I've been planning to buy a Z for some time now, and I could have one around March/April. However, reading this forum is making me seriously consider looking elsewhere. I mean what kind of car has tranny problems at 4k miles, not to mention eats tires because it won't stay in alignment, rattles, the dash comes apart, has cheap plastic parts, and god knows what else? We are talking only 4k miles!!! What happens at 50k-80k when most cars actually start having problems? I have a bad feeling that the 350 Z is going to become one of those famed nightmare cars. I know you all love your Z's, and I think they are GREAT looking cars at a great price. But I need some honest opinions on whether I should become a new owner of one of these. The problems are scaring the hell out of me. It seems like every single person that gets one of these ends up having a new tranny put in at 4k miles. Are there really this many people having problems with theirs, or is it just that all the people with problems post here and make it seems like a huge amout have problems. Thanks for any feedback.

-Joe

 

thats what warranties are for

 

if you dont like it dont buy it.

but you might wanna go look at other cars you would like. 10000+Zs are out there, how many have problems? all cars have problems, you just dont know about it.

 

If your going by this site, you have to remember your dealing with fanatics; every little pik-nit gets reported &, often, blown out of proportion. Every car line has problems/defects.

The only thing I've seen here that I would take into consideration on buying is the tires in snow/cold country.

My Zzzz showed up in fine shape & runs like a top over the first 1200 miles.

 

My hubby and I just bought one a little over a week ago. It is really more his car than mine. Here are the probs we are having: driver seat moves a little, grease smears on windows, alignment pulling to right, and chips on bumper in paint already from pebbles in road hitting it (dealer says the front so flat and wide, you really need a bra or clear bra sealant on it). So it depends if you are willing to keep taking it to the dealer or not to get the fixes for these issues. It is a great car and it definetly turns heads. Hubby loves it and is constantly outside wiping it down. Lol. I am used to a smoother ride, but hubby says "ITS A SPORTS CAR, ITS SUPPOSED TO FEEL LIKE THAT!" Lol. If you can stand to wait, maybe wait until the '04's are out and some of the fixes have been made to them. If you really want a problem-free car...it might not be the one for you right now (until the fixes are made). But if you are willing to deal with the problems you see on the forum, then go for it.

 

 

the problems you mentioned would be fixed as soon as nissan recognizes a problem. they wouldnt wait to stop the grease streak, or alignment problems untill next year, theyd just make the change.

only thing that might change at a year end would be tread choice.

 

Hey, good luck with that perfect car you buy. Let us know which cars are perfect so we can all buy one of those!

 

Thanks for all the advice guys...I really appreciate it. Andy, I'm not looking for a perfect car...just one that doesn't start having major problems after 4000 miles. The other car I'm looking into is a low miles Supra TT. Those seem to be damn near bulletproof. To be honest though, I like the Z better for its looks, interior, and technology. The Supra appeals to me because of its ungodly power capabilities. I don't necessarily need a car that can outrun a Viper though, and racing has already gotten me in my fair share of legal trouble. So the Z was at the top of my list. Maybe I'll hold off a while and see if they fix the stated problems. Thanks again guys.

-Joe

 

Joe,

I'm in the same boat you are. I decided to hold off on the purchase because of the existing problems. Probably going to go with a new e46. I really was set on the Z.

 

The problems with the Z are atributed to it being a brand new car/model. And in time Nissan will work out all the kinks. When the new C5 corvette came out it had tons of problems. My Neighbor got one of the first ones and a note in the mail the next week telling him not to drive it because the tie rods were faulty and the front tires could fall off the car while driving, he had to look at it for 3 months sitting in his garage for chevy to fix it. All first run models have these bugs. But the Z is worth these small issues.

 

I've also been trying to decide whether or not to get a Z for the past few months. It's definately on the top of my list. I think it's a great value, even w/ the problems being reported, however, I am not the type of person who can tolerate these kind of problems. I've had my share of frequent dealer trips in the past. I'm also going to wait it out and pray that Nissan fixes these problems asap.

Anyhow, I guess I owe a thanks to all the current Z owners who are finding all the bugs.

 

I've made my decision to go with a used Supra TT. I'm looking for one to pop up at a good price every day. The aftermarket for the Supra is amazing, and huge power gains come at a low price. $1500 nets you 420 HP. The looks are great too. Getting a car with a used interior is the only part I won't like, but that can be redone. I, like many of you, can't afford to bring my car to the dealer every couple thousand miles. I work full time and missing work is losing money. I think Nissan has a great car, and with some revision I think it'll be just amazing. Can't wait to see the TT version too. If things improve, I'll give them another look. Good luck with your Z's guys, and have fun!

-Joe

 

The car si awesome! Don't listen to all these hypocondriacts (hope I spelled that ok?). Most of these people complaining are full of it, or were not expecting a real sports car.

 

Wow, Z owners are a little bit defensive:

"If you don't like it, don't buy it."
"Good luck with that perfect car you buy..."

Such thoughtful replies.

I'm in the same boat as the guy who started this thread. I'm
most likely going to buy something else. I bought an MR2 Spyder
during the first few months they came out -- very few people had
any problems with that car even though it was also a "new
release".

Check the poll on the tire feathering issue: way more than half
of the people responding had this serious problem after 4000
miles. I'm sorry, but that is out of wack. I'm waiting to see what
the resolution of this problem is (if any) before I get my Z.

 

As for the transmission grinding issues...

I honestly suspect that in the majority of cases the driver is to blame.

These gearboxes have a triple cone synchro and they are not meant to be "forced" into gears.
I can just imagine people "slamming" the gears as they speed away from redlights.

You can't treat the gearbox this way.

Just a very amature opinion.

 

So far I have 3400 miles in my Z. The only thing might be the tire feathering issue. Besides that car is flawless.

 

I can't beleive I hear people say they won't buy a Z because of these tiny little issues.

My MR2 Spyder spent at least 3 months in the shop in 2002 and recieved 3 engine block replacements, 2 catalytic convert replacements, it's having it's 3rd VVTI sytem installed now, and almost everything else under the hood has been replaced at least once.

Now are you going to buy that Z or stand here asking dumb questions?

 

Just remember, keep everything in perspective. Nissan has probably sold close to 10,000 Z's now. The problems are really not that universal. In fact most of the one's that have cropped up so far are probably mostly affecting cars that were produced early. Until some of us who have bought later put more miles on, we really won't know.

So far, my performace model which was delivered less then a month ago has non eof the often posted problems, including the window streaks and seat movement issue. The tires are still looking good and the tranny isn't showing any problems yet, other then she bounces more then I care, she really is perfect.

I have almost 1900 miles now. I hope that my car was just better built from experience. We will see when I get to 4000.

 

1) BOSE amp : took it in and they replaced amp per TSB. No problem.

2) Alignment : before it was a problem I asked them to check (since I was there already). They checked and adjusted toe. No problem.

3) Window streaks : yes, small ones, don't bug me much, I know is grease from the power windows rollers. Minor issue. Don't want to waste a trip on it.

Besides that, perfect.

Challenge : visit the MR2 boards. Or the Vortex (VW). Or for that matter, almost any car forum. You will find the same selective band of enthusiast looking for perfection, changing their audio, dreaming of better brakes, looking for more horsepower, etc, etc,etc.

Remember also that people are more likely to complaint than to post just to say "all is fine". For every complaint you read about there are probably 5 or more happy customers out there without a worry. We are a significantly small portion of the Z ownership. We are Z owners in love with our cars who are web adicts and spend a significant amount of time surfing....

Many of the complaints are in the eyes of the beholder. The BOSE system works fine for me, but I recognize I don't listen to music that loud. My son (Mr. Amps and Subs himself) thought it was decent.

Power : when you can reach 90 and have gears to spare, you probably have as much as you will need unless you are planning on going to the track. I am waaaayyy happy.

Looks : A+++, and I don't know anybody who has complained about that in any board so far.

Aftermarket : in just a few months, almost anything you would want, even performance engines. Expect prices to start dropping as vendors compete for your $$$... From intakes to exhaust, from seats to wings to rims, you can almost rebuild the car by now and it hasn't been a year yet.

Chips on the bumper paint : look at "aftermarket". I was going to fight it, but it seems it might be easier to change the bumper when it gets too much out of hands. Sme claim you can have it out in 15 mins or less.

Community : the Z community comes from a long background. I am looking forward to my first Z club meeting next week. These online comunities have made the ownership experience even more enjoyable.

1 VERY happy customer.