I would insist on a free alignment and different OE tires than the 040s. Not free, but discounted on a trade to different tires.

Boomer--my advice, use it or lose it, I don't care.

 

Steve ,

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly ! I have been watching this whole mess since the beginning . My VIN is 3295 at 3000 miles only ( I know, drive it more ), delivery November 3 ,2002.
When I was up in Canada for the Grand Prix this year, I spoke to a Bridgestone rep at a Ferrari exhibit and he agreed with Boomer, who I think is right on the money . He concurred that there has been trouble in the past with shipping and for those who don't want to believe it , can cause enough damage to cause the problem that many are having . I did post this along time ago , but maybe it was missed in all the fury !I am beginning to agree ( I'm sure there are other possible combinations of factors also ).Also , we can't blame Bridgestone for too much of this outside of the fact that the RE040 is a crappy tire . He told me that this tire was designed specifically for the Z and if there was a problem , it was probably in the suspension setup by Nissan ( possibly changed alignment , damage from shipping etc.) When I pressed him for his answer to the problem , he said change the tire ( to another Bridgestone of course ), but seriously, he said when this happened once before that was the way to go . I think he said the problem was resolved by changing to an RE020 ( I'm not sure if that's the one , but something similar to that number ) and I do remember him mentioning the other Bridgestone mentioned here as well ,RE03 . Once this was done and/or with correct alignment , the problem was eliminated . Now I know many feel that a camber/caster plate needs to be added by Nissan , that the realignment alone won't do it , but since there are some cars out there who were preorders and didn't get the problem , well I feel now that for some reason their alignment held, on board ship, and this next statement is important , their driving habits are not as tough as some others ( yea , I know it's a sports car that's meant to be driven hard and you're right ) , which probablyresulted in a more even wear ( but that still is no excuse , the tires/suspension should take most driving styles )!
Now , I don't have cupping/feathering yet , so I'm another test subject for you others . I'm going in to the dealer Friday August 15th( who by the way knew nothing of this problem, but I actually think they were being honest by the tone of her voice ( asst. service manager ),being a small dealership that only had 9 preorders along with mine , the other preorders have not seen the feathering , but there can be a million reasons - no shipping damage , low miles etc ).I'll have an alignment check and reset if necessary ( remember no irregular wear yet ) and I will keep you posted as to what they found etc ., also as to what develops over the miles . I just hope I'm right -get the correct , latest alignment specs on your Z and then say goodbye to the RE040 for good as soon as you can ( it's not even a good looking tire )!


FrankieZZ

 

Several owners have changed to Bridgestone Pole Position 03s and not had any more trouble. I can't believe the 040s were designed for the Z when I heard last year, from an impeccable source, that they were tested here with Michelins and the change was made because the 040s had a better turn-in feel. Change to another Bridgestone, yes; developed expressly for the car, no. The decision to use the 040s was made after, not before the car was tested pre-production. Nobody wants to own up to the fact that the 040s are a collassal flop and are unsuited to the car.

If you need more info, I suggest you read the 100s of incidences of abnormal tire wear that were posted here(especially here) and many other sites. I'm out of it after several months of frustrating attempts to get NNA to listen. Its about money now for Nissan, not customer service.

 

Frustrating is the key word here as well as change the tire . If you look at the Proxy S-1 for example , you will notice that the outside and inside edges are not a pattern that will likely , if at all .cup ( or at the least would be difficult to accomplish ) . That may be the reason the Bridgestone Pole Position 03 is successful on the Z and other tires with a similar pattern .
As to my source , he was also " impeccable " , so it is hard to say .
I know it is possible that the 40 was not designed for the Z , but even for Nissan I would find that hard to believe . Yet I'll say again , anything is possible . One reason I doubt that is that I had never heard of this tire before the Z , has anyone else ? And it seems like the perfect , cheap tire for Nissan to develop with Bridgestone to keep cost down on the 350Z ( minimal performance , poor wear etc. ).We may never know , but it( changing to another tire ) does seem to be one solution that has worked ( I know several of my friends have modified suspensions now and that is also working( but usually with new tires ,also ) , so we have two variables , sometimes three making any results very unscientific to say the least ) .
Where I am extremely disappointed is in the fact that Nissan has not stepped up to the plate once to confront this problem satisfactorily , honestly, and openly ! This does not bode well for me and would make me think three times before I ever bought anything new , especially a preordered sports car , from them again . Their being so reluctant to make good on this matter is nothing but being penny wise and pound foolish in the long run which has already come back to bite Nissan !


FrankieZZ

 

The RE040 was NOT designed specifically for the 350Z - it was already available on other cars as OEM equipment. The RE040 was produced in tire sizes specifically for the Z at Nissans request. The RE040 sizes on your Z were not available before the Z appeared.

Yes - the RE040 has been available for years now for various models in the Audi lineup, especially the S4 and RS models in Europe and the US. The new Mazda RX-8 has RE040s also. BTW, you can read the feedback from dissatisfied Audi owners who had RE040s also on the Tirerack website -- same complaints about crappy performance! Duh!

Have you priced RE040s on TireRack? I would not call them cheap! They are priced at the same price point as the S-03s now, but when they first appeared on the Tirerack list last summer, they were higher priced - just below the most expensive Michelin Pilot Sports. None of the tires for our cars are cheap. Sure, some tires are cheaper than other tires, but none are "cheap"! I would say that more correctly, some tires are better suited to the setup and performance & wear characteristics of 350Zs than other more preferable tires. CHEAP tires like Kumhos and Coopers are not yet available in sizes for our cars.

 

Thanks for backing me up, CC. I was so frustrated for so many months that I had put the facts largely behind me. Bridgestone 040s are OE on the Lexis IS300 also, I saw them on one at the dealership and the Tire Rack's customers who wrote reviews were scathing. The 040s have the lowest rating of any tire I have ever seen in their question, "Would you buy them again"? How about 3.9 on their scale of 1-10, 10 being the best rating?

This tire is absolute crap and CC, who IS my impeccable source, is absolutely on target on the price, they were well over $170 a tire for our cars, despite their miserable record. If you want it straight from the owners of these tires, starting in 2000(yes 2000!), read the customer reviews at Tire Rack, there are dozens of terrible reviews. I read about them before my pre-order car was delivered and tried to get them changed to Pilot Sport A/Ss before I took delivery, but my order got lost in the dealership database and was never forwarded to my salesman. After I took delivery, I was immediately aware of their shortcomings. Harsh ride, bounce over some road surfaces and slick as glass under 50 degree weather. Audi issued a letter to S4 owners cautioning them to not use the tires in any snow whatsoever. This is from an S4 owner in their review on Tire Rack.

The 040s are poor tires, period, and Nissan knew it when they were chosen for OE equipment and as CC points out, THEY ARE NOT CHEAP! That is the strangest factor of all in their being chosen, baffling/frustrating/and simply stupid, IMO.

Boomer

 

Also, what Nissan paid is not what we pay retail for tires. Bridgestone most likely sold cheap to Nissan in the hopes that we would replace them with their tires when they wore out. With limited brands available for our car's OEM wheels, it is a real good opportunity for Bridgestone except their tire sucks a#$!

 

The 040's were a fill-in swap on Audi TT's - if you want to get some really harsh opinions on the 040, check out the customer reviews at tirerack.com.

The Audi drivers who rec'd the 040's were not too happy their Michelin Pilot's were swapped out - and that's an understatement!

I plan to get a copy of the alignment before/after Friday this week from a different dealer and will post (unless they won't give it to me). I don't know what I would do if the alignment is in spec, other than become more pissed off at Nissan :O

Also, earlier in this thread someone mentioned 030's were substituted for 040's due to out-of-stock problems - did that include 4 tires, or did they mix models front/rear?

Thanks!

 

I think this is all wishfull thinking.
Let's look at it this way,If it were only a tire problem dont you think NNA would just replace the tires with another brand or model?
It would be a lot less expensive than buying back cars and constantly replacing tires,Also if it were only a tire issue than why are they replacing the worn tires with the same tire?
Also if it were a tire problem than why are all the new Z's still coming with the Bridgestones?