Several people here have mentioned that they were initiating Lemon Laws cases because of the problems with there 350Z's.

Does anyone know the out come of these actions?

Has any of these cases came full cycle and a decision been made by the courts?

It could be that the courts have put a "locked lip" order on the case(s) so they could not be discussed in public (by the parties envolved) but I would think someone would know how these cases have been resolved ( some hear say if nothing else ).

From what I am seeing this might be the only route to take to get Nissan to finally take some action on this problem. Push the car back to the dealer and then the dealer will have to take the action back to Nissan.

 

Case in process, let you know soon.

 

I just wanted to post a reply on page 46 of this thread! There are only two types of cars,.... a "Z",...... and all the others!

 

I've tried to make sense of the threads but there is too much crappy info. For you smaller minded people it takes about 8000 miles for the feathering issue to get nasty. I don't believe anyone when they say they don't have the issue and they only have 4000 miles. I think you will have the issue. Not enough information on here about tire changes either. Why? because who on here has 8000 miles on a different brand of tire? Not many people. You know what info I want? VINs and those of you who had the feathering issue return after the first alignment and new tires. I want alignments specs after your first alignment. ONLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE A REPEAT ISSUE AND THEIR ALIGNMENT SPECS AFTER THE FIRST ALIGNMENT CAN SET A TREND FOR NNA TO UNDERSTAND. THE REST OF YOU PEOPLE QUIT WASTING OUR TIME , CAUSE YOU CAN'T ESTABLISH A TREND TO WATCH.

On another note, they don't have a clue. All they have is warranty data from the dealers are repeat offenders. But if the dealer is too stupid to save them the alignment specs everytime they re-align your car, they can't develop the trend. SAVE THOSE ALIGNMENT SPECS PEOPLE. Then the can rule out whether this is truely alignment or not. For all you that have had new tires and the alignment seems to be working....you are the test bed. You will determine if the suspension in the problem. Me...it will return...give it time...if not we will have learned something. If it does return and return in great numbers of you. We know they really screwed up on the design of the suspension. If you are a repeat offender. Send me specs and Vins to this post. Please don't reply unless you have both a vin, alignment specs, and are a repeat offender.

 

What about all of the previous data which I, and others, personally read and have commented on many times in this thread? I had 1600 miles and changed the lousy tires, which were not the tires the suspension was developed with, Michelins were. My tires were barely beginning to cup, not feather(wrong nomenclature) and I changed all 4 tires to PILOT SPORT A/Ss, not the max performance PILOT SPORTS. There 3 issues about this problem: 1. ALIGNMENT OUT AT CUSTOMER DELIVERY, VIN# 001434; 2. OVERSPRUNG/UNDERDAMPED; AND 3. THE CRAPPIEST TIRES I HAVE EVER HAD THE MISFORTUNE TO DRIVE ON. IF YOU KEEP PUTTING THE 040S ON, YOU WILL NEVER STOP HAVING YOUR CUPPING PROBLEM. I have 4200 miles on my A/Ss and have 0 problems. The misalignment started it, the springs are too strong for the wimpy shocks, and the 040s tread is too soft to compensate for the suspension wear that has occurred. Look up ezchief's posts for special alignment settings at 13,000 miles. Oh, I have read every single post on this thread as well as about 75% of the others on other sites and have concluded that continuing to bandaid the problem w/new 040s just wears your suspension out faster and the cupping always comes back w/them on your car. This isn't rocket science, its content analysis.

Boomer--preordered 02/12/02, received 09/05/02. Registered at this site June 2002.

P.S. I wouldn't refer to "smaller minded people" in your posts, you don't have the right to do so, and you just insulted the intelligence of over a 1000+ people who know a shitload more about the problem than you do, newbie. There are 100s of people who put new, different brand tires on within a month or less after they picked up their cars. You didn't do your homework.

 

Just an update....

Back about a few pages ago you might remember that I also had the faethering / cupping problem. At that time the RE040's were out of stock accross the country. I got a set of S03's fro mthe dealer. (AFTER an alignment.)

The alignment was WAY off.. (again, I posted the numbers here on SOME thread...)

I now have over 5,000 miles on the S03's with NO sign of uneven wear. (I first noticed a VISUAL problem on the RE040's around 4,000 miles.)

Personally, I think the tread pattern on the stock tires may accellerate any uneven wear due to bad alignment specs. I'm a firm believer that the RE040's aren't up to quality standards to be placed on a 'Z'.

 

Heard back from the dealer. Said he spoke w/ Nissan Tech and they informed him they would not replace tires at that milage. RE40 life expectancy is 18-20K. So I guess I'm out of luck. I can't remember at what milage I started hearing the roar, but I guess I should have brought it in sooner.

 

Hi Guys,

I have been really busy this month and have not had much time for all of you and I owe you an update. I have been following the thread as I am registered and get the e-mail notifications all day at work.

I took my car in last week for what I would call a thorough repair and inspection. My list of items repaired were:

1. Check the alignment and tires for feathering
2. Pull to the right
3. Window Grease and roll up not locking and rolling 1/2 way down. (2nd time)
4. Driver's Seat clunk
5. Cracking sound from rear axle.

The one you are all most interested in is # 1 so here goes. The SM had the tech inspect the alignment and tires. My concern was the pull to the right was a bad sign for me. They placed a new compression rod in and checked the alignment and it was dead on still. Also, the pull to the right was gone. What a total difference. So the tires are not showing signs and I have been miking them almost weekly and agree. No road noise either. There are 6500 miles on the tires.

So you know, and I posted this before, the tires on the front are REO 92's. They have a 190 tread rating and similar pattern to Pilot Sports. They are all season tires but still soft compound relatively speaking. It was either this or wait 4 months for back ordered REO 40's.

The SM wanted these tires on there to see if it could be the tires even though Hunter had ruled out defects like ballooning at speed. His thought was this was the same thing that Mitsu had to do to cure the 3000 GT's problem. In his opinion, it was the toe/load and tires on the car mixed in with some mismatched shocks. The big shoulder blocks on the 40's and other tires are a disaster waiting to happen.

From what is happening on this thread, word is out to bring the toe in as much as possible to cure the feathering on the tires. No answer except for aftermarket on the bounce though.

I will probably get the aftermarket Koni's when they are out in the Fall and look for some decent Kumho's to fit my OEM 17's.

PS- the cracking noise was fixed by torqueing down the right rear axle. The grease has diminished but they tore my tint on the fix. Pull to right gone with new compression rod. Driver clunk not fixed and waiting for the part. Wil replace tint when the part comes in for clunk.

Ask me questions. But I think Nissan is just going to pull the toe in on the wheels. I have no further meetings with the SM at this time.

 

Boomer stated "I have 4200 miles on my A/Ss and have 0 problems"

I think it is you who don't have a clue. Lets talk about feathering once you have 8000 miles on those tires. Until then shut up cause your little anaylsis is crap. And I have read the threads. There are people who got new tires of a different brand and had the issue return.



I believe there are many of you out there. There was one guy who actual got alot of miles after a different brand of tire. JIM H, I believe, but even he states the problem eventually came back.

And by the way I have now know that if you car was build in March 03 you will have the problem. Are there any April 04 peoples with 8000 miles who don't have the issue?

 

? pleese splain dat last paruhgraf fore duh iliterit impeared

 

frustration with the whole issue pure and simple....sorry for the bad grammar

no one at NNA is ever going to take anything serious in these threads unless they can do some kinda of data or trend anaylsis based on facts....

once again anyone got past 8000 miles on a different brand of tire?

 

Getting close on the RE 92's (all season) Bridgestone's but that is only because the 40's were on back order as stated above. I am close to needing new rear tires and need to get serious about replacements. The 92's weren't bad on the front and the 40's wore well on the rears. I am seriously contemplating the Kumho Ecstas all the way around. Probably wait 1000 more miles to see if the fronts are problematic like before.

 

you know what the sad thing is....so many people are frustrated with this issue and Nissan will never have to do a thing. unless your car is a safety issue. Noisy tires will not inspire any agency to do thing.

I hope your tires never have an issue. I would love to hear from boomer or ezchief that you made the 8000 mark with no issue. But what do we tell the others who have had different tires and the issue keeps coming back.

another note...i seen a post saying this and i can confirm it with information from a source at a dealer.

Toe-in as much as the spec allows seems to be showing some good results. just have to wait and see what others have to say.

 

Its not polite to tell anyone to shut up until your data is in and until then you are merely another Essene wandering around looking for clues. Yes, people have had it return with different tires after they drove over 4-5000 miles on the 040s, the suspension is already damaged at that mileage, IMO.

It would be informative if you cared to reveal the source of you declarative statements. Is it a lot of people, or are you simply generalizing from your own experience? If you are, its bad science, in case you are interested. You have a theory and you are looking for data to back it up. Good luck, sonny.

BTW, Jim H's data is flawed, he changed to Eibach shocks months ago and lowering the suspension can result in tires of any brand to start cupping. Just thought I'd update your Worthiness's quest, and what is your evidence for cars built in March and April developing cupping, your experience again, I see you registered here in March 03? Bad science again, if true.

I wouldn't waste my time helping you do anything, until you show me a data base to support the formulation of your theory. You are just guessing, and seeking validation of your guess until you do. Put up or shut up, coolie.

 

ok i give ,you right....you know it all...tell the rest of us your right and will you pay for our different brand of tires once they start feathering? I didn't think so. So shut your pie hole. This continues to be a hurry up and wait issue. We are not getting anywhere going back and forth. Here are some facts.

the 3/03 model was in the 14xxxs

mine was 11/02 model


I think I just asked about april models? Did I say everything had the issue? No. You have got to develop a window to solve this one. We are up to April. So again, April Z owners with 8000 miles, if there are any...talk to us. I haven't heard from an April owner.

As for the Mich tires...they will feather again. Trust me. I've seen it in person. Its not as bad as the bridgestones. As for the report dealers are going for max toe-in in the specs...thats something every dealer who cares about their Z customers knows. There is no TSB. Its kinda just something whispered. Some dealers will actually raise a little hell for us. Does it work? I have no idea. I'm not wasting any more money on tires until I hear someone made it past the famous 8000 milestone.

As for you. You can say what you will...cut me down....but you still haven't solved the problem.

 

I'm not interested in winning, I want this ****ing problem solved for everyone. But, you will not solve it with anecdotal data only. You have to do a spread sheet, a chart, something you can develop a pattern from. Do a search for mindfullin, he's one of many people trying to make sense of this. The difference is he has a cadre of owners w/the problem. Join his group, get everything down on something that resembles a pattern. Right now, and for many months, the pattern has been 4-5000 miles, damage has been done with the 040s, so the next set of tires goes at your 8-9000 miles. My point is the suspension damage escalates, the longer you seem to have the OE 040s on. Contact mindfullin, see what he has and chart each owner's mileage and the amount of damage they have on their tires at what mileage and you may have a talking point w/Nissan. Otherwise, they will continue to bandaid with 040s until people just give up, sell their cars at a huge loss and there will be lots of low mileage Zs at each dealership to sell at a fat profit.

BTW, I won't have the problem again, I changed the tires at 1600 miles to All Season Michelin Pilot Sports, they have a much harder tread and won't succumb to the squirm the 040s are doing to damage the suspension, IMO. They also outperform the suckass 040s at Tire Rack's Customer Surveys. I took delivery of the car on 9/6/02, why do you think I only put 1600 miles on my car between then and 1/10/03? So it wouldn't happen to me. I had an idea of what was wrong and I lucked out by keeping my mileage low and discovered the beginnings of cupping before it actually damaged the tires or the suspension. Others weren't as lucky as I was.

Boomer

 

ok so your idea is suspension damage. my trying to close the window by asking if there are april builds is going to give us an idea of when Nissan made a change or is going to make a change. they will do something but all us suckers with 03s will have to pay out of pocket for spring or shock change. I'm willing to bet there is some change that has already taken place.

 

I find it hard to believe that you have accually read the 46 page thread in it's entirety! If you had, your questions would have already been answered Mr. Tennessee man! I wish you were from Nashville or something close to me.

calvin

 

As a matter of fact, I know a couple of guys from nashville who have done some of the more educational research of the car. Maybe they can help you understand more about your car. They have installed laptops to both of there 03Zs and have numerous graphs to show performance befores and afters on installs and total changes of parts! I'll even give you there info to contact them to help you simply u n d e r s t a n d things!

calvin

 

Here are all the contact addresses I have found. Please let me know how your case goes. I too am talking to a lawyer.

Ian
kawataworks@yahoo.com

April 2, 2003
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
6-17-1, Ginza, Chuo-ku
Tokyo 104-8023 Japan
Tel: 81-3-3543-5523

Nissan North America, Inc.
18501 South Figueroa St., Gardena, CA 90248, U.S.A.
Phone: 310-771-3111
Fax: 310-771-3343

Nissan North America, Inc. (Manufacturing)
Nissan Drive, Smyrna, TN 37167, U.S.A.
Phone: 615-459-1400
Fax: 615-459-1554/1555

Nissan Design America Inc.
9800 Campus Point Drive, San Diego, CA 92121 U.S.A.
Phone: 619-457-4400
Fax: 619-450-3332

Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc. (Los Angeles Office)
18455 South Figueroa St. Carson, CA 90248-4504, U.S.A.
Phone: 310-771-3111
Fax: 310-771-5658

Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc. (Arizona Office)
7815 North White and Parker Road, Stanfield, AZ 85272, U.S.A.
Phone: 520-421-4100
Fax: 520-421-4298

Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc. (Cambridge Basic Research)
Four Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, U.S.A.
Phone: 617-374-9650
Fax: 617-374-9697

Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc. (Technical Center)
39001 Sunrise Drive Farmington Hills, MI 48331, U.S.A.
Phone: 248-488-4123
Fax: 248-488-3901